It allows machines to be password protected, whereas Synergy 2 will simply allow you to connect to machines it finds running the software on the network. However, Multiplicity currently has a better security setup.
The Synergy 2 website says that is a feature that is being considered for a future release, while Multiplicity does not mention encryption at all on its site. Of course, since controlling multiple computers with one keyboard/mouse is not something casual computer users are likely to want to do either, this may not be that big of an issue.īoth Multiplicity and Synergy 2 are missing a fundamental component of network security - neither program encrypts the TCP/IP traffic back and forth between the host machine and the machines being controlled. At the moment, Synergy 2 is not something casual computer users would find easy to install. With Synergy 2, the same process took 20-30 minutes with repeated references back to the documentation. I had it up and running on my two machines in less than 5 minutes after I downloaded the software. The cost of Multiplicity can really start to add up if you want to control 5 or 6 machines. Multiplicity is $39.95 to $69.95 per machine depending on which version is purchased (the $69.95 version allows easier file copy operations between the various machines being controlled by the program).
Synergy 2 wins hands-down here since it is free. In installed Synergy 2 on my computers at home and gave it a whirl, and the bottom line is that both programs are impressive but neither quite gets it right with the features that this sort of program needs.īoth programs do a very good job of letting you control more than one computer the main difference between the two comes down to configuration, platform, security issues and costs. It turns out there is an open source solution for this sort of control as well, Synergy 2. A few weeks ago I mentioned how impressed I was by Multiplicity, a program that lets you seamlessly control two or more computers with a single keyboard and mouse - when you drag the mouse off the screen of one computer, you’re suddenly controlling the other computer.