Coworking spaces offer a huge range of perks for freelancers and remote workers, including flexibility, cost savings and the chance to connect and network with like-minded professionals.

You can use them to break out of your comfort zone and get out of the house more often, structure your day and access facilities you may not have at home.

Whether you’re a freelancer based in Melbourne or are just passing through, you’re in luck. There are loads of cool coworking spaces in Melbourne, and we’ve put together just a few of the best for you here.

Need late opening times, a place to store your bike or casual membership? We’ll cover all the essentials at-a-glance, so you can choose the space that works for you.

And once you’ve completed a project in your new favourite co-working hangout, make sure you get paid quickly and easily using handy services like Wise. Get a free Wise account for freelancers and you can invoice international clients in their currency, getting paid with no fees attached¹.

WeWork

There’s a reason that WeWork has thriving coworking spaces all over the world – they do it beautifully. Expect trendy, custom-built spaces flooded with natural light, flexible pricing and convenient, central locations.

There are no fewer than five WeWork coworking spaces in Melbourne, so you can pick the nearest location for you. Here’s the lowdown on their newest space, on Collins Street:

• Location – Collins Street, in the heart of the CBD (central business district).
• Amenities – private offices, hot desking, dedicated desks, event space, bike storage, espresso bar, showers, new mother’s room, high speed wi-fi, stocked kitchens, post handling, business-class printers.
• Cost – from $450 a month for hot desking, $650 for a dedicated desk and $810 for private office rental. ²
• Opening hours – 9am to 6pm. ³
• Membership perks – Join We Membership⁴ for approx. $79 a month⁵ and receive credits for work or meeting space bookings, discounts on business services, access to events and lifestyle perks.

The Cluster

The Cluster, voted Qantas Magazine’s ‘Best Coworking Space 2019’⁶ offers generous private and shared work areas, meeting rooms and more across 2,500 square metres of office space. One of the first of its kind in Melbourne, The Cluster remains popular thanks to stunning, light-filled interiors and all the latest amenities.

However, what sets The Cluster apart as one of the best coworking spaces in Melbourne has to be the incredible panoramic views across the city skyline. It also boasts one of Australia’s only coworking penthouses.

• Location – Queen Street, overlooking the Yarra River.
• Amenities – private offices, permanent desks, flexi and hot desking, event spaces, fully serviced boardrooms, virtual offices, secure bike storage, shower facilities, mail management, coffee lounge, private phone and Skype booths, unlimited super-fast internet.
• Cost – flexi desks start at $130 a week, permanent desks at $195. Costs of private office bookings vary, while services such as virtual office start at $15 a week. You can also drop in at $40 a day. ⁷
• Opening hours – 8.30am to 5.30pm or 6am to 11pm depending on membership. ⁸
• Membership perks – The Cluster offers a choice of memberships depending on use and need, which includes discounts for services and events, plus extended hours access.

Creative Cubes

Creative Cubes proved so popular when it opened in Richmond that it now has three coworking spaces in Melbourne, with a fourth on the way. Its spaces are in prime locations and are known for their fantastic community focus. You’ll enjoy loads of great facilities and perks, and it’s affordable too.

• Location – Church Street, Richmond (find other Creative Cubes spaces in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn and Cecil Street, South Melbourne).
• Amenities – Private office space, dedicated/shared desks, meeting rooms, event space, collaborative spaces superfast internet, onsite parking, full kitchen (with free fruit), showers, coffee facilities, bike racks and expert wellness advice.
• Cost – Day passes start at $39 a day, shared desks from $350 a month, and dedicated desks from $700 a month. Private office space priced on application. ⁹
• Opening hours – 24/7 for members, 8:30am–5pm for day passes. ¹⁰
• Membership perks – While day passes are a great casual way to access fully serviced office space, memberships offer 24/7 access, better value and a wider range of amenities.

Framework Melbourne

If you work in the creative industries, you’ll love Framework. It’s a space designed for designers, writers, developers, marketing professionals and videographers. Melbourne’s creatives flock here for the mega cool interiors, including polished wooden floors, exposed brickwork and amazing artwork. Oh, and there’s table tennis too.

Framework offers flexible memberships, a great environment for collaborating with super talented professionals and easy access to the cracking Vic Market round the corner.

• Location – Swanston Street, Carlton.
• Amenities – Permanent desks, coworking, meeting rooms, high-speed internet, lounge (with table tennis and pool table) and free coffee. ¹¹
• Cost – Casual drop-in access starts from $40 a day, with part-time membership from $200-$500 a month. A permanent desk will set you back $650 a month. ¹²
• Opening hours – 9.30am to 6.30pm.
• Membership perks – sign up for permanent membership and you’ll get 24/7 access to Framework and the meeting room.

The Circle

The Circle is a business-orientated coworking space spread over 1,000 square feet in Collingwood, with smart, minimalist interiors and an open-plan design (with plenty of private spaces too).

The freelancers, startups and businesses which make up The Circle’s growing community love its leisure facilities as much as its extensive coworking facilities. It’s particularly popular with people in creative industries, including animation, fashion, graphic design and photography.

• Location – Bloomburg Street, Collingwood.
• Amenities – Private offices, dedicated desks, floating desks, meeting rooms, unlimited superfast internet, games room, massage and meditation rooms, gym, photography studio, bike sharing, shower facilities. ¹³
• Cost – Floating desk membership starts from $370 a month, dedicated desk from $600 a month and private offices from $730 a month. ¹⁴
• Opening hours – 9am to 5pm.
• Membership perks – members get 24/7 access to The Circle.

Ready to get to work? Once you’ve checked out coworking space, take advantage of another fantastic tool for freelancers and remote workers – Wise for Freelancers
For invoicing, getting paid fast and integration with accounting software, your new Wise borderless account does it all.

These are just a handful of the best coworking spaces in Melbourne, but there are loads more to choose from. Whether you’re looking to grow a tiny business or simply escape the home office for one afternoon a week, you’ll be spoilt for choice here in the forward-thinking cultural capital of Australia.

Sources:

Sources accurate as of 20-April 2020.