Ditto vs Synergy

Ditto

• Windows users who want a searchable history of everything they copy
• People who want clips kept on their own PC, with no account or cloud service
• Passing clips between PCs on the same local network

Synergy

• Desks with a Windows PC, a Mac and a Linux machine side by side
• Developers and IT staff working across several computers at once
• Individuals who want a one-time payment and no subscription

Ditto

• Windows only: the downloads listed are an installer, a portable ZIP, Chocolatey and Winget packages, and a Microsoft Store app.
• There is no cloud sync. Clips reach other computers only when sent over the local network to machines listed under Options - Friends.
• Ditto opens a network port for the Friends feature; receiving clips can be turned off in Options - Friends.
• Scripts can read and change ASCII text only, a limitation of the ChaiScript engine.

Synergy

• Personal licenses have no free trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee; the 14-day trial is for Business plans.
• Lite covers 3 computers and has no TLS/SSL encryption or hotkeys. Plus allows 5 computers and Max allows 15.
• All computers must be on the same local network and each needs its own screen, because Synergy does not share video.
• A Business license is required when a company pays for, reimburses or deploys Synergy, and Business editions send a daily usage report.

Ditto

Clipboard history

Saves every item placed on the clipboard, whether text, images, HTML or custom formats, in a local SQLite database so it can be retrieved later.

Hot key and tray access

Opens from its system tray icon or a global hot key, Ctrl + ` by default. Double-clicking an item or pressing Enter pastes it into the previous window.

Search and plain-text paste

Earlier entries can be searched and pasted again, and Shift-Enter pastes the selected clip as plain text with no formatting. Copied images show as thumbnails in the list.

Groups with their own hot keys

Clips can be filed into groups. A group can be given a hot key, optionally a global one, that opens it or saves the currently selected text straight into it.

Sending clips between computers

Options - Friends lists other machines on the local network to send clips to. The project's feature list says data is encrypted when sent over the network.

Scripts and exclusion rules

ChaiScript scripts can run on every copy or paste and cancel or alter it, and regular expressions can stop matching clips from being saved, optionally per process.

Synergy

Shared keyboard and mouse

Move the pointer off the edge of one screen to control the next computer with the same keyboard, mouse or trackpad, without a hardware KVM switch or its switching delay.

Clipboard sharing

Copy text or an image on one computer, move the pointer to another and paste it there.

TLS/SSL encryption

Encrypts the keystrokes and clipboard data sent between computers over the local network. It is included from the Plus tier upward, not in Lite.

Hotkeys and key swapping

Shortcuts switch between computers or send keystrokes to another machine, and the Windows and Command keys can swap automatically when moving between Windows and Mac.

Auto-config and discovery

Synergy 3 has an interface rebuilt from the ground up with automatic configuration and discovery of computers, and a screen layout for arranging them.

Business controls

Business licenses add policy-based settings, centralized configuration, challenge-based offline activation for air-gapped networks and priority support.

Ditto

• Ditto$0

  The complete clipboard manager as an installer, a portable ZIP, a Chocolatey or Winget package, or a Microsoft Store app. Donations are optional.

Synergy

• Synergy 3 Lite$15

  one-time payment

  Personal license to control up to 3 computers on a local network, with copy and paste between them. No TLS/SSL encryption or hotkeys.

• Synergy 3 Plus$19

  one-time payment

  Up to 5 computers, adding TLS/SSL network encryption and keyboard shortcuts to switch computers or send keystrokes to another one.

• Synergy 3 Max$29

  one-time payment

  Everything in Plus for up to 15 computers.

• Synergy Business Essential$90

  per year, priced per seat

  Unlimited computers, priority support with a 4-hour SLA, offline air-gapped activation and invoicing. Includes Synergy 1 and Synergy 3.

• Synergy Business Advanced$190

  per seat / year

  Adds policy-based controls, centralized configuration and deployment support, and custom LTS and legacy operating system support.

• Synergy EnterpriseCustom

  Keyless offline deployment, zero telemetry, bespoke builds, site and volume licensing and a custom SLA. Priced through sales.

Ditto

No public discounts listed.

Synergy

• Other savings

  25% off for newsletter subscribers

  The Synergy homepage offers 25% off Synergy to people who subscribe to its newsletter, with the discount sent by email.