Managing a coworking space business is not easy - period. In fact it's a nightmare for a somebody not used to it, offering challenges of epic proportions. It comes with its fair share of complex day to day operations, processes, tradeoffs and micromanagement - demanding a near magical prowess if you work without dedicated tools. However there exist some fine exceptionally crafted coworking space management software capable of casting those epic proportions into epic dimensions so that you enjoy epic symmetry with epic peace of mind.
These magical hallows provide a range of services to make your life easier - ranging from automated billing & invoicing to tracking members & booking rooms. Now, provided most top coworking software carry an equivalently top of the line price tag, the platform you choose needs to strictly be in consistency with your operational demands - it can make or break your business.
The problem is, these comprehensive workspace management tools offer so many services, integrations, native and add-on features that choosing the one that fits your slot can get overwhelming. What follows is our attempt to eliminate some of your speculations by filtering down important criteria and functionalities a software should have for a coworking space to rock like a rockstar.
Putting that into perspective, here is a list of top of the line coworking space management platforms with a global impact, evaluated based on criteria including, but not limited to Billing and Invoicing Automations, Space Management, Access Control, Flexibility, Member Management & CRM, Customizations, Integrations and Business Analytics amongst others. Although the pricing part plays an important role, it does not act as a discriminatory factor here, but contenders offering additional features for the same/similar price tag have been given a general preference.
Top Global Coworking Space Management Software Comparison
1. Nexudus - The Workhorse
Known around well for its elastic flexibility, this platform allows a large number of integrations that can collectively make your coworking management job much easier: you can integrate with the systems you already use on a daily basis. Another prized feature of Nexudus is its reliability and proven results in having helped a multitude of coworking spaces scale up their business. Some prime features include:
- Automated Billing & Invoicing
- Room Booking & Space Management
- Custom Onboarding
- Member Management & CRM
- Visitor Management
- Access Control
- Occupancy Based Pricing
Nexudus additionally allows you to customize your own space microsite with the identity of your brand - your own custom logo, texts and photographs. Nexudus provides free trial for up to five active members, which, as a neophyte in the business, I believe, you wouldn’t want to miss. Grab it here!
2. Cobot - The Dominator
Starting off in 2010, Cobot has been able to respond actively to the needs of the coworking space community. Prized for its scalability, Cobot doesn’t care if you have just started off with a few members or if you are already managing several locations, since this marvel of a software allows you to easily manage every critical aspect of running a coworking business, be it reservations, reports, invoices or anything else aimed at achieving efficiency in the daily administration activities. Features include:
- Room Booking & Space Management
- 100% White labelled
- Member Management and CRM
- Planning Portal
- Automated Billing and Invoicing
- Custom Onboarding
- Business Analytics
- Custom Apps & Integrations
To simplify your life even further, Cobot is available in ten languages and has support coverage in more than ninety countries. Although there is no free trial available, Cobot’s scalability ensures that it doesn't burden your finances even when your occupancy is running low. Say Hii to Cobot here!
3. Optix - The Pioneer
Optix is another mention worthy of featuring among the excellent coworking management software. Owned by ShareDesk (creators of the ShareDesk Marketplace), Optix coworking management platform operates as a binary system of two easily distinguishable tools: On one side is a cloud-based web platform for managers and on the other is the mobile app for members. Optix has distinguished itself with its best in class task scheduling, monitoring and execution tracking. Most impactive features of Optix include:
- Automated Billing and Invoicing
- Room Booking & Space Management
- Custom Onboarding
- Business Analytics
- 100% White labelled
- Custom Apps & Integrations
- Member Management & CRM
Some other Optix features include booking management, member-to-member messaging and a 24x7 help desk support. The landing punch, however, comes in the form of integration with the ShareDesk Marketplace where you can advertise your coworking space and manage multiple locations from one single portal. Although there is no free trial available, you can sign up for a demo here.
4. Office RnD - The OldGuard
Founded sometime in 2015, Office RnD has been delivering software for better coworking spaces for 6 straight years as of now, all the while holding the mantle for the most loved coworking space management software. As a pristine office space management software, Office RnD provides a highly tailored user experience, one of the most secure transactional flexibilities and reliability unseen anywhere else, Office RnD empowers workspaces and simplifies their operational tasks critical to functioning such as:
- Room Booking & Space Management
- Vendor Management & Ticketing
- Member Management & CRM
- Business Analytics
- Automated Billing and Invoicing
- Planning Portal
- Online Marketing Services
- Custom Apps & Integrations
Office RnD is currently deployed by hundreds of coworking spaces, shared office spaces and other dynamic workspaces across more than 40 countries around the world and offers a 30-day unrestricted trial. Again, no free version available, yet, this is something you should try right away.
5. Andcards - The Innovative Revolutionary
A relatively new and slightly different, but none the less, second to none candidate on this list, Andcards is prized for not leaving a single stone unturned to ensure a quality user experience. This beautifully crafted software for office and workspace management revolutionizes the industry with its state of art focus on people, rather than the operative dynamics. Starting off in September 2019 in Poland (about a year old at the time of writing of this article), the company has already bagged several awards in South Korea, Poland and Chile. The flagship product of the company is the custom member app that brings all workspace related perks, support and services to the tap of a finger. Features extend:
- Room Booking & Space Management
- Internal Marketplace
- Custom Apps & Integrations
- Automated Billing and Invoicing (App Based)
- Access Control
- Member Management & CRM
With over 30,000 coworking space members and 92% of them actually satisfied with the product, I see no reason why you should not sign up for a demo now.
That sums up the best software out there for managing coworking spaces. But is that it? Aren't we . .
Missing Something? Ah! Network Security for your Coworking Space!
With the cybercrime industry all set to touch the $10 trillion mark by 2025, and 70% businesses already having experienced cyberattacks this year, it takes no rocket science to realize that coworking spaces cannot ignore the business necessity of a robust network management and security system.
The internet, after all, is the oxygen of your business- it is where all the work is happening.
Keeping overall business scalability, new emerging threats and market turbulence in mind, it becomes all the more important to look for solutions beyond traditional firewalls. Its time to look at the AI-powered software defined networking.
An emerging star in the software-defined networking universe, BhaiFi is one such tool that provides comprehensive all-round protection, maintenance and management to your workspace network so that the online experience stays rich, speedy and secure. As a bonus, BhaiFi can be integrated with all the tools we have just discussed. Find out more, here!
Parting Words
Managing a coworking space can be a weary task given the vastness and diversity of day to day operations that have to be carried out, and given the state of business in turbulent times like these days, opting for solutions that simplify management and optimize resources, becomes a necessity.
In this article today we looked at some top coworking space management software that define the global standards in coworking business, evaluated based on a multitude of criteria. The fact however remains, there can be no absolute justice in the software industry as new stars keep forming as their older counterparts expand. With that in mind, here is a list of top coworking space management software in India that compiles one such set of new stars. Work on a list of the best coworking space management startups internationally is still in progress and if you sign up for our email newsletter, we will make sure it gets to you, the day it is released.
Don't restrict your thoughts to your mind, do let us know in the comments below if there is something we missed out or anything else you feel.
Cheers and Happy Reading!
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