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Input Director vs PuTTY

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Input Director icon
Input Director
PuTTY icon
PuTTY

Input Director vs PuTTY: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Input Director PuTTY
Sugggest Score — —
Category Remote Work & Education Network & Admin
Pricing — Open Source

Product Overview

Input Director
Input Director

Description: Input Director is software that allows you to share keyboards and mice between multiple computers. It enables seamless control of multiple computers from a single keyboard and mouse.

Type: software

PuTTY
PuTTY

Description: PuTTY is a popular open-source terminal emulator and SSH client for Windows. Developed by Simon Tatham, PuTTY provides a lightweight and versatile tool for connecting to remote servers using various network protocols, including SSH, Telnet, and Rlogin. It is widely used for secure and convenient command-line access to remote systems.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Key Features Comparison

Input Director
Input Director Features
  • Share mouse and keyboard between multiple computers
  • Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Easy to setup and configure
  • Low resource usage
  • Bi-directional clipboard sharing
  • Supports multiple monitors
  • Encrypted connections
  • Remote wake-up
  • Taskbar icon and system tray support
PuTTY
PuTTY Features
  • SSH client
  • Telnet client
  • Rlogin client
  • Raw socket connection
  • Serial port connection
  • Basic file transfer (SCP and SFTP)
  • Proxying for tunneling connections through HTTP proxies
  • Local terminal emulator (with VT100 and VT52 emulation)
  • Configurable keyboard shortcuts
  • Session logging

Pros & Cons Analysis

Input Director
Input Director
Pros
  • Seamless control of multiple computers
  • Saves desk space
  • Inexpensive compared to hardware solutions
  • Lightweight and easy to use
  • Works across different operating systems
Cons
  • Can only share one keyboard and mouse
  • Set up is more complex than hardware solutions
  • May not work well with some specialty hardware
  • Requires installation on all devices
  • Lacks advanced customization options
PuTTY
PuTTY
Pros
  • Free and open source
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Supports multiple network protocols
  • Available for Windows, with unofficial ports for other platforms
  • Highly configurable with many options
  • Actively developed and maintained
Cons
  • Official builds only for Windows
  • Limited file transfer capabilities compared to FTP/SFTP clients
  • Minimalist interface lacks some conveniences of other SSH clients
  • Lacks advanced SSH features like agent forwarding or port tunneling
  • No official support offered

Pricing Comparison

Input Director
Input Director
  • Not listed
PuTTY
PuTTY
  • Open Source

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Learn More About Each Product

Input Director
Input Director
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
PuTTY
PuTTY
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

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