XDA’s piece this week on swapping a gaming PC for a cloud subscription stirred a quieter conversation in the comments: most XDA readers already stream games from their own PC, and most of those readers use Moonlight. Moonlight’s open-source GameStream client is the genre’s default, but it carries the constraint that birthed it. The host was Nvidia GameStream, which Nvidia deprecated. The fallback is Sunshine, an open-source replacement that pairs with any GPU. Around those two, a small ecosystem of more general remote-desktop and streaming tools has matured. The seven Moonlight alternatives below cover the spectrum.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Latency | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine | Open-source self-hosted GameStream replacement | Very low | Yes | Free |
| Parsec | Lowest-friction self-hosted streaming | Very low | Yes | Free; Warp $9.99/mo |
| Apollo | Sunshine fork with better HDR and virtual display | Very low | Yes | Free |
| Steam Link | The simplest pick for Steam libraries | Low | Yes | Free |
| Chiaki | PlayStation Remote Play on every desktop | Low | Yes | Free |
| AnyDesk | Cross-platform remote desktop with gaming hours | Mid | Free for personal use | $14.90/mo for Professional |
| Rainway | Browser-based streaming with no install | Mid | Yes (waitlist) | Free tier |
Why people leave Moonlight
The complaints we see most often in the r/moonlight and r/cloudygamer threads:
- The host side. Moonlight needs NVIDIA GameStream, which Nvidia killed. Sunshine fills the gap but needs a separate install, and not everyone wants to maintain two open-source projects to stream their own PC.
- HDR. Moonlight’s HDR support exists but the pipeline is fragile, especially on macOS clients.
- Discoverability. Moonlight’s pairing flow assumes a static LAN. Remote-over-WAN pairing is documented but painful for newer users.
- Mobile-first features. Moonlight’s polish lives on the PC client. The mobile clients are functional but lag the desktop on settings.
Each app below answers at least one of those.
The alternatives
1. Sunshine — best open-source GameStream host replacement
Sunshine is the host-side app most Moonlight users already pair with. The project picks up where Nvidia’s GameStream left off and runs on AMD, Intel, and Nvidia GPUs alike. The web UI is clean, the codec support covers H.264, HEVC, and AV1, and the network stack handles both LAN and WAN with a moderate amount of port-forwarding.
Where it falls short: dummy display adapter or a virtual display setup is still recommended for headless streaming. The project is community-maintained, so big features arrive on community time.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source under the MIT and 3-Clause BSD licences
- Paid: none
- vs Moonlight: Sunshine is the host, Moonlight is the client. They are siblings, not competitors.
Migrating from Moonlight: the cleanest pairing. Most Moonlight desktop setups already point at Sunshine on the host.
Download: LizardByte’s Sunshine site
Bottom line: the right pick for the host side of every Moonlight setup in 2026.
2. Parsec — best lowest-friction self-hosted streaming
Parsec wraps host and client together in a single account-based service. Sign in on both ends, pair, and stream. The free tier is generous: low-latency H.264 streaming for personal use. The Warp tier ($9.99/mo) unlocks 4:4:4 colour, 4K streaming, and priority connections.
Where it falls short: not open-source. Account-based, which some users prefer to avoid.
Pricing:
- Free: open-ended for personal use
- Warp: $9.99/mo (4:4:4 colour, 4K)
- vs Moonlight: more polished out of the box, less open
Migrating from Moonlight: the lowest-effort migration. Install on both ends, sign in, click stream.
Download: parsec.app
Bottom line: the pick when we want self-hosted streaming without spending an hour on Sunshine setup.
3. Apollo — best Sunshine fork with better HDR
Apollo is the community fork of Sunshine that ships with virtual display creation, better HDR handling, and an opinionated default config. The trade-off is that Apollo is one step behind the upstream Sunshine main branch.
Where it falls short: still in active development. Versions move quickly, which means breaking changes happen.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- vs Moonlight: same client-side. Apollo just replaces Sunshine on the host.
Migrating from Moonlight: drop-in. Same protocol on the wire.
Download: github.com/ClassicOldSong/Apollo
Bottom line: the right pick when Sunshine’s HDR has been giving us trouble and the virtual-display setup is the blocker.
4. Steam Link — best for Steam-only libraries
Steam Link is Valve’s first-party answer. Stream from a Steam install on Windows, macOS, or Linux to another Steam Link client on any platform. Steam handles the pairing, the controller mapping, and the codec selection. The home-streaming experience is closer to “press one button” than any other app on this list.
Where it falls short: Steam library only. Non-Steam launchers (Epic, GOG, Battle.net) require an “Add Non-Steam Game” workaround.
Pricing:
- Free
- vs Moonlight: less flexible, far simpler
Migrating from Moonlight: straight install on both ends. The Steam library is auto-discovered.
Download: store.steampowered.com/steamlink
Bottom line: the pick for a Steam-first household that does not want to maintain a separate streaming stack.
5. Chiaki — best for PlayStation Remote Play on desktop
Chiaki is the open-source PS4 and PS5 Remote Play client for desktop and handhelds. It is the only practical way to stream a PlayStation library to a Steam Deck or a Linux desktop without buying additional hardware.
Where it falls short: PlayStation-only. The setup needs the PSN account credentials, which makes it a no-go for shared computers.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- vs Moonlight: different ecosystem entirely
Migrating from Moonlight: not a swap. Use it alongside Moonlight if we have both a PC and a PlayStation.
Download: github.com/streetpea/chiaki4deck
Bottom line: the right pick for PlayStation owners on Steam Deck and Linux desktops.
6. AnyDesk — best cross-platform remote desktop with gaming hours
AnyDesk is a remote-desktop tool first, not a game streamer, but its low-latency mode is good enough for non-competitive titles. The strength is cross-platform support: every desktop, every mobile OS, every modern browser. We use AnyDesk on a work laptop, not for streaming AAA games.
Where it falls short: higher latency than Moonlight, Sunshine, or Parsec. Codec choices favour the productivity case.
Pricing:
- Free for personal use
- Professional: $14.90/mo
Migrating from Moonlight: not a clean swap for gaming. Use it as a backup when the dedicated streaming apps refuse a connection.
Download: anydesk.com
Bottom line: the right pick when we need a remote-desktop tool that also handles occasional gaming, not a gaming streamer that pretends to do work.
7. Rainway — best browser-based streaming with no install
Rainway runs in a browser tab. Install the host on the gaming PC, then stream from any other device through a URL. The pitch is “zero install on the client,” which lands when we want to stream to a borrowed laptop or a Chromebook.
Where it falls short: the project has gone through ownership changes and the public service comes and goes. The codec choices are more conservative than Moonlight or Parsec.
Pricing:
- Free tier (currently)
- vs Moonlight: easier on the client, harder on consistency
Migrating from Moonlight: as a secondary client only. Keep Moonlight or Steam Link as the primary.
Download: rainway.com
Bottom line: the right pick when the client has no admin rights and a browser is the only available surface.
How to choose
Pick Sunshine for the host. The Moonlight question is mostly “which host,” and Sunshine is the answer for almost everyone. Pick Parsec for the most polished out-of-the-box experience. Pick Apollo when Sunshine’s HDR has been giving us trouble. Pick Steam Link for a Steam-only library. Pick Chiaki for PlayStation Remote Play on a Steam Deck or Linux desktop. Pick AnyDesk when we want remote-desktop first, gaming second. Pick Rainway when the client cannot install anything. Stay on Moonlight + Sunshine when the LAN setup is already working.
FAQ
Is Sunshine better than Moonlight?
The question is mis-framed. Sunshine is a host. Moonlight is a client. They run together. The pair replaced Nvidia GameStream and most users run both.
What is the lowest-latency Moonlight alternative?
Sunshine plus Moonlight on a wired LAN is the lowest-latency setup we have measured. Parsec on a wired LAN is within a few milliseconds. AnyDesk and Rainway are higher.
Can I stream a non-Steam game with Steam Link?
Yes, by adding the non-Steam game to the Steam library first (“Add a Non-Steam Game” in the Steam menu). Steam Link then streams it like any other Steam title.
Is Parsec free for gaming?
Yes, for personal use. The Warp tier adds 4:4:4 colour, 4K streaming, and priority connections.
Does Moonlight work without GameStream?
Yes, with Sunshine or Apollo as the host. Nvidia retired GameStream, so the open-source hosts are now the default.
