Microsoft PowerToys vs Synergy

Microsoft PowerToys

• Windows users who want window layouts, a launcher and key remapping from one free install
• Developers and power users who work mostly from the keyboard
• People who prefer open-source tools published by the maker of the operating system

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

Microsoft PowerToys

• Windows only: it needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer on a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor.
• Paste with AI is off by default and needs a model provider; online providers require your own API key and may charge for usage.
• Keyboard Manager remaps apply only while PowerToys is running, do not work on the log-in screen and cannot differ between keyboards.
• FancyZones cannot snap some listed apps, and apps running elevated need PowerToys to run as administrator.

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.

Microsoft PowerToys

FancyZones

A window manager for custom zone layouts. Hold Shift while dragging a window to snap it into a zone, or let Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. Layouts are built in a grid or canvas editor.

Command Palette

A launcher opened with Win+Alt+Space that starts apps, runs commands, searches files and the web, calculates and switches windows. Community extensions install from a built-in Extension Gallery.

Keyboard Manager

Remaps single keys and shortcuts, globally or for one app, and can map a key or shortcut to a text sequence, an app launch or a URI.

Advanced Paste

Pastes clipboard content as plain text, Markdown, JSON or a file, extracts text from images with local OCR, and can transform text through an optional AI provider that you configure.

File Explorer tools

PowerRename renames files in bulk with search and replace or regular expressions, Image Resizer resizes images from the right-click menu, and File Locksmith shows which processes are using a file.

Screen and text tools

Color Picker samples colors anywhere on screen, Text Extractor copies on-screen text with OCR, Screen Ruler measures pixels, and ZoomIt zooms, annotates and records the screen for presentations.

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.

Microsoft PowerToys

• PowerToys$0

  All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.

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.

Microsoft PowerToys

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.