Start here: a path for coworking operators

This site helps a coworking operator choose software without getting lost in jargon. It lists tools with their license type, cost model, the human work that stays with your team, and an installation guide where one exists. It is a decision aid, not a ranking to trust blindly: read what “verified” means and the disclaimer.

You do not need to be technical

If nobody on your team administers servers, the honest answer is usually a hosted product, and the Stack Builder will say so. Self-hosting is a real option only with a named person responsible for security, backups, and updates.

1. Find the problem. Pick the thing that hurts most: billing chaos, missed tours, room double-booking, scattered procedures, member onboarding. Browse problems, operator roles, or search the directory in plain words (“invoice”, “tour”, “door access”).

2. Compare the options. Open the comparison pages for side-by-side trade-offs, and check each tool’s license class. “Free” and “open source” are not the same thing: source-available, fair-code, and open-core tools can restrict how you may use them. Comparisons are directional — re-check the vendor’s official pages before buying.

3. Choose an operating model. The Stack Builder compares a hosted, hybrid, and self-hosted setup for your size, budget, and technical capacity. It explains why it recommends each one and which human responsibilities each model creates.

4. Review the cost. Every number in the builder and in the capacity and payback estimator is an editable estimate. The builder uses demonstration assumptions; the estimator starts empty and offers an optional example. Replace them with real quotes and your own labor hours. Read the cost model guide for the costs people forget: labor, backups, migration, and exit.

5. Get installation help and run a small pilot. Each tool page links to its installation guide when one is written. For several tools together see the starter packs. Run one workflow with synthetic or low-risk data first, and confirm you can back up, restore, and leave before using real member data.

Before real member data goes in

Reference installations are demonstrations, not production

The Compose files in this project’s compose/ folder are demonstration and staging references. They use placeholder secrets, are not hardened, have no off-host backups, and have been syntax-checked rather than run through backup, restore, and upgrade drills. Do not expose them to the internet or load member data until a qualified person has reviewed them against the security baseline.

• Read the security baseline and privacy checklist.
• Set up and test backup and restore.
• Know how you would leave: data portability.
• Decide when to hire help: professional help and buy vs build vs self-host.

What this directory will not do

It does not replace staff. Tools here reduce or support specific tasks, and each record lists the human oversight that remains. It is also not legal, tax, accounting, or security advice.