Coworking in Geneva: Our guide to picking the right one (and our top 5)

The number of coworking spaces has exploded in recent years around the world and in Switzerland. As freelancers, more and more of you are taking advantage of these collaborative workspaces. In this article, you’ll find our selection of 5 coworking spaces with different approaches!

How to choose a coworking space in Geneva

Joining a coworking space as a freelancer has many virtues:

• Separating your private life from your professional life
• Having a professional space, outside your home or a café, to welcome your colleagues, service providers and clients
• Create and develop your professional network and do business
• Meeting other freelancers and entrepreneurs and breaking away from the sense of loneliness that can plague self-employment.

If these issues speak to you, it’s possible that you need to develop your business within a coworking space!

📌 By the way, check out our article: office VS coworking space : pro’s and con’s of both options !

Before presenting our selection of 5 coworking spaces in Geneva, let’s have a quick look at 5 things to consider when looking for a coworking space suited to your needs.

#1 Know your objectives

Why do you want to join a coworking space? This is the question you need to answer in order to choose your workplace for the coming months! Depending on your objectives, not all coworking spaces will be suited to your needs!

Here’s a list of reasons to join a coworking space:

• Develop your professional network
• Break away from the loneliness of freelancing
• Domicile your business
• Organise your meetings and appointments and stop seeing your clients at home / at the café
• Look bigger and stronger
• Offer conferences and workshops
• Welcome new employees and expand your team
• Clearly separate your private and professional lives

All these reasons will influence your choice.

#2 Know your ideal working environment

How do you like to work? In noise or silence? Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle of an open-plan office, or do you dread it? Do you want a day-to-day office with all your stuff, or would you prefer an office for a few days a month?

If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, it’s possible that you don’t yet know what you prefer, or even what kind of rhythm you’re going to adopt.

Our advice : avoid making a long-term commitment too quickly! Instead, opt for a small monthly package of a few days, which you can increase as your needs change. This will avoid you ending up with a large office budget, even though you don’t go there every day.

#3 Criteria to consider when choosing a coworking space

As well as the prices charged, it’s essential to look at a number of other aspects when choosing your coworking space:

• Atmosphere: do you feel comfortable in the space?
• Comfort: are the chairs and rooms comfortable to work in?
• Privacy: is it possible to have an enclosed meeting room for your meetings?
• Les activités représentées : les autres entreprises présentes sont-elles vos concurrentes ? Sont-elles en accord avec vos principes et vos valeurs ?
• Location: where is the venue located?
• Services: are they compatible with your needs? What additional costs, if any, are involved?

#4 Don’t underestimate the importance of location

In real estate, location is one of the most essential criteria! This also applies when choosing your workspace! Ask yourself about :

• The distance between your home and the coworking space you’ve selected
• The distance between your customers’ businesses/home/habits and the coworking space you’ve selected.

#5 Have a test period

Many coworking spaces in Geneva offer hourly and/or daily rates. To test out the atmosphere and the type of activities represented in a particular coworking space, don’t hesitate to spend some time there before taking out a monthly subscription.

The 5 best coworking spaces in Geneva

Here’s a table summarising the 5 coworking spaces we prefer in Geneva (obviously, this list is not exhaustive and other spaces may suit you better). Read on for more details about each coworking space listed in this table.

#1 Most complete : La muse bouge

• Web : lamusebouge.ch
• Location : La Muse Bouge – Rue de la Muse 2
• Rates : Between CHF 150.- / month and 900.- CHF / month

La Muse Bouge is an associative coworking space created in 2016. This is the one that caught our attention the most, because it offers so many services alongside the coworking space.

As well as being well located and large (it offers 40 workstations spread over 3 floors), it offers a combination of mobile desks, nominative spots and enclosed offices. We especially like the services it offers: in addition to the traditional free wifi and 24/7 access that you’ll find in most coworking spaces in Geneva, it has meeting rooms and a lounge. For occasional users, the meeting room can be hired by the hour for CHF 28.

You’ll love this space if you’re looking for a professional venue with local businesses!

#2 Mos international : Regus

• Web : regus.com
• Location : 10+ spaces in Geneva
• Rates : From CHF 145.- per month

Regus is a chain of coworking spaces and shared offices similar to WeWork. Specialising in high-end and consulting activities, it has around ten different locations in Geneva.

Regus offers a combination of mobile desks, nominative spots and enclosed offices. What sets the company apart is the top-of-the-range services it offers: meeting and conference rooms for hire, company domiciliation, open bars, restaurant and fitness rooms. But be warned: these options are not necessarily included in your basic package and you will have to pay extra for them: so be sure to ask before you buy!

You’ll love these spaces if you’re a consultant working with prestigious clients and companies.

#3 Most original : Foound (Futur & 2000)

• Web : foound.ch
• Location : Foound Futur – Rue Jean-Dassier 7 / Foound 2000 – Rue de Lyon 16
• Rates : From CHF 76.- per month

Foound offers 2 venues – Foound Futur and Foound 2000 – which combine a concept store, a bar-restaurant and a coworking space. They also host cultural events and sports workshops.

Foound offers both mobile, non-nominative spots, and nominative or even collective desks, located in the alcoves of the venue. Meeting rooms are also available. Although there are fewer services than in the above-mentioned spaces, you’ll find a particularly inspiring melting pot of culture in the Foound spaces!

Is your field of activity involved in culture, art or design? These places could be just what you’re looking for!

#4 Most local : Voisins

• Web : voisins.ch
• Location : 4 spaces in Geneva
• rates : From CHF 165.- per month

Les Voisins de Plainpalais and Saint-Gervais are two coworking spaces that promote living together and sharing ideas. The coworking space is located in a lively, bustling café.

In the centre of the friendly neighbourhoods of Plainpalais and Saint-Gervais, Les Voisins offers four types of space: a desk by the hour, a mobile desk, a fixed desk or an enclosed office that can accommodate a team of 2 to 20 people. As well as the rental of your office, your membership entitles you to rent the meeting room and cheaper drinks at the café (unlike many coworking spaces, drinks are not included). The establishment also has a restaurant to make your life easier!

Do you have a large team and are looking for a place to work and develop? You’re sure to love Les Voisins!

#5 Most zen : Soft Space

• Web : soft-space.ch
• Location : Soft Space – Rue des cordiers 2
• Rates : From CHF 40.- per day

Soft space is a coworking space specialising in well-being and local activities. Located in the central Eaux-vives district of Geneva, it has the unique feature of a showroom where you can display your creations and products.

The soft space offers three types of package: a nomad subscription, a resident subscription for unlimited access to the space and enclosed offices for you and your teams. In addition, you can take advantage of a locker to store your work equipment, company domiciliation, a concierge service to receive your mail and the possibility of having a showroom to present your products. You can also hire meeting and conference rooms for your appointments and meetings.

You’ll love this space if you have products to present and want to meet other companies in your industry!

So, which coworking space will you be joining in Geneva?

Beyond the price, it’s essential to look at a number of aspects when choosing your coworking space: the atmosphere, the fields of activity represented, the location, etc.

We can only recommend that you try out several coworking spaces before making your choice!

Tell us which space you’ve chosen!