Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SteerMouse VS Synergy

Compare SteerMouse VS Synergy and see what are their differences

SteerMouse logo SteerMouse

Advanced driver for USB and Bluetooth mouses.

Synergy logo Synergy

Cross-platform software for sharing your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers
  • SteerMouse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-10
  • 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.

SteerMouse videos

SteerMouse - Mouse Chording on Mac

More videos:

  • Review - Bind Mouse Button to Key Sequence Based on Active App (Mac) - SteerMouse
  • Review - Bind Mouse Buttons to Keyboard Shortcut Based on Active App (Mac) - SteerMouse

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 SteerMouse and Synergy)
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0
Mouse Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Automation
100 100%
0% 0
Remote PC Access
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

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

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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 should be more popular than SteerMouse. It has been mentiond 281 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.

SteerMouse mentions (52)

  • An Open Source Mouse and Trackpad Utility for Mac
    I’m eager to try this out, but you might also want to check out Steermouse[1], which is a utility it took me years longer to discover than it should have. I’m not sure how it stacks up to this open source project, but it’s definitely been worth the license cost to me over the years. [1] https://plentycom.jp/en/steermouse/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • [Rant] My Search for the One Mouse to rule them all - on Mac
    There are 3rd party apps like Steer Mouse that let you re-assign buttons/shortcuts on a Mac, but I haven’t used them in a long while, so can’t really speak to compatibility. Source: 11 months ago
  • Tip for mx mouse side buttons
    Will I use steermouse to configure the mouse. But didn’t put any specific configuration for arc. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Scrolling on macOS sucks with third-party mice, but I just found a game-changer
    Use SteerMouse instead, same developer. Indispensable, if only for the snap-to-default button feature. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Good Bluetooth gaming mouse for macOS?
    Also, whatever you decide on, I recommend skipping manufacturer software and using SteerMouse instead to adjust sensitivity, acceleration and button mappings. Source: about 1 year ago
View more

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 / 5 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 / 5 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 / 5 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: 6 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: 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

X-Mouse Button Control - XMouse Button Control (XMBC) allows you to create application and window specific profiles.

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

Mac Mouse Fix - A simple way to make your 3rd party mouse better.

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

Karabiner - Karabiner, previously called KeyRemap4MacBook, is a very powerful keyboard remapper for Mac OS X.

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