In a city like Austin, full of creative talent, startups and entrepreneurs, there is a major need for co-working spaces. It is estimated that 5.1 million people worldwide will be taking advantage of coworking spaces by 2022. Luckily we have quite a few options here with prices ranging from ‘free’ to yearly or monthly desk or office memberships. Below are the top six places I would recommend for coworking in Austin.
WeWork: Chances are you’ve been inside a WeWork by now. The company began in 2010 and was one of the first to take on coworking by purchasing real estate in Manhattan to rent out as office space. They started first by renting one or two floors in a building, to now owning their own buildings and even campuses. There are five locations in Austin, including The Domain, Barton Springs, Downtown at 6th and Congress, Downtown at 12th and Guadalupe, and University Park near the UT campus. WeWork is great for entrepreneurs who travel often, as they offer global access to their buildings via certain memberships. Membership benefits include phone booths, strong wifi, free coffee + kombucha, global access, and pets are welcome.
Pricing: Monthly memberships for individuals start at $350 for a hot desk, $450 for a dedicated desk, and $700 for a single private office.
Riveter: The Riveter, a coworking space dedicated to female professionals, was founded in Seattle and has since expanded to seven plus cities across the US, including Downtown Austin. While the workspace is not exclusive to just women, they have made it their mission to provide equality in the workplace, and host regular programming and events to benefit female business owners. Member benefits include twenty-four-hour access, private phone booths, an open floor plan, insanely fast internet, HD projectors, Mother’s rooms, mail service, and VC office hours.
Pricing: $99/month- $375/month for floating desks [pricing based on the number of hours you utilize the space], there are also options for dedicated desks for $450 a month, or private offices starting at $750/month.
Work Well: Work Well is a ‘wellness-inspired coworking community’ in East Austin. They differentiate themselves by providing many member benefits including free parking, air purification, free cold brew, kombucha, beer + snacks, a putting green, outdoor balconies, a workout area, showers, a podcast studio, and massage chairs.
Pricing: Starts at $350/month for a floating desk and $500/month for a dedicated desk
Austin Public Library: Unofficially the best spot for coworking in Austin. The Austin Central Public Library opened its six-floor library in October 2017 complete with modern architecture, a rooftop garden, cafe, and shop. The library’s space is free to the public and has fourteen shared learning rooms, 589 total seats, and 140 public PC and Mac computers. Hours are 10am-9pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-6pm on Friday and Saturday.
Pricing: Free to public
Captial Factory: If you are an entrepreneur in the tech space, Capital Factory is the perfect coworking space for you and your team. They run a six-month accelerator program that companies are encouraged to apply for — the accelerator provides access to mentor office hours, an investor relations associate, six free months of coworking for your team and special events and programming. Companies in the accelerator agree to give one percent stock of their company and rights to invest in their first funding round to Capital Factory. Membership benefits include 24/7 access, VR/AR lab, conference rooms, top tech mentors, and free coffee, tea, snacks and more.
Pricing: Floating Desk is $375/month and a dedicated desk is $500-$600/month, membership is free for sixth months to accelerator companies.
Vuka Collective: Vuka is a space for coworking, events and more! Through Impact Hub Austin, they are focused on supporting mission-driven companies looking to make a difference. Gather Venues is the name for their event focused initiative where they host everything from company off-sites to community events. Similar to many of the other options, Vuka offers transformational programming that provides opportunities and resources for businesses. Impact Hub has a north and south Austin location, with another one at The Yard in South Austin still in the works. Membership benefits include free fair trade coffee, an on-site car wash, free parking, pets are welcome and access to a printer, scanner + office supplies.
Pricing: General Coworking $300/month and a dedicated desk for $500/month
