Moonlight vs Shadow PC (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Moonlight grades higher than Shadow PC: 3.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Moonlight grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Shadow PC grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Moonlight
Open-source client for streaming PC games to other devices
Shadow PC
A full Windows PC in the cloud for gaming and creative work
Which one is for you
Pick Moonlight if
- Fits if you want to play games from your PC on another screen in the house
- Works for people who can set up a host such as Sunshine
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a plug-and-play remote support tool, as you must set up a host and network yourself
- Not for you if the PC has no compatible host, since Moonlight is only a client
- Watch out: console and TV ports are community or homebrew builds, not official apps
- Tight if you want to stream over the internet, which needs port forwarding or a virtual network
Pick Shadow PC if
- Fits if you want a Windows gaming PC on a laptop or phone
- Works for monthly use with no long commitment
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you play often, since the cheapest plan is $29.99 and Lite caps at 120 hours a month
- Skip it if you want a trial first, as none is listed
- Watch out: peak-hour queue priority depends on your tier, from Lite to Premium
- Watch out: the vendor notes that not every game or app will run
- Watch out: businesses use a separate Cloud Workstations line with its own pricing
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMoonlightVery good | 1.8GPAShadow PCWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | D$29.99 a month for the cheapest plan, just under the $30 line where the category's dearest tenth begins. Neo Pro is $44.99 and Power Pro $59.99. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with nothing held back and no paid versions at all. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed anywhere on the vendor pages. |
| Features | CStreaming, many client devices and full desktop access. It's only a client that needs a compatible host, and console and TV ports are unofficial. | CA full Windows PC streamed to many devices, with team management on Pro. Monthly playtime and resolution limits apply, with 120 hours on Lite. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You set up a host such as Sunshine, and over the internet you need port forwarding or a virtual network. | BNo store rating on record. You install the client, sign in and stream, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with Sunshine, GeForce Experience, ZeroTier and Tailscale links. No web version is listed. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android clients, with Steam, Epic and Battle.net. No API is listed. |
| Best for | streaming your gaming PC to another device | a full Windows gaming PC streamed to your devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Moonlight and Shadow PC. How we grade
Price against what you get
Moonlight has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shadow PC starts at $29.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Shadow PC scores higher, and starts $29.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Moonlight for less, and 5 score higher than Shadow PC for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Moonlight is open source, according to its own site.
- Shadow PC also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Moonlight | Shadow PC | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | $29.99 per month, no commitment |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Moonlight Game Streaming Project | Shadow |
| Price read from | moonlight-stream.org | shadow.tech |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Moonlight
- It is only a client: you need a compatible host such as Sunshine or GeForce Experience on the PC.
- Console and TV ports are community or homebrew builds, not official apps.
- Streaming over the Internet needs your own network setup, such as port forwarding or a virtual network.
Shadow PC
- Playtime is a fair-use cap that resets on the 1st of each month; Lite allows 120 hours.
- Peak-hour queue priority depends on the tier, from Lite to Premium.
- The vendor notes that not every game or app will run, flagged with an asterisk on its page.
- A separate Cloud Workstations line for businesses has its own pricing page.
Key features
Moonlight
- High-quality streaming
- The site lists streaming at up to 4K with HDR support and up to 120 FPS on the PC client, with an option to disable V-Sync for lower latency.
- Many client devices
- Clients are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam Link, Raspberry Pi 4, iOS, Apple TV, Android, Fire OS and ChromeOS, plus community ports for consoles and TVs.
- Full desktop access
- Anything visible on the host PC can be streamed, including the whole Windows desktop, not only games.
- Your own host
- Sunshine, an open-source host built for Moonlight, is the recommended host; GeForce Experience and an Internet Hosting Tool are also listed.
- Remote hosting options
- The site says a home server can be reached through port forwarding, IPv6 or software-defined networks such as ZeroTier and Tailscale.
Shadow PC
- A full Windows PC
- Install games from Steam, Epic or Battle.net, plus mods and your own software, instead of picking from a fixed library.
- Stream to many devices
- The download page lists apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and the site also offers a browser version and Android TV and Apple TV.
- Monthly playtime and session caps
- Lite plans allow 120 hours a month in sessions of up to 4 hours. Other plans list 210 hours, sessions of 6 to 8 hours and an Always On option.
- Resolution and monitor limits
- The comparison table shows 1440p at 60 Hz on the lightest tier and up to 5K at 240 Hz on the others, with 1 to 3 monitors.
- Team management on Pro
- Pro plans include a subscriptions and users manager, and a team suite adds roles, fleet management, IAM and centralized billing.
Plans
Moonlight
Free$0
Community project; the site says it has no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services.
Shadow PC
Neo Lite$29.99
per month, no commitment
Up to 120 hours of playtime a month, sessions up to 4 hours, streaming in 1440p, 256 GB storage.
Neo$37.99
per month, no commitment
Streaming up to 1440p, multi-screen and ultrawide support, RTX and DLSS. The comparison table lists 210 hours a month.
Power Lite$43.99
per month, no commitment
Up to 50% more GPU power than Neo, 28 GB RAM and 20 GB VRAM, 120 hours a month, 4-hour sessions.
Neo Pro$44.99
per month, no commitment
For 3D and rendering: priority access, longer sessions and a subscriptions and users manager.
Power$54.99
per month, no commitment
Up to 50% more GPU power, 28 GB RAM and 20 GB VRAM, streaming up to 5K.
Power Pro$59.99
per month, no commitment
Power hardware with priority access, longer sessions, a users manager and installs of CUDA and RTX workflows.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Moonlight or Shadow PC?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Moonlight is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $29.99 a month for Shadow PC. Moonlight is free, and Shadow PC starts at $29.99 per month, no commitment.
Which has a free plan, Moonlight or Shadow PC?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Moonlight has a free plan. Shadow PC does not.
Which platforms do Moonlight and Shadow PC run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Shadow PC lists a web app. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.