Pricing

Hobby

Free

No credit card required
macOS, Windows, and Linux
Connect to your own mainframe
All core Hopper features

Enterprise

Custom

SAML SSO
MCP Server Access
Admin and Model Controls
Org-wide Privacy Controls
No Model Training
Priority Support
On-prem / VPC Deployment
SOC 2 & Pen Test Reports

Key Features

AI agents drive ISPF panels by ID and issue z/OS commands via natural language
Writes column-strict JCL, submits jobs, and parses JES return codes autonomously
Decodes JESMSGLG, JESYSMSG, and SYSUDUMP into structured abend diagnostics
Queries VSAM datasets as SQL through an MCP-connected agent interface
Full TN3270 terminal with PF, PA, and attention-key support built in

Pros & Cons

Pros

Targets a genuinely underserved market — mainframe tooling has seen almost no AI investment
Free Hobby tier lets you connect your own mainframe with no credit card
MCP-based architecture means it can integrate with the broader AI agent ecosystem
Approval-gated execution (pauses before changes) reduces risk in production COBOL environments

Cons

Extremely niche — only relevant to organizations still running z/OS mainframes
Enterprise pricing is opaque; no published seats or module costs
Hobby tier requires you to own or have access to a mainframe, limiting casual evaluation
Very early product — limited public track record or third-party reviews available

Verdict

Hopper is a technically credible bet on a neglected problem: the millions of COBOL lines still running critical banking and government systems have no modern AI tooling. If your team regularly wrestles with SDSF triage and JCL debugging, the free tier is worth a serious look. For everyone else, this is one to watch as the mainframe modernization wave builds.

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