A Deskflow alternative that switches the monitor too
Deskflow describes itself as a software KVM without the video, and that is exactly right: it shares one keyboard and mouse across computers that each keep their own screen. EasyKVM is the version with the video. On two computers sharing one monitor, the hotkey flips the monitor's input over DDC/CI and hands keyboard, mouse, and audio to the other machine. $29.99 once, LAN-only.
Deskflow is free, open source, and in good health
Deskflow is the community-run upstream project that Synergy is built on, with Synergy contributing code and funding back to it. It is GPL-2.0, it ships installers for Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD, TLS is on by default, and the clipboard is shared. Development is genuinely active: v1.26.0 landed in February 2026 and commits are still going in this month.
If you have a screen per computer, or a Linux box in the mix, install Deskflow and keep your money. Nothing on this page argues otherwise. There are two things it will not do, by design. It never touches your monitor, so a display shared by two computers still has to be switched by hand. And it moves input and clipboard only, so your audio stays on whichever machine is playing it.
Where EasyKVM is different
EasyKVM assumes the harder layout: one monitor, two computers, one set of speakers. Press the hotkey and it writes the new input over DDC/CI, the same channel the buttons on the front of the monitor use, while keyboard, mouse, and system audio move to the other machine and the clipboard stays in sync. Nothing is streamed or compressed, so each computer keeps full resolution, refresh rate, and HDR. Pairing is a single-use 6-digit code over TLS rather than a config file, and extra monitors can be added in Settings to swap on the same hotkey.
EasyKVM vs Deskflow at a glance
| EasyKVM | Deskflow | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Two computers, one shared monitor | Computers that each have their own screen |
| Switches monitor input (DDC/CI) | Yes | No, by design |
| Share keyboard & mouse | Yes (hotkey handoff) | Yes (edge crossing) |
| Audio follows control | Yes, both directions | No |
| Shared clipboard | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS 13+, Windows 10/11 | Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD |
| Computers | 2 (one pair) | More than two |
| Price | $29.99 once | Free, GPL-2.0 |
| Support | Email support + 14-day refund | Community, GitHub issues |
Deskflow, Synergy, Barrier, Input Leap
The family tree confuses a lot of people. Synergy is the commercial product; Deskflow is the open-source project it is built from and sponsors. Barrier was a fork of the older Synergy 1 code and is effectively stalled, and Input Leap is the fork of Barrier that former Barrier maintainers moved to. For a free edge-crossing tool today, Deskflow is the one being worked on most steadily. All of them share the same boundary: your monitor is not part of the deal.
Which should you pick?
- A screen per computer, or a Linux machine on the desk → Deskflow, free and maintained.
- More than two computers → Deskflow. EasyKVM pairs two.
- One monitor shared by two computers → EasyKVM, because the input switch is the whole point.
- Two screens, but you want control to move only when you say so, with audio → EasyKVM with the Monitor toggle off. More on that in hotkey vs mouse-edge switching.
- See also: Synergy alternative · Barrier alternative · ShareMouse alternative · Multiplicity alternative · Logitech Flow alternative · Mouse Without Borders alternative · BetterDisplay vs EasyKVM.