Moonlight vs Tailscale (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Moonlight grades higher than Tailscale: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Moonlight grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use 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
Tailscale
Private network that links your devices, servers and teams
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 Tailscale if
- Fits if you want to reach a home computer, NAS or server from outside without opening ports
- Works for a small team that needs a private link between laptops and servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see and control a remote screen, because it only connects devices and needs a separate remote desktop tool
- Not for you if the network is for work and you want it free, as Personal is non-commercial only
- Tight if you need more than 3 ACL groups on the free plan, since Standard at $8 a user raises that to 10
- Pricey if you need just-in-time access or flow logs, which start on Premium at $18 per user a month
- Watch out: the coordination server is closed source, per Tailscale's own open source page
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMoonlightVery good | 2.4GPATailscaleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | CBusiness plans are $8 and $18 per user a month, which sits in the middle of what remote access tools charge ($4.17 to $28). The free Personal plan is judged under free. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with nothing held back and no paid versions at all. | BPersonal is free for non-commercial use with unlimited devices, 6 users and 3 ACL groups. One person could live on it, but it stops being available once the network is for work. |
| 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. | CIt builds the network, subnet routing, exit nodes, SSH and access rules. The listing says it shows no remote screen, so desktop access still needs a VNC or remote desktop program on top. |
| 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. You sign in on each device and write access rules, so there is some setting up before it works. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with Sunshine, GeForce Experience, ZeroTier and Tailscale links. No web version is listed. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Terraform, Kubernetes and Synology. No web client is listed. |
| Best for | streaming your gaming PC to another device | reaching your own devices without opening ports |
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 Tailscale. 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. Tailscale starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Moonlight starts $8 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Moonlight for less, and 6 score higher than Tailscale 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
- Tailscale is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Moonlight also covers remote desktop.
- Tailscale also covers vPN.
At a glance
| Moonlight | Tailscale | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8 per user / month |
| Free plan | None | Personal plan: free for non-commercial use, with unlimited user devices, up to 6 users and up to 3 ACL groups. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Moonlight Game Streaming Project | Tailscale Inc. |
| Price read from | moonlight-stream.org | tailscale.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Tailscale
- Tailscale connects devices into a network; it does not show a remote screen by itself, so desktop access still needs a remote desktop or VNC program running over it.
- The Personal plan is for non-commercial use only, and a tailnet on a company domain is treated as business use.
- Just-in-time access, network flow logs and log streaming need Premium at $18 per user / month.
- Tailscale's open source page says the clients and relay servers are open source but the coordination server is closed source; Headscale is a separate community-built alternative.
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.
Tailscale
- Private network between devices
- Each signed-in device joins a tailnet and can connect to the others directly, so a personal computer or a server can be reached from outside without public-facing ports.
- Subnet routers and exit nodes
- A subnet router lets devices that cannot run Tailscale be reached through one that can, and an exit node sends internet traffic out through a chosen device.
- Tailscale SSH
- SSH access to servers is authorized by the same identity and access rules as the rest of the tailnet. Advanced SSH features are on Premium.
- Access control with ACL groups
- Rules decide which users and tagged resources can reach each other. The number of ACL groups rises from 3 on Personal to 10 on Standard and 300 on Premium.
- Admin and identity controls
- Paid plans add SCIM user provisioning, MDM configuration and device posture checks; Premium adds just-in-time access, flow logs and log streaming.
- Free tier for home use
- The Personal plan covers unlimited devices for up to 6 users at no charge, for non-commercial use such as a homelab or a home network.
Plans
Moonlight
Free$0
Community project; the site says it has no paid versions, subscriptions, ads or bundled services.
Tailscale
Personal$0
Non-commercial use only. Unlimited user devices, up to 6 users, up to 3 ACL groups, up to 50 tagged resources and 1,000 minutes a month for ephemeral resources.
Standard$8
per user / month
Unlimited users, SCIM, up to 10 ACL groups, MDM configuration, device posture integrations and advanced user roles.
Premium$18
per user / month
Up to 300 ACL groups, 10,000 ephemeral minutes a month, just-in-time access, advanced Tailscale SSH, network flow logs and log streaming.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom device limits, a custom MSA, custom tailnet subdomains, solutions engineer help and invoice payment. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Moonlight
No public discounts listed.
Tailscale
- Other savings
Free for open-source projects
Tailscale's about page says the service is free for open-source projects.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Moonlight or Tailscale?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Moonlight is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8 a month for each person for Tailscale. Moonlight is free, and Tailscale starts at $8 per user / month.
Which has a free plan, Moonlight or Tailscale?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Moonlight and Tailscale have a free plan.
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.