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.
Not the right match-up?
Games on Whales
Containerized cloud gaming and remote desktop platform
VS
Moonlight
Open-source game streaming client for low-latency desktops
| Feature | Games on Whales | Moonlight |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 2,077 | ★ 18,184 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | GeForce Now, Parsec | Parsec, Steam Remote Play |
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 (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose Moonlight if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 18.2k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
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.