Hop vs ADPList
Both help designers find mentors. They are built on opposite philosophies: ADPList optimizes for scale and free access, Hop optimizes for curation and fit. Here is an honest look at the differences, as of 2026.
| Hop | ADPList | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Small, curated community. Every mentor and mentee is reviewed by hand. | Large open directory. Tens of thousands of mentors worldwide. |
| Finding a mentor | Describe what you are stuck on; matching surfaces mentors with a reason why they fit. | Browse and filter the directory yourself, then request time. |
| Booking | Request-based: the mentor sees who you are and accepts or declines within 24 hours. | Book directly onto a mentor's open calendar. |
| Pricing | Mentors choose: free, paid, or both. Prices always shown before you book. | Free mentorship sessions. |
| Mentor earnings | Mentors can charge for deeper work (portfolio reviews, mock interviews). Hop keeps 10%. | Volunteer-based; mentoring is unpaid. |
| Focus | Designers only, built by the Design Buddies community (100K+ designers). | Many fields: design, product, engineering, marketing, and more. |
| Spam and no-shows | Both sides vetted; no-shows are tracked and three pause an account. | Varies by mentor; popular mentors report cold outreach and no-shows. |
Which one should you use?
ADPList fits you if
- You want to explore many mentors across fields, free
- You enjoy browsing and reaching out yourself
- You want casual, exploratory conversations
Hop fits you if
- You have a specific problem and want the right mentor fast
- You value a vetted, spam-free community over scale
- You want the option of deeper paid sessions with serious accountability
Honestly? Many designers use both. Mentorship is not a zero-sum choice, and more designers getting help is the whole point.
Common questions
Is Hop better than ADPList?+
It depends on what you need. ADPList is bigger and entirely free, which is great for casual exploration across many fields. Hop is smaller and curated by design: every mentor and mentee is hand-reviewed, matching is need-based instead of directory browsing, and mentors can charge for deeper sessions, which keeps serious help sustainable. Many designers use both.
Why would I pay for mentorship when ADPList is free?+
Most Hop mentors offer free sessions too. Paid sessions exist for deeper, higher-effort work like a full portfolio teardown or a mock interview with written feedback. Paying a senior designer for an hour of focused, honest review is often the cheapest way to shorten a months-long job search.
Can I be a mentor on both Hop and ADPList?+
Yes. Nothing about Hop is exclusive. Many mentors keep a free presence on large directories and use Hop for curated, request-based mentoring where they choose exactly who they help and can charge for deeper sessions.
How do I join Hop?+
Hop is invite-only during its founding period. Join the waitlist on the homepage, and designers with mentoring experience can apply to become founding mentors until August 31, 2026.
Ready to find a mentor who actually fits?
Join the Hop waitlist and describe what you are stuck on. The right mentors surface, with a reason why.
Join the waitlist