Nitin Gupta of Etherea Workspaces argues operators should stop calling every flexible workspace coworking, and breaks down their version of the models.

Spoiler: Traditional coworking suits 1 to 50 seats on monthly rolling terms with zero capex but shared infrastructure that raises compliance and data-security risks. Managed offices serve 50 to 2,000+ seats on 6 to 36 month terms with dedicated server rooms, private VLANs, SOC2-ready setups and custom branding.

Enterprise legal teams routinely reject shared networks, so if you are chasing bigger clients the pitch is privacy and security, not community.

Remote and hybrid workers are looking for more than a desk and Wi-Fi, and coworking spaces are starting to reflect that shift.
CoworkingCafe’s newest analysis, "The Best U.S. Cities for Amenity-Rich Coworking", shows that one in four U.S. coworking spaces now offers at least one standout amenity, from pet-friendly policies and wellness spaces to childcare-related support and EV charging.

Main findings: 2,090 of 8,222 coworking spaces (or 25.4%) offer at least one standout amenity. The Northeast leads slightly, with 27% of spaces offering elevated amenities, followed closely by the West at 26.8%. In the South, podcast rooms are the most common premium amenity. In the West, EV charging stands out, while the Midwest and Northeast lean more heavily into podcast rooms, fitness centers and networking-oriented perks. San Francisco and Denver lead for pet-friendly coworking, with 26% of their coworking spaces welcoming pets. Denver leads in total number of pet-friendly spaces, with 24, while San Francisco has 18.

Cambridge, MA, stands out for wellness-focused coworking, with 85% of coworking spaces offering sport or relaxation amenities such as lounges, fitness centers, wellness rooms or break areas. Minneapolis is ahead on childcare-related amenities: 29.4% of its coworking spaces offer childcare-related amenities, including mother’s rooms, nursing facilities or on-site childcare support. Irvine, CA, ranks first for EV-friendly coworking, with charging stations available at 27% of its coworking spaces – more than double the share of the second-ranked city.