A Barrier alternative that's maintained — and switches your monitor
Barrier is the free, open-source fork of Synergy for sharing one keyboard and mouse across computers. It's capable but fiddly, and active development largely moved on (to the Input Leap fork). If you want something that installs in five minutes, is actively maintained, and can also switch one monitor between two computers, EasyKVM is a paid alternative worth the $29.99.
What Barrier does — and doesn't
Barrier shares a keyboard and mouse between computers by letting the cursor cross from one screen's edge to another — each machine keeps its own display. It's free and cross-platform, but setup involves SSL fingerprints and config files, macOS needs several accessibility/permission grants, and the project is effectively in maintenance mode. It also doesn't move audio, and it can't switch a monitor's input.
EasyKVM targets the one-monitor-two-computers setup: press a hotkey and it switches the monitor's input over DDC/CI while the keyboard, mouse, and audio hand off to the other machine. Pairing is a 6-digit code, not a config file.
EasyKVM vs Barrier at a glance
| EasyKVM | Barrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One monitor, two computers | Multiple monitors, edge crossing |
| Switches monitor input | Yes (DDC/CI) | No |
| Audio follows control | Yes | No |
| Setup | 6-digit pair, ~5 min | Config + SSL fingerprints |
| Maintained | Yes, auto-updates | Largely stalled (see Input Leap) |
| Price | $29.99 once | Free, open source |
| Support | Email support + refund | Community |
What about Input Leap?
Input Leap is the community fork of Barrier, run by former Barrier maintainers, and it's where active development moved. If you want a free, maintained Barrier successor for the classic two-screens-edge-crossing setup, Input Leap is the natural choice. It keeps Barrier's model, though — each computer needs its own display, and it doesn't move audio or switch a monitor's input. For a single shared monitor, that's the gap EasyKVM fills.
Pick by your setup
- Free + two monitors + don't mind config → Barrier / Input Leap.
- One shared monitor, or you want audio + monitor switching → EasyKVM.
- Coming from Synergy specifically? → see the Synergy alternative page.