Shared Workspace: Advantages, Disadvantages, Costs

Shared workspaces offer flexible, cost-efficient alternatives to traditional offices—perfect for modern, dynamic teams and freelancers.

By Isolde Van der Knaap
0 min reading
August 8, 2025
June 12, 2026
Shared Workspace: Advantages, Disadvantages, Costs

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Shared workspace: What are the advantages over having your own office?

Offices are no longer fully utilised. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 23.5% of all employees now work from home at least occasionally, almost twice as many as before the pandemic (2019: 12.8%). Shared workspaces are a pragmatic response to this changed working reality. The concept is simple: several users share workspaces and the associated infrastructure. In this article, you will find out what a shared workspace is, what different forms there are and how they differ from other workplace concepts.

What is a shared workspace?

A shared workspace is a workspace that is shared by several users and companies, either simultaneously or at different times. In contrast to traditional offices, where one company is the sole tenant of an enclosed space, workspaces, rooms or entire zones can be used alternately as required. The users share the infrastructure: Wi-Fi, printers, meeting rooms, kitchen and often also services such as reception or cleaning.‍

The user structure is diverse: self-employed people, small companies, project teams or employees of larger organisations who temporarily need a fixed place to work. Teams that only meet physically on certain days also use shared workspaces for selective organisation without having to provide permanent space.

Differentiation: shared workspace vs. coworking vs. own office

The term "shared workspace" is often mistakenly equated with coworking. In fact, there are clear differences:

Coworking focuses on an open, network-orientated work culture. The exchange between different industries and people takes centre stage. Coworking spaces are usually open-plan, offer events and deliberately promote community building. There are rarely fixed workstations.

Shared workspaces are designed to be more functional: workspaces with a structure that can be booked, shared and scaled, but without an explicit community focus. This is primarily about the cost-efficient, shared use of office infrastructure, not networking.

Own offices offer maximum control and privacy, but require long-term leases and high fixed costs. According to CBRE Germany, the average rental costs for office space in German A-cities are at least 15-25 euros per square metre per month - plus ancillary costs, furnishings and administrative expenses.

Shared Workspace

  • Flexibility: High (bookable by the day / month)
  • Community focus: Low
  • Predictability: Medium
  • Costs: €200 – €600 per seat per month
  • Equipment: Fully inclusive

Coworking

  • Flexibility: Very high (bookable by the hour)
  • Community focus: High
  • Predictability: Low
  • Costs: €20 – €50 per day
  • Equipment: Fully inclusive

Own Office

  • Flexibility: Low (mostly annual contracts)
  • Community focus: None
  • Predictability: High
  • Costs: €800 – €1,500 per seat per month
  • Equipment: Must be procured by yourself

What types of shared workspace are there?

Shared workspace is not a standardised concept, but a collective term for four main types: Coworking-style areas (open workspaces without fixed places), business centres (enclosed office spaces with shared services), office sharing (office communities through subletting) and hybrid solutions (mixed forms). The various models are aimed at different target groups and needs.

Coworking-style areas

Open workspaces in which different people and companies work side by side without a fixed allocation of space. The atmosphere is informal and dialogue is encouraged, but not mandatory. In addition to workstations, there are usually common rooms, telephone booths and sometimes events.
‍Typical users: Self-employed people, start-ups, mainly mobile teams, individuals with a need for professional infrastructure.

Business centre

Closed office spaces of very different sizes that are shared by several companies or teams. The rooms are clearly demarcated and the meeting room, reception and kitchen are shared. Often with additional services such as mail reception, telephone service or secretarial services.
Suitable for: established companies that require representation, teams with confidentiality requirements, consultancies.

Office sharing

Traditional shared offices where a main tenant sublets vacant space to other companies. Often arise when companies have space left over after downsizing, mergers or an increased proportion of home offices. The costs are usually divided up via a simple allocation of ancillary costs.
Particularly common in large cities where office space is scarce and therefore expensive.

Hybrid approaches

Mixed forms that combine elements of different models. For example, business centres with optional coworking areas or office-sharing communities with additional space for growing teams. These models often emerge organically when providers and landlords respond to customer needs.

However, the boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred as providers adapt their concepts to local demand.

Advantages and disadvantages of shared workspace

Shared workspaces cost less than dedicated offices, but require a premium for flexibility. They are usually cheaper for short-term use (less than 2 years) or fluctuating team sizes. However, if you need the same space consistently over the long term, you are better off with your own rental agreement.

Costs of a shared workspace

Shared workspaces significantly reduce office costs. Office rental prices in major German cities are around 24-29 euros per square metre per month: Berlin at 29 euros/m², followed by Munich at 24.70 euros/m² and Frankfurt (24.30 euros/m²). With an average of 10-15 square metres per workspace, basic rental costs range from 240 to 435 euros per month, plus ancillary costs, furnishings and administration. In contrast, shared workspaces often offer a more favourable complete solution without additional investment.

The disadvantage of a shared workspace is that the greater flexibility comes at an additional cost. Shared workspace providers factor in vacancy, service and profit margin. With long-term, constant use, your own office can become cheaper.

Balancing act between the flexibility and predictability of a shared workspace

Shared workspaces allow for quick adaptation in the event of fluctuating team sizes or project phases. Teams can book additional workspaces as required or reduce the number of workspaces during quieter phases. This is a clear advantage, especially for project-based companies or start-ups with unpredictable growth.

At the same time, uncertainties arise: Popular spaces or rooms are not always available. In high-demand locations, users report booking problems, especially on Mondays and after school holidays. Some providers solve this problem with waiting lists or premium memberships with guaranteed spaces.

Tip: In the booking software PULT, users of the shared workspace can book their workspace in advance, directly from their smartphone.

Distraction and productivity in a shared workspace

Open shared workspaces can impair concentration. Conference calls, conversations with other users and changing workstations can be distracting. Users report more frequent interruptions than in their own offices.

On the other hand, many users report increased motivation due to the professional working atmosphere compared to working from home or in the same office.

Organisation and administration of shared workspaces

The shared use of workspaces brings with it administrative challenges that do not exist with private offices. Providers have to coordinate bookings, monitor utilisation and avoid conflicts between users.

Without systematic organisation, problems quickly arise: Double bookings, unclear availability and disputes over coveted spaces.

A survey conducted by the Federal Association of Coworking Spaces Germany in 2023 showed that 34% of users have already experienced situations in which booked workspaces were already occupied or meeting rooms were double-booked. This leads to planning uncertainty and frustration, especially in highly sought-after locations.

Most professional providers therefore rely on digital booking systems. This software enables real-time availability checks, prevents double bookings and provides clarity about the actual free capacities. Users can check in advance and make binding reservations, while providers receive detailed utilisation data to optimise their space.

Modern booking and management tools such as the PULT software integrate desk booking, room management and visitor management in a standardised platform. PULT runs entirely in the browser and therefore works on any device, from smartphones and laptops to desktop PCs.

Providers of shared workspaces receive detailed usage statistics and can see in real time which areas are in high demand and where capacity is still available. This data helps with decisions about expanding or reorganising space. Users benefit from a particularly simple booking experience without phone calls or emails: from individual workspaces to conference rooms, all in one application.

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FAQ

Have questions?

Can I only use a shared workspace on a daily basis?

Yes, most providers offer day passes for 25 to 60 euros. Many also offer weekly or 10-user passes, which are cheaper than individual day passes.

How secure is my data in a shared workspace?

Always use a VPN and never work without a screen lock. Most reputable providers have separate networks and security policies, but ultimately the responsibility for your data lies with you.

Can I receive clients in a shared workspace?

Most providers allow client visits, but require pre-booking. You should book a separate meeting room for important appointments, as open areas can often come across as noisy and unprofessional to your guest.

How are the costs of a shared workspace divided between the companies?

There is usually one main tenant who rents the entire space and allocates the costs to the other companies based on workstations or square metres. Communal areas such as kitchens or meeting rooms are charged on a pro rata basis.

What happens if a company moves out of the shared workspace?

The main tenant should then quickly find a replacement or temporarily bear the costs alone. For this reason, fixed-term subletting agreements are often concluded with notice periods of 3 to 6 months.

About author

Isolde Van der Knaap

Hybrid Work Enthusiast and Account Executive

LinkedIn

At PULT we're designing the future of the hybrid workplace for companies and their employees. Focused on SME and mid market customers in Eruope, I'm working on everything from Customer Discovery to Onboarding. I'm very passionate about new work and moved to Hamburg in 2024 even though I'm originally from France.

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Office Insights

Open-Concept Office: Pros and cons, design, and modern concepts

An open-concept office is an open workspace where many employees work together without partition walls. Noise, a lack of private spaces, and constant interruptions are considered the biggest drawbacks of open-concept offices. However, you can solve these very problems through zoning, well-designed soundproofing, and skillful space planning.

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Open-concept Office: The Most Important Points at a Glance

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An open-concept office refers to an open workspace for multiple teams without fixed partitions and is one of the most common office concepts in companies that adopt a hybrid work model.

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The biggest drawback of open-concept offices is the noise level: noise and acoustic distractions are among the most commonly cited causes of loss of concentration and declining productivity in open-concept offices.

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Zoning, acoustic partitions, and sound-absorbing materials solve the core problems in open-concept offices because they physically separate areas for concentration, communication, and relaxation.

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PULT makes it possible to plan open-concept offices: Through Desk Booking and Office Insights, the software shows which zones are actually being used and provides occupancy data for space planning tailored to actual needs.

What is an open-concept office?

An open-concept office (or open-plan office) is a contiguous office area in which more than ten employees work in an open space without floor-to-ceiling walls. It differs from a cubicle office in its open structure and from purely open-space areas in that it has clearly defined functional zones.

How does an open-concept office differ from a traditional office?

Office types can be classified based on how the space is divided. From cubicle offices with individual rooms to combination offices and open-concept offices, the openness of the space increases gradually.

A modern open-concept office combines open workspaces with activity zones—areas each designed for a specific task. It is precisely this zoning that distinguishes this well-thought-out concept from a simple desk arrangement.

For hybrid teams, an open floor plan makes particular sense. When part of your workforce is working from home, shared workspaces allow for much more efficient use of space than permanently assigned individual offices.

What are the pros and cons of open-concept offices?

Open-concept offices offer short lines of communication and high space efficiency, but their main drawbacks are noise and a lack of private spaces. The balance between these two factors determines whether the space is productive or stressful.

What are the advantages of an open-concept office?

The advantages of an open-concept office lie in collaboration and cost savings. Teams can easily coordinate with one another; these discussions take place without the need to schedule appointments, and new employees are able to integrate more quickly.

Added to this is the financial benefit. An open-concept office with shared workstations significantly reduces per-capita office costs, especially in companies where a high percentage of employees work from home.

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Short lines of communication: Teams coordinate with one another without organizational hurdles.

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Greater space efficiency: Shared workstations reduce costs per employee.

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Greater transparency and visibility: You can immediately see who is present and what people are working on.

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Faster onboarding: New colleagues learn the processes by working closely with the team.

What are the disadvantages of an open-concept office?

The biggest drawback of open-concept offices is the noise level. Conversations, phone calls, and keyboard clicks all blend together, and it is precisely this acoustic distraction that is one of the most common reasons why concentration suffers in an open-concept office.

In a controlled laboratory experiment, a research team at Bond University demonstrated that typical open-concept office noise increases negative mood by 25% and the physical stress response by 34%—as measured by heart rate and skin conductance—after just eight minutes of noise exposure. In real-world office settings, where employees are exposed to these noise levels for hours on end, these effects are correspondingly more pronounced. (Sander et al., Journal of Management & Organization, 2021)

Open-concept office layouts also significantly reduce face-to-face communication. In two field studies conducted with Fortune 500 companies, the volume of face-to-face interaction dropped by about 70% after the transition to an open-concept layout, while email and instant messaging traffic increased sharply. People who are constantly visible to everyone tend to withdraw inwardly and turn to digital channels. (Bernstein & Turban, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Harvard Business School, 2018). The availability of private spaces is therefore an important factor in well-being.

How do I design a modern open-concept office?

A productive and employee-friendly open-concept office is created through spatial zoning based on activity, effective soundproofing, and space planning based on actual usage data. However, furniture and rules alone are not enough if the basic layout of the space does not suit the way people work.

How does zoning work in an open-concept office?

Zoning divides the open space into areas for different activities. This principle stems from the activity-based working concept, in which each type of work is assigned its own appropriate space:

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Quiet areas for concentration and quiet, independent work.

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Opportunities for collaboration.

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Customizable project areas for teamwork and time-bound projects.

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Quiet, secluded areas for breaks and relaxation.

This allows employees to choose a workspace that suits their current task and ensures they have the best possible conditions there.

What type of soundproofing is suitable for an open-concept office?

Effective soundproofing in an open-concept office is achieved through sound-absorbing materials and physical barriers. The combination of elements on the ceiling, on the floor, as well as room dividers and large plants reduces the noise level.

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Acoustic partitions between workstations block sound directly at the source.

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Large plants with lush foliage also act as natural sound barriers.

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Upholstered furniture and upholstered room dividers absorb sound.

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Floor-to-ceiling partitions in an open-concept office separate zones from one another both acoustically and visually.

Acoustic panels on the ceiling and walls, sound-absorbing carpeting and rugs, and enclosed phone booths for video calls significantly reduce noise levels.

In cases where noise levels remain high despite these measures, the cause usually lies in the use of the space itself.

How does Desk Booking help optimize space in an open-concept office?

Desk Booking provides the data needed to plan an open-concept office according to actual needs. Rather than relying on assumptions, booking and occupancy data show which areas are regularly in use and which, by contrast, remain empty.

This leads to specific ways to adapt the space that allow for the redistribution and management of its use. For example, if the area designated for quiet work is consistently overbooked while spaces for collaboration remain empty, this is a measurable indicator that the layout needs to be redesigned.

PULT provides the necessary occupancy data: This allows you to analyze the use of your office space, and employees can reserve their seats in the appropriate zone.

How to Turn Your Open-Concept Office Into a Productive Workplace

An open-concept office becomes productive through zoning based on activity, effective soundproofing, and space planning based on actual usage data. The open space is preserved, and its weaknesses are eliminated through the right structure.

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With PULT Office Insights, you can see which areas of your space are actually being used and plan renovations based on real data.

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Your employees can reserve a workspace in the appropriate zone and see where their colleagues are already seated.

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You manage capacity and attendance all in one place.

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Office Insights

Workplace Automation: What does it really mean for your office?

Workplace automation refers to the automation of daily, recurring office tasks, from desk reservations to visitor registration. For companies with a hybrid work model, the question arises as to which processes can be automated and how this can be done in compliance with the GDPR.

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Workplace Automation: The Basics

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Workplace Automation automates recurring office processes—such as room and desk reservations, attendance tracking, and visitor management—based on rules, without requiring employees to manually initiate each step.

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You can identify office processes that are ready for automation by three characteristics: clearly definable rules, a high frequency of repetition, and a measurable susceptibility to errors when processed manually.

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SMEs must ensure compliance with three requirements before launching: GDPR-compliant data storage, involvement of the works council (Section 87 of the Works Constitution Act), and adherence to EU hosting standards to avoid issues related to the Cloud Act.

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PULT is an all-in-one office management platform that automates desk booking, room reservations, office analytics, and visitor management, and integrates fully with MS Teams, Personio, and Slack so your office runs without any manual intervention.

What is workplace automation

Workplace automation encompasses all software-driven office processes in which a defined rule or algorithm determines the next step.

This ranges from automatic booking confirmations to rescheduling meeting rooms when the number of participants does not match the room size. In this way, workplace automation goes beyond mere digitization measures. Digitization converts paper forms into machine-readable data. Automation handles the resulting tasks on its own.

Which office processes can be automated?

Processes that occur daily and always follow the same or a similar pattern are ready for automation.

Area Manual Process Automated version
Space & Workplace Booking meeting rooms, spaces, and workstations by arrangement, via a list, or by email. Self-booking with automatic confirmation
Space & Workplace Identifying and Resolving Duplicate Bookings Automatic detection and rebooking in the event of capacity conflicts
Space & Workplace Send a reminder for your own desk reservation Automatic push notification to the user
Space & Workplace Coordinate Parking Assignments Using a Spreadsheet Automatic assignment of parking spaces based on predefined booking rules
Visitor Management Visitor Registration at the Front Desk Paperless Self-Registration with GDPR-Compliant Data Collection
Visitor Management Notify the host by phone when visitors are arriving Automatic notifications via MS Teams or Slack
Office Evaluation Track Office Utilization Using Handouts Real-Time Analysis of Office Usage
Office Evaluation Compile capacity utilization reports yourself Automatically generated reports based on occupancy data
Human Resources Management Manage Leave Requests via Email Automated approval process with status notifications
Human Resources Management Create and Send Onboarding Checklists Automated task assignment and access granting upon admission
Attendance & Planning Who is in the office and when? Check with them to find out. Real-Time Automatic Attendance Overview
Attendance & Planning Coordinate office days with the team via chat Rule-Based Scheduling with Attendance Thresholds
IT & Access Manually Set Up Access for New Employees Automatic Assignment of Permissions via SSO and HR Integration
IT & Access Access Control by Reception Staff Automated access control via app or badge
Buildings & Facilities Cleaning schedules based on a fixed weekly plan Cleaning Based on Actual Room Usage
Compliance & Security Manually Maintain Attendance Lists for Fire Safety Real-time occupancy data as the basis for evacuation plans

How does automated room and desk booking work?

For example, an automated meeting room management system detects when two people book a conference room that is actually designed to accommodate 20 people. The system identifies the discrepancy and automatically rebooks the reservation into a smaller, suitable room.

This reduces the number of conflicts over available spaces and frees up time for office managers that was previously spent on manual adjustments. Workplace automation via Wi-Fi check-in takes this a step further: As soon as you log in to the office with your device, the system automatically reserves your desk without a single click.

What compliance considerations must a company keep in mind when implementing workplace automation?

Automating office processes always involves processing data. Therefore, three points must be clarified:

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GDPR Compliance: What data does the tool collect, how long is it stored, and who has access to it? Booking data and attendance records are considered personal data.

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Employee Participation: As soon as a tool tracks attendance or workload, Section 87(1)(6) of the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG) applies. You must consult with the works council before implementing it.

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Hosting: EU hosting with a German or European data center circumvents the Cloud Act issues that arise with U.S. providers without an EU branch.

How do I get started with Workplace Automation?

To automate your workplace, start by identifying all the processes that, although they follow a very consistent pattern, are repeatedly carried out manually by employees. Review these processes and provide your team with software to automate them. The more processes a single software solution can handle, the fewer new tools you'll need to burden your team with.

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Identify processes: Which processes take more than 30 minutes each day or regularly produce errors? These are the first candidates.

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Examine the process: Is the current process already the best option? Or could it be streamlined?

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Select a tool based on its integration capabilities: EU hosting and integration with existing systems are important selection criteria.

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Roll out the changes gradually: Start with one feature—such as automatic room booking—and then expand to other areas after receiving positive feedback.

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Review KPIs after 4 weeks: How many booking conflicts remained? How much administrative time was saved? How has office utilization changed?

Here's how PULT puts your office management on autopilot

Your workplace automations work best when they're bundled into a single software solution rather than spread across multiple tools. You can bundle workstation and room reservations, presence detection, occupancy analysis, visitor management, and parking management into PULT:

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Desk booking, room booking, and office analytics are all handled in a single tool, without any integration issues between individual systems.

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Automatic presence detection via your existing Wi-Fi system.

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Office Insights provide data and analyses on office utilization.

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Full integration with MS Teams, Slack, Personio, and HiBob.

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Office Insights

Huddle Meetings: How to make daily team check-ins truly productive

A huddle meeting is a daily or regular team check-in that takes no more than 15 minutes to align priorities and identify roadblocks. The difference from a traditional status meeting lies in its structure and in what you consistently leave out afterward.

Learn More

Huddle Meeting: The Basics

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A huddle meeting is a regular team check-in limited to 10 to 15 minutes, with three set questions: What was completed yesterday? What's on the agenda for today? What's currently holding the team back?

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The Daily Huddle meeting format works whether held in person or virtually, without an agenda document and with a rotating spokesperson. Anything that goes beyond the three core questions should be addressed in follow-up discussions afterward.

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For hybrid teams, team huddle meetings require some ground rules: cameras on, a fixed time zone, a breakout channel for follow-up discussions, and GDPR-compliant policies for recording.

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PULT, the all-in-one software for hybrid office management, shows moderators in real time every day who is in the office and who is working remotely. This provides a reliable information basis for every huddle meeting before it begins.

What is a huddle meeting?

A huddle meeting is a short, structured team discussion of a fixed duration (10 to 15 minutes) that takes place daily. The goal is to coordinate efforts. Discussions should be held in separate follow-up meetings. Each team member answers the same three questions:

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What did I finish yesterday?

2

What do I have to do today?

3

What's holding me back right now?

The concept originates from Scrum, where the daily huddle is known as the daily standup. It is now also used by HR, operations, and sales teams, as well as cross-functional teams that coordinate across locations.

What is the proper format for a huddle meeting?

The huddle meeting format requires three key conditions to be effective: strict adherence to the schedule, the assignment of a facilitator, and a fixed list of participants.

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Duration and Timing. The Daily Huddle Meeting takes place at the same time every day. Exceptions weaken the routine. The maximum duration is 15 minutes. If you regularly go over that time, you should consider whether parts of the content belong in a separate format.

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Participants. Only individuals who are directly dependent on one another. Larger departments are divided into smaller subgroups.

3

Facilitator's Role. A facilitator keeps track of time and consistently directs discussions toward follow-up conversations. Rotating facilitation fosters a sense of personal responsibility within the team.

Element Standard Remote/Hybrid
Duration 10 to 15 min. 10 to 15 min.
Format While standing Camera on
Moderation Rotating Specified
Follow-up meetings Right after that Breakout Channel
Minutes Optional Note Short Chat Log

What changes in the team huddle meeting in a hybrid office?

In teams where some members are in the office and others are working remotely, three issues arise that could undermine the format: remote participants become passive listeners, discussions in the plenary session get out of hand, or technical problems delay or prolong the meeting.

Checklist for Hybrid Team Huddle Meetings:

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Cameras are required for all participants, including office groups sharing a screen.

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Real-time chat in the team chat during the meeting.

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Breakout session or a fixed time slot on the calendar for follow-up meetings immediately afterward.

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A fixed meeting link and time zone in everyone's calendar.

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Facilitating from a remote setting to ensure that remote participants are on an equal footing in terms of structure.

Clear hybrid work policies are essential for this model to work for everyone involved.

What legal considerations must companies keep in mind during their daily huddle meetings?

Daily huddle meetings count as work time and must be documented as part of time tracking. This also applies to brief 10-minute check-ins.

If you record video huddles, you need a GDPR-compliant legal basis and must inform participants in advance. If the huddle format is used for regular performance monitoring, a company agreement may also be required.

How to Make Huddle Meetings a Permanent Part of Your Hybrid Team

A huddle meeting is only effective when time management, structure, and the facilitator's role work together seamlessly. In a hybrid work environment, a fourth factor comes into play: transparency about who is working, when, and from where. Daily check-ins help to improve the employee experience because coordination routines become reliable and transparent for everyone.

Use PULT to see where your colleagues are working

PULT shows you at any time who is in the office and who is working remotely. You can also see your colleagues' scheduled attendance and receive reports on your teams' attendance. Desk booking, room booking, visitor management, and office insights are all integrated into a single platform.

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