Software Alternatives & Reviews

Duet Display VS Synergy

Compare Duet Display VS Synergy and see what are their differences

Duet Display logo 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.

Synergy logo Synergy

Cross-platform software for sharing your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers
  • Duet Display Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-02
  • Synergy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-05

Synergy is a software application developed by Symless. It is used for sharing a keyboard and mouse between multiple computers, and is useful in situations where several PCs are used together, with a monitor connected to each, but are to be controlled by one user. The user needs only one keyboard and mouse on the desk — similar to a KVM switch without the video.

Partly open source and partly closed source, the open source components are released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, which is free software. The first version of Synergy was created on May 13, 2001, by Chris Schoeneman and worked with the X Window System only. Synergy now supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems.

Once the program is installed, users can move the mouse "off" the side of their desktop on one computer, and the mouse pointer will appear on the desktop of another computer. Key presses will be delivered to whichever computer the mouse-pointer is located in. This makes it possible to control several machines as easily as if they were a single multi-monitor computer. The clipboard and even screensavers can be synchronized.

The program is implemented as a server which defines which screen-edges lead to which machines, and one or more clients, which connect to the server to offer the use of their desktops. The keyboard and mouse are connected to the server machine.

Duet Display videos

Apple Sidecar vs Duet Display: What's the Difference?

More videos:

  • Review - Turning an iPad into a Second Monitor for Pc & Mac: Duet Display
  • Review - Duet Display Review

Synergy videos

Review - Synergy by Symless - Multi Machine Network Control Software

More videos:

  • Review - Symless Synergy Review - Mac (Keyboard & Mouse Sharing)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Duet Display and Synergy)
Remote Desktop
57 57%
43% 43
Mouse Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Remote PC Access
36 36%
64% 64
Multi Monitor
35 35%
65% 65

User comments

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Reviews

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

Duet Display Reviews

Top 10 Duet Display Alternatives (Free and Paid) Reviewed | 2022
Duet Display vs SpaceDesk: While some users do claim that SpaceDesk is not as responsive as Duet Display, the overall experience is satisfactory. It’s interesting that splash top is available on both Mac and windows and requires two separate installations: One version mobile and one version Desktop.
Source: mediapeanut.com
8 Best SpaceDesk Alternatives for Duet Display (2022)
It is a well-known software operating since the time of SpaceDesk. Duet Display has advanced features that make it a perfect alternative for SpaceDesk. Previously the software was only compatible with iPads and MacBooks. But now, Duet Display is also available for Windows.
Source: techdator.net
Top spacedesk Alternatives & Similar Software (2020)
For quite some time now, Duet Display has been helping old iPads work as MacBook displays that are fast too. It’s only recently that they have been focusing on Windows and they are emerging as a good alternative to Spacedesk. It’s a smooth transformation of your iPad into a monitor of your Windows PC. It only involves a simple plug and play to be set up helping you avoid a...
6 Ways to Use Your Android as Second Monitor For Your Computer
Duet Display is a popular iOS app that allows you to mirror and extend your Mac’s display to your iPad or iPhone. And now that Apple is providing this feature natively via Sidecar, Duet Display is expanding its horizons with support for Android smartphones and tablets.
Source: techwiser.com

Synergy Reviews

Top spacedesk Alternatives & Similar Software (2020)
Synergy is yet another software that lets you work on separate computers with the same input devices. It helps you save all the clutter caused by the cables of a traditional KVM. What’s more, it works even when the computers are working on separate operating systems. This feature makes it stand out from Spacedesk. For Synergy to function, you’ll need the systems to run on...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Synergy seems to be a lot more popular than Duet Display. While we know about 281 links to Synergy, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Duet Display. 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.

Duet Display mentions (4)

  • Does anybody know how I can rotate the ipad display vertically. I'm using acars?
    Third party app Duet (duetdisplay.com) allows vertical orientation. Source: about 1 year ago
  • do non apple tablets work for the new mac mini?
    The native Apple Sidecar monitor extension thing will only work within range of the host computer ("both devices must be within 10 meters (30 feet) of each other and have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on "). There's third party apps that kind of do what Sidecar does for older iPads AND Android devices. I like Duet duetdisplay.com - again, wired/wireless distance limitations restrict "portability". Source: over 1 year ago
  • r/ChromeOS 500k Giveaway - A Premium Chromebook, USI styluses, a Keyboard & Mouse Combo, giftcodes and more are up for grabs! Comment below to enter!
    Thanks to our friends at About Chromebooks, Penoval, the Crostini subreddit, Duet Display and MyScript for helping make this possible. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • "Duet Display connection" not allowing USB-C file transfer (UPDATED)
    - At one point I cleared the cache, and it appeared to fix the problem (I could USB-C transfer files to and from device). However, today I booted up my SN and got hit with the familiar "Duet Display connection; No installed apps work with this USB accessory. Learn more about this accessory at https://duetdisplay.com". Source: about 2 years ago

Synergy mentions (281)

  • Hrvach/Deskhop: Fast Desktop Switching Device
    I use a software called Synergy. https://symless.com/synergy I have one keyboard and mouse connected to one "host" machine, and two machines connected as clients. Sometimes if the host machine bogs a bit (like running a build or something) then the clients will have some latency but I've used this setup for gaming and work for two years and it's been pretty good. My only complaint (about my personal setup, not the... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Hrvach/Deskhop: Fast Desktop Switching Device
    I’ve been using a software solution for this for over a decade. It’s called Synergy (https://symless.com/synergy) and it is fast - switches instantly over wifi and also works across Windows/Mac/Linux. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Hrvach/Deskhop: Fast Desktop Switching Device
    Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Help me create a seamless LAN with a WAP on the end of a switch
    I want to be able to do things like Synergy, Steam Link, Unified Remote, and Media Servers between any of these devices, with as little added latency as possible (especially important for steam link). Source: 5 months ago
  • Linux VNC viewer not displaying MacOS with multiple desktops (single monitor)
    i've got several fedora linux machines running and sharing their monitors via synergy (https://symless.com/synergy) , all controlled by the keyboard/mouse on the primary synergy server. Source: 5 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Duet Display and Synergy, you can also consider the following products

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

Barrier - Barrier is a 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.

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.

DisplayFusion - DisplayFusion will make your multi-monitor life much easier.