Deskflow review: one keyboard, several computers

Deskflow is free, open-source software for sharing one keyboard and mouse between computers that sit near each other. You keep typing on one keyboard, and the pointer slides off one screen onto the next. It is for someone with a desk of mixed machines who wants that link encrypted by default.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: Free open-source software that shares one keyboard and mouse with nearby computers, without sharing the picture on the screen.

Works on: Windows 10 version 1809 or later, macOS 12 or later (macOS 13 or later for the project’s Apple silicon downloads), Linux, and FreeBSD. ¹

Price: Free. ¹ ³

Licence: GPL-2.0, with an OpenSSL exception. ¹

Best for: Two or more computers on the same desk.

Official site: deskflow.org ³

What Deskflow does (and how it protects your privacy)

Deskflow is a free and open source keyboard and mouse sharing app. You use one computer’s keyboard, mouse or trackpad to control nearby computers.¹ The project calls it a software KVM without the video: a KVM normally shares the keyboard, the picture and the mouse, and Deskflow shares only the keyboard and mouse. Each computer keeps its own monitor.¹ ⁸

One computer is the server: the machine whose keyboard and mouse you keep using. The others are clients, and they connect on port 24800 unless you change it.⁴ TLS encryption is on by default.¹ TLS is the encryption used to protect a connection in transit. You confirm the other computer’s fingerprint, and Deskflow stores it.⁴

Settings are saved on the computer itself.⁴ Copied text can follow the pointer, because clipboard sharing is supported, so a password you copy on one machine can land on the other.¹ For a phone on the same desk, KDE Connect is the closer match. To see and drive a computer that is not in the room, RustDesk is built for that remote-desktop job.

Key Deskflow features

One keyboard and mouse for several computers. The pointer leaves the edge of one screen and continues on the next.⁸
Mixed desktops. Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD are supported, so the computers need not match.¹
Encryption on by default. TLS stays on unless you turn it off, with a 2048-bit key unless you choose 4096.¹ ⁴
A fingerprint check. By default you confirm each computer before it is stored as trusted.⁴
Clipboard sharing. Text you copy can be pasted on another connected computer. The project calls this a cornerstone feature.¹
Wayland on Linux. Wayland, the newer Linux display system, is supported, though some features may be missing or unreliable.¹
Update checks stay off. Looking for a new version at startup is off unless you turn it on.⁴

Pros and cons

Pros

The app is free, and the code is under the GPL-2.0 licence with an OpenSSL exception.¹ ³
Encryption and the fingerprint prompt are both on in a normal install.⁴
A Windows PC can share a keyboard with a Mac or a Linux machine.¹
The latest stable release, version 1.27.0, was published on 1 October 2026, and the latest minor release receives security updates.² ⁵
Version 1.27.0 can run a command when the pointer enters or leaves a computer.³

Cons

Deskflow does not show the other computer’s screen. You need that monitor in front of you.¹
macOS needs Accessibility access for the app and the deskflow process, and a download can be reported as damaged because there is no Apple certificate.¹
Windows also needs Microsoft’s Visual C++ Redistributable.¹
On Wayland, some features may be unavailable or broken. ArchWiki says input capture needs GNOME 46 or KDE 6.1 or newer.¹ ⁸
A native Linux build needs libei 1.3 or newer, libportal 0.8 or newer, and Qt 6.7 or newer. Otherwise the project points you to Flatpak.¹
Phones are not listed. Clipboard sharing will also move passwords you copy.¹

Is Deskflow safe and private?

Settings stay on each computer: ~/.config/Deskflow/Deskflow.conf on Linux and ~/Library/Deskflow/Deskflow.conf on macOS. On Windows, settings are read from the install folder or the registry key HKCU\Software\Deskflow\Deskflow. If they are not loaded from the install folder, other config files are saved in C:\ProgramData\Deskflow\.⁴ A version check at startup is off by default. If you turn it on, Deskflow asks https://api.deskflow.org/version for a version number.⁴ On Linux, OpenSnitch can show you when a program opens a network connection.

On Windows, install 1.27.0 or newer. GitHub’s advisory CVE-2026-41477 says versions 1.20.0 through 1.26.0.160 let a local unprivileged user run commands as the system account, because the daemon processes privileged commands without authentication. The patched version listed is 1.26.0.161, and the 1.27.0 notes include that fix.⁷ ² The latest minor release is the one that receives security updates. Report vulnerabilities as bugs on the project’s issue tracker.⁵

Synergy sponsors Deskflow with code and money. Deskflow is the official upstream, and Synergy adds proprietary features on top.¹ ⁶ The project says it began as Synergy in 2001, written by Chris Schoeneman.¹

How to get started with Deskflow

Install Deskflow on every computer in the group. Download a package from the project’s releases, install the deskflow package from your Linux distribution, or use Flathub.¹ Flathub lists version 1.27.0 as free and marks the app as verified for deskflow.org.³
On Windows, install the Visual C++ Redistributable named in the readme. On a Mac, run brew tap deskflow/tap and then brew install deskflow. If macOS says the app is damaged, run xattr -c /Applications/Deskflow.app.¹
On a Mac, allow Accessibility access for both the Deskflow app and the deskflow process. On Sequoia, also allow Local Network if asked. After an upgrade, remove the old permission entries first.¹
On the computer whose keyboard and mouse you want to share, start Deskflow as the server. In settings that mode is value 2, and the name defaults to the hostname.⁴
On the other computers, start the client (mode value 1) and set the remote host to the server’s address or hostname. The port is 24800 unless you change it on both sides.⁴
Confirm the fingerprint when asked, then place each computer so it matches the desk. Move the pointer off the screen edge to switch.⁴ ⁸
In the 1.27 settings format, the migration example sets enableClipboard to true. Turn it off if copied text, including passwords, should not follow the pointer.⁴

Who should use Deskflow (and who might prefer something else)

Deskflow fits someone with two or more computers on one desk who can see each screen.⁸ People still on Barrier or Input Leap can move across: from version 1.17.0.96, Deskflow works with those forks as server or client.¹

For professional support, training and a warranty, the project points to Synergy. The wiki lists that support on the Synergy side, and community support on the Deskflow side.⁶ Synergy 1 can connect if you select the Synergy protocol; Synergy 3 cannot yet.¹ Lan Mouse is another open-source sharer, and Deskflow says the two do not handle input the same way yet.¹ For a phone, use KDE Connect. To show an Android screen on the computer, use scrcpy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Deskflow free?

Yes. The project calls it free and open source, Flathub lists it as free, and the licence is GPL-2.0 with an OpenSSL exception.¹ ³ Synergy, which sponsors Deskflow, is a separate commercial product.⁶

Is Deskflow safe?

TLS and fingerprint checks are on by default, and settings stay on your computers.⁴ On Windows, use 1.27.0 or newer so you have the fix for CVE-2026-41477.² ⁷ Connected computers receive your keystrokes, and the clipboard can follow, so confirm each fingerprint and turn clipboard sharing off if copied passwords should stay put.

Does Deskflow work on iPhone or Android?

No. The systems the project lists are Windows, macOS, Linux and Unix-like BSD, with official support for FreeBSD.¹ A phone beside a computer is a job for KDE Connect. Controlling an Android screen from a computer is a job for scrcpy.

Is Deskflow the same as Synergy?

Deskflow began as Synergy in 2001 and is now the upstream project. Synergy is the commercial fork, with proprietary parts and professional support.¹ ⁶ Only Synergy 1 is compatible. Input Leap and Barrier still connect, and Input Leap is described as inactive.¹