Hopp vs Saros

Hopp is an open-source screen-sharing and remote pair-programming app for developers and engineering teams. Participants can control another person’s computer with keyboard and mouse, with stated latency under 100 ms; rooms hold up to 10 people. Screen sharing defaults to 4K and can cover any application on screen. Shared cursors, drawing, and annotations support collaborative work, while the app also advertises active noise-cancelling audio and a Slack integration for starting calls. Teams can self-host Hopp on their own infrastructure using the repository’s self-hosting guide and Docker Compose setup, or use Hopp Cloud for $15 a month, billed at $15 per user each month with unlimited calls. A dedicated single-tenant private cloud option is also available, with pricing by discussion. Listed platforms include macOS, Windows, web, and self-hosted use. Hopp lists a support guarantee of less than one day. Its privacy policy says it uses commercially acceptable safeguards but cannot guarantee absolute security.

Saros is an open-source IDE plugin for distributed collaborative software development. It synchronizes shared text files so participants with write access can edit together. Follow mode lets one participant observe another's navigation and editing activity, while session awareness shows where others are working and what they have changed. Built-in instant messaging supports group and one-to-one conversations; the documentation recommends a separate VoIP or audio conferencing tool. Documented integrations are Eclipse and IntelliJ-platform IDEs, and sessions use an XMPP/Jabber account. Teams can host their own server to keep session communication within their network. Session size varies by the stated product information: the homepage says up to five team members, while Saros/I release notes limit that plugin to two participants. Saros/I also shares only one module, which must have exactly one content root, and does not include sub-modules. Collaboration needs higher bandwidth and lower latency than ordinary chatting, and public chat servers may be too slow for smooth operation. Saros is free and open source, with no paid plans listed.