DeskStitch vs Barrier, Input Leap and Deskflow
The open-source family started as Synergy 1, forked into Barrier, then Input Leap, and today lives on as Deskflow, which Symless sponsors and builds Synergy on. All of them are free, cross-platform and pixel-based.
Barrier has had no release for years and Input Leap was archived on 26 July 2026; Deskflow is the project that still ships builds for Windows, macOS, Linux and the BSDs, with TLS and clipboard sharing. If you liked Barrier, Deskflow is its home now.
What none of them do is place screens by physical size. They arrange computers on a grid by name and switch at the pixel edge. DeskStitch is the opposite trade: Windows-only, two PCs, screens in millimetres, a wizard and a pairing code instead of a config screen.
| DeskStitch | Barrier / Input Leap / Deskflow | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Maintained, releases at deskstitch.com | Barrier: dormant. Input Leap: archived July 2026. Deskflow: active |
| Screen layout | Physical desk map in millimetres, read from each monitor | Grid of named computers, pixel edges |
| 4K next to 1440p | Edges line up 1:1, same cursor speed | Pixel edges, dead zones with mixed sizes |
| Number of PCs | Two: one host, one client | Many |
| Platforms | Windows 10 and 11, x64 and ARM64 | Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD |
| Price | 29 USD once, 7-day trial | Free, GPL |
| Setup | Wizard, pairing code, PCs find each other | Server and clients configured by computer name |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM from the pairing code | TLS (Deskflow, Input Leap) |
| Source code | Closed | Open |
Use Deskflow if
- you want free and open source;
- macOS, Linux or BSD is involved;
- more than two computers;
- you are comfortable naming machines in a config screen.
Use DeskStitch if
- two Windows PCs with screens of different resolutions;
- you want it working in five minutes with a pairing code;
- you want a supported product with a refund window.
In one sentence
Deskflow is the free, wide, open option; DeskStitch is the narrow, exact, paid one.
Try it on your own desk
Free for 7 days on both PCs, nothing to sign up for. If it does not earn its place, uninstall it.
Facts checked September 2026 from the vendors’ own pages. Spotted a change? Tell us and we will correct it.