Alternatives to Sunshine
The open source host that replaced NVIDIA GameStream, so Moonlight can stream from any PC. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Sunshine
The open source host that replaced NVIDIA GameStream, so Moonlight can stream from any PC.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Sunshine.
Apollo
A Sunshine fork for self-hosted game and desktop streaming at the client device's native resolution.
Apollo is a Sunshine fork that streams at the client device's native resolution with virtual display support, but it runs on Windows only and is mainly maintained by one developer.
Parsec
A low-latency remote desktop app for reaching a work or gaming computer from another device.
Parsec replaces the Sunshine and Moonlight pair with its own proprietary freemium app for Windows and macOS, streaming up to 4K at 60 fps, with advanced features in paid plans.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Sunshine as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Shadow
A subscription cloud PC service that streams a full Windows computer to your own devices.
Sunshine is a free GPL-3.0 host that streams games from your own PC to Moonlight clients, requiring hardware you own instead of a subscription.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Moonlight
Streams games from a gaming PC to another device on your network, with hardware decoding and a gamepad.
chiaki-ng
An open-source PlayStation Remote Play client for PC, Linux and Steam Deck.
Looking Glass
A low-latency viewer that shows a GPU-passthrough Windows virtual machine inside a Linux window.
NoMachine
High-performance remote desktop with audio, video and file transfer.
RustDesk
An open-source remote desktop tool you can point at your own relay server instead of somebody else’s cloud.
