Moonlight vs Sunshine (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Moonlight grades higher than Sunshine: 3.0 against 2.6 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 features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
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
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 Sunshine if
- Fits if you want free game streaming from your own PC using Moonlight
- Works for people comfortable with setting up ports and encoders themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a client, as Sunshine is a host only and needs Moonlight
- Not for you if you want support sessions or unattended admin, since it targets game streaming
- Watch out: the README says its hardware requirement tables are unfinished and should not drive purchases
- Watch out: gamepad support is partial on FreeBSD, and macOS needs a separately licensed Virtual HID Broker
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMoonlightVery good | 2.6GPASunshineGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | AFree and open source under GPL-3.0, with no cloud subscription, and you run it on your own PC. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with nothing held back and no paid versions at all. | AFree outright with no cap listed, and no account or cloud service to pay for. |
| 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. | DIt is a host only: you also need a Moonlight client to use it, so it needs another product to be useful. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. It has a browser-based management page, but you configure encoders, ports and pairing yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with Sunshine, GeForce Experience, ZeroTier and Tailscale links. No web version is listed. | CHosts run on Windows, macOS and Linux, and clients come through Moonlight. No phone host or web client is listed. |
| Best for | streaming your gaming PC to another device | a free game-stream host for your own PC |
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 Sunshine. 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. Sunshine has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Moonlight scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Moonlight for less, and none scores higher than Sunshine 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
- Sunshine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Moonlight | Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free and open source with no cloud subscription; released under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Moonlight Game Streaming Project | LizardByte |
| Price read from | moonlight-stream.org | sunshine.lizardbyte.dev |
| 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.
Sunshine
- It is a host only; you also need a Moonlight client on the device you play on.
- The README warns that its hardware requirement tables are a work in progress and should not drive purchases.
- Gamepad support is partial on FreeBSD, and macOS needs a separately licensed Virtual HID Broker for emulated pads.
- It targets game streaming, not support sessions or unattended administration of other people's computers.
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.
Sunshine
- Hardware encoding
- Streams with AMD, Intel or NVIDIA hardware encoding for low latency, with software encoding available on all supported systems.
- Works with Moonlight clients
- Sunshine is the host half of the pair; you install a Moonlight client on a laptop, phone, TV or handheld and pair it.
- Browser-based management
- A web interface lets you choose applications, adjust streaming settings and pair devices, from the host or from a mobile device.
- Gamepad emulation
- The README lists emulation of generic, DualShock, DualSense, Switch Pro and Xbox controllers, with limits on FreeBSD and macOS.
- Several host systems
- The site lists Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD hosts, each with its own supported capture and encoding methods.
Plans
Moonlight
Free$0
Community project; the site says it has no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services.
Sunshine
Sunshine$0
Free and open source, run on your own hardware. The site has a Donate link for voluntary support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Moonlight or Sunshine?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Moonlight and Sunshine are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Moonlight or Sunshine?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Moonlight and Sunshine have a free plan.
Which platforms do Moonlight and Sunshine run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Moonlight lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux 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.