01 / Evidence boundary
“The website lists it” does not mean “it passed on this desk.”
- No checkbox score: feature count cannot express first-click, IME, or release safety.
- No version mixing: every result binds product build, two OS builds, and test date.
- No inference: not tested stays “not tested”; absent documentation stays “unknown.”
- Keep counterexamples: each negative result needs a configuration boundary or counterexample.
02 / Dated source snapshot
Nine products, starting with the desks they can cover.
| Product and version | Platforms / license | Connection and official boundary | Our hands-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deskflow 1.26.0 2026-02-16 | Windows / macOS / Linux / FreeBSD GPLv2, free and open source | LAN software KVM; the project says TLS is enabled by default. Direct macOS releases carry a notarization caveat. | Scheduled, not run |
| Synergy 3.6.3 2026-06-12 | Windows / macOS / Linux Commercial one-time personal tiers | LAN and auto-discovery; TLS/SSL is tier-dependent. Version 3.5.0 notes removed an unreliable experimental drag-and-drop option. | Legal evaluation path pending |
| ShareMouse 7.0.27 2026-08-18 | Windows 10/11 / macOS 13–15 and 26 Proprietary; restricted free and one-time paid licenses | LAN; official pages list clipboard and file functions plus remote-paste hotkey and format fallback boundaries. | Scheduled, not run |
| Input Leap 3.0.3 2025-06-13 | Windows / macOS / Linux / BSD Open-source distribution | Explicit server/client grid and LAN address; the FAQ records layout, Wayland, and AltGr limitations. | Scheduled, not run |
| Apple Universal Control | Supported Mac / iPad OS feature, no separate software price | Requires proximity, Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, Handoff, the same Apple Account, and two-factor authentication; no Windows support. | Official source only |
| Logitech Flow | Windows / macOS Compatible Logitech hardware and Options+ | LAN; official material lists cross-computer copy and paste. Sleep, login, and cross-computer drag boundaries need testing. | Only if compatible hardware is already owned |
| Mouse Without Borders | Windows Free, open-source PowerToys component | Up to four Windows PCs; Microsoft documents a 100 MB single-file limit and service-mode security boundaries. | Official source only; outside launch pair |
| Multiplicity 4 4.0.7.2 stable page / 4.2 beta | Windows 10/11 Proprietary perpetual editions | Windows KM/KVM; edition controls display, audio, and device counts. Official launch material listed a USD 29.99 starting price. | Official source only |
| across Exact version not exposed on sampled page | Windows / macOS / Linux / Bluetooth HID clients Proprietary evaluation available | Bluetooth HID or wired/wireless network depending on device and feature; current exact version and price require refresh. | Official source only |
Prices, builds, and OS support change. This table reflects official sources retained on August 24, 2026; every value will be refreshed on the actual comparison publication day.
03 / Same-environment protocol
Every product runs the same ten tasks.
- Official download, signature, install, permissions, relaunch, and uninstall.
- First content click in TextEdit, Finder, Safari, Word, WeChat, Notepad, Explorer, and a browser.
- Local-versus-remote punctuation and Shift variants with Apple Pinyin and Microsoft Pinyin.
- Modifiers, Caps Lock, disconnect while held, and safe release.
- Local takeover, reverse crossing, and blended-input checks in both directions.
- Offset, mixed-scale, multi-display, and partial-edge topology.
- Ten seconds of circles while scrolling plus twenty gesture starts and stops.
- Plain text, Chinese, HTML, RTF, image, repeat, and reverse clipboard.
- Small file, 150 MB file, multiple files, folder, symlink, and native drag.
- Permission deny/recover, firewall, sleep, lock, VPN, network loss, quit, and emergency pause.
Result vocabulary is limited to `pass`, `partial`, `fail`, `not_supported`, `not_tested`, and `official_claim_only`. Neither `partial` nor `official_claim_only` becomes a visual checkmark.
04 / Hands-on progress
The lab run is incomplete, and the page says so.
Three fixed products
Deskflow, ShareMouse, and Input Leap will run on the same Apple Silicon Mac, Windows 11 x64 PC, network, and input devices.
Legal fourth product
Prefer a legal Synergy evaluation; otherwise test Logitech Flow only if compatible hardware is already available.
No overall verdict, rank, or “best” headline until the four-product run, retained evidence, counterexamples, price refresh, and CrossFlow boundary are complete.
05 / CrossFlow boundary
CrossFlow does not occupy an “advantage” row.
Earlier private builds have bidirectional-input observations, but evidence spans candidates. Public installers, trusted signatures, and a five-working-day run on one RC do not exist. Only development status is valid here; private experiments cannot be used to beat released products.
See the current CrossFlow release gate, known limitations, and public feedback route.
View Beta status06 / Source policy
Traceable sources give conclusions an expiry date.
Each product row links to an official release, feature, or support page. The research ledger retains access date, version, documented boundary, and pending tasks; publication-day refresh prevents an old price from being presented as current.