Moonlight vs noVNC
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?
Moonlight
Open-source game streaming client for low-latency desktops
VS
noVNC
VNC client that runs entirely in the browser
| Feature | Moonlight | noVNC |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,184 | ★ 13,911 |
| First released | 2015 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Parsec, Steam Remote Play | RealVNC |
Why pick each one
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++
Choose noVNC if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 13.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Moonlight or noVNC better?
Neither is universally better. Moonlight has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Moonlight and noVNC free and open-source?
Yes. Moonlight is licensed under GPL-3.0 and noVNC under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Moonlight and noVNC with Docker?
Moonlight: check the project docs for container support. noVNC: yes.