Moonlight vs Teleport
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
Teleport
Identity-aware access for infrastructure
| Feature | Moonlight | Teleport |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,184 | ★ 20,780 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Parsec, Steam Remote Play | Cisco AnyConnect, AWS Systems Manager |
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 Teleport if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 20.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Moonlight or Teleport better?
Neither is universally better. Teleport has the larger community, while Moonlight is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Moonlight and Teleport free and open-source?
Yes. Moonlight is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Teleport under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Moonlight and Teleport with Docker?
Moonlight: check the project docs for container support. Teleport: yes.