Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Input Director VS Input Leap

Compare Input Director VS Input Leap and see what are their differences

Input Director logo Input Director

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

Input Leap logo Input Leap

Open-source KVM software.
  • Input Director Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-22
  • Input Leap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-08

Input Director features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Input Director offers a user-friendly interface and is relatively easy to set up and configure, making it accessible even for users who are not very tech-savvy.
  • Multiple Operating Systems
    The system allows seamless control of multiple computers running on different versions of the Windows operating system, supporting versatile use cases.
  • Clipboard Sharing
    It allows users to share the clipboard between the connected computers, making it easy to copy and paste text, files, and other data across different systems.
  • Customizable Hotkeys
    Users can set up custom hotkeys to switch control between different computers, enhancing workflow efficiency and convenience.
  • Secure Connections
    Input Director uses encrypted network traffic, ensuring secure communication between connected computers and protecting sensitive data.

Possible disadvantages of Input Director

  • Windows Only
    Input Director is only available for Windows operating systems, limiting its usability for those who need cross-platform support, like integration with macOS or Linux.
  • Network Dependency
    The software requires a stable network connection between the computers. Without a reliable network, the performance can be compromised.
  • Limited Features
    Compared to some other commercial solutions, Input Director may lack advanced features like support for touchscreen gestures or more intricate keyboard mappings.
  • No Mobile Support
    Input Director does not offer support for controlling mobile devices, which can be a limitation for users who require integrated control over their smartphones or tablets.
  • Performance Issues
    Under certain circumstances, some users may experience latency or lag, particularly when dealing with graphics-intensive applications or large file transfers.

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 Input Director

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Input Director is highly regarded for its functionality and efficiency in managing multiple systems. It offers a cost-effective and powerful solution for users looking to optimize their workflow without the complexity of additional hardware solutions.

Why this product is good

  • Input Director is considered a good software because it allows users to control multiple Windows computers with a single keyboard and mouse. It is particularly favored for its ease of use, reliability, and the ability to seamlessly switch controls across screens. The software supports features such as shared clipboard, drag-and-drop files, and customizable key bindings, which enhances user productivity, especially in multi-computer environments.

Recommended for

    Input Director is recommended for users who work with several Windows computers simultaneously, such as software developers, graphic designers, and IT professionals. It's ideal for anyone who needs to enhance their productivity in an environment with multiple screens or computers.

Input Director videos

How to use one Mouse & Keyboard with two Computers - Input Director Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Control Multiple Computers at Once! | Input Director Showcase and Tutorial
  • Review - Control Multiple Machines with Input Director

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 Input Director and Input Leap)
Remote Desktop
74 74%
26% 26
Mouse Tools
61 61%
39% 39
Remote PC Access
70 70%
30% 30
Multi Monitor
88 88%
12% 12

User comments

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Reviews

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

Input Director Reviews

Top spacedesk Alternatives & Similar Software (2020)
Input Director, like Spacedesk helps you gain control over multiple computers while having to use just a single mouse or keyboard. You’ll just have to install the software on all the computers you wish to work on simultaneously. The computer that has the keyboard and the mouse attached to it is the master computer that controls the others. Once you’ve made the necessary...

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 Input Director. 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.

Input Director mentions (6)

  • Dual Computer Battlestations? Good idea? Bad idea?
    For the win8 tablet, I wanted to use it as an extra monitor but none of the normal options for doing it was working, so what I use now is Input Director. If you want to use multiple computers with dedicated screens per computer, this is the way! It allows you to control any of the running machines with the same mouse and keyboard by simply moving your mouse over to the corresponding screen. There are quite a few... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Any ideas on good ways to be able to switching between my pc and laptop on these 2 monitors + M&K USBs?
    If you are looking for a software solution, https://inputdirector.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Easily switch between work and personal PC?
    There are various software solutions (eg.: Input Directorbut using a proper hardware switch is most likely the better option. And there are always the remote desktop options…. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • WFH Gamers that use KVM/USB Switch, what do you use?
    I have a 3 PC home setup, so, like you, I didn't need to worry about monitors for my switching solution. First off, I HIGHLY recommend Input Director (Windows only) or other software KVM for the keyboard and mouse. No hitting a button and waiting a couple of seconds, and you can even copy/paste text between the machines. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Not exactly a cyberDeck, but this is what I have. VAIO VGN-P21ZR.
    A friend recently gave me a box of their old hardware. It included an old Toshiba Encore 2 tablet running Windows 8.1. It's the first time I've used Windows on a ARM device, and it's been pretty amazingly usable. Not enough RAM or storage, but it has a single microSD card slot, at least. It works well for low-demand things. It's now mounted on a wall, running Media Monkey, Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Pocket... Source: over 3 years ago
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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 Input Director and Input Leap, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

ShareMouse - With its easy setup and high level of versatility, ShareMouse is a great tool if you're looking to use a single mouse and keyboard across multiple computers.

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

Actual Multiple Monitors - Actual Multiple Monitors is a software utility which offers the comprehensive solution to improve the functionality of Windows user interface for comfortable and effective work with multi-monitor configurations.