Apollo vs Games on Whales
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Apollo
Self-hosted game and desktop streaming host
VS
Games on Whales
Containerized cloud gaming and remote desktop platform
| Feature | Apollo | Games on Whales |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,488 | ★ 2,077 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Steam Remote Play, Parsec | GeForce Now, Parsec |
Why pick each one
Choose Apollo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 10.5k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Choose Games on Whales if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Apollo or Games on Whales better?
Apollo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Games on Whales if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apollo and Games on Whales free and open-source?
Yes. Apollo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Games on Whales under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apollo and Games on Whales with Docker?
Apollo: check the project docs for container support. Games on Whales: yes.