The Parsec Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Parsec in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Parsec
The Insider’s Guide
Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from Parsec’s own pages.
Made by Unity Technologies SF · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Parsec’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Parsec’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 7 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade
Parsec is a remote desktop app from Unity built for low-latency streaming of games and creative work, at up to 4K and up to 240 frames per second over direct peer-to-peer connections. Computers running Windows or macOS can be hosts, and you connect from Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or a Chrome browser. Gaming is free; any work use needs a Teams or Enterprise plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Parsec, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Install it on the computer you want to reach and the one you're sitting at, and connect.
- 1
Best for streaming games and creative work with no lag
Parsec is built for speed: it streams a gaming PC or a studio workstation at up to 240 frames per second, with controllers and Wacom tablets.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.33 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $8.33 per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Personal Use is free for non-commercial use: low-latency 60 FPS desktop capture, link sharing, keyboard, mouse and gamepad support and encrypted peer-to-peer connections, on one monitor.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- 5
Low-latency streaming
Up to 4K resolution and up to 240 frames per second (60 at 4K), with 4:4:4 color on paid plans, over direct peer-to-peer connections.
- 6
Controllers and Wacom tablets
Keyboard, mouse and gamepad input on every plan; paid plans add pressure- and tilt-sensitive Wacom tablet support.
- 7
Shared sessions
Share a link so someone can watch or take control of your computer, for co-op games, live reviews or working on something together.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 7 of 15
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Parsec you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Parsec at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8.33 per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Teams and Enterprise
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, Android
- Made by
- Unity Technologies SF
- Category
- Remote Desktop
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for streaming games and creative work with no lag
Parsec is built for speed: it streams a gaming PC or a studio workstation at up to 240 frames per second, with controllers and Wacom tablets. Gaming at home is free. The catch is work use, which needs Teams at $30 a user a month, and there's no iPhone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Gaming at home is free, and Warp, the personal plan with extra monitors and 4:4:4 colour, is $8.33 a month billed annually. Any work use needs Teams at $30 a user a month, though, well above what Splashtop's Performance plan and Jump Desktop's Teams Enterprise charge for the same creative job. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Personal Use is free for gaming and other non-commercial use, with 60 FPS, controllers and link sharing, and one person can live on that. It's one monitor only, no 4:4:4 colour and no work use at all; Teams has a 14-day trial. |
| Features | C | Low-latency streaming at up to 4K and 240 frames per second, controllers, Wacom pressure, shared sessions and guest access. The gaps it lists itself: only Windows and Mac computers can be hosts, there's no iOS app, and outside guests cost $25 an invitation. |
| Ease of use | B | No App Store rating on record. Install it on the computer you want to reach and the one you're sitting at, and connect. There's nothing to configure for a game at home. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and a Chrome browser client, with a Teams API on Enterprise. There's no iPhone or iPad app, and Linux, Android and the browser can only connect, not host. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Parsec is for
- Great if you want to play games on your gaming PC from the sofa or a laptop
- A treat if you draw or edit on a distant workstation with a Wacom tablet
- Good for studios inviting playtesters onto a machine for a few days
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you use it for work, since that needs Teams at $30 a user a month
- Skip it if you want to connect from an iPhone or iPad, as there's no iOS app
- Not for you if the computer you want to reach runs Linux, as only Windows and Mac can host
Good to know
Good for
- Playing games on a home PC from another computer or an Android device
- Game studios and VFX artists who need accurate color and low lag remotely
- Video editors and designers using a Wacom tablet on a distant workstation
- Studios inviting outside playtesters to a machine for a few days
Worth knowing
- The free and Individuals plans are for personal, non-commercial use only; any work use needs Teams or Enterprise.
- Only Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+ computers can be hosts; Linux, Android and the Chrome web client can only connect. There is no iOS app.
- Guest access for external users costs $25 per invitation on top of the Teams plan.
- Parsec does not offer volume discounts, and Enterprise is sold with annual billing only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.33
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Parsec has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.33 per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly).
Personal Use
$0
Free for gaming and other non-commercial use. No multi-monitor streaming, 4:4:4 color, privacy mode or Wacom pressure support.
Individuals (Warp)
$8.33
per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
Personal, non-commercial use with up to 3 monitors, 4:4:4 color, virtual monitors, privacy mode and Wacom pressure and tilt.
Teams
$30
per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Licensed for work: admin panel, SAML single sign-on, team-managed computers and groups, 7 days of audit logs and paid guest access.
Enterprise
$45
per user / month, billed annually only
Adds the high-performance relay server, Teams API, role-based access, SCIM provisioning, full audit logs and usage analytics.
The free plan
Personal Use is free for non-commercial use: low-latency 60 FPS desktop capture, link sharing, keyboard, mouse and gamepad support and encrypted peer-to-peer connections, on one monitor.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Teams and Enterprise
Read from parsec.app on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing saves up to about 17%
Individuals is $8.33 a month paid annually against $9.99 monthly, about 17% less; Teams is $30 against $35, about 14% less.
Stated on parsec.app
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android
Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, real-time collaboration, remote desktop.
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and a Chrome browser client, with a Teams API on Enterprise.
- Low-latency streaming
- Up to 4K resolution and up to 240 frames per second (60 at 4K), with 4:4:4 color on paid plans, over direct peer-to-peer connections.
- Controllers and Wacom tablets
- Keyboard, mouse and gamepad input on every plan; paid plans add pressure- and tilt-sensitive Wacom tablet support.
- Shared sessions
- Share a link so someone can watch or take control of your computer, for co-op games, live reviews or working on something together.
- Team computers
- Teams can provision computers on demand to a team member or group, and block computers inside the network from hosting connections.
- Guest access
- Invite outside people into a Teams computer for up to five days, for playtests, events or user research, using separately bought credits.
- Enterprise relay and API
- Enterprise adds a high-performance relay that sits in your firewall, a Teams API for automating deployment, SCIM and role-based admin roles.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Parsec is made by Unity Technologies SF.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/15
Other remote desktop apps it is graded above
Parsec's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 7 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 9 of 15) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 4 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Parsec’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 15
- BFree plan and trialAbove 9 of 15
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 15
- BEase of useAbove 5 of 15
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 12 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Parsec is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Parsec you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $99.96 a year.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- An API that other software can build on.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: SCIM and roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Parsec’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Splashtop, Jump Desktop, NoMachine, TeamViewer and AnyDesk
The 5 tools Parsec is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Splashtop
Free plan · from $23.99/yr
Remote access to your own computers, plus separate IT support plans.
- Only Parsec lists a web app.
- Only Splashtop lists an iOS app.
- Splashtop is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Jump Desktop
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Remote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan.
- Only Jump Desktop lists an iOS app.
- Jump Desktop can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.2GPA
NoMachine
Free trial · from $24.50/yr
Self-hosted remote desktop sold as yearly server subscriptions.
- Parsec has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only NoMachine lists an iOS app.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
TeamViewer
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only.
- Only TeamViewer lists an iOS app.
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
AnyDesk
Free plan
Remote desktop app, free for personal use, licensed for business.
- Only Parsec lists a web app.
- Only AnyDesk lists an iOS app.
- AnyDesk is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Parsec free?
Parsec has a free plan. Personal Use is free for non-commercial use: low-latency 60 FPS desktop capture, link sharing, keyboard, mouse and gamepad support and encrypted peer-to-peer connections, on one monitor.
How much does Parsec cost?
Parsec lists 4 plans. Personal Use: $0.
What platforms does Parsec work on?
Parsec is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
Does Parsec offer any discounts?
Parsec publicly lists the following: Annual billing saves up to about 17%.
Does Parsec have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Parsec is listed for Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
Is Parsec open source?
Parsec is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Parsec have an API?
Yes. Parsec offers a public API, according to its own site.
Does Parsec have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Teams and Enterprise.
Who makes Parsec?
Parsec is made by Unity Technologies SF.
What are the alternatives to Parsec?
The closest alternatives to Parsec in our directory are Splashtop, Jump Desktop, NoMachine, TeamViewer and AnyDesk.
How does Parsec compare with other remote desktop apps?
Parsec's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 7 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 2.
Is Parsec good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Parsec C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 4 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Parsec?
To replace Parsec you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Parsec’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Parsec's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Unity Technologies SF. Prices change, so check parsec.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Parsec, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/parsec
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Parsec: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/parsec
Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/parsec/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded remote desktop apps after Parsec, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Remote Desktop Insider's GuideEvery one of the 16 remote desktop apps we grade, compared
- Chrome Remote Desktop Insider's GuideGoogle's free remote access to your own computers from a browser3.2 GPA
- Jump Desktop Insider's GuideRemote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan3.2 GPA
- RustDesk Insider's GuideOpen-source remote desktop you can run on your own server3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Parsec’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Parsec is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Unity Technologies SF. Prices and plans change: check parsec.app before you buy.