If you use a Vancouver coworking desk more than about eighteen days a month, you are paying too much for it by the day. That is the whole point of this post, and the arithmetic behind it is not complicated. Most operators will not do it for you, because the daily rate earns them more.

Here are our actual numbers and where each option stops making sense.

The rates

Option Rate Deposit Contract
Basic Hot Desk, all day $30 per day None None
Ultimate Desk, all day $40 per day, or $30 with membership None None
Dedicated Ultimate Desk $550 per month $550 Yes
Private office, 3 to 8 people From $1,400 per month One month rent Yes

Membership is $15 a month and takes $10 off an Ultimate Desk day, bringing it to $30. It also halves meeting room bookings from $30 to $15 an hour.

Where daily stops making sense

A dedicated desk is $550 a month. At the member rate of $30 a day, nineteen days of drop-in costs $570. So the crossover sits at about eighteen days.

Under eighteen days a month, pay by the day. You keep all your flexibility and you owe us nothing when you travel or take a month off. Over eighteen days, the dedicated desk is cheaper and you also stop having to think about it.

Worth knowing what changes when you cross that line. A dedicated desk is your desk, left as you left it, with lockable storage. You are no longer hunting for a free spot on a busy Tuesday. Against that, you sign a contract, so the flexibility is what you are trading away.

The finding that surprises people

Three dedicated desks cost $1,650 a month. A private office for 3 to 8 people starts at $1,400.

So at three people a private office is already cheaper than three desks in the open space, and you get a lockable room and 24/7 access with it. At four people it is not close. Four dedicated desks run $2,200 against $1,400 and up for the office, and the per-person cost drops as you add people to a room you are already paying for.

If you are a founder planning to bring on a second and third person this year, do not buy dedicated desks one at a time. Ask us about a private office at the point you hit three.

The after-hours detail nobody mentions until you are locked out

Desk plans run on building hours. If you leave the building after 5 pm you cannot get back in that evening. For most people that is irrelevant. If you work with Europe or Asia and take calls at 6 am or 9 pm, it is the only detail that matters.

24/7 access is available on a desk plan for a $100 one-time fee plus a $100 security deposit. Private offices include it. Sort this out before you sign rather than after your first missed call.

Hot desk or Ultimate Desk

The Basic Hot Desk at $30 gets you a spot for the day and the amenities. The Ultimate Desk is the better setup and normally $40.

Here the membership does something odd to the comparison. At $15 a month it drops the Ultimate Desk to $30, which is the same price as the Basic Hot Desk. If you are coming in even twice a month, take the membership and book the better desk, because you end up paying Basic money for it. Two Ultimate days a month is $60 at the member rate plus the $15 membership, against $80 without it.

What to do about the deposit

The 24/7 access add-on is the part people stall on, and it is a real cash-flow question when you are starting out. If the deposit is the only thing stopping you and the daily math says you should be monthly, talk to us. It is a conversation, not a policy carved in stone.

Common questions

Can I try a desk before committing to a month?

Yes. Book a Basic Hot Desk or an Ultimate Desk for a day. No contract, no deposit. Come in, work a normal day, see whether the room suits you.

Is the membership worth it if I only want a mailbox?

No. Membership earns its keep on desk and room bookings. If you only need an address, look at the virtual office plans instead, which start at $30 a month.

Does a dedicated desk include meeting room time?

Meeting rooms are booked separately at $30 an hour, or $15 with membership. Ask us about the room when you set up a desk plan so you are not paying the standard rate unnecessarily.

What if I need a desk for three months and then stop?

Tell us the timeframe up front. A fixed short term is easier for both sides than a monthly plan you cancel in month three.

Can I use the address for my company registration?

That is a separate service. See the registered office and records office page, because a desk booking is not the same thing as a registered address.

Pick one

Under eighteen days a month, book a day at a time and keep your options open. Over eighteen, or three people and growing, tell us your headcount and how often you are in and we will point you at the cheaper option even when it is the one that earns us less this month. Full rates are on the pricing page.