Looking for a Synergy Alternative? Start With These Questions

When people start looking

Usually the computers changed and the operating system mix is different now, or setup felt fiddly, or someone wants to see another computer's screen as well as share input and would like it in one place. Different reasons point to different tools, so it helps to write down in one line why you want to switch.

Synergy is known as software that shares a keyboard and mouse across Windows, macOS and Linux. This is not about it falling short. It is about whether a tool fits your situation.

First: which computers are involved?

This filter removes the most options. Any Display's keyboard and mouse sharing works between Mac and Windows computers. If a Linux machine has to be part of the setup, this feature is not the right fit. It also works between two Macs or two Windows PCs.

If your setup is only Mac and Windows, you have more room to choose, so move on to the next question.

Second: just input, or screens too?

When you share only the keyboard and mouse, each computer keeps using its own monitor and no video is sent. If instead you want to see another computer's screen on yours, or use a tablet as a second display, that is a different job from input sharing.

Any Display splits input sharing, computer screen connection and tablet screen extension into separate features. If you only need input, the keyboard and mouse guide is all you need. If you want screens as well, look at viewing a computer's screen too.

Third: how far does copy and paste go?

The thing people do most when moving between computers is copy text. Any Display's input sharing supports copying and pasting text, and does not include dragging files across or passing images through the clipboard. If you move files between the two machines a lot, check whether that fits your work.

Whichever tool you use, writing down what you actually copy in a normal day makes your needs much clearer.

It is not a hardware KVM

Sharing input in software means both computers are on, the app is running, and they can reach each other over the network. So it cannot work while a computer is off, or at a boot screen before the operating system loads. It also does not connect two computers directly with a USB cable.

A hardware KVM switch physically changes the video cable and USB devices, and it is a different kind of tool. Know which one you are choosing.

What to try before you switch

Using a tool for a day at your own desk tells you more than any description. Do your normal work and check the points below.

• Does the cursor cross over the way your desk is actually laid out?
• Do input-language switching and your language key behave as expected?
• Do your most-used shortcuts line up on both computers?
• Does text copy and paste cover what you need?
• Is there a way out when the cursor will not come back? (In Any Display it is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Esc.)

If it fits how you work, switch. If not, keep the tool you have.