Comparisons · The licence conditions, supported configurations and limitations published in Intel support, Thunderbolt Share - Licensed Configurations & Hardware Requirements and FAQ About Thunderbolt Share (read 2026-09-21)

Thunderbolt certified is not Thunderbolt Share licensed: what PC-to-PC sharing actually requires

One route for moving to a new PC is to cable the two machines together with Thunderbolt Share: share the screen, keyboard and mouse, drag and drop, sync folders, migrate files. The conditions are unusual. Intel states that Thunderbolt certification and a Thunderbolt Share licence are not the same thing, that the licence is offered only with new products and cannot be bought for hardware you already own, and that only one side of the link — a PC or an attached Thunderbolt accessory — has to carry it. This guide was written on 2026-09-21 from two Intel pages and sets out what to check before buying, and the limits to expect.

Published 2026-09-21 · Updated 2026-09-21 · FaultNote editorial policy

An overview of this guide’s steps and checks, not a screenshot of the app.

Who this guide is for and what to prepare

Anyone with a new PC, comparing ways to move data off the old one
Anyone about to buy a Thunderbolt dock or monitor who wants to know what to look for
Anyone with Thunderbolt ports who cannot get Thunderbolt Share to work

What you need

Check whether both PCs have Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports (a USB-C shape is not the answer)
Check whether the specification of any candidate product (PC, dock, monitor, storage) mentions Thunderbolt Share
Check what your Thunderbolt cable actually is
Know how much data you are moving, and how long the alternatives would take

1. What it does

Intel's description: Thunderbolt Share software by Intel provides PC-to-PC experiences with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 enabled computers. (The original carries trademark symbols.)

The capabilities are enumerated: sharing a keyboard, video and mouse between two PCs with Thunderbolt ports, and high-speed file transfer including drag and drop, folder synchronization and PC file migration over a Thunderbolt cable.

The foundation is Thunderbolt Networking, which the FAQ describes as high bandwidth and ultra-low latency PC-to-PC networking. The two machines are connected to each other, not through a network.

The supported operating system is stated as Windows 11* and newer.

2. Certified and licensed are different things

This is the heart of it. The FAQ answers the question directly: Q: Is Thunderbolt certified the same as Thunderbolt Share licensed? A: No. Thunderbolt Share licensed is not the same as Thunderbolt certified .

The reason follows: every PC and accessory using the Thunderbolt logo or icon is Thunderbolt certified, while only select PCs or select Thunderbolt accessories, where the manufacturer has licensed and enabled that specific product model, are Thunderbolt Share licensed.

So having a Thunderbolt port, and even Thunderbolt certification, guarantees nothing here. A specification that mentions Thunderbolt is not an answer to this question.

Intel gives the way to settle it: If you are unsure if your PC or Accessory is Thunderbolt Share licensed, check with the manufacturer, as Thunderbolt Share will be listed as a supported feature for that specific model.

3. One licence is enough, and it cannot be bought later

The requirement is not as strict as it first sounds. Intel gives two licensed configurations: a licensed PC works with any Thunderbolt 4 or 5 Windows PC, and a licensed Thunderbolt accessory works between any two Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 enabled Windows PCs.

The FAQ puts the same thing differently: At least one of the PCs or Thunderbolt devices that are connected to one of the PCs needs to have a license . The software itself is installed on both computers.

What does not exist is a way to acquire it afterwards: Q: Can I buy a license for the software for my existing Thunderbolt PC or device? A: Thunderbolt Share is offered only with new Thunderbolt products , so only new PCs, desktop or laptops or docking or monitors that are shipping with Thunderbolt parts in them can have a license.

That is what makes this a purchase question. If nothing you own carries the licence, the only route to the feature is buying a licensed new PC or accessory — and conversely, if you are buying a machine or a dock anyway, the specification is worth reading for it.

Scroll horizontally to see the full table →

3. One licence is enough, and it cannot be bought later
What you have	What Intel's pages support	What that means for buying
Two Thunderbolt 4/5 PCs, neither licensed	No configuration without a licence is listed	A licensed new PC or accessory is required
One licensed PC	Stated to work with any Thunderbolt 4 or 5 Windows PC	Only the port generation of the second machine matters
A licensed dock, monitor or storage device	Stated to work between any two Thunderbolt 4 or 5 enabled Windows PCs	Neither PC needs its own licence
Hardware you already own	The licence is offered only with new Thunderbolt products	There is no route to add it later
Thunderbolt 3 or earlier	The pages name Thunderbolt 4 and 5	Treat it as out of scope for this use

4. Limits worth knowing before you rely on it

There are two connection shapes: a Thunderbolt cable directly between the two PCs, or daisy chaining the two PCs through a Thunderbolt accessory such as a dock or monitor.

Screen sharing has a boundary: Q: Does Thunderbolt Share screen sharing display HDCP content? A: High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) content is not supported with Thunderbolt Share.

Sleep ends the session. When one PC sleeps, Thunderbolt Share can no longer communicate with the other and the connection stops; after waking, you reconnect manually by running the application or by unplugging and reconnecting the Thunderbolt cable.

Graphics get a mention too: Thunderbolt Share is described as agnostic to the graphics card, but Windows defaults the integrated graphics to it, which is why updating to the latest Intel graphics driver is recommended.

5. How to read the speed figures

Intel treats throughput as an approximate guideline. The typical observed figures in the FAQ are up to 20 Gbps on Thunderbolt 4 systems and up to 40 Gbps on Thunderbolt 5 systems, with the caveat that actual results vary with CPU load, memory performance, driver behaviour, protocol overhead and whether other Thunderbolt tunnels such as display or storage are active.

On guarantees the answer is one word: Q: Does Thunderbolt Share guarantee a specific throughput (for example, 40 Gbps)? A: No. The published up to values are described as typical capability ranges, not guaranteed performance levels. Nothing was measured here either; the figures are quoted as the source's.

There is also a reporting quirk worth carrying. The FAQ states that the link speed Windows shows reflects the current operating system and driver implementation, not the maximum capability of the Thunderbolt hardware, and that USB4 / Thunderbolt Networking interfaces report a fixed 20 Gbps link speed even on systems that support higher bandwidth.

So do not read a 20 Gbps figure in Windows as a fault or a cap. It is how the operating system presents the interface.

6. What this guide does not say

It gives no transfer speed of its own. Nothing was measured here, and Intel states outright that no throughput is guaranteed.

It does not say whether a particular product is licensed. The manufacturer of that product is the place to ask.

It does not rank this against other ways of moving data. An external SSD, a network copy or Windows' own migration tools each win under different conditions.

It does not cover Thunderbolt 3 or earlier, or configurations without a licence. The source does not address them.

Limitations and requirements

Intel states that Thunderbolt certification and a Thunderbolt Share licence are not the same thing. A port or a logo does not settle it.
The licence is offered only with new Thunderbolt products and cannot be bought for hardware you already own.
HDCP-protected content is not supported in screen sharing.
When one PC sleeps the connection stops, and reconnecting afterwards is a manual step.
Everything quoted here was read on 2026-09-21. The FAQ page displayed Last Reviewed: 05/05/2026.

Frequently asked questions

I have Thunderbolt ports. Is that enough?

Not necessarily. Intel states that Thunderbolt certification is not the same as a Thunderbolt Share licence. One of the two PCs, or a Thunderbolt device attached to one of them, has to be licensed.

Can I add the licence to a PC I already own?

No. Thunderbolt Share is stated to be offered only with new Thunderbolt products, and no purchase route is given for existing hardware.

Do both PCs need a licence?

No. At least one of the PCs, or a Thunderbolt device connected to one of them, needs it. The software is installed on both machines.

Windows shows a 20 Gbps link speed. Is something wrong?

No. Intel states that the displayed link speed reflects the current operating system and driver implementation rather than the hardware's maximum, and that USB4 and Thunderbolt Networking interfaces report a fixed 20 Gbps even on systems that support more. It is explicitly not an indication of a limitation or malfunction.

Sources and verification date

Sources checked: 2026-09-21. These sources support the specifications, procedures or prices discussed here. Check each source for applicable conditions and current information.

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