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Moonlight vs Shadow: catalog facts
Moonlight	Shadow
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0.	Paid Paid subscription; the homepage showed a discount offer.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Web
Hardware accelerated decoding with H.264, HEVC and AV1, plus HDR Up to sixteen gamepads with force feedback and motion controls	Full Windows PC, so any launcher, mod or app can be installed Clients for most desktop and mobile platforms plus a browser
Needs a host: Sunshine, or NVIDIA GameStream which NVIDIA retired Wireless streaming is only as good as your network	Ongoing subscription cost Needs a fast, stable internet connection
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
No account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.