Software KVM tools for Mac and Windows, compared
Last checked: October 2026
We make EasyKVM, one of the tools below. Each row comes from the tool's own site or repository.
Synergy, Barrier, Input Leap and Deskflow come from the same code and share one idea: a keyboard and mouse that move between computers that each keep their own screen. For that desk, Deskflow is the maintained free choice on Mac, Windows and Linux, and Mouse Without Borders is the simpler install when every computer runs Windows. With more than two computers, look at Deskflow, ShareMouse or Mouse Without Borders. If you want a hotkey with the audio following, or two computers sharing one monitor, EasyKVM is built for that; ShareMouse Professional can also switch a shared display's input, in a mode its own documentation calls experimental. Between a Mac and an iPad or another Mac, Apple's Universal Control is built in.
What is a software KVM?
A software KVM lets one keyboard and mouse control two or more computers over your network, with no switch box in between. Most tools share only the keyboard and mouse between computers that each have their own screen (Deskflow calls itself "like a software KVM (but without the video)"), and a few, EasyKVM among them, also switch a shared monitor's input.
Barrier vs Input Leap vs Deskflow
The three free forks are where most people start, and their status has changed more than their names. Barrier forked the old Synergy 1 code. Its last release, v2.4.0, came out in November 2021. Input Leap forked Barrier in 2021 and took over from it. Its last release, v3.0.3, came out in June 2025, a maintainer wrote in May 2026 that they would not continue with the project, and the repository was archived (read-only) in July 2026.
Deskflow is the one still moving. It is the open-source upstream that Synergy is built on, GPL-2.0, with v1.27.0 released in October 2026 and commits going in this month. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD. If you are looking for an Input Leap alternative that keeps the same model, Deskflow is it.
The whole field in one table
"Maintained" reflects each project's own site or repository, status checked October 2026. Prices marked "listed at" come from the vendor's shop at the time of writing and may have changed. "No" under audio means the tool's own feature list has no audio sharing.
| Tool | Mac | Windows | Linux | Price | Maintained (status checked October 2026) | How you switch | Audio follows | Clipboard | Computers | Switches a shared monitor's input |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input Leap | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free, open source | No. Archived July 2026, last release June 2025 | Both | No | Yes (not on Linux Wayland) | Not stated | No |
| Deskflow | Yes | Yes | Yes, and FreeBSD | Free, open source (GPL-2.0) | Yes. v1.27.0 in October 2026 | Both (hotkeys set in the server config) | No | Yes | Not stated | No |
| Barrier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free, open source | No. Last release November 2021 | Both | No | Yes | Not stated | No |
| Synergy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid, one-time. Listed at €15 (Lite) to €29 (Max) | Yes. Synergy 3.7.2 in September 2026 | Screen edge; hotkeys in Plus and Max | No | Yes | Up to 3 (Lite), 5 (Plus), 15 (Max) | No |
| ShareMouse | Yes | Yes | No | Free edition for personal use. Paid editions one-time, listed at $99.95 (Standard) and $149.95 (Pro) | Yes. Version 7 is current | Both (a jump hotkey per display) | No | Text and files, paid editions only | 2 (Free, Standard), up to 9 (Pro) | Pro edition, experimental, per its docs |
| Mouse Without Borders | No | Yes | No | Free, part of Microsoft PowerToys | Yes. PowerToys release in August 2026 | Both (Ctrl+Alt+number) | No | Yes, and single files up to 100 MB | Up to 4 | No |
| Multiplicity | No | Yes | No | Paid, one-time. Listed at $29.99, Pro $49.99 | Yes. 4.2 beta in July 2026 | Both | Other PCs' audio plays on the main PC | Text and images; files by drag and drop | 5 (Pro: up to 10) | No. Its KVM mode streams the other PC's desktop into a window |
| Input Director | No | Yes | No | Free for personal, non-commercial use | Yes. v2.4 in March 2026 | Both | No | Yes, including files | Not stated | No |
| Logitech Flow | Yes (macOS 14+) | Yes (10+) | No | Free in Logi Options+, but needs a Flow-enabled Logitech mouse | Yes. Logi Options+ 2.9 in October 2026 | Screen edge (optionally holding Ctrl) | No | Text, images and files | Up to 3 | No |
| Universal Control (Apple) | Yes (macOS 12.4+), with iPad (iPadOS 15.4+) | No | No | Built into macOS and iPadOS | Yes. Part of macOS | Screen edge | No | Copy and paste, drag and drop | Up to 3 (your Mac plus two Macs or iPads) | No |
| EasyKVM | Yes (macOS 13+) | Yes (10/11) | No | $29.99 one-time, 3-day trial | Yes. v1.9.47 in October 2026 | Hotkey | Yes, both directions | Text | 2 | Yes, over DDC/CI |
Links: Synergy · ShareMouse · Mouse Without Borders · Multiplicity · Input Director · Logitech Flow · Universal Control. Most of these tools support more than two computers; EasyKVM pairs exactly two.
Which software KVM fits your desk?
- A screen per computer, and you want it free → Deskflow. It is maintained, runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, and does both edge crossing and hotkeys. On a desk that is Windows only, Mouse Without Borders is the simpler install. If you run Input Leap or Barrier today, Deskflow is where the active work is.
- A screen per computer, and you want a hotkey with the audio following → EasyKVM, $29.99 once, with the monitor swap turned off in Settings. One key moves keyboard, mouse, system audio and clipboard, and control never moves because the pointer touched an edge. If you only need the hotkey and not the audio, Deskflow's hotkeys do that for free. On a Windows-only desk, Multiplicity plays the other PCs' audio through the main PC.
- One shared monitor → EasyKVM. The same hotkey switches the monitor's input over DDC/CI and moves keyboard, mouse and audio with it. ShareMouse Professional can also switch a shared display's input over DDC, which its own documentation calls experimental. The free route is a DDC/CI script for the monitor next to Deskflow for the keyboard and mouse. Setup steps are in how to use one keyboard, mouse and monitor with two computers.
- Guides: How to use one keyboard, mouse and monitor with two computers · Hotkey vs mouse-edge switching.
- Head-to-head pages: Synergy alternative · Barrier alternative · Deskflow alternative · ShareMouse alternative · Mouse Without Borders alternative · Multiplicity alternative · Logitech Flow alternative · BetterDisplay vs EasyKVM.