How PortableApps, Hopedot VOS, Ceedo and Prayaya V3 differ from each other

After I found out a new portable launcher—Hopedot VOS, I suddenly realize that there have been quite a number of portable launchers in the market, e.g., PortableApps, Ceedo, Prayaya V3 and other less famous softwares. Some of my blog readers asked me which launcher is the best. Well, it’s really a hard question to answer. Each product has its own highlight and competitive advantage. To choose the right one, we not only need to list out the pros and cons of all portable launchers. But most importantly, we have to know our actual demand and requirements, not just what the products can do for us.

Along with the release of more and more free portable applications, it is obvious that the demand of people’s requiring a portable and convenient PC workspace anywhere is growing rapidly. A USB drive equipped with all kinds of portable applications, beyond doubt, saves us a lot of troubles, like carrying around heavy laptops on business travel, waiting for the reinstallation after system breakdown, or getting upset for no games to play on grandpa’s computer. However, that is far away from our expectation of running all the personalized PC stuffs on any computers we access to. To put it simply, we want the USB drive to generate an operating system the same as any Windows OS (like Hopedot VOS and Prayaya V3 do), and then we can do things exactly the same as on our personal computer.

When I decided to draw the following table to compare PortableApps, Hopedot VOS, Ceedo and Prayaya V3 in the following aspects, I’m not trying to define which one is the best. In fact, I personally appreciate them a lot for the convenience brought to my PC life and satisfy my different needs respectively. The table is mainly a reference for those who want to know more about these four launchers to meet their demand.

From the above comparison, we can see that PortableApps basically focus on portables applications on USB drives. Its platform has published a large number of freeware portables apps. The software is free to download as well. Maybe, for most of people, the simpler, the better.

                                                                                

Hopedot VOS has nearly all the features I think about, except that both the Standard Edition and Security Edition don’t support to run on computers controlled by administrative rights. I have tried to email Hopedot company and got the feedback that they can customize a new version to work under no administrative rights if needed. I like its desktop interface like Windows OS and easy-to-manage toolbar the most.

Hopedot VOS Security Edition toolbar

Ceedo is good enough if it can be installed in the local hard drive of the host computer as Hopedot VOS and Prayaya V3 do. It’s expensive but I should say it is worth the money.

Although it’s great that Prayaya is free now, I also notice a little difference between the free version and the previous purchased version. Prayaya’s toolbar has become very simple, only retain the “switch” button to switch back and forth between two Prayaya’s system and the host system. That’s why we can’t lock the screen or change to small window mode now.

V3 toolbar of the purchased version

V3 toolbar of the free version

In general, each portable launcher is not perfect. We will never know which one is the best fit for our needs if we don’t try. PortableApps and Prayaya are free. Hopedot VOS’s trial versions are free to download as well. It allows users to try 100 times and all the features are fully functional. It’s a pity that Ceedo doesn’t provide free download.