PairioPairio

Guide

Screen sharing for developers.
What actually matters.

Developers spend hours sharing screens every week. Most tools weren’t designed for this. Here’s what to look for and why it matters.

Why general-purpose tools fall short

Video codecs prioritize faces over text.

H.264 and VP9 were designed for natural imagery: smooth gradients, faces, movement. Sharp monospace characters at 12px are their worst case. Fine details get averaged away by compression.

Pointing at code is harder than it sounds.

When two developers look at a whiteboard, they point. On a screen share, you say “line 47” or “that function, no the other one.” The ability to visually indicate what you mean matters more than people realize.

Setup friction compounds daily.

Generating a link, sending it, waiting for someone to join, troubleshooting audio. Each step takes 10 seconds. Do it six times a day and you’ve lost a meaningful chunk of focus time.

What good screen sharing looks like

Text stays readable at any size.

The viewer should be able to read your code at whatever font size you use. If they have to ask you to zoom in, the tool is failing at its primary job. Look for tools that avoid lossy video compression for static content.

You can start sharing in seconds.

The best collaboration happens spontaneously. “Hey, can you look at this?” should lead to sharing within two seconds, not two minutes. Presence indicators and one-click calling make this possible.

Interaction goes beyond watching.

Drawing on screen, taking keyboard control, and hiding personal apps: these features transform screen sharing from a presentation into a collaboration. The viewer should be a participant, not an audience member.

Frequently asked questions

Why does video compression make code unreadable?

Lossy codecs smooth out sharp edges and fine details — exactly the features that make monospace text readable. Dark backgrounds with light text are especially problematic because the codec treats sharp contrast as noise.

Is peer-to-peer sharing more secure?

Yes. Peer-to-peer connections with end-to-end encryption mean your screen data travels directly between participants. Nothing passes through a third-party server unencrypted. Important for proprietary code.

Should I use a browser-based or native app?

Native apps have direct access to screen capture APIs, which means lower CPU usage, lower latency, and better quality. Browser-based tools add a layer of abstraction that typically hurts performance.

What about "optimize for text" modes?

Some tools offer text optimization, but it's a workaround for a codec that wasn't designed for the task. It helps, but still produces artifacts on dark themes and at small font sizes. Purpose-built tools avoid this problem entirely.

Pricing

The free plan:
10 hours every month.

Every feature included. No card required.

The free plan stays free — upgrading is your call.

Unlimited contacts
Add as many contacts as you like. No limits, no tiers.
Screen sharing & drawing
Pixel-perfect screen sharing with live drawing in real time.
Built-in video & voice
See each other while you share. No separate call needed.
App hiding
Hide messages, email, or any app from your shared screen.
End-to-end encrypted
Your screen data never touches our servers unencrypted.
Permission-based access
No one sees or controls your screen without your say.
Native Mac app
Lightweight and battery-friendly.
Hosted in the EU
Your data stays in Europe. GDPR-compliant by design.
Start free No card required. Want unlimited hours? Pro is €15/month.