Software Alternatives & Startups

VS Code VS HopToDesk

Compare VS Code VS HopToDesk and see what are their differences

VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
Pricing
Open source
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)
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.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1217 times since March 2021.

social mentions
1,217 vs 0
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 39

Base details

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

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

About VS Code and HopToDesk

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

VS Code
HopToDesk

No description of VS Code yet.

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

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

VS Code 8 features
HopToDesk 24 features
  • Cross-platform
    VS Code works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems.
  • Extensibility
    A vast library of extensions allows users to add functionalities like debuggers, linters, and themes, making it highly customizable.
  • Integrated Git
    Built-in Git integration makes it easy to manage version control tasks directly within the editor.
  • Performance
    Lightweight compared to full-fledged IDEs, ensuring good performance even on systems with limited resources.
  • IntelliSense
    Advanced code completion and refactoring tools help improve coding efficiency and reduce errors.
  • Community Support
    A strong and active community provides extensive support, tutorials, and third-party extensions.
  • Debugging
    Robust debugging tools for various languages and frameworks are available out of the box.
  • Free and Open-Source
    VS Code is completely free to use and open-source, which is beneficial for both individual developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited IDE Features
    While extensible, it may lack some advanced features found in dedicated IDEs out of the box.
  • Extension Management
    Managing and configuring a large number of extensions can become cumbersome and sometimes lead to performance issues.
  • Learning Curve
    Although user-friendly, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its numerous features and customization options.
  • Memory Usage
    Despite being lightweight, it can consume a significant amount of memory when multiple extensions are installed.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates may sometimes introduce bugs or require users to adapt to new changes quickly.
  • Internet Dependency
    Some features and extensions may require an internet connection to function optimally.
  • Telemetry
    By default, VS Code collects usage data, which might be a concern for users sensitive about data privacy. However, this can be disabled.
  • 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

Analysis

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

VS Code
HopToDesk

Overall verdict

  • Yes, VS Code is generally considered a good choice for developers due to its flexibility, efficiency, and strong community support. It is lightweight, fast, and user-friendly, catering to both novice and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is a widely popular and versatile code editor. It offers a robust extension ecosystem, which allows developers to customize their workflow and coding environment extensively. Additionally, VS Code supports numerous programming languages right out of the box and provides features like IntelliSense, debugging, Git integration, and a built-in terminal, making it a powerful tool for developers.

Recommended for

  • Web developers looking for a comprehensive yet lightweight coding environment.
  • Software developers who need an editor with extensive language support and customization options.
  • Beginner programmers who would benefit from a feature-rich editor that can grow with their skills.
  • Developers interested in an open-source tool with continuous updates and community-driven enhancements.

No analysis of HopToDesk yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

VS Code 2 videos + Add
HopToDesk 1 video + Add

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos

  • - 7 reasons why I switched to Visual Studio Code from Sublime Text

HopToDesk

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
VS Code
HopToDesk
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing VS Code and HopToDesk.

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

Share your experience with using VS Code and HopToDesk. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

VS Code 5.0 · 1 review
HopToDesk no reviews yet

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We have no reviews of HopToDesk yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

VS Code 1217 mentions
HopToDesk 0 mentions

View more

Tracking HopToDesk since Apr 2022.

Alternatives to VS Code and HopToDesk

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