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The ASTER alternative for Windows: switch to Hydra Multi-Seat.

Hydra Multi-Seat is the ASTER multiseat alternative for Windows 10 and 11. Each person on the PC keeps their own screen, keyboard, mouse, sound and Windows account, and you change seats without a restart, with one license for every seat. Switching means installing Hydra and handing each screen to a seat in the panel.

One PC, a seat for everyone: Hydra Multi-Seat in under two minutes.

Why people switch from ASTER

ASTER's own documentation (version 2.70.6, checked 21 October 2026) states four things that decide it.

  • Moving a monitor to another seat, or turning ASTER off, needs a restart. In Hydra you do both in the panel while everyone keeps working.
  • A seat with several monitors needs a graphics card of its own. In Hydra your seats share the cards in the PC.
  • ASTER's notes for version 2.70.5 say it blocks Windows updates that affect stability while it is on. Hydra never blocks a Windows update, so the PC gets every security fix as Windows delivers it.
  • ASTER is priced by the number of seats, in roubles, and its licenses are not refundable. One Hydra license covers every seat, in your local currency where available, and your first payment is refunded within 14 days.

What changes when you switch

You stop planning around restarts. Add a seat, hand a screen to a friend and take it back, or load a saved layout, and nothing closes. A third or fourth seat costs nothing extra. Secure Boot stays on, and the driver is signed through Microsoft.

What you keep

Each person keeps their own screen, keyboard, mouse, sound and game controllers, and their own Windows account with its files, apps and game library. Nothing is streamed: every screen plugs into the PC, on Windows 10 and 11.

How to move your setup from ASTER

  1. Switch ASTER off and remove it.
  2. Install Hydra and start the 7-day free trial with every feature.
  3. Open the panel and drag each screen to a seat.
  4. Each person signs in on their own screen with the Windows account they already use.

Start the free trial and see it on your own PC. Prices are on the pricing page. The full feature table, row by row, is on Hydra vs ASTER. New to multiseat? Read what multiseat is, or see the MouseMux alternative and every way to share one PC.

We describe ASTER from its own public documentation and installer; if something has changed, tell us and we'll correct it.

Sources. ASTER v2.70.6 (downloads page, 08.09.2026; restart and graphics-card statements read 21 October 2026). Refunds: ibik.ru/ru/buy ("ASTER licenses are not refundable"). Per-seat pricing: the same page. Windows updates: the v2.70.5 notes in ASTER's version history (01.07.2026).

Questions people ask

What is the best alternative to ASTER multiseat software?

Hydra Multi-Seat. It gives each person on one Windows 10 or 11 PC their own screen, keyboard, mouse, sound and Windows account, like ASTER, and adds no restart to change seats, several screens per seat and one license for every seat.

Why do people switch from ASTER?

ASTER's own documentation says changing which monitor belongs to which seat needs a restart, that a seat with several monitors needs a graphics card of its own, and that licenses are priced by the number of seats and are not refundable. Hydra Multi-Seat changes seats live, shares graphics cards between seats and prices the whole PC once.

Will my Windows accounts and files carry over?

Yes. Your Windows accounts, files, apps and game libraries stay as they are. Each person signs in to the same account they used with ASTER.

How do I move my setup from ASTER?

Switch ASTER off and remove it, install Hydra, open the panel and drag each screen to a seat. Each person signs in on their own screen.

Is Hydra the same as ASTER?

No. It is a separate product with its own driver, panel and license. Both turn one Windows PC into several seats.

Does my ASTER license work in Hydra Multi-Seat?

No. Hydra has its own license, one price for the whole PC with every seat included. Try every feature free for 7 days first.

Do I pay per seat?

No. One license covers every seat on that PC, so a third or fourth seat costs nothing extra. Priced in your local currency where available.

Can I get my money back?

Yes. Your first payment is refunded in full within 14 days, for any reason.

Try Hydra Multi-Seat on your own PC.

Every feature is free for 7 days. After that you pay monthly, yearly, or once for a lifetime license at the launch price. One license covers every seat on the PC, so you never pay per seat. The pricing page shows the prices in your currency.

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Last updated 1 November 2026.