A ShareMouse alternative for two computers on one monitor
ShareMouse moves one keyboard and mouse between a Mac and a PC that each keep their own screen. EasyKVM is built for two computers sharing one monitor: the hotkey switches the monitor's input and hands keyboard, mouse, and audio to the other machine at the same time. $29.99 once, against the $99.95 ShareMouse lists for its Standard edition.
What ShareMouse does well
ShareMouse (from Bartels Media) is mature, cross-platform, edge-crossing input sharing. Move the pointer onto the monitor of the other computer and that computer takes over. It works out the monitor layout on its own instead of asking you to describe it, it handles clipboard and file drag-and-drop in the paid editions, and it scales to nine computers if you buy the Professional Edition. For a desk where every machine has its own screen, it is a solid piece of software.
The pricing is where people start looking around. The free edition is limited to two computers and two displays, is licensed for personal non-commercial use only, and leaves out clipboard sharing, file drag-and-drop, and password protection. Standard covers two computers and four displays, Professional nine computers and sixteen displays, and both were listed at $99.95 and $149.95 at the time of writing (ShareMouse does not publish prices on its shop page, so check the current figure at their checkout). Both are one-time payments with a maintenance term you choose; when it ends you keep using the version you have and renewing is optional. ShareMouse declines to offer a money-back guarantee, and points buyers at the free edition to test with first.
Monitor switching, stated honestly
ShareMouse is not blind to shared monitors. In the Professional Edition you can merge two monitor icons into one shared display and assign each computer a physical input, and ShareMouse will then switch that input over DDC. Their own documentation is careful about it, calling hardware input switching an experimental, complimentary function that is not part of the official product specification, with a suggestion to stop using it if it is unreliable for you.
In EasyKVM the monitor switch is the product rather than a side feature. One hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+Q, or ⌃⌥Q on a Mac) flips the input over DDC/CI, moves keyboard and mouse, follows with system audio in both directions, and keeps the clipboard in sync. Extra monitors can be added in Settings and swap on the same hotkey. If your panel turns out not to cooperate, there is a 3-day trial with no card and a 14-day refund.
EasyKVM vs ShareMouse at a glance
| EasyKVM | ShareMouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Two computers, one shared monitor | Computers that each have their own screen |
| Switches monitor input (DDC/CI) | Yes, core feature | Professional Edition, labelled experimental |
| Share keyboard & mouse | Yes (hotkey handoff) | Yes (edge crossing) |
| Audio follows control | Yes, both directions | No |
| Shared clipboard | Yes | Paid editions only |
| File transfer | No | Yes, paid editions |
| Mac & Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $29.99 once, updates included | Listed at $99.95 Standard, $149.95 Pro, plus a maintenance term |
| Refund | 14 days | No money-back guarantee, free edition to test with |
Which should you pick?
- A screen per computer and you like the pointer crossing on its own → ShareMouse, or one of the free tools on the Deskflow page.
- You need more than two computers, or file drag-and-drop → ShareMouse Professional. EasyKVM pairs two machines and does not transfer files.
- One monitor shared by two computers → EasyKVM, where the input switch is supported rather than experimental.
- You want audio to follow control → EasyKVM. ShareMouse does not move audio at all.
- More on why a deliberate hotkey beats a screen edge: hotkey vs mouse-edge switching.
- See also: Synergy alternative · Barrier alternative · Deskflow alternative · Multiplicity alternative · Logitech Flow alternative · Mouse Without Borders alternative · BetterDisplay vs EasyKVM.