CursorHop vs Input Leap
Archived and read-only since 26 July 2026. It still runs, but it will never receive another compatibility or security fix.
The honest read
Input Leap was a good project and it deserves the credit. It picked up Barrier after Barrier went quiet, kept a genuinely cross-platform keyboard and mouse sharing tool alive for free, and shipped Apple Silicon builds when the alternatives did not.
It is over. The repository was archived and made read-only on 26 July 2026, with the maintainer closing it out by saying they were sorry it had not worked out the way they wanted. The last release, v3.0.3, shipped in June 2025. Nothing further will ever be merged.
For most software, an archive is an inconvenience. For input software it is a clock. A software KVM hooks deep into the operating system's input stack, which means every macOS and Windows release is a chance for it to stop working. There is already an open report of the Input Leap server failing to start on recent macOS despite Accessibility permission being granted, filed days before the archive, and it can never be fixed. The rest of that family is no healthier: Barrier's own final release notes state it is no longer maintained and no longer receives security fixes.
If what you valued was free and open source, or Linux support, then Deskflow is the honest recommendation. It is actively developed and it is the upstream Synergy itself builds on. We would rather point you there than pretend otherwise.
If you are on Windows and macOS, CursorHop is the maintained commercial answer: a native Rust input engine at around 7 ms median latency on gigabit LAN, Noise-protocol encryption on every tier with no certificates to generate or fingerprints to verify, automatic mDNS discovery instead of typing in hosts, drag-and-drop file transfer at roughly 70 Mbps, and signed installers. From $10 one-time.
See also: CursorHop vs Barrier, CursorHop vs Deskflow, and CursorHop vs Synergy, or scan the full KVM comparison matrix. Feature deep-dives: encryption and file transfer.
What each one ships today
Apples to apples. No footnotes-on-footnotes.
| Feature | Input Leap | CursorHop |
|---|---|---|
| Project status | Archived read-only, 26 Jul 2026 | Active full-time development |
| Final release | v3.0.3, June 2025 | Shipping continuously |
| Future security fixes | None. Repository is read-only | Ongoing |
| Engine | C++, Synergy 1.9 lineage | Rust (native, no GC) |
| Windows | Windows 10/11, no 32-bit | Windows 10+ |
| macOS | macOS 10.12+, Apple Silicon builds | macOS 12+ |
| Linux | X11. Clipboard unsupported on Wayland | Coming soon |
| Encryption | OpenSSL, SHA-256 fingerprint you verify | Noise, automatic every tier |
| Setup | Add each host, generate and check certs | Automatic mDNS discovery |
| Clipboard - text and images | Yes, not on Linux/Wayland | Yes, every tier |
| File transfer | Legacy inherited code, long-standing bug reports | Native drag-drop, ~70 Mbps |
| Screen dimming | No | Auto-dim inactive screens |
| Game Mode (raw input) | No | Raw input mode for full-screen games |
| Support | Community only, repo now read-only | Email support, priority on Pro Plus+ |
| Pricing | Free, GPL-2.0 | From $10 one-time |
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 Input Leap if…
- You already have it working, on an OS you do not intend to update, and you accept that nothing will ever be fixed again.
- You need Linux and are willing to run frozen software.
Pick CursorHop if…
- You want software that will still work after your next macOS or Windows update.
- You want security fixes. Input Leap can no longer receive any.
- You want drag-and-drop file transfer that actually works.
- You would rather not generate certificates and verify fingerprints by hand.
- You want a support address that answers.
Quick answers
Is Input Leap still maintained?
No. The Input Leap repository was archived and made read-only on 26 July 2026. The maintainer closed it with a note saying they were sorry it had not worked out the way they wanted. The final release was v3.0.3 in June 2025. No further features, compatibility updates, or security fixes will ever ship.
What should I use instead of Input Leap?
It depends on what you valued about it. If it was Linux support, or free and open source, then Deskflow is the actively developed project in that family and is also the upstream that Synergy builds on. If you are on Windows and macOS and you want signed installers, working drag-and-drop file transfer, automatic discovery, and someone to email when it breaks, CursorHop is a maintained paid option starting at $10 one-time.
Will Input Leap keep working after an OS update?
Only until something breaks. There is already an open report of the Input Leap server failing to start on recent macOS even with Accessibility permission granted, filed only days before the project was archived. Because the repository is read-only, that report and every future OS-compatibility break can never be fixed. This is the practical risk with frozen input software specifically: it hooks deep into the operating system, so it is unusually exposed to OS changes.
Did Input Leap support file transfer?
Only the legacy drag-and-drop code inherited from the old Synergy and Barrier lineage. It was a long-standing source of bug reports across that whole family of projects and never worked reliably. CursorHop ships purpose-built drag-and-drop file transfer that runs direct over your local network at roughly 70 Mbps with no per-file size cap.
How did Input Leap relate to Barrier and Synergy?
Synergy came first, in 2001. Barrier forked Synergy 1.9 in 2018 when the commercial version went closed-source. Input Leap forked Barrier in 2021, after Barrier itself went unmaintained. Input Leap was archived in July 2026. Barrier had already stated in its own final release notes that it receives no further improvements or security fixes. Both branches of that lineage are now dead ends, while Deskflow continues as the surviving open-source trunk.
Is CursorHop open source?
No, and it is worth being direct about that. CursorHop is a commercial product with a paid licence, which is what funds full-time development, signed installers, and a support inbox. If open source is a requirement rather than a preference, Deskflow is the honest recommendation and we would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong thing.
Software that still gets fixed.
7-day free trial. No credit card. Full feature set.
Input Leap is a community open-source project distributed under the GPL-2.0 licence with an OpenSSL exception. CursorHop is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Input Leap project or its contributors. 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.
