Density vs. XY Sense: which occupancy system should your workplace choose?

Density combines anonymous occupancy measurement with Instant, where workplace teams can ask about their spaces, explore charts and share the answers. Its sensor choices support different measurement tasks, so a commercial-building evaluation can cover both the physical count and how the team will use it.

XY Sense also offers occupancy sensing and portfolio analytics. Compare the proposed sensor outputs, deployment requirements and reporting tools against the same workplace question.

Start with the spaces you need to understand

Density gives you distinct measurement choices within one product family:

• Waffle for small rooms, phone booths and desks, with zero, one, two and three-plus occupancy categories.
• Open Area for understanding counts and use within larger areas.
• Entry for doorway measurement and the occupancy derived from entrances and exits.

That lets a team start with a specific problem, such as phone-booth availability, and plan the appropriate measurement for larger areas and building demand.

XY Sense distinguishes area, entry and small-space sensors in its sensor guidance. Match the proposed devices to the same rooms and outputs when comparing deployments. A quote for broad floor coverage answers a different question from a quote for a few phone booths.

For a small-space starting point, Density Waffle is a self-installable, powered radar sensor. Ask Density to demonstrate the setup and the resulting room-level data before extending the deployment.

Compare the path from a question to a decision

Density Instant is a compelling reason to choose Density for teams whose questions change during a planning discussion. Its public demonstration shows interactive charts, further questions and sharing an answer with someone else. Examples include examining room usage, comparing desk use between sites and investigating busy days.

XY Sense has documented Portfolio dashboards for comparing buildings and floors. Its SnapshotAI guidance describes AI-generated dashboard summaries and takeaways, enabled through an opt-in process.

Bring both vendors the same planning question. For Density, work through the full sequence in Instant: ask, examine the chart, ask a follow-up and share the result. Judge the workflow by whether another decision-maker can understand and use that answer.

Keep live availability and portfolio analysis distinct

For real-time occupancy, specify the signal you need. A current occupied/free status, a people count and a historical utilization average have different meanings.

XY Sense's developer documentation separates current occupancy events from aggregated analytics and describes feature-dependent access. Density also publishes a developer portal for live and historical use cases.

Evaluate the actual delivery path: sensor output, application or API, timestamp, health context and the action your system takes. Use the same acceptance rule for both proposals so their results describe the same task.

Make privacy an inspectable requirement

Density's trust page describes radar-based sensing designed without the capability to capture, store or interpret personally identifiable information. That makes Density a clear starting point when the brief calls for understanding spaces without identifying employees.

XY Sense's privacy documentation describes on-device processing and anonymous coordinates, without storing or transmitting images. Evaluate each proposed sensor's data path and the applications connected to it. The use of optical sensing alone does not establish that a system identifies people.

Why put Density first on your shortlist?

Density offers Waffle for a small-space rollout and Instant for exploring questions about the measured spaces. Evaluate that combination against one building decision before expanding the deployment.

Start with one building decision, agree on the measurement and work through it with Density. Book a demo or email sales@density.io to compare the proposed workflow with your requirements.

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