Side by side

Sunshine vs Wolf

Both stand on game remote play software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Sunshine

Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

Sunshine combines self-hosted streaming, multiple encoding options, and a browser-based setup interface. Check its stated system and network requirements, and the operating-system compatibility details, against your setup.

Visit Sunshine

Wolf

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

Wolf provides a Linux- and container-focused Moonlight server with multi-user sessions, virtual desktops, and flexible application profiles. Setup requires host device access and careful API security, while planned GPU load balancing remains a limitation.

Visit Wolf

The facts

	Sunshine	Wolf
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows	API, Linux, Self-hosted
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Not published
Plans published	1	None
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	app.lizardbyte.dev	games-on-whales.github.io
On game remote play software	#16 of 27	#20 of 27

Sunshine: what it does well

Free plan; runs on your own hardware
Supports AMD, Intel, and Nvidia hardware encoding
Web interface supports mobile browser configuration
Listed maximums: 4K and 120 fps
Emulates multiple Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo controllers

What to know first

Minimum listed memory is 4 GB RAM
Requirements table is marked as a work in progress
Host features vary by operating system

Wolf: what it does well

Open-source and MIT licensed
Multiple remote clients can share one host
On-demand virtual desktops without a monitor
Docker and Podman container deployment
Moonlight gamepad and local co-op support

What to know first

Linux host required
Virtual gamepad setup needs specific device access
Multi-GPU load balancing is planned, not available
Exposing the API over TCP is dangerous

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