Coworking Space Vs. Coffee Shop – What’s Best for Remote Work?

When I was getting more serious about my web building journey, I felt I needed a little extra time, space and focus to get things moving. So I tried out a co-working space, and spent just about every day for several months working there. Other than that, I’ve spent plenty of time working at coffee shops of all shapes and sizes.

In this guide, I’m going to be comparing the pros and cons of working at a coworking space versus a coffee shop if you are a web entrepreneur.

Pros & cons of a coworking place

Pro: Leave your stuff there

This might not sound like a huge deal, but in reality one of the best things you will get from a coworking place is being able to just leave your stuff there. I loved being able to show up in the morning, bring all of my cords and adapters, plugging them in, and then I wouldn’t have to deal with packing up or setting up for the rest of the day.

On the contrary, when you work at a coffee shop, every time you set out or come home it feels like you’re gearing up to go camping. What’s worse, you really can’t leave your stuff at your table, either, which means you basically have to pack at least your most valuable stuff up just to go to the bathroom.

Con: Small talk

One of the worst things about coworking spaces is the fact that you have to small talk with the other people that work there. This can be a pro if you are socially isolated in need of meeting new friends. For me, one of the big reasons to get out of the house in order to work is to avoid distractions like small talking. So for me, knowing I would have to small talk each and every morning I go to the office was a huge turnoff.

Pro: Free coffee

Typically, coworking places come with unlimited, free coffee. That’s great especially if you aren’t hooked on the specialty drinks you find at coffee shops. However, free coffee can also be something of a con as it means lower quality coffee (sometimes).

Con: cost

Unless you are very, very lucky, coworking places are almost always more expensive than working at coffee shops. While you should factor in what you would be spending on the coffee and food you would be getting from working every day at Starbucks, unless you use a coworking place every single day, odds are you could have spent less working at a coffee shop when you get the urge to get out of the house.

Pros & cons of a coffee shop

Pro: flexibility

The main thing I like better about working in coffee shops versus a dedicated coworking space is the flexibility. You don’t have to go to a coffee shop if you don’t want to just to work because it’s pay-as-you-go. Meanwhile, you kind of have to go to a coworking space if you don’t want to lose money.

You also don’t have to work in the same spot every single day if you don’t want to. You can work at a coffee shop across town, in another town, or just not at all! That kind of flexibility is worth a lot of money.

Con: limited seating

Back when I was working remotely before the pandemic, there usually was plenty of seating available to camp out and work from. Today, remote work is so common that unless you get there fairly early, you can’t expect that you will for sure have a place to sit.

It can be very frustrating to bike, skate, or drive down to a coffee shop (however you get there) only to find it completely packed. This is probably the #1 worst thing about working from coffee shops in general.

Pro: Lively atmosphere

One thing that coworking places can’t replace from working at a coffee shop is that iconic coffee shop atmosphere. The smell of roasted coffee beans, that subtle hum of music and chatter, all of those things that are scientifically proven to enhance our innate creativity are unique to coffee shops.

You may like the quiet professionalism of a coworking place, but sometimes the lively buzz of a coffee shop is all you need to get into that right state of flow.

Con: Freeloader syndrome

Call me crazy but sometimes I feel a little bit like a freeloader when I’ve sat working on my laptop for hours on end after only buying a $3 drip coffee. I have no idea whether or not people who work at coffee shops care at all whether I’m there from dawn-to-dusk or not. All the same, I can’t help feel like I’m a little bit of a freeloader at coffee shops (at times).

Meanwhile, when you pay for a coworking place everything is above board so you mostly feel like you have a right to work there whenever you want.

Working at a coffee shop or a coworking space: what’s best?

Ultimately, I find the benefits of working at coffee shops far outweigh the cons, and also outweigh the pros of working at a coworking place. I think the decision, however, will largely depend on what your living situation is like. If you have a home office or any sort of space that you can work alone for an extended period of time comfortably, you should go with a coffee shop and split your time between the home office and coffee shop.

If, however, you have no designated space to work in your home, a coworking space can be a much needed and productive escape!