Moonlight Web vs Parsec
Moonlight Web
moonlightweb.topParsec
parsec.appSide by side
| Figure | Moonlight Web | Parsec |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $8.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Game Remote Play Software | 8.6 (#5) | 9.0 (#1) |
| Controls | Xbox and PlayStation controllers with rumble, keyboard, pointer-lock mouse, touch trackpad and virtual keyboard are supported. | Parsec supports keyboard mapping, gamepads, and advanced settings. |
| Latency | Uses WebRTC UDP with adaptive congestion control and states latency is under 20 ms over Wi-Fi. | Parsec reports about seven milliseconds of added latency on its LAN Ethernet test setup. |
| Purpose | A self-hosted server streams a gaming PC to devices with a modern browser; only the gaming PC needs the server installed. | Parsec connects people to work, games, and friends from anywhere on any device through remote access technology. |
| Support | The FAQ directs users with unanswered questions to GitHub. | Teams and Enterprise plans include a 24-hour first-response SLA for product support tickets. |
Plans
Parsec
- Individuals (Warp)$8.33 a month
- Teams$30 a month
- Enterprise$45 a month
- Personal UseFree
- Personal Use (free)Free
- Guest Access credit$25, paid once
In their own words
Moonlight Web
Moonlight Web is a free, open-source self-hosted server that streams a gaming PC to devices with a modern browser. The server is installed only on the gaming PC; clients open a URL without installing an app or creating an account. The maker states support for streams up to 4K HDR at 240 fps and latency under 20 ms over Wi-Fi. Browser decoding uses WebCodecs for H.264, HEVC, and AV1, depending on available browser support. Supported controls include Xbox and PlayStation controllers with rumble, keyboard, pointer-lock mouse, touch trackpad, and virtual keyboard. The client can discover and pair with Sunshine, Wolf, and MultiSeat hosts. Remote sessions use direct peer-to-peer WebRTC, with an outgoing connection to an introduction server and no public web ports exposed. Sessions support up to four players, including the host. The gaming PC needs a hardware-encoding-capable GPU; Linux hosting also requires x64 and a sufficiently recent distribution. Linux-host HDR is not implemented.
Parsec
Parsec is a remote access app for connecting to computers from another device for work, games, or time with friends. It supports Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, Android, and a Chromium web client; listed system requirements include Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Desktop. Its gaming design targets 60FPS UHD play with low latency, with keyboard mapping, gamepad support, and advanced settings. Users can share a link so another person can observe or control a computer. Native-app peer-to-peer traffic is encrypted end-to-end with a shared 128-bit AES key; web-client sessions use DTLS. Accounts support multi-factor authentication, and Teams can enforce SAML 2.0 single sign-on. Personal Use and Individuals are licensed for personal, non-commercial use; commercial use requires Teams or Enterprise. Individuals (Warp) costs $8.33 per user per month, billed annually; Teams costs $30 per user per month, billed annually; Enterprise costs $45 per user per month, billed annually only. A free plan and 14-day trial are listed.