I’ve been searching for years for a software KVM solution that could seamlessly work between Windows and Mac. Mouse Without Borders was perfect on Windows, but the moment you want to add a Mac to the mix, you’re out of luck.
The Search for Cross-Platform KVM
It took a while, but I found Synergy 3, and after three weeks of daily use, it’s working better than anything else I’ve tried for multi-OS setups.
What I Was Looking For
I wanted something that could replicate the Mouse Without Borders experience but work across both Windows and Mac. The ability to seamlessly move your mouse and keyboard between machines, share clipboard, and just forget that you’re actually using multiple computers.
Why Synergy 3 Works
The setup is straightforward, and once it’s running, it just works. I can move my mouse from my Windows PC to my Mac and back without thinking about it. The clipboard sharing means I can copy something on Windows and paste it directly on Mac.
Here’s what makes it work for me:
- Reliable connection between Windows and Mac
- Clipboard sharing that stays consistent
- Smooth cursor movement without lag
- Stable connection that doesn’t randomly drop
The Transition Reality
After about three weeks of using Synergy 3, something interesting happened: I migrated completely to Mac and haven’t turned on my Windows PC in a hot minute. The seamless workflow between machines actually made it easier to transition away from Windows entirely.
This is probably the best endorsement for Synergy 3—it works so well that it enabled me to confidently move between platforms until I settled on one.
Worth the Cost
Unlike Mouse Without Borders which is free (but Windows-only), Synergy 3 is a paid solution. But when you’re talking about a tool that fundamentally changes how you work across multiple machines, the cost becomes irrelevant pretty quickly.
If you’re running a mixed Windows/Mac environment and need seamless keyboard and mouse sharing, Synergy 3 is the solution I wish I’d found years ago.
The irony? By the time I found the perfect tool for multi-OS workflow, I’d already moved entirely to Mac. But that’s exactly the kind of smooth transition Synergy enabled.