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Apache Hop

hop.apache.org

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Spec score 9.1 #1 of 22 in Data Preparation for Analytics

What it is

Apache Hop is an open-source platform for data integration and orchestration. Its visual canvas lets users assemble pipelines, preview rows at individual steps, and watch live data and metrics during execution. A pipeline can run locally, on Hop Server, on Apache Spark, or on Flink and Dataflow through Apache Beam. Hop includes more than 250 pipeline transforms, more than 80 workflow actions, and support for over 40 database dialects. Listed connections include PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake, BigQuery, Kafka, Salesforce, SAP, S3, REST, and SFTP. Teams can switch environments when moving projects from development to production and keep credentials outside pipeline definitions. Apache Hop is free under the Apache License 2.0. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; Hop Web works in modern browsers. Release 2.19.0 requires Java 21. Docker images and a Kubernetes Helm chart are available; Hop Web is work in progress and provided as-is.

Spec sheet

What it does
Apache Hop is a metadata-driven platform for visual data integration, engineering and orchestration using pipelines and workflows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Purpose
Apache Hop is an open source platform for data integration and orchestration, with visual pipelines and workflows.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Deployment
The download page provides Docker images for Hop and Hop Web and a Helm chart for Kubernetes; Hop Web is described as work in progress and provided as-is.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Integrations
Listed integrations include PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, MongoDB, Neo4j, Kafka, Cassandra, Salesforce, SAP, Parquet, Avro, S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, REST and SFTP.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Security
The security page advises upgrading to a version containing a vulnerability fix because binary patches are not produced for individual vulnerabilities.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Support
Community support is volunteer-based and free, but the project says it cannot promise response times; commercial providers offer services such as SLAs, training, and migration.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
License
The project says Hop is developed in the open under the Apache License 2.0.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Built-in scale
The homepage states that the distribution includes more than 250 pipeline transforms, 80 workflow actions and 40 database dialects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Cloud runtimes
Run configurations include Databricks, native Spark, Beam Spark, Beam Flink and Google Dataflow options.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Commercial listing
The Apache Hop project says its commercial-support listing is informational and that it does not endorse, rank, or vet the listed companies.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Commercial support
The commercial-support directory lists Avizing, know.bi and Yupiik, while stating that Apache does not endorse or vet them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Configuration
Projects can be moved between development and production by switching environments, and credentials can be kept out of pipelines.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Download
The Apache archive lists source code and a 333 MB apache-hop-client-2.19.0.zip released on 17 August 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · archive.apache.org
Execution
The same pipeline can run locally, on Hop Server, on Apache Spark, or on Flink and Dataflow through Apache Beam.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Included components
The platform includes 250+ pipeline transforms, 80+ workflow actions, and 40+ database dialects.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Independent documentation criticism
A 2025/2026 academic project report said limited official documentation can make developing plugins from scratch challenging.Read 15 Oct 2026 · eprints.ost.ch
Independent usage description
An OpenSchoolMaps training document describes Hop GUI, Hop Run CLI and Hop Server REST execution as the three primary clients.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openschoolmaps.ch
Java requirement
Current Hop 2.19.0 documentation requires a 64-bit Java 21 runtime.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Java SDK
A documented Hop SDK provides Java initialization APIs and supports loading plugins from configured folders.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Licence
Apache Hop is released under the Apache License 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Limit: CDC
The CDC guide says Hop has no single CDC transform and no built-in Debezium or GoldenGate connector; users must choose among log, watermark or snapshot approaches.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Limit: connector parsing
A Reddit commenter reported BigQuery connector problems parsing queries containing a LIMIT clause and difficulty scaling component-based designs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: maturity issues
An independent migration article listed GUI path-reset problems, repeated GitHub credential prompts, Hop Server ID and metrics issues, and inability to copy transforms in Hop Web.Read 15 Oct 2026 · analytics.axxonet.com
Limit: native Spark
Native Spark does not support sorted Group By, Beam-only I/O, barriers, result-row hops, Kafka consumer or streaming windows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Limit: scheduler
A Reddit user reported that Hop has no built-in scheduler, requiring Cronicle, cron or another external scheduler for scheduling jobs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Maker legal status
The Apache Software Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1999.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apache.org
Marketplace
Optional plugins can be installed from Apache or Maven repositories through a GUI, CLI or declarative hop-env.yaml file.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Metadata injection
Metadata injection lets one template pipeline receive runtime metadata so it can process many files or tables.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Metadata model
Pipelines, workflows, connections, projects, environments and run configurations are represented as metadata.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Minimum resources
The default distribution is documented as needing at least one CPU core and 4 GB of RAM, with Java as the runtime prerequisite.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Operating systems
The user manual lists Windows 7 or higher, Linux x86_64 or ARM, macOS, and modern browsers for Hop Web.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Operational caution
The project warns that transforms and actions can perform destructive operations on databases, file systems, and other data infrastructure, and advises using appropriate permissions and restrictions.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Pipeline design
Users can build pipelines on a canvas, preview rows at each step, and view live data and metrics while a pipeline runs.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Plugin extensibility
Hop functionality is delivered through plugins, and the architecture permits third-party developers to create and load their own plugins.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Praise: cost and speed
A Reddit commenter praised Apache Hop as free, open source and faster than Talend for moving data from one system to another.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Project promotion
Projects and environments allow development, test and production settings to be switched without copying pipelines, while credentials remain outside pipeline files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Release news
Apache Hop 2.19 was announced in August 2026 with Marketplace changes, native Spark updates, Databricks filesystem support, SFTP metadata and UI improvements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
REST API
Hop Server exposes web services for querying server status and managing pipeline and workflow executions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
REST web application
The Hop REST application is distributed as a WAR file and exposes versioned HTTP endpoints for synchronous and asynchronous execution.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Runtime engines
The same pipeline can run locally, on Hop Server, Apache Spark, Apache Flink or Google Dataflow through Apache Beam.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Runtime requirement
Apache Hop 2.19.0 requires Java 21.Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Security advisory
The security page says CVE-2024-24683 was fixed in Hop 2.8.0 and patches are obtained by upgrading to a fixed release.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Security limitation
The project warns that pipelines and workflows can perform destructive database and filesystem operations, so permissions and plugin removal must be managed by operators.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Self-hosting
Hop can run on local machines, remote Hop Server, bare metal, containers or Kubernetes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Support model
Community support is provided through public mailing lists and GitHub issues, while companies separately offer SLAs, training and migration services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
System requirements
The installation guide lists Windows 7 or later, Linux x86_64 or ARM, macOS and modern browsers for Hop Web.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Testing
The documentation describes pipeline unit tests, regression tests, integration tests and static analysis for CI/CD workflows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Version control
Hop projects are ordinary files and folders that can be managed in Git, with Git integration in Hop GUI.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org
Visual design
Hop GUI lets users place transforms on a canvas, connect them with hops, preview rows and view execution metrics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org

Plans and prices

Apache Hop Free Open source platform; Apache License 2.0; Java 21 required for release 2.19.0 Read 29 Sep 2026 · hop.apache.org
Apache Hop Free open-source platform · desktop and web interfaces · optional plugins and commercial support available separately Read 15 Oct 2026 · hop.apache.org

Every Apache Hop plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free under the Apache License 2.0
  • Pipelines can run on several execution engines
  • Includes 250+ transforms and 80+ workflow actions
  • Credentials can be kept out of pipelines

Limits

  • Release 2.19.0 requires Java 21
  • Hop Web is work in progress and provided as-is
  • Operations can affect databases and file systems
  • Volunteer support has no promised response times

Who it suits

Apache Hop suits teams building data integration pipelines or orchestrated workflows across the listed databases, services, and execution environments. Users should be prepared to manage Java requirements and carefully restrict permissions for operations that can affect data infrastructure.

Verdict

Apache Hop combines visual pipeline design with multiple execution options and a broad set of transforms, workflow actions, and integrations. Its operational cautions and Java requirement are worth checking before deployment.

Where Specifiction places it

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