Review: 6 Technology Platforms for Coworking Spaces

Published on November 1, 2019 - By Cecilia Amador de San José

The flexible workspace industry has grown exponentially over the past five years. Alongside this growth, the industry has seen an explosion in the number of specialized technology providers for flexible workspaces. Our goal in creating this guide of the top available technology providers is to provide flexible workspace operators with a comprehensive overview of these platforms; what they offer, what their strong and weak points are, and for which type of flexible space operator they are best suited for.

Each flexible workspace has different needs, and each of these platforms has something distinctive to offer. We’ve selected these 6 technology platforms because most of them have evolved together with the industry; they have been around from the industry’s early days and have developed tools and resources that are valuable and, most importantly, useful to operators.

Habu

Habu is a software management platform used by coworking spaces, hotels, therapy centers, universities, maker spaces, and more. The company prides itself in its well-defined features and responsive team. The platform offers a strong booking component, which is why it’s attractive to various industries, as well as numerous integrations for accounting, billing, collaboration, ecommerce, and more. Habu charges monthly per active member and location and it will roll out an enterprise package with a different pricing model by the end of Q2 of 2019. Some of its integrations come at an additional price. 

The Pros

• Regular platform updates and bug fixes
• Small team (fast response, close relationship with clients)
• Free on-boarding, training, and setup  
• Supports different currencies
• Pricing structure
• Ease of use and easy to set up 
• Platform allows for non-members to book rooms, it can help increase website traffic

The Cons

• Additional cost for some integrations and add-ons
• Team is based in Europe, time difference can make it challenging to get support during US business hours. 
• Limited number of integrations compared to other platforms
• Calendar booking doesn’t allow for booking beyond 12 weeks, it doesn’t offer the choice to repeat on selected days, and it’s not easy to visualize a full month. 

Testimonials 

“With other platforms, it took me over a week to figure out how to get my site setup so that I could open with it. I started getting worried whether I would be able to maintain it. When I tried Habu, it was so easy. I spent less than three days on it and I was able to relaunch my site with Habu’s platform in half the time it would’ve taken me with any other platform.” – John Middleton, Rockwall Open Space

“Robert and the team are fantastic at working with their users to communicate developments and improvements, and they’re always very willing to interact with us and hear what we need, what’s happening in our worlds etc. It has been unusual to get such a personable relationship with software developers, so I have appreciated their attention to this.” – Kate Holford, Stillpoint Spaces

“Habu changed the way we do business. I love that Habu gets it, they get the needs of the members, users, administrators, and operators and they have been  able to balance all of those needs in the platform. More importantly, I feel like the Habu team cares about our success. When you hear about customer success, Habu is the epitome of it.” – Sue Reardon, Suite Spotte

OfficeRnD

OfficeRnD is a software management platform created specifically for coworking spaces and business centers. One of the biggest advantages of using OfficeRnD is that it offers 24/7 customer support and the platform’s balance between design and functionality. The platform supports various integrations, including booking, accounting, security, collaboration, CRM, wifi, among others. OfficeRnD charges monthly, per active member, though it does offer a 20% discount if customers prepay for the entire year. 

Pros

• Regular platform updates and bug fixes
• 24/5 support
• Digital floor plan feature 
• Billing structure (supports complex legal systems)
• Supports different currencies
• White-label member portal 
• Membership management feature
• Ease of use 
• Wide range of integrations, including out of the box integrations
• Responsive team*
  • Though response is fast, it can take up to 14 business days to resolve certain issues. Critical issues tend to be resolved within 3 days. 

Cons

• Limited hours of free onboarding and training
• On-site setup has an additional cost
• Additional cost for some integrations
• Configuration of different products/services is somewhat complicated

Testimonials

“I absolutely love working with OfficeRnD. Their software is full-featured yet intuitive for the end user and their team are incredibly helpful. OfficeRnD consistently goes above and beyond, pushing the envelope of what coworking software can do.” – James Findlay, HubAustralia

“As a Community Manager, I interact with dozens of people a day on top of having 200+ people and companies in each of our spaces to answer to. OfficeRnD allows me to easily track, search, and organize all of them in a beautiful, easy to use interface. Not only is it good for our employees but also has an extremely customizable member interface that we made to fit our brand. Combined with a super responsive support team, OfficeRnD has made my coworking life much more manageable.” – Dillin Strizzi, CENTRL Office

Nexudus

Created in 2012, Nexudus is a fully white-labeled software management platform that is used by coworking spaces, gyms, beauty salons, language schools, and universities. Nexudus clients have access to the software’s API, which enables companies to fully integrate the software with other platforms. The platform is regularly updated with bug fixes and new features. One of the greatest advantages of Nexudus is that it’s flexible in nature; clients don’t need to sign a contract and the platform automatically calculates the number of active members per location. The platform supports multiple currencies and it’s available in six main languages; clients are also free to translate their member portal to a language of their choosing. 

Pros

• Robust offering with no contract and pricing structure 
• Fully white-labeled with access to API
• Regular platform updates and bug fixes
• Supports different currencies
• Free onboarding
• Multiple integrations
• Responsive team (less than 24 hours to fix common issues)
• Scalable platform
• Occupancy and forecasting information that is directly connected to Floor Plans

Cons

• It’s a complex, robust platform, so it’s not as intuitive and easy to use as other platforms
• The app is slow, which affects the user experience, especially when it’s overloaded with users. 
• Given that the platform is robust and covers many dimensions and perimeters, onboarding can be complicated and it takes a while for people to familiarize themselves with the platform.
• Some users would like to see an improved POS (point of sale systems) and a better pop up screen for when members enter a building. 

Testimonials

“We have been using Nexudus since we opened in 2015 and they have grown with us all along the way.  They are experts in the field and have been an essential tool in helping us to evolve from the new space on the block to an established brand in the industry.” – Judith Shahvar, Bespoke at Westfield

“When it comes to looking for a CRM system that takes care of the entire space and member journey, there really is only one ‘go to’ CRM on the market and that is Nexudus.” – Ian Minor, Ennismore

“The Nexudus team have swallowed the whole mountain and built a robust system with functionality to suit any business model.” – Naveen Khugputh, Werqwise

Satellite Deskworks

Satellite Deskworks is a patented, fully white-labeled software management platform that was created specifically for coworking spaces by coworking space owners. Satellite Deskworks clients can access the platform’s API in order to fully customize their technology and software needs; adding new integrations has an additional programming cost. The platform is regularly updated and minor bugs and fixes take less than a week to be resolved. It is an easy to use, highly intuitive, and comprehensive platform that differentiates between coworking operators and executive suites clients. For coworking spaces, Satellite Deskworks bills monthly and per client after the base price of 15 members is exceeded. Executive Suite clients pay per number of offices available. 

Pros

• Fully white-labeled 
• Regular platform updates
• Automated check-in feature
• Responsive team and great customer service
• Multiple integrations
• Supports different currencies
• Platform allows for non-members to book rooms, it can help increase website traffic
• Ease of use
• Excellent billing feature that helps avoid double charges when members pay with cash or credits. 
• It’s a platform that was created by coworking operators for coworking operators, so the developers have a true understanding of what the platform should do for clients. 

Cons

• $300 one time fee for two training sessions
• Customer service operating hours 
• Centralized, small team
• Additional costs for customizations and integrations
• Reporting capabilities could be improved, especially considering the amount of data available in the system. 

Testimonials

“Choosing Satellite Deskworks is one of the best decisions I have made in operating my coworking center.  The system is designed in a simple, logical way that shows a real understanding of coworking operations. The customer support is outstanding and the cost is very reasonable.” – Robbin Orbison, CapeSpace

“Satellite Deskworks is the most comprehensive and flexible application that we’ve encountered in the coworking software market. The features and functionality allow us to operate efficiently and profitably.” – Victor Mataraso, Victory Workspace

Yardi Kube

Yardi Kube is a recently launched software management platform. Yardi Kube was created after Yardi acquired long-standing software company WUN Systems. Yardi Systems is a property management software platform with over 30+ years of experience. Though the Yardi Kube’s API is not open, Yardi Kube runs and integrates with the rest of Yardi Systems products and services, including data, VoIP, cloudless data platform, payment processing, accounting, SEO, and marketing, among others. The platform is regularly updated with beta testing; major updates with new features are rolled out every quarter. The platform offers two versions of the product, light and comprehensive and the turnaround time to fix common issues takes from a few hours to a couple of days for bigger issues. Yardi Kube bills on a monthly or yearly basis based on the number of members and locations. 

Pros

• Part of a larger provider of property management software company.
• Regular platform updates
• Longevity of the brand and familiarization with the coworking and larger CRE industry (WUN Systems was founded in 2008 and it was acquired by Yardi in late 2017).
• It’s a platform that can grow and scale with coworking brands. 
• Supports different currencies
• Responsive team and different customer support channels (24/5, live chat, and email support).

Cons

• New software offering has only been on the market for a short time. 
• No external integrations, though the entire Yardi Systems platforms offers a robust set of services and products that provides an end to end solution. 

* Because Yardi Kube is a recently launched product, the company did not share with Allwork.Space client information to ask for testimonials.

essensys

essensys is a publicly listed coworking software management platform with presence in 21 countries. Most of essensys customers are large, multi-site coworking brands and the company offers two different products: connect and operate. The platform is known for supporting operators that are looking to scale and grow their footprint. The company prides itself on its over 20 years of experience and its strong billing feature. essensys boasts a NET Promoter score of 80+ and its average live chat response time is 2 minutes. The platform has an open API and it offers a wide array of direct integrations. The platform is regularly updated and it has two separate customer service teams: the engagement team, which walks new customers through the product, and the experience team, which offers day to day support. The platforms marketplace items have an additional price. 

Pros

• Customer service that operates across different time zones and that is responsive on live chat.
• Open API that allows for direct and custom integrations
• NET Promoter score of 80+
• Regular updates
• Scalable platform
• Strong billing feature
• User friendly and intuitive

Cons

• Onboarding fee
• High price point when compared to other options
• Additional cost for marketplace items
• Extra cost for automatic caller ID displays

Testimonials

“We are extremely happy with the service and product we have been using from essensys (Connect), as well as the personnel we have interacted with. They have always taken our concerns seriously and provided solutions in a timely manner. It is a huge improvement from when we worked with WUN Systems.” – Penney Lagos, AdvantEdge

“Our clients want tech that works. We chose essensys to differentiate ourselves in an increasingly competitive market. We can now focus on our competencies and grow the company.” – Ashley Buckne, Carr Workplaces

“I came to essensys after utilizing many different softwares and researching even more. The level of service is unparalleled as each team member goes above and beyond to assist us, from set up and ongoing. In addition the software is by far the best in the market which has allowed PrimeWork to excel to even greater heights. I would most certainly recommend essensys to anyone in the market looking for a top tier software and service.” – Avi Orlansky, PrimeWork