Whether you're a freelancer or traditional worker that travels a lot, finding both an open desk and a welcoming community is now easier than ever. Over the past few years, many different platforms for accessing shared workspaces have emerged. But how do you decide which one to use?
To help, we've rounded up nine of the most popular workspace locator apps and websites. While there are many similarities in how they work, each one offers slightly different features or has a unique mission. With help from company founders and CEOs, we've tried to spotlight these differences so that you can choose the service that best fits your needs and workstyle.
Also, keep in mind that there are two sides to this equation: those who need a place to work, and those who have extra office space to share. If you find yourself in the latter category, these apps and websites can help you find traveling professionals who might like to utilize your available desks.
Nine Coworking Apps That Help You Find (Or Share!) A Place To Work
1. Deskcamping
- Where? London, Berlin, and New York (for now).
- Types? Coworking spaces and company desks.
- Mobile App? No.
"There's a load of things that make us different, like freelancers have profiles as well as workspaces," explains Deskcamping CEO Nick Couch (pictured at top, left). "We have a set of 'Office Vibes' developed by a business anthropologist to help describe the culture of a workspace. We have this thing called '5 Day Itch' which means a guest or host can cancel at any point in the first 5 days. We've also got a build in confidentiality agreement in our T&C's, called the 'Deskcamping Code". Plus, we encourage workspaces to offer free desks in the spirit of collaboration."
2. DesksNearMe
- Where? Worldwide.
- Types? Coworking spaces and company desks.
- Mobile App? Yes, on iTunes.
"DesksNear.Me is the largest provider of shared work spaces with over 9,000 listings at over 1,400 companies worldwide, including office buildings, medical suites, retail spaces and more," says cofounder and CEO Michelle Regner. "We've seen an incredible amount of growth over the past year and were honored to be named one of 22 start-ups in industry analyst Jeremiah Owyang's Crowd Companies Innovation Network, which focuses on helping big companies become a part of the sharing economy."
3. Space on Tap and Colleagues on Tap
- Where? UK
- Types? Coworking spaces and business centers.
- Mobile App? No.
"Space on Tap helps people to find temporary office spaces across the North East of England. At Colleagues on Tap we believe working for yourself doesn't always need to mean working *by* yourself," explains founder Jayne Graham. "Our quest is for you to Get Surrounded! Join us for a 'day at the office' now and then on 'Coworking Days'; get both you and your business buzzing with 'Coffee Chats' pay-as-you-go coaching; and get connected with your peers, suppliers and customers through the Colleague Finder business directory."
4. ShareDesk
- Where? Worldwide.
- Types? Corporate offices, business centers, coworking spaces, or meeting facilities.
- Mobile App? No.
"ShareDesk makes it simple and beautiful for mobile professionals to access fully serviced offices, coworking spaces, and meeting facilities around the world. We now have over 1,800 locations in 70 countries to do just that- help people be more productive!" explains Kia Rahmani, ShareDesk CEO. "We are incredibly excited about the launch of ShareDesk Optix, a solution that will allow our partner locations to optimize they way in which they manage and share their workplaces and further simplifies the way that the mobile professionals connect and collaborate in these flexible workplaces around the world."
5. LiquidSpace
- Where? Worldwide.
- Types? Private offices, meeting rooms, or coworking desks.
- Mobile App? Yes, on iTunes and Google Play.
"At LiquidSpace, we’re focused on the intersection of people and workplace. We see this revolution as 'The Great Era of Unbuilding,'" founder Mark Gilbreath wrote for Shareable in 2012. "We are going to eat into the vast supply of existing buildings, bringing them back to life serving the needs of one billion mobile workers, who make powerful decisions in real-time about how, where and with whom they want to work."
- Where? Europe, Africa and Asia.
- Types? Workspaces, meeting spaces, and event spaces.
- Mobile App? Yes, on iTunes.
S2M encompasses all kinds of physical spaces, not just typical offices. The 61 spaces that are currently offering seats include some traditional coworking spaces, and also everything from a yogurt shop, to a golf course, to hotel business centers, museums, a theater and even a hospital. Venues that participate offer 20% of their seating to S2M coworkers for free, but if a S2M user wants to hold a meeting or an event, then the spaces can charge for that. S2M receives a small commission (less than $2 per seat) on these rentals which keeps the S2M platform running.
- Where? Europe, Africa and Asia.
- Types? Private and semi-private offices, coworking spaces, and business centers.
- Mobile App? No.
Share Your Office's goal is to bring the Coworking values of collaboration and openness to every company," said founder Clement Alteresco, who used to run the PARISOMA coworking space in San Francisco.
8. PivotDesk
- Where? Select cities in the U.S.
- Types? Shared offices of exisiting companies.
- Mobile App? No
This space-finder service exists to serve start-ups and entrepreneurs who want to grow their business in a sustainable fashion. PivotDesk's unique matching tool (free to use) helps connect fledgling businesses who need room to grow with established companies who have extra space, and might be interested in collaboration. PivotDesk handles all the details: communication center, payment process, licenses all in a sweet management platform that tells you everything you need to know.
9. WorkSnug
- Where? Worldwide.
- Types? Any laptop-friendly workspace, including libraries, coffee shops, and coworking spaces.
- Mobile app? Yes, for iPhone, Android, Ovi and Blackberry.
“WorkSnug helps mobile workers find the nearest and best laptop-friendly places in the world," says company rep San Sharma. "It’s powered by an active community that sends in reviews of workspaces, based on things like wi-fi, coffee and power supply.”
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