5 Best Virtual Coworking Spaces to Boost Productivity in 2024
If you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or remote worker struggling to stay focused and productive you’re not alone. Many people struggle to stay motivated and focused while working from home.
There’s a different dynamic between working in a physical office space versus working remotely. It’s much easier to get distracted in the comfort of your own home. Coming in to save the day are virtual coworking spaces seamlessly blending home comfort with professional focus!
An online coworking space brings back the human element of working without the stress of commuting. It also helps minimize distractions by giving you an accountability partner.
I’ll review the 5 best virtual coworking spaces and compare their features, pricing, and benefits so you can find the right virtual coworking community for you.
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Read on to reclaim your productivity!
What is the best virtual coworking space?
Virtual coworking platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more people are working remotely. These online workspaces offer a variety of features that can help you stay productive, collaborate with others, and build your professional network.
Click or tap on any name to view more information:
Flown
Overview
Flown is a virtual coworking platform built on six key aspects of behavioral science and neuroscience:
Implementation intentions
Accountability
Stints of focused work
Walking
The power of play
They achieve this through what they call Flocks, which are virtual focus sessions. Through the many facilitated sessions every day as well as an all-day drop-in silent coworking room there’s something for everyone’s focussing needs.
They offer one and two-hour sessions and a 20-minute take-off session morning routine focussed on helping you start the day ready to work.
On top of all that they also have sessions for if you want to get outside and walk, and guided breathwork ran by a qualified coach. If you’re looking for some educational content they have an academy section with a mini library of videos for you to peruse.
Pricing
Simple pricing, with full access at every paid tier.
- Free: Plenty of access for casual use and to decide if membership is for you
Monthly: $25/month billed monthly
Yearly: $19/month billed annually
Lifetime: $900 billed once
Key Benefits
Offers a complete package for remote workers, focussing on not just work but the person behind the work
Can use in a web browser or download the app
Free tier with virtual coworking spaces every Friday, Community sessions, and all on-demand focus tools
Facilitated sessions to maximize your time
50+ focus sessions per week including all-day drop-in cofocus room
Built around key aspects of behavioral science and neuroscience
Academy section with informative videos to help you get the most value for your time
First Impressions
After signing up with the free 30-day trial you get instant access and a great initial tour to quickly get you started and show you available sessions. The Launchpad where you start is easy to use and has everything you would need right at your fingertips.
There’s a list of all the sessions right on screen and you can book/join with the click of a button. There’s even a community feed and an introductory to-do list you can complete for a full experience.
You also have a calendar where you can filter out specific sections, view sessions you’ve booked, and hop right into a live one if you feel like it. The all-day drop-in session seems to always have people in it which is ideal if you want complete flexibility.
All in all a great experience, the way the sessions are structured really helps give a definitive work time and makes sure you don’t forget to take short breaks.
GoBrunch
Overview
GoBrunch is an all-in-one solution. Not only does it feature a coworking space, but it also handles meetings, live classrooms, events, showcases, and webinars. You can even create and choose a virtual office space to match your aesthetic which others can join. With a 24/7 shared space, it makes it easier for team collaboration.
While GoBrunch does not actively pair you with other users in coworking spaces, they have a GoBrunch Live Community Space where you can drop into one of the many virtual coworking sessions. This area is also like a showcase for what can be done with your own virtual room.
If you’re ready to create your own virtual space you can easily set one up with just a few steps. Within your coworking space, you can set up one or more rooms, customize the background of each room, the layout of the participants/cameras, have multiple screen sharing, and use productivity tools like a Pomodoro clock.
Pricing
Multiple tiers with increasing benefits.
Free:
Great for a test run or a simple coworking space, gives you all the basic functions you’ll need
Gourmet: $23.99/month billed yearly | $29.99/month billed monthly
Best for most people or small businesses. It allows more participants, more rooms per space, more room templates, and you can put your logo in your rooms.
Prime Chef: $55.99/month billed yearly | $59.99/month billed monthly
If you want to run large events with presentations and videos this is the option. Also allows for full customization of your rooms. Create your own simple metaverse virtual environment.
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Unless you’re a larger or scaling business or a school, you won’t need this tier.
Key Benefits
Runs right in your browser, virtual coworking spaces have no time limit
Dedicated virtual coworking spaces where creators have made public meeting rooms that you can easily drop into
Can create multiple rooms that are available 24/7 and password protected. If you want break-out rooms, coffee corners, or a private online conference room you can create it.
Complete customization and branding of your own virtual rooms
Has a public roadmap, where you can be a part of choosing future enhancements
First Impressions
While a bit clunky feeling at first, the more I used the rooms the more I liked what I saw. The ease of use and guided approach to setting up your virtual coworking space is a big plus. Dropping into the GoBrunch Coworking Spaces in the Resources area was fun to poke around in.
Customization is good to have and gets better with the higher subscription tiers. Having a team, community, or friends to invite will make the experience that much better.
The public roadmap is a great addition to the experience. At a glance, you can see what their plans for the future are and even vote on features you would like to see next.
Flow Club
Overview
Flow Club bases its methods on the Pomodoro Technique which breaks up your work time into short bursts with a quick break in between. Their sessions are run by people in the community and if you want to become a host you can too after 10 sessions.
Since the sessions are run by hosts in the community there is always a virtual work session happening day or night so you’ll never be without an accountability partner.
Booking the sessions and the sessions themselves are very straightforward. Once booked it will appear on your calendar, you join a session right from your calendar, share and set your goals in a nice checklist, work, and then share and celebrate your progress at the end.
Pricing
One tier with full access.
Yearly Plan: $33.33/month billed annually
Monthly Plan: $40/month billed monthly
Key Benefits
24/7 work sessions run by hosts who are also a member of the community
Has verbal or non-verbal chat-based work sessions depending on your preference
Has multiple “Flow Clubs” you can join to find likeminded members
Simple design for distraction-free work
Set weekly session goals to help stay committed
First Impressions
Very easy to navigate with the singular focus on connecting people for virtual coworking sessions. The onboarding walks you through finding and booking your first session so there’s no guesswork and helps you connect sessions to your own calendar.
The sessions are unique because they’re run by people in the community, but they still have the same basic structure so you know what to expect.
The best part is the flexibility of the sessions both in time and style of how they’re run. You can see the descriptions of each session before booking and filter on different hosts or styles you would like. If you’re looking for chat-only sessions that play music then that’s exactly what you’ll get.
Focusmate
Overview
Focusmate is a virtual coworking space that pairs you with another member for a one-on-one video call. It allows complete flexibility with how you interact within your sessions.
After you choose one of three lengths, 25, 50, or 75 minutes, you can see which sessions are available and get paired up with someone who picked the same slot. You can even preview who you are most likely to be paired with when you join.
You can choose your preference for the gender of the person to be paired with, and if you enjoyed coworking with them you can add them to your favorites list, viewable only to you, so you can work with them again. There’s also a list of people you’ve previously coworked with.
Pricing
One tier with full access.
Free:
3 sessions per week, free forever
Plus: $6.99/month billed yearly | $9.99/month billed monthly
Business: Custom pricing
Key Benefits
One-on-one virtual coworking sessions
List of favorited people and people recently worked with
Multiple pairing options and controls
Picture-in-picture if you need to view another window
Session syncing with your own calendar
First Impressions
Very simple minimalist design, and it works. If you’re looking for one-on-one video sessions Focusmate lets you jump right in, after signing up, with an introductory video to show you how a session works. On the next step, you can immediately start booking.
The most interesting feature is the favorited people. This allows you to lock in being paired with someone on your favorites list if you see them on a session they have scheduled instead of being paired with a random person in that time slot.
You also have the option to snooze a person if you want to ensure you’re paired with different people or block someone if you didn’t click. Both are done without alerting the other member.
LifeAt
Overview
LifeAt is a modern task management platform with virtual coworking spaces built around different communities. The goal is to get all your work done with one screen to help you stay focused and on track.
There are several productivity tools like a to-do list, notes, and a Pomodoro timer. The virtual coworking space can have ambient noise and movement, as well as play music, to create an immersive experience. There are plenty of themes to choose from and customize.
You can access LifeAt through the browser or download the app.
Pricing
Two paid tiers with full access.
Free:
Video coworking sessions limited to 15 minutes
Pro: $15/month billed yearly | $25/month billed monthly
Business: Custom pricing
Key Benefits
Create immersive virtual rooms through ambient sounds, visuals, and music
To-do list items and calendar syncing to manage all your tasks in one place
Easy to invite others to your coworking space
Personal productivity tracking with your stats
First Impressions
After signing up you answer a few quick questions about yourself and your work and it will guide you through your initial setup giving you the option to download the desktop app. There are tons of virtual spaces to explore with settings you can customize to get the feel you’re looking for.
Once you’re happy with your virtual space it’s easy to invite anyone you want.
The coworking spaces are easy to find and join through the communities section, once you get there, and they give you the option to have your camera on or off as well as a side chat and a group Pomodoro timer that you can choose to follow.
The drop-in coworking community seems small, so if you don’t have a team or other people to invite to your sessions it may be difficult to find accountability partners.
Navigation can be confusing at first, but after clicking around for a few minutes you’ll be able to go from section to section with ease. The ambiance you can create within your virtual coworking space is great to set the tone for work.
What is virtual coworking?
Virtual coworking is a way to work remotely while still feeling connected to a community of other professionals when you don’t have a physical office to commute to. This is important for remote and hybrid teams.
It offers many of the same benefits as traditional coworking spaces, such as increased productivity, collaboration, and accountability, but without the need to be in the same physical location. The only difference is it takes place on a digital platform.
You’re not necessarily working with another person collaboratively, but alongside them with separate work or administrative tasks.
What is a virtual coworking space?
A virtual coworking space is a digital platform that provides remote workers with the tools and resources they need to be productive. It essentially recreates a real-life physical workspace online.
Some key features they offer are video conferencing for online meetings, chat or instant messaging, calendar integration, and document sharing.
Side Note: On the topic of document sharing and digital documents, it’s important to have a digital file organizational system. If you don’t have one in place as you make more files things will get lost, you’ll have duplicates, and wind up wasting more time searching for what you’re looking for.
Video conferencing tends to be the main focus because having an actual person present and visible while working keeps people on task and focused on the work at hand. This is also known as “body doubling” and is becoming a more popular practice to help those with ADHD.
If you’re thinking you may need more functionality for collaborating, virtual workspaces are built to bring remote teams together in an organic way.
How can virtual coworking spaces benefit you?
As a remote worker, freelancer, small business owner, or anyone who has a task to compete, having a digital space has many benefits:
Increased productivity: Studies have shown that remote workers who use virtual coworking spaces are more productive than those who work from home without any structured support. This is because they provide a sense of community and accountability, which can help to keep remote workers on track. It’s also easier to learn how to increase productivity from other people.
Online Collaboration: Having a virtual workspace makes it easy to collaborate with other professionals, regardless of their location. This can be a great way to get feedback on your work, share ideas, and build relationships.
Accountability: Virtual coworking spaces can help you stay accountable to your work goals. When you know that other people are working at the same time, you are less likely to procrastinate. In the same way, you are less likely to procrastinate in front of real-life people in the same room.
Flexibility: Using a digital space offers a lot of flexibility. You can work from anywhere, at any time. Remote teams can have virtual meetings while working on the same project.
Affordability: Virtual coworking spaces are often more affordable than a traditional physical office or traditional coworking spaces.
Using a virtual coworking platform or virtual office opens up many possibilities that could not be achieved with just a physical office space, especially for distributed teams. If you work remotely using a virtual coworking space app is a no-brainer. And if you want your physical space just as productive as your virtual space you’ll want to have a productivity desk setup.
Virtual Coworking Spaces Buyers Guide
When you’re looking for virtual coworking space there are several things you need to consider. This is the same criteria I used to bring you the virtual coworking spaces in this article:
Are you a solo remote worker or part of a remote team?
Do you need collaboration tools or other tools that focus on your own productivity?
Do you need a virtual coworking space or a virtual office?
If you’re part of a remote team that needs functionality like document storage, screen sharing, and multiple meeting rooms all in one virtual place then a virtual office space may be what you’re looking for.
If your goal is predominantly personal productivity then there are certain things you should keep in mind when looking for a virtual coworking platform:
Key Features: What features are important to you? Do you need access to video conferencing, chat, file sharing, or other tools?
Price: How much are you willing to spend on a virtual coworking space? There are many cost-effective alternatives, including free.
Community: How important is a community to you? Do you want to be able to connect with other remote workers and build relationships? Or do you just need your own virtual private space to work remotely?
Session Availability: Are you looking for sessions that are weekly, daily, or multiple times per day? Do you want structure in a session or free form? Do you want the ability to drop in and out of sessions as needed?
Support: What kind of support do they offer? Do they have responsive customer service if you encounter any problems?
Once you’ve narrowed down the virtual coworking apps you’re considering, start with a free trial and shop around comparing different plans to see if what you’re getting with worth the price to you and fits your budget.
Choosing a virtual coworking tool can be a great way to improve your productivity, collaborate with others, and stay accountable. By considering the factors above, you can find a space that is a good fit for you and your needs.
Closing Thoughts
The best virtual coworking space is the one that fits your needs and your budget. They’ve been exploding in popularity in recent years and have only been getting better. You’re sure to find what you’re looking for in this list, so start taking advantage of those free trials.
A great way to round out your productive day of coworking is to pair it with an online digital planner. Then you’ll easily have all of your to-dos in one place so you won’t miss a beat.
FAQs
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office in an online digital sense is a virtual platform that contains multiple rooms and collaborative tools. Virtual offices have visual representations of a physical office space ranging from overlaying video bubbles of people onto background pictures to fully immersed VR virtual spaces.
Some even have avatars you can move around on screen within an office space that can only hear other avatars of people who are near them or in the same virtual room.
This new type of virtual office intends to take the exact style of communication and collaboration of a physical office and translate it into an online experience to bring remote teams together.
What is body doubling?
Body doubling is a productivity technique where you work alongside someone else, even if you’re not actually interacting with them. The idea is that simply having someone else present can help you stay focused and motivated.
This technique can be used by anyone who finds it difficult to focus or stay motivated when working alone. Predominantly people with ADHD, anxiety, or other conditions that make it difficult to focus seem to benefit greatly from this practice.
Body doubling can also be helpful for people who are new to remote work or who are struggling to adjust to working from home.
