Hot Desk vs Dedicated Desk: Which Suits You?
Both fall under coworking, and the terms get used loosely, but they produce quite different working days.
Hot Desk
Any free seat in a shared area, booked by the day or month. It is the cheapest way into a coworking space and the most flexible, which makes it a sensible choice for solo workers, occasional visitors, and anyone in the city a few days a month.
The trade-offs are that you find a different seat each time, you take everything home each evening, and on a busy morning you may not get the spot you wanted.
Dedicated Desk
The same desk, reserved for you, every day.
Your monitor stays plugged in, your files stay in the drawer, and you walk in and start working.
It costs more than a hot desk and less than a private office, and it suits anyone who is in most days and wants their setup to persist.
The Question Most People Are Actually Asking
Usually it comes down to how often you are in and how much privacy the work needs. Two days a month favours a hot desk. Four days a week, client calls, and confidential documents favour a dedicated desk — and if the work is sensitive enough, a serviced office suite rather than either.
What We Offer, and What We Do Not
CoWorkSpace offers dedicated desks only.
We made that choice deliberately: our desks sit in semi-private rooms shared by just two or three companies rather than on an open floor, which is not compatible with seats turning over daily.
If you want a hot desk, several operators in the CBD do it well. If you want a permanent desk in a quieter room, see our coworking desk page.
What Neither One Solves
Both are shared arrangements, so neither gives you a lockable room, and neither is appropriate for genuinely confidential work.
If you handle client files, run regulated processes, or hold conversations that cannot carry beyond a door, the comparison you actually need is between a desk and a private suite.
Cost, Roughly
Across the Singapore market, a flexible seat is the cheapest entry point, a reserved desk sits above it, and a private room above that.
At CoWorkSpace, desks start from around S$850 per person per month and suites from around S$1,650, with no fit-out and no lease at either level.
Desk Types in Singapore: Common Questions
What is the difference between a hot desk and a dedicated desk?
A hot desk is any free seat, taken on a first-come basis. A dedicated desk is a specific desk reserved permanently for you.
Do you offer hot desks?
No. We offer dedicated desks only, in semi-private rooms shared by two or three companies, which is not compatible with seats turning over daily.
Can I leave my belongings at a dedicated desk?
Yes. That is much of the appeal — your monitor stays connected and your files stay in the drawer. Locker rental is available for anything you would rather secure.
How much does a dedicated desk cost in Singapore?
Rates vary widely by location and operator. Ours start from around S$850 per desk per month, all inclusive, in the CBD core.
Is a dedicated desk worth it if I am only in three days a week?
Usually yes, once you factor in not carrying equipment daily and not hunting for a seat. Below about two days a month, a flexible arrangement elsewhere probably makes more sense.
Can two people share one desk?
A desk is allocated per person. If two people are in on alternating days, speak to us and we will suggest the most sensible arrangement.
Can I use a dedicated desk address for company registration?
Yes, once we have provided written consent. Desk members use the address on the same basis as suite members. See our business address page for what ACRA requires.
What happens when I outgrow a desk?
You take more desks, or move into a private suite at the same address. Members frequently start with one desk and finish with a room.
Do desk memberships include meeting room access?
Meeting rooms are bookable by members at hourly rates rather than bundled, so you pay for the rooms you actually use.