CursorHop vs Barrier
A 2018 Synergy fork with no active development since 2021. Same manual IP setup, same C++ core.
The honest read
Barrier forked Synergy 1.9 in 2018 when Symless went closed-source. Its own v2.4.0 release notes state that it is no longer maintained and no longer receives improvements or security fixes, and the last commit landed in February 2022. Input Leap picked up the torch in 2021, and then archived itself on 26 July 2026. Both branches of that family are now read-only. If you want a maintained open-source option today, the answer is Deskflow, not Barrier.
CursorHop is commercially maintained, Rust-native, and ships what Barrier still doesn't: image clipboard, 70 Mbps drag-drop file transfer, screen dimming, raw-input Game Mode, and Noise encryption you don't have to configure. ~7 ms median latency. Setup finishes in under a minute - no config file needed.
Barrier's real edges are Linux support and zero cost. If neither matters on your desk, there's nothing else to argue about.
See also: CursorHop vs Synergy (Barrier's origin), CursorHop vs Mouse Without Borders, CursorHop vs Logitech Flow, and CursorHop vs ShareMouse, or scan the full KVM comparison matrix. Feature deep-dives: file transfer and Noise encryption.
What each one ships today
Apples to apples. No footnotes-on-footnotes.
| Feature | Barrier | CursorHop |
|---|---|---|
| Engine language | C++ (Synergy 1.9 fork) | Rust (native, no GC) |
| Active maintenance | Stalled since ~2021 | Active, commercially backed |
| Windows | Yes | Windows 10+ |
| macOS | Yes | macOS 12+ |
| Linux | Yes | Coming soon |
| Auto-discovery | Manual IP + hostnames | mDNS, zero config |
| Encryption | Optional TLS (user generates certs) | Noise, on by default |
| Clipboard sharing | Text (image support not in scope) | Text + images |
| File transfer | Not supported | Native drag-drop |
| Screen dimming | No | Auto-dim inactive screens |
| Game Mode (raw input) | No | Ctrl+G raw input mode |
| Pricing | Free, open-source (GPL-2) | From $10 one-time |
| Support | GitHub issues, community Discord | Direct support (priority on Pro Plus+) |
CursorHop latency and throughput figures come from internal gigabit-LAN testing with both machines on the same switch. Real-world results vary with hardware, Wi-Fi congestion, and driver configuration. Competitor features and prices can change, so confirm current details with the vendor before purchasing.
Pick Barrier if…
- You need Linux and zero cost.
- You're philosophically committed to GPL software.
Pick CursorHop if…
- You want the app to work five minutes after you download it.
- You want an engine written after the C++20 era.
- You want encryption without juggling your own OpenSSL certs.
- You want drag-drop file transfer and image clipboard built in.
- You want someone to reply when you email support.
Quick answers
Is Barrier still maintained?
No. Barrier's own v2.4.0 release notes say plainly that it is no longer maintained and no longer receives improvements or security fixes, and its last commit landed in February 2022. Input Leap, the fork that took over, was archived and made read-only on 26 July 2026. Both are now dead ends. The one project in this family still actively developed is Deskflow, which is also the upstream Synergy builds on.
Is CursorHop open-source?
No. CursorHop is source-available for licensees but not GPL. The one-time license funds full-time maintenance that open-source KVMs struggle to sustain.
How hard is Barrier to set up?
You configure one machine as server, edit a screens layout, and manually enter hostnames or IPs on every client. Firewall rules and SSL certs are manual. CursorHop replaces all of that with mDNS auto-discovery in under a minute.
Does Barrier support file transfer?
No. Barrier forwards keyboard, mouse, and clipboard text only. CursorHop adds native drag-and-drop file transfer over LAN at up to 70 Mbps on Pro Plus and Max tiers.
Is Barrier encrypted?
Barrier supports optional TLS via OpenSSL but you have to generate and distribute certificates yourself - a step most users skip. CursorHop uses Noise protocol with no certificate management required.
Modern engine, modern pricing.
7-day free trial. No credit card. Full feature set.
Barrier is an open-source project released under the GNU General Public License v2. CursorHop is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the aforementioned. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Comparison claims are based on publicly available product pages, documentation, and user reports.
