HOP HWP Desktop App Guide 2026: Open HWP and HWPX on Mac, Windows, and Linux for Free

Check before you start

HOP is an open source HWP desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It was released in April 2026 and reached v0.1.10 in the same month. It uses the parsing engine of RHWP, a Chrome extension, as a shell and wraps it in a native app. If the previously discussed [RHWP Chrome Extension Guide] (/en/guide/RHWP-hwp-chrome-extension) summarized “How to open HWP in browser”, this article deals with “How to use it like a basic OS app without a browser”. If you want to immediately open the attached .hwp on the web, RHWP is correct, and if you want to manipulate the downloaded file by double-clicking it in Finder or Explorer, HOP is correct.

required environment

• macOS: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) or Intel. macOS 11 Big Sur or later recommended
• Windows: 64-bit Windows 10/11
• Linux: x86_64 distribution. AppImage runs on most distributions, .deb for Ubuntu/Debian, .rpm for Fedora/RHEL
• Disk: Approximately 150MB after installation
• Network: Required only once for download. Can be used offline afterwards

What to check

Even if Hancom Office or Hancom Viewer is already installed, it will not conflict. HOP operates as its own app bundle, and system default program settings are only touched when changed directly by the user. It can also coexist with the Chrome extension RHWP — rather, it is a combination that can be selected depending on the situation.

Scope not covered in this article

For the final delivery of .hwpx for submission to public institutions, genuine Hancom products are still the realistic answer. HOP inherits the limitations of the RHWP engine and is not perfect in reproducing complex formats and nested tables. The scope of this article is “Quickly open received HWP to check, edit, and convert to PDF”.

What is HOP and why did it come out now?

One line summary — RHWP engine wrapped in a desktop app

HOP is an open source HWP/HWPX desktop app released on GitHub golbin/hop. The technology stack is still TypeScript-centered, and the Rust core uses RHWP’s WASM parsing engine as is, with a UI and file system integration layer added. As of May 2, 2026, the latest release is v0.1.10, license is MIT. The description of the latest release also puts upstream RHWP v0.7.8 integration at the forefront, making it clear that HOP is not a standalone parser but a desktop shell that quickly absorbs the RHWP core (Source: GitHub - golbin/hop, HOP v0.1.10).

Looking at the numbers, GitHub stars have risen to about 1.2k, forks 222, and open issues 18. The fact that it rose to v0.1.10 within a short period of time after release is itself a sign that it is closer to an early practical app that is quickly modified and distributed rather than an “experimental mockup”.

Developer Golbin Hacker, “I only made a shell”

The developer of HOP is golbin, real name Kim Jin-joong, and is known by the pen name “Golbin Hacker” on blogs and social media. As the author of 『Golbin Hacker’s 3-Minute Deep Learning TensorFlow Taste』 published by Hanbit Media in 2017, he wrote one of the most read introductory AI/deep learning books in Korea.

The notice you posted on Threads is interesting.

“This is an open source HWP desktop app based on RHWP, an open source HWP parsing engine and web editor that has been popular these days. Supports Mac, Windows, and Linux. I added a few more features, such as PDF export and printing, but I only created a shell. Glory to the developer who developed RHWP!!”

— golbin, April 2026 (Source: Threads)

As he publicly stated, he worked in the form of Claude AI and pair programming during the development process. RHWP also revealed that Edward Kim created it through pair programming with Claude, so the pattern that “AI is supporting the next layer of open source productivity in Korea” becomes clear.

Why came out now — desktop packaging two weeks after RHWP

Just two weeks after RHWP received an explosive response from the community in early April 2026, HOP was someone who responded to the demand for “I want to use it even without turning on Chrome.” In Clien and GeekNews, right below the RHWP article, the comment “I wish I could open the file by double-clicking it.” was a product of the repeated comment flow.

RHWP Chrome extension and HOP, when and what to use

Technical Relations — HOP is the desktop shell of RHWP

RHWP and HOP are not competitors, but twins that share the same engine. RHWP (Edward Kim) provides a Rust + WASM-based HWP parsing and rendering engine with a Chrome extension, and HOP embeds the engine and adds a native app UX. Developer golbin also made this relationship clear in Threads.

It is important to remember that dependencies are lopsided. RHWP is upstream and HOP is downstream. If there is a bug in the RHWP engine, HOP will also have the same bug, and conversely, if RHWP is improved, HOP will take over. The background of RHWP and engine details are summarized in the previous article RHWP Complete Guide.

Feature Comparison — Same Engine, Different Clothes

Conclusion - Installing both is the right answer

If you think about the actual routine, the answer becomes clear. When you want to immediately open the attached .hwp while browsing a public institution bulletin board on the web, the RHWP Chrome extension is fast. On the other hand, if you want to immediately open .hwp already saved locally by double-clicking in File Explorer, or if you want to work offline without turning on Chrome at all, HOP is the answer. The two do not exclude each other. The combined capacity is around 200MB, so installing both is not a burden.

HOP installation — Mac, Windows, Linux 3 paths

Download page — Direct link to the latest build for each OS

The official download page is golbin.github.io/hop. When you connect, you will see download links for each OS, and the URL pattern is github.com/golbin/hop/releases/latest/download/{filename}, so you will always be connected to the latest release. As of May 2, 2026, the actual latest tag is v0.1.10.

Installing on Mac (dmg)

It’s relatively smooth on Mac. Because golbin has completed code signing and notarization with the Apple Developer program, warnings such as “Unidentified developer” do not appear. If it is a personal Mac, installation is completed with a single drag. If you are a terminal-preferring user, you can also use brew install hop based on README.

Installing on Windows (msi) — Responding to SmartScreen warnings

Installing on Linux (AppImage/deb/rpm)

Linux has three options. Choose the one that suits your distribution.

Ubuntu/Debian series (.deb):

wget https://github.com/golbin/hop/releases/latest/download/HOP-linux-x64.deb
sudo dpkg -i HOP-linux-x64.deb
# In case of lack of dependency: sudo apt --fix-broken install

Fedora/RHEL/CentOS family (.rpm):

wget https://github.com/golbin/hop/releases/latest/download/HOP-linux-x64.rpm
sudo rpm -i HOP-linux-x64.rpm

AppImage (regardless of distribution):

wget https://github.com/golbin/hop/releases/latest/download/HOP-linux-x64.AppImage
chmod +x HOP-linux-x64.AppImage
./HOP-linux-x64.AppImage

AppImage is a single file format that can be executed without installation, so you can use HOP without touching the system package manager. If you want desktop integration (menu registration), you can install additional tools such as AppImageLauncher.

Check results

Once the installation of any OS is complete, when you run the app, the HOP main window appears and you see menus such as “open file” and “recent files” at the top, indicating success. If you drag and drop the .hwp file into the window, rendering will begin immediately. Check whether the HOP icon is visible in the Launchpad for macOS, the Start menu for Windows, or the application launcher for Linux.

Opening Your First HWP File — Is It Actually Worth It?

Method 1: Drag and drop

With the HOP app turned on, if you drag a .hwp or .hwpx file from a file explorer (macOS Finder, Windows Explorer, Linux Nautilus/Dolphin) to the HOP window, rendering will begin immediately. On first load, it takes 1–2 seconds to initialize the internal WASM module and is instantaneous thereafter.

Method 2: Open a file from the menu

For macOS, menu bar File → Open or Cmd+O. For Windows/Linux, use the top menu File → Open or Ctrl+O. A standard file dialog box will pop up and filter out the .hwp/.hwpx extensions.

Method 3: Set it as the OS default app and double-click it

This is where HOP comes from. Setting HOP to automatically pop up when you double-click a file reduces the workflow by one step.

macOS: Right-click the .hwp file in Finder → Get Info → Select HOP in the Open with section → Click the Change All button.

Windows: Right-click the .hwp file → Open with → Choose another app → select HOP → check Always use this app to open .hwp files

Linux: Right-click in the file manager → Open With Other Application → select HOP and “Set as default”

After setting up, just double-click .hwp in the email attachment or download folder and HOP will appear immediately.

Multi-window — two or more documents simultaneously

One practical detail of HOP is that it opens documents in multiple windows simultaneously. Unlike the Hancom Hangul Mac version that operates based on a single document, HOP can open an additional empty window with Cmd+N (or Ctrl+N), and each window can be scrolled and edited independently. There is a big difference when comparing and editing various official documents.

Check results

Success Criteria: The HWP document is rendered in A4 page format, the formatting icon is visible in the top toolbar, and scrolling operates smoothly. Tables, images, and formats are reproduced virtually identically to those seen in the RHWP Chrome extension. It’s natural because it’s the same engine.

PDF export/print/file connection — desktop app download basics

PDF export — a function that Hancom Viewer cannot do

This is one of the biggest reasons for making HOP a desktop app. The free Hancom Viewer blocks editing, and the Chrome extension RHWP relies on the browser print dialog. HOP directly attaches the OS native PDF engine.

Print — OS native print dialog

When you press Cmd+P or Ctrl+P, the OS standard print dialog box appears. Options such as printer selection, page range, duplex/single-sided, and paper size operate at the operating system level. macOS also has a “Save as PDF” option in the print dialog, so there are two PDF export paths.

HWP/HWPX file connection — common to Mac, Windows, and Linux

This applies to specifying default apps for each OS, which was previously covered in the “Open your first HWP file” section. The HOP app itself registers itself with the .hwp/.hwpx MIME type upon installation, so the file manager recognizes HOP as a candidate. Afterwards, the user only needs to check “Set as default app”.

Toolbar — A miniature version of Hangul Hancom’s ribbon bar.

The basic icons for file, editing, and formatting are placed on the top toolbar. It is much more compact than Hancom Hangul’s ribbon bar. Cutting, copying, pasting, font shapes, and paragraph shapes required in practice are organized, and the rest can be accessed from the menu. One guiding phrase - UI maturity is still in its infancy, so if you expect it to be a “Hancom Hangul alternative editor” you will be disappointed. “Confirmation of received documents, minor modifications, PDF conversion” is the appropriate range at the moment.

Hancom Docs, Polaris, HOP — Which one is right for my situation?

Differences in three service structures

Hancom Docs, Polaris Office, and HOP have different approaches. Hancom Docs is a cloud subscription web office, Polaris is a web/desktop hybrid with ads, and HOP is an open source local desktop app. The same destination, “Edit HWP on Mac for Free,” is approached through different paths.

Selection Guide — By Scenario

Final delivery of .hwpx for official submission: Genuine Hancom Office is the answer. HOP is unsuitable because HWPX storage is incomplete.

Teams requiring cloud collaboration: Hancom Docs is better. It costs 9,900 won per month, but this is the only one where real simultaneous editing works.

Situation where installation rights are limited as it is a company PC: Urgent editing is done using the Polaris Office web version. Advertising has to be tolerated.

Quickly check HWP received on Mac/Linux/Convert to PDF: HOP is optimal. Ads 0, membership registration 0, files do not go to external servers.

Sensitive official documents, contracts, personnel documents: HOP is the only option. Files are processed only by the WASM engine within the app and there are no network calls. The other two services are structurally impossible areas.

HOP created by Golbin Hacker with AI Claude, what are the limits?

Development Method — Real Results of AI Pair Programming

As mentioned earlier, golbin himself revealed that HOP was created through pair programming with Claude AI. RHWP was the same way. This context aligns exactly with the [Conquering Claude Code] (/en/ai/claude-code-review) flow we introduced earlier — “In the terminal, Claude writes code and runs tests.” This is an example of a workflow that resulted in an actual open source product. Model details are summarized in Claude Opus 4.7 Complete Review.

The work of shelling the Korean HWP parsing engine and packaging it into a cross-platform app covers a wide range of things, including TypeScript, Rust, electronic signature, and installation packaging (dmg, msi, AppImage). In the past, it was difficult to imagine that one person could accomplish this within two weeks. Without AI assistance, this is a range that would have taken at least 2–3 months for one veteran.

Technical limitation 1 — Inherits RHWP engine limitations

HOP did not create its own HWP parser. Because RHWP’s parsing and rendering engine is embedded, HOP can’t do anything that RHWP can’t.

The review posted by Dokgogupae user in the Clian review pinpoints this limitation.

“I’ve tested a few files, but they’re not fully compatible yet. It’s a shame that all of the documents, including charts and images, are broken.” — Dokgo Gupae (Source: Clean)

User B2_Happy also left a similar report.

“There are errors where the file does not open at once and needs to be opened again, and there are errors where some of the merged table formats are broken.” — B2_Happy (Source: Clean)

Technical limitation 2 — Encrypted HWP does not open as is

Password-protected HWP files do not simply open without warning. A report from a Selmo user summarizes this situation:

“Password-protected files do not appear without a message.” — Selmo (Source: Clean)

There will be an error message in the future, but public documents with complex viewing restrictions still require genuine Hancom products. The basic AES-128 ECB method can be decrypted by the RHWP engine, so there is no problem with general access restricted copies.

Technical Limitation 3 — Upstream Dependency

If RHWP stops updating or changes direction, HOP is also affected. Right now, the two projects are moving together quickly, but in the long run, dependency on upstream is a risk. However, both are MIT-licensed open source, so in the worst case, companies and individuals can fork and maintain them.

Summary of pros and cons

How the community has received HOP

Clien — 35 likes, 17 comments

On April 20, 2026, Clien user “I’ll go anywhere” introduced HOP with the title “Fully open source HWP [desktop app for macOS, Windows, Linux]”. Within a few hours of being posted, it garnered 35 likes and 17 comments and became a popular post on the park bulletin board that day (Source: Clean).

Wikitree covered it as news

Wikitree, a general news outlet rather than a tech blog, also published an article. The title is “An app that can edit Korean documents on all platforms has finally appeared… Netizens say ‘Hurray!!’” This article, written by reporter Chae Seok-won, explained HOP’s download path, supported OS, and function overview, citing several responses from netizens (Source: Wikitree).

Positive and negative, both sides

The reaction is divided into two. “I am grateful for the Mac/Linux support itself.” is a positive response, and honest feedback is “Compatibility of complex public documents is still not possible.” This is a healthy sign for an early version. It’s worth watching over the next few months to see whether bugs are fixed at the rate reports are coming in.

conclusion