Parsec vs Steam
Parsec
parsec.app
Steam
store.steampowered.comSide by side
| Figure | Parsec | Steam |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8.33/mo | Free |
| 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 | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Spec score · Game Remote Play Software | 9.0 (#1) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Authentication | Accounts support multi-factor authentication, and Teams can enforce SAML 2.0 single sign-on. | Developers can authenticate users with session tickets, encrypted application tickets, Web API methods or Steam OpenID 2.0. |
| Company facts | LinkedIn lists Parsec as founded in 2016, headquartered in New York, with 11–50 employees, and now part of Unity Technologies. | LinkedIn lists Valve as a privately held computer-games company founded in 1996, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, with a 201–500 employee size range. |
| Company legal name | The Google Play listing identifies the developer as Parsec Cloud, Inc. | The Steam Subscriber Agreement identifies Valve Corporation as the contracting party for Steam transactions. |
| Documentation depth | The help center includes compatibility, connectivity, feature-matrix, connection-sequence, deployment and configuration references. | Steamworks documentation includes feature guides, API references, SDK instructions, finance, store publishing, tutorials, discussions and support links. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | The Steam Mobile app supports shopping, account protection, game news, notifications, and community features on iOS and Android. |
| Purpose | Parsec connects people to work, games, and friends from anywhere on any device through remote access technology. | Steam is an online destination for playing, discussing, and creating games. |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 2.0 out of 5 from 102 reviews. | Rating unavailable because Trustpilot says the profile breached its guidelines; 4,818 reviews are listed. |
| Security controls | Teams and Enterprise provide SAML 2.0 SSO, SCIM provisioning, role controls, group permissions and connection audit logs. | Steam Guard provides two-factor authentication, QR sign-in and sign-in approval controls in the mobile app. |
| Support | Teams and Enterprise plans include a 24-hour first-response SLA for product support tickets. | Steam Support offers personalized help for purchases and account status after sign-in. |
| What it does | Parsec is a proprietary desktop-capture and video-streaming application for low-latency remote gaming and remote work. | Steam is Valve’s platform for playing, discussing and creating games. |
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
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.
Steam
Steam is an online destination for playing, discussing, and creating games. Its catalog includes nearly 30,000 games, with game hubs, reviews, achievements, and custom recommendations for discovery. Users can meet others, join groups, form clans, and use text or voice chat. Steam Workshop supports making, finding, and downloading mods and cosmetics for nearly 1,000 supported games. Steam Broadcast streams gameplay live to friends or the community. The Steam Mobile app on iOS and Android supports shopping, account protection, game news, notifications, and community features; Steam Guard can approve sign-ins and confirm trades or Community Market listings. Steamworks provides tools and services for developers and publishers distributing games on Steam. Steam is free, but game and content prices vary and some subscriptions may be free. Content is licensed rather than sold; use may require an account, the client, and an internet connection. Users under 13 may not subscribe, and country-specific age limits may also apply.