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There are four other reasonable ways to drive two Macs from one keyboard, and one of them is free and GPL-licensed. Each is genuinely better than Continuo at something. Here is the whole table, and here is what each one is actually for.
| Capability | Continuo | Universal Control | Deskflow | Synergy | ShareMouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Different Apple IDs | Yes | Same ID | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows or Linux on the same desk | Macs only | Macs and iPads | Windows · Linux | Windows · Linux | Windows |
| Installs with no Terminal step | Signed & notarized | Built into macOS | Not notarized | Unstated | Unstated |
| Encrypted, with no way to switch it off | Pinned TLS 1.3 | Yes | TLS, on by default | Plus and above | AES claimed, unstated |
| Native input, not a forwarded stream | Yes | Yes | No | No | Unstated |
| Native trackpad gestures | Pro | Yes | Unstated | Scroll only | Scroll only |
| Reconnects after sleep | Yes | Supported, can drop | Unstated | Needs a workaround | Unstated |
| Drag a file straight to another Mac | Free · one at a time | Yes | Clipboard only | No | Yes |
| Folders and multiple files at once | Pro | No | No | No | Yes |
| Mount a shared folder from another Mac | Pro · both Macs | No | No | No | No |
| Clipboard over 1 MB | Pro · up to 32 MB | No sync | Unstated | No | Varies by tier |
| QuickJump hotkey and switcher | Free | No | No | No | No |
| Copy on Select | Pro | No | No | No | No |
| Pair more than two Macs | Pro | Mac + 2 others | Yes | By tier | Paid tiers |
| Wake a sleeping Mac | Pro | No | No | No | No |
| Mesh Sleep Sync | Pro | No | No | No | No |
| Keyboard on a locked Mac | Pro | Both unlocked | Unstated | No | Windows only |
| Price | Launch $29 · Regular $49 | Free with macOS | Free · GPL-2.0 | $15–29 once | One-time licence |
| Upgrades | 1 year of new builds | With macOS | Free | Until end of life | Maintenance term |
| No telemetry, no cloud relay for input | Yes | iCloud | Yes | Account | Unstated |
Every cell above was read off each vendor's own published material in August 2026. Where a vendor does not state a behaviour, the cell says so rather than guessing. If something here is out of date, report it and it gets fixed.
Best for
Macs and iPads on one Apple ID. Built into macOS, free.
The catch
One Apple ID only. A work Mac and a personal Mac cannot pair, and nothing in Settings changes that.
Pick Continuo instead when
Your Macs sign in to different Apple Accounts, or one of them is a managed work Mac that cannot be signed into yours at all.
Best for
Free, GPL-2.0, and the most actively developed option here - Windows, Linux and macOS. If you want no vendor at all, this is the one.
The catch
Its README states it does not use an Apple certificate for notarization, so macOS calls it damaged until you clear the quarantine flag by hand; even its Homebrew cask runs `xattr -c` for you. Handling of the macOS Input Monitoring permission has been an open issue since March 2025, and the last tagged release was February 2026.
Pick Continuo instead when
You want a signed and notarized build that installs without a Terminal step, and you want files to cross the seam as well as the cursor.
Best for
Desks that mix macOS, Windows and Linux. Nothing else covers that spread as well.
The catch
Input is forwarded rather than delivered natively, encryption starts at the Plus tier, and trackpad support stops at scrolling.
Pick Continuo instead when
Every machine on the desk is a Mac, and you want native input, full trackpad gestures, and encryption with no tier below it.
Best for
Mixed macOS and Windows desks. Free for two machines.
The catch
The vendor docs leave a lot unstated, including the price, so a buyer cannot check much before paying.
Pick Continuo instead when
You want encryption that is on by every connection rather than behind a setting, and every behaviour written down before you buy.
Two or more Macs on one desk that do not share an Apple ID, and a preference for keeping the traffic on your own Wi-Fi. If your Macs all sign in to the same Apple ID and you have no reason to avoid iCloud, Universal Control is already on your machine and it is free. Use it. If there is a Windows or Linux box on the desk too, or you would rather run something you can read and build yourself, Deskflow is free, open source and actively developed - the trade is that you clear the quarantine flag by hand on macOS and live with the permission handling.
