Software Alternatives & Startups

HopToDesk VS CloudLinux

Compare HopToDesk VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

HopToDesk

Free, fast and secure remote desktop software. Screen sharing, remote control, file transfer and live chat, free for both personal and business use, with an optional dashboard for managing devices at scale.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $15 / Monthly (Pro (Dashboard); the apps stay free)
CloudLinux

Making Linux secure, stable, and profitable for thousands of hosting providers and data centers worldwide.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

HopToDesk
CloudLinux
Website hoptodesk.com cloudlinux.com
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $15 / Monthly (Pro (Dashboard); the apps stay free) Official pricing
Open source
Platforms
Windows Mac OSX Linux Android iOS iPhone iPad Chrome OS +5
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Company Startup from the United States · 2022 —
Listed in

About HopToDesk and CloudLinux

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

HopToDesk
CloudLinux

HopToDesk is a free and open source remote desktop application for secure screen sharing, remote control, file transfer and chat between connected peers. It is free for both personal and business use with no time limits, and provides true end-to-end encryption for all peer communications, so...

Read more about HopToDesk

No description of CloudLinux yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

HopToDesk 24 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • Screen sharing
  • Remote Control
  • File Transfer Control
  • Live Chat
  • End to End Data Encryption
  • Open source
  • TCP Tunneling
  • SOCKS5 Proxy Support
  • Direct IP Connection
  • 2FA
  • Wake On LAN
  • Privacy Mode
  • Multiple Sessions
  • Unattended Access
  • Session Recording
  • Multi-Monitor Support
  • Remote Printing
  • Clipboard Sync
  • Remote Reboot
  • Web client
  • Self-Hosted
  • Device Groups
    Dashboard
  • Help Desk & Ticketing
    Dashboard
  • Single Sign-On
    Dashboard
  • Enhanced Server Stability
    CloudLinux uses its lightweight virtualization technology (LVE) to isolate each tenant on a shared hosting server, preventing any single user from consuming excessive resources and crashing the server for everyone else. This ensures consistent uptime and performance.
  • Improved Security with HardenedPHP and KernelCare
    CloudLinux offers HardenedPHP, which patches old and unsupported PHP versions against known vulnerabilities, and KernelCare, which provides live kernel patching without requiring server reboots. These features significantly enhance server security posture.
  • Resource Limit Management
    Administrators can set granular resource limits (CPU, memory, I/O, number of processes, etc.) per user account using LVE Manager. This makes it easy to manage shared hosting environments and ensure fair resource distribution among tenants.
  • CageFS File System Virtualization
    CageFS creates a virtualized file system for each user, preventing them from seeing other users on the server, viewing sensitive configuration files, or exploiting server vulnerabilities. This adds an important layer of isolation and security.
  • Wide Compatibility with Hosting Panels
    CloudLinux integrates seamlessly with popular hosting control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, making it straightforward for hosting providers to adopt without overhauling their existing infrastructure or workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Additional Licensing Cost
    CloudLinux requires a paid monthly or annual license on top of the base server cost. For smaller hosting providers or individual server owners, this additional expense can add up and may not always be justifiable compared to free alternatives.
  • Limited to CentOS/RHEL-Based Systems
    CloudLinux is built on top of RHEL/CentOS and does not support other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian. This limits its adoption for hosting providers who prefer or already run non-RHEL-based environments.
  • Learning Curve for Configuration
    While CloudLinux provides powerful resource management tools, properly configuring LVE limits, CageFS, PHP Selector, and other features requires a solid understanding of the platform. Misconfiguration can lead to users being unnecessarily restricted or resources being poorly allocated.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    The additional layers of virtualization, resource monitoring, and file system isolation introduced by CloudLinux can impose a slight performance overhead on the server compared to running a bare, unmodified Linux distribution without these controls.
  • Dependency on CloudLinux Ecosystem
    Adopting CloudLinux means relying on their ecosystem for kernel updates, PHP patches, and security fixes. If the company experiences delays in releasing patches or changes its pricing/licensing model, hosting providers may find themselves locked into a dependency that is difficult to migrate away from.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

HopToDesk
CloudLinux

No analysis of HopToDesk yet.

Overall verdict

  • CloudLinux is a well-regarded, mature Linux OS distribution and toolset specifically designed for shared hosting and multi-tenant server environments, offering strong isolation, resource management, and security features that make it a solid choice for hosting providers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) technology for per-tenant resource isolation, preventing 'bad neighbor' effects on shared servers
  • Enhances server stability and security by isolating users so that one account's issues (crashes, resource spikes) don't affect others
  • Offers extended lifecycle support (longer than standard CentOS/RHEL support windows), which is valuable for legacy systems
  • Includes tools like CloudLinux OS Shield, Imunify360 integration, and hardened kernel options for improved security
  • Compatible with popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, making it easy to integrate into existing hosting stacks
  • Backed by an established company with a long track record in the hosting industry and responsive support
  • Offers granular control over CPU, memory, I/O, and other resources per user account
  • Provides PHP Selector and multiple PHP version support, useful for hosting providers serving diverse client needs

Recommended for

  • Web hosting companies running shared or reseller hosting environments
  • Hosting providers needing to isolate customer accounts on the same physical server
  • Businesses requiring extended OS support lifecycles beyond standard RHEL/CentOS EOL dates
  • Enterprises using cPanel or Plesk that want tighter security and resource control
  • Hosting companies looking to reduce support tickets caused by noisy-neighbor resource contention
  • IT teams managing multi-tenant infrastructure who need governance and monitoring tools built into the OS layer

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

HopToDesk 1 video + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

HopToDesk

When To Use Cloudlinux On Your Virtual Private Server (VPS)

More videos

  • - CloudLinux OS+ in a minute: Explore Features
  • - How CloudLinux Plans to Keep CentOS 6 Alive

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
HopToDesk
CloudLinux
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing HopToDesk and CloudLinux.

What makes your product unique?

HopToDesk's answer

Two things.

First, the remote session itself is free, for personal and business use alike, with no time limit, no seat count and no account needed to connect. You share an ID and a password and you are in. Paying is only for the Dashboard, which is the fleet management layer on top, so the cost tracks how much you want to manage rather than how many people need to connect.

Second, sessions are end-to-end encrypted between the two devices, so session content is not readable by us, and the client is open source, so that claim can be checked rather than taken on trust.

HopToDesk was also the first remote desktop app to ship MCP support, which lets an AI agent drive a real session on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

HopToDesk's answer

Most remote desktop tools bill per technician or per seat, so the price climbs with the size of your team. HopToDesk does not charge per seat at all. The client is free and the Dashboard is priced on the plan, so adding people to the team costs nothing.

It also runs everywhere the work is. Native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chromebook and Raspberry Pi, plus a browser client, and one app both gives and receives control rather than shipping a separate viewer and host.

Then there is the part most free tools stop short of. The Dashboard adds live device status with offline alerts, device groups and tags, session recording, session history with a full audit trail and CSV export, a built-in help desk with email intake and a branded customer portal, roles, invites and single sign-on, and custom-branded clients shipped under your own name and logo. Organizations that need everything on their own infrastructure can self-host.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

HopToDesk's answer

Three groups, in order of size.

Individuals and small businesses who need to reach their own machines or help someone else, and who use the free client on its own.

IT teams supporting an internal fleet, who want unattended access, monitoring, reporting and a help desk in one place without a per-technician bill.

Managed service providers supporting many separate client estates, who need tenant separation, per-tenant branding, ticketing and volume pricing.

What's the story behind your product?

HopToDesk's answer

HopToDesk started in 2022 from a common complaint. Remote desktop tools were either expensive, or free but limited, or free right up until something decided your usage looked commercial and cut you off in the middle of a session.

The first release did the opposite. A fast, encrypted remote desktop that is free for personal and business use, with no account required, no session timer and no usage policing. It spread by word of mouth among technicians who had been caught out by exactly that.

Since then it has grown into a platform. The free client stayed free, and the paid part became the Dashboard: monitoring, device groups, reporting, a help desk and branded clients for the teams and providers who manage real fleets. It is operated by Begonia Holdings LLC, a United States company.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

HopToDesk's answer

HopToDesk is built primarily in Rust. The desktop client is a native Rust application that ships as a single executable with no bundled runtime, which is why it starts quickly and can run in portable mode with nothing to install.

The peer rendezvous and relay network is Rust as well, hosted in ISO/IEC 27001 certified datacenters in the European Union and the United States.

The Dashboard is a TypeScript web application running on managed edge cloud infrastructure.

Remote sessions are end-to-end encrypted between the two devices.

User comments

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Alternatives to HopToDesk and CloudLinux

When comparing HopToDesk and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.