Remote Work vs. Coworking: Which One Fits You?

The debate between remote work and coworking isn’t about which is “better” – it’s about which is better for you. After hosting thousands of members over the years, we’ve seen patterns in who thrives where.

The Case for Working From Home

Remote work isn’t just a pandemic trend. For many people, it’s genuinely the best option:

You Might Prefer Home If…

You have a dedicated home office: A proper setup with a door that closes makes a huge difference
You’re deeply introverted: Social interaction drains you, and you do your best work in solitude
Your work is mostly solo: Coding, writing, design – tasks that require long periods of uninterrupted focus
You have family responsibilities: Being home for kids, elderly parents, or pets can be essential
Your commute would be brutal: Two hours of daily travel isn’t worth any office

The Challenges of Home

Let’s be honest about the downsides too:

Isolation can creep up on you: It’s easy to go days without meaningful human interaction
Work-life boundaries blur: When your office is your living room, when does work end?
Distractions are everywhere: Laundry, Netflix, the fridge – home is full of temptations
Professional growth can stall: Less exposure to new people, ideas, and opportunities

The Case for Coworking

Coworking isn’t just “an office you rent.” It’s a fundamentally different working experience:

You Might Prefer Coworking If…

You’re building something: Startups, freelance businesses, creative projects – they benefit from community
You crave structure: Having a place to go creates healthy routines
You learn from others: Overhearing conversations, spontaneous advice, collaborative problem-solving
You need accountability: It’s harder to procrastinate when others are working around you
You live in a small apartment: Sometimes home just isn’t a viable workspace

The Benefits of Coworking

Beyond the obvious:

Serendipitous connections: Your next client, co-founder, or mentor might be at the next desk
Professional environment: Better for client calls, video meetings, and focused work
Built-in social life: Combat loneliness without having to organize anything yourself
Access to resources: Meeting rooms, event spaces, equipment you couldn’t afford alone

The Hybrid Approach

Here’s a secret: Most of our members don’t use Abstrakt five days a week. The most common pattern we see:

2-3 days coworking: For meetings, collaborative work, and social connection
2-3 days home: For deep focus work and flexibility

This hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds. You get the community and structure of coworking without sacrificing the focus and flexibility of home.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Still unsure? Consider these:

When did you do your best work last month? Where were you?
What’s your biggest work challenge right now? Isolation? Distraction? Lack of motivation?
How important is networking to your goals? Are you trying to grow your professional network?
What does your home setup look like? Do you have space that works?
How do you recharge? Through solitude or social interaction?

There’s No Wrong Answer

Some of our most successful members started as “definitely remote work people” and now can’t imagine working without the community. Others tried coworking, realized it wasn’t for them, and happily work from home.

The only wrong choice is the one you make without actually trying the alternatives.

Not sure if coworking is for you? Try a day pass at Abstrakt – no commitment, no pressure. Just see how it feels.