Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Air Display VS Input Leap

Compare Air Display VS Input Leap and see what are their differences

Air Display logo Air Display

Air Display allows extra screens to extend the display size of a Mac desktop. The company behind the product is Avatron Software, which was founded in 2008. Read more about Air Display.

Input Leap logo Input Leap

Open-source KVM software.
  • Air Display Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-29
  • Input Leap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-08

Air Display features and specs

  • Multi-platform Support
    Air Display supports a wide range of devices and operating systems, including macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. This makes it versatile for users with multiple devices.
  • Touchscreen Functionality
    When using a tablet as a secondary display, Air Display allows users to utilize touchscreen capabilities, adding an extra layer of interaction and control.
  • Wireless Convenience
    The application enables wireless connection between devices, eliminating the need for cables and allowing more flexibility in setup arrangements.
  • Extended Desktop Mode
    Air Display allows users to extend their desktop space, providing more screen real estate for multitasking and productivity.
  • Ease of Setup
    The application offers a straightforward setup process, making it user-friendly even for those who may not be very tech-savvy.

Possible disadvantages of Air Display

  • Performance Issues
    Some users may experience latency or lag, particularly over less stable wireless connections, which can disrupt the user experience.
  • Battery Drain
    Using a mobile device as an extended display can significantly drain its battery, limiting the duration for which it can be used effectively without recharging.
  • Cost
    Air Display is a paid application, which may be a deterrent for users looking for a free alternative.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Occasionally, users may face compatibility issues between different hardware configurations or operating system versions, affecting performance and usability.
  • Limited Features
    While it provides basic extended desktop functionalities, advanced features available in some competitor applications might be missing.

Input Leap features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    Input Leap allows for seamless interaction between multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, facilitating interoperability in mixed-OS environments.
  • Single Input Management
    With Input Leap, users can control multiple devices using one keyboard and mouse, reducing clutter and simplifying input management across devices.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Input Leap provides transparency, allowing users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the project's codebase, fostering community involvement and trust.
  • Active Community
    A diligent open-source community supports Input Leap, offering regular updates, bug fixes, and new features, thereby enhancing the software's reliability and performance.

Possible disadvantages of Input Leap

  • Setup Complexity
    Setting up Input Leap can be complex for users unfamiliar with networking and system configuration, potentially requiring additional time and effort for initial configuration.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any network-based application, there are inherent security risks in using Input Leap, especially if not properly configured with secure connections.
  • Performance Issues
    Depending on network conditions and hardware specifications, users may experience latency or performance issues, affecting smooth input transitions between devices.
  • Limited Features Compared to Alternatives
    Input Leap might lack some advanced features or integrations found in other proprietary software solutions, potentially limiting its functionality for power users.

Analysis of Air Display

Overall verdict

  • Air Display is generally considered a good application for those who need additional screens and prefer wireless solutions. It offers a reliable and easy-to-use experience, making it a valuable tool for improving productivity.

Why this product is good

  • Air Display, developed by Avatron, allows users to extend or mirror their computer screen to a tablet or another computer wirelessly. The software is praised for its seamless connectivity, ease of setup, and the convenience it provides for multitasking and increased productivity. It's particularly beneficial for graphic designers, programmers, or anyone who requires additional screen real estate.

Recommended for

  • Graphic Designers
  • Software Developers
  • Video Editors
  • Remote Workers
  • Anyone who needs additional screen space

Air Display videos

Air Display App Review

More videos:

  • Review - Air Display Review
  • Review - Air Display for iPhone and iPad Review

Input Leap videos

No Input Leap videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Air Display and Input Leap)
Remote Desktop
70 70%
30% 30
Mouse Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Remote PC Access
66 66%
34% 34
Multi Monitor
90 90%
10% 10

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Air Display and Input Leap

Air Display Reviews

Top 10 Duet Display Alternatives (Free and Paid) Reviewed | 2022
Air Display vs Duet Display: Similar to Duet Display, AirDisplay is another ideal method of making your iOS device behave as a second monitor. Using AirDisplay, you will be able to quickly view documents,, web pages, photos, videos, certain PC games, and other content without having a hyper CPU-intensive application ran in the background.
Source: mediapeanut.com
Top 6 Best Spacedesk Alternatives for Duet Display
As many as four devices can be connected at once over Air Display software and it works for both PC and laptop. You can remotely access your PC or laptop over the internet from anywhere in the world!
Source: itechhacks.com
8 Best SpaceDesk Alternatives for Duet Display (2022)
If you want to turn your Tablet into an extra screen for multitasking, Air Display must be your option. Several useful features in the software make it a suitable option to choose. For instance, you can set up customizable hotkeys to control the subsidiary screen.
Source: techdator.net
7 Of The Best Spacedesk Alternatives For Multi-Monitor Work
Looking for a spare screen for your Mac then Air Display does that for you. They provide an extra filter in the primary Mac device. The software is easy to use without any hassle, not like the others that are quite complicated.
Top spacedesk Alternatives & Similar Software (2020)
You can use multiple devices, iOS devices, Windows PCs, Macs and Android tablets as an added screen for your Mac computer. While earlier Windows PCs were used as Air Display hosts, now only Mac computers are supported as hosts. With the latest version, Air Display 3, you can use four devices to act as interactive screens for your Mac computer. It allows use with USB cables...

Input Leap Reviews

We have no reviews of Input Leap yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Input Leap should be more popular than Air Display. It has been mentiond 13 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Air Display mentions (3)

  • Duplicate monitor to wireless display or iPad
    Https://avatron.com/applications/air-display/ Not sure, if it does screen mirroring. Source: about 3 years ago
  • MacBook Pro 2018 to iMac 2017 connection for external display?
    If you're talking about Target Display Mode, I'm afraid your iMac does not support it. You can still use something like Air Display, although I'm not sure if it will help you achieve what you want. Source: over 3 years ago
  • MacBook As Display
    The other option is via software like AirDisplay, but that does cost money as well! Source: about 4 years ago

Input Leap mentions (13)

  • Unlocking secret ThinkPad functionality for emulating USB devices
    x2x worked fine for input devices. Later, things like x2vnc made the idea more cross-platform (X on the local nix box, VNC on some other platform), but only with two machines. After that, Synergy became a thing, and supported many* machines, but then they eventually went to a model that tended to require payment. Later, Barrier forked from Senergy, and it allows much of the same functionality. It's still... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Barrier: Open-Source KVM Software
    There is an actively developed fork https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap, however that fork is still undergoing heavy development and recommends sticking with Barrier until they're able to release v3.0.0 which they expect rather soon. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Hrvach/Deskhop: Fast Desktop Switching Device
    Barrier is basically a dead project now. The active members of the project forked it and are going to release when ready but https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap Keep an eye on that for anything new. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Hrvach/Deskhop: Fast Desktop Switching Device
    Prior to Synergy going to closed source, it was forked into Barrier[0], which then was forked into input-leap[1]. Both open source. [0] https://github.com/debauchee/barrier. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • What do you think of Smart KVM as a feature on a monitor?
    I wonder if I would be better off just buying a LG monitor without the Smart KVM, and instead using Barrier (or, Input Leap, which seems to be maintained actively compared to Barrier https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap). Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Air Display and Input Leap, you can also consider the following products

Duet Display - With Duet Display, you can transform your iPhone or iPad into a second display to expand the screen space of your PC or Mac system.

Barrier - Barrier is a cross-platform software for sharing your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers...

spacedesk - spacedesk expands the Windows desktop computer screen to other computers over the local area...

Synergy - Cross-platform software for sharing your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers

iDisplay - iDisplay is an app that turns a mobile device into a secondary desktop monitor. The app currently supports iOS, Android, Windows and MacOS, and it lets users connect a desktop computer to a mobile device over WiFi. Read more about iDisplay.

Input Director - Control multiple windows systems with one keyboard/mouse. Share a keyboard and mouse across multiple windows system.