# Sunshine review (2026): is it any good? > Self-hosted game stream host for Moonlight clients Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Sunshine is a free, open-source game streaming host that you install on your own PC. Moonlight clients connect to it from other devices, and a browser-based interface handles settings and pairing. It uses AMD, Intel or NVIDIA hardware encoding where available, with software encoding as a fallback. - **Category:** Remote Desktop - **Made by:** LizardByte - **Website:** https://sunshine.lizardbyte.dev/ - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you need a client, as Sunshine is a host only and needs Moonlight. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Sunshine is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source with no cloud subscription; released under the GPL-3.0 license. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Sunshine | $0 | Free and open source, run on your own hardware. The site has a Donate link for voluntary support. | Read from https://sunshine.lizardbyte.dev/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Sunshine before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Streaming a home gaming PC to other screens without a subscription - People who want an open-source alternative to a commercial host - Linux and macOS owners who want a game streaming host ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Sunshine is a free, open-source game-stream host that runs on your own Windows, Mac or Linux PC. It is only the host, so you also need a Moonlight client, and the README warns that its hardware tables are unfinished. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no cloud subscription, and you run it on your own PC. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright with no cap listed, and no account or cloud service to pay for. - **Features: D.** It is a host only: you also need a Moonlight client to use it, so it needs another product to be useful. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. It has a browser-based management page, but you configure encoders, ports and pairing yourself. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Hosts run on Windows, macOS and Linux, and clients come through Moonlight. No phone host or web client is listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LizardByte's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among remote desktop apps - Sunshine's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 49 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 19. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 85) and worst on features (D, above 0). - Sunshine has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/remote-access ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Sunshine is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could not: A fast, secure link to another computer through any network. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Moonlight **Tags:** Remote desktop, Open source, Self-hostable ## Alternatives - [Moonlight](https://toolgpa.com/tools/moonlight-game-streaming): Open-source client for streaming PC games to other devices. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/moonlight-game-streaming-vs-sunshine) - [Steam Link](https://toolgpa.com/tools/steam-link): Stream Steam games from your PC to phones, TVs and other PCs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/steam-link-vs-sunshine) - [Parsec](https://toolgpa.com/tools/parsec): Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/parsec-vs-sunshine) - [RustDesk](https://toolgpa.com/tools/rustdesk): Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/rustdesk-vs-sunshine) - [Shadow PC](https://toolgpa.com/tools/shadow-pc): A full Windows PC in the cloud for gaming and creative work. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/shadow-pc-vs-sunshine) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://sunshine.lizardbyte.dev/ - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/master/README.md Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/sunshine Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).