Games on Whales vs Moonlight
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Games on Whales | Moonlight |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 67 · Good | 77 · Good |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,200 | ★ 18,748 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | GeForce Now, Parsec | Parsec, Steam Remote Play |
What are Games on Whales and Moonlight?
Games on Whales
Games on Whales is a project for hosting low-latency remote desktops and games inside containers, streaming them to clients with the Moonlight protocol. It enables a self-hosted cloud gaming server.
- Containerized remote desktops
- Moonlight-compatible streaming
- Multi-user sessions
- GPU passthrough
Moonlight
Moonlight is an open-source client implementation of NVIDIA's GameStream protocol that streams games and full desktops from a host PC. Paired with Sunshine, it enables a fully self-hosted remote desktop and gaming setup.
- Low-latency desktop streaming
- Works with Sunshine host
- Hardware-accelerated decoding
- Many client platforms
Games on Whales vs Moonlight: key differences
Both projects are written in C++. Moonlight is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Games on Whales. Moonlight is the more established project (first released 2015), while Games on Whales arrived in 2021. Moonlight has the considerably larger community, at 18,748 GitHub stars versus 2,200. Games on Whales lists first-class Docker deployment; Moonlight does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Games on Whales if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose Moonlight if…
- Very low latency
- Wide client platform support
- HDR and 4K streaming
Watch out for
- Requires separate host software
- Best on strong networks
Frequently asked questions
Is Games on Whales or Moonlight better?
Moonlight is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Games on Whales if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Games on Whales and Moonlight free and open-source?
Yes. Games on Whales is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Moonlight under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Games on Whales and Moonlight with Docker?
Games on Whales: yes. Moonlight: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Games on Whales or Moonlight?
Moonlight has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Games on Whales. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.