shareclick / vs Synergy
ShareClick vs Synergy
Looking for a free, open-source Synergy alternative? ShareClick shares one keyboard, mouse, clipboard and files between your Mac and Windows PC with no license, encryption on every channel and a transport designed for low input latency.
Compared against the official Synergy product and support pages on .
| Feature | ShareClick | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Paid license |
| Open source | Yes (MIT/Apache) | Core (Deskflow) yes; app proprietary |
| Mac & Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Work in progress | Yes |
| Encryption | X25519 + ChaCha20-Poly1305 | TLS |
| Clipboard (text + images) | Yes | Yes |
| File transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Auto edge switching | Yes (+ hotkey) | Yes |
| Input latency focus | ~6 µs transport (UDP) | Good |
| Support | Community / GitHub | Commercial support |
pricing and licensing
ShareClick is released under MIT or Apache-2.0 and does not require a license key. Synergy is a commercial product with active license requirements; the number of computers and support options depend on the purchased edition. Symless changed parts of its licensing policy in 2026, so buyers should use the current official license and pricing pages rather than an old third-party comparison.
The practical decision is not simply free versus paid. A Synergy license funds a mature commercial product and support organization. ShareClick provides source access and no usage fee, but support is community-based and the project is still pre-release.
platform support and setup
Synergy supports Windows, macOS and Linux and has a long production history. ShareClick currently focuses on macOS and Windows. Both products install an application on every computer and switch control when the pointer reaches a configured screen edge. ShareClick uses mDNS discovery and exchanges the monitor arrangement between paired devices; Synergy 3 also advertises automatic configuration and discovery.
Choose Synergy when Linux, older deployment experience or paid support is mandatory. Choose ShareClick when the desk is specifically Mac plus Windows and open-source licensing is a core requirement.
clipboard, files and security
Both products cover the main software KVM workflow: keyboard and mouse control, clipboard sharing and file movement. ShareClick synchronizes text and images and sends files over a separate reliable channel. Its pairing uses X25519 key exchange with ChaCha20-Poly1305 on both input and bulk traffic. Synergy uses TLS for encrypted network communication.
Neither product shares the display itself. Each computer keeps using its own monitor. If you need BIOS access or need several computers to share one physical monitor, use a hardware KVM instead.
what the latency number means
ShareClick's approximately 6 µs figure is measured transport overhead on a local loopback benchmark. It is not a full Mac-to-Windows latency measurement and is not a direct benchmark against Synergy. Real input latency also includes capture, network, scheduling, display refresh and input injection. The architectural difference is factual: ShareClick uses a dedicated UDP input path while reliable clipboard and file traffic stays separate.
which should you pick?
Choose ShareClick if you want it free and open source, encrypted by default, with a dedicated low-latency input path and no license to manage.
Choose Synergy if you need first-class Linux support and paid commercial support, and don't mind the license fee.
Synergy is the mature commercial option with broad platform support. Deskflow carries the open-source continuation of the Synergy 1 codebase. ShareClick is a separate, newer implementation focused on a free and encrypted Mac-to-Windows workflow.
moving from Synergy to ShareClick
There is no configuration import because the projects use different formats and protocols. Install ShareClick on both computers, pair them, arrange the displays and confirm macOS permissions and the Windows firewall rule. Keep Synergy installed until the new setup has passed normal keyboard, clipboard and file-transfer tests.
See the three-minute setup guide or compare the broader list of Synergy alternatives.