“Should we buy this Tuple thing?”

A guide for those who decide

If you're reading this, the developers at your company probably asked you to purchase Tuple for them.

This guide explains what makes Tuple worth purchasing, but also when buying it doesn't make sense. We hope it helps you make a good decision.

Q: What is Tuple?

Tuple is a desktop app for Mac and Linux that lets developers pair program when they're working remotely.

Q: What's pair programming?

Pair programming is when two or more developers work on the same bit of code together:

"Hey Jess, since you wrote this code originally, can you help me make these changes so I don't break anything?"

Q: And is pairing...good?

We think so! Here's something we wrote making our best case for pair programming.

Q: How does Tuple work?

Short answer: it lets two programmers control one computer so they can write code together. Both parties can see and hear the other, and both can see and control the screen.

If you want to see more specifics, check out this demo video we made.

Q: Can't we use Zoom for this?

Great question!

Technically, yes: you can get by with Zoom. But our customers tell us they prefer Tuple for the following reasons:

  • Tuple uses less CPU. This is important to devs who run processor-hungry programs all day.
  • You can start a Tuple call in two clicks. Since it feels easy and lightweight, folks collaborate more often. (71% of our customers say adopting Tuple increased the amount they pair.)
  • Tuple's UI stays out of the way. It never covers the code folks are trying to read.
  • Tuple's screen sharing is optimized for code, so devs can read even tiny font-sizes.
  • We've invested a ton of effort in reducing the app's latency. This lets you control a remote computer while feeling like you're sitting in front of it.

Q: We're paying for Slack already, don't they do this?

Slack Calls lets you to share your desktop, but it does not support remote control. Being able to take control of your pair's computer is crucial to a good pairing session. Without it, devs resort to dictating code out loud, or directing by voice: "click there...no, above that...no..." which is frustrating and breaks flow.

Q: Will adopting Tuple encourage my team to pair more?

Quite likely! 71% of our customers say adopting Tuple increased the amount they pair.

This is great news for your code quality, defect rate, and making your remote devs feel connected and supported.

Q: Why is Tuple expensive?

It pays for itself in happier, more productive engineers :)

Q: Is Tuple secure? What is your privacy policy? How about terms of service?

Check out our...

Q: Who's using Tuple?

Hundreds of savvy development teams! Here are two examples.

Big: Shopify. They started with a limited pilot, saw success, and are currently rolling it out to the entire engineering org.

Small: Basecamp. They're incredibly picky about software, but are happily using the app.

Q: Who shouldn't purchase Tuple?

  • Teams that pair only rarely (and don't want to pair more).
  • Teams with a majority of non-Mac or Linux users (Tuple does not currently have a Windows client).
  • Teams where few devs work remotely.
  • Teams without much budget for dev tools.

I have a question that's not on this page.

Great! Please email us and we'll update this doc.