Moonlight is the streaming app and Sunshine is the host it connects to. Together they're a popular free way to stream a gaming PC, and on a good network they're excellent. Here's how they compare with Axiom on the things that decide which one you'll actually use.
| Compared on | Axiom | Moonlight + Sunshine |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Axiom:Free personal tier planned; final pricing isn't set yet | Moonlight + Sunshine:Free and open source (GPLv3) |
| Availability | Axiom:Invite-only early access | Moonlight + Sunshine:Available now |
| What you install | Axiom:Axiom on the gaming PC only. The device you play from just needs a browser. | Moonlight + Sunshine:Sunshine on the gaming PC, plus a Moonlight app on every device you play from |
| Adding a device | Axiom:Type the PC's short ID and access password | Moonlight + Sunshine:Pair it once with a PIN shown in Moonlight |
| Playing away from home | Axiom:Nothing to set up: a direct connection when networks allow it, Axiom's relay when they don't | Moonlight + Sunshine:Forward three TCP and five UDP ports, turn on UPnP, or set up a VPN such as Tailscale or ZeroTier |
| Behind carrier-grade NAT | Axiom:Falls back to the relay automatically | Moonlight + Sunshine:Port forwarding usually isn't possible; a VPN is the common workaround |
| Gaming PC | Axiom:Windows only | Moonlight + Sunshine:Windows, macOS, or Linux |
| Devices you play from | Axiom:Any modern browser | Moonlight + Sunshine:Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Apple TV, Chromebook, and more; no official browser client |
| Picture | Axiom:Gaming mode targets 1080p at 60fps, encoded on your graphics card | Moonlight + Sunshine:Up to 4K with HDR, and up to 120fps, on capable devices |
| Controllers | Axiom:Keyboard and mouse; controller passthrough on Gaming/Edge with a compatible host driver | Moonlight + Sunshine:Game controllers supported |
| Beyond games | Axiom:Desktop access with clipboard; terminal and multiple monitors on eligible plans; file transfer unavailable | Moonlight + Sunshine:Streams games and your full desktop |
| When something breaks | Axiom:The Axiom team fixes it | Moonlight + Sunshine:Community documentation and forums |
Sources: Moonlight Game Streaming (official site) · Moonlight setup guide, including internet streaming · Sunshine documentation (LizardByte)
At home, Moonlight finds your gaming PC on its own. Leaving the house is where the work starts: your router blocks connections that begin on the internet, and a laptop at a friend's place or a phone on mobile data is exactly that.
Moonlight's setup guide gives three ways in. Forward TCP ports 47984, 47989, and 48010 and UDP ports 47998, 47999, 48000, 48002, and 48010 to the gaming PC. Turn on Sunshine's built-in UPnP option so a compatible router opens them for you. Or skip the router and put both devices on a private network with a VPN tool such as Tailscale or ZeroTier.
All three work, with trade-offs. Forwarding puts Sunshine's ports on the open internet, UPnP depends on your router supporting it, and a VPN adds another app to every device you play from. If your provider uses carrier-grade NAT, forwarding and UPnP usually can't reach your PC at all, which leaves the VPN.
Axiom turns the connection around. Your PC and the device you play from both connect out to Axiom, the way a browser loads a website, so nothing on your router has to accept incoming connections. When the networks allow it, the two talk directly; when they don't, Axiom's relay carries the encrypted stream.
No host-plus-client scavenger hunt. Install Axiom on the gaming PC and it's ready with a short ID.
No app to install on the connecting device and nothing to pair. Type the ID and password, and you're in.
No port forwarding, no VPN, no config files. Direct encrypted connection when possible, automatic relay when networks are strict.
Moonlight gives you control and zero cost; Axiom gives you a connection that sets itself up. Pick by which one costs you less of what you value.
The setup Moonlight users dread — streaming from outside the house — is Axiom's primary scenario, handled without router access.
Files, clipboard, terminal, multiple monitors, everyday PC use. Gaming mode is one part of a complete remote desktop.
When something misbehaves, it's our job. Early access exists precisely so problems get fixed by us, fast.
Moonlight and Sunshine are free, open-source projects with a great community, and if you enjoy tuning your own stack they're a fine choice. This page describes design differences, not benchmark claims.
Moonlight tuned on a good network is very fast, and we won't pretend otherwise. Axiom's gaming mode uses the same core ideas — your graphics card encodes the video, inputs get a dedicated fast lane — and beta testers benchmark us honestly. The difference we promise is setup time, not magic.
Yes, two ways. Sunshine can open the ports itself through UPnP if your router supports it, or you can connect both devices with a VPN tool such as Tailscale or ZeroTier. Moonlight's setup guide covers both. Axiom's difference is that it needs neither.
If it works and you're happy, maybe don't! Axiom earns the switch when you need out-of-home access without port forwarding, want browser access from devices you can't install apps on, or are done maintaining the stack.
No. Axiom is a managed product — that's the trade. You give up self-hosting and get setup, routing, and support handled for you. If self-hosting is a hard requirement, the open-source stack is the right call.
Axiom is in early access. Join the waitlist and tell us what you want to connect from and to — we invite small groups of testers every week, starting with people whose setup we can support well.
Personal use will stay generous and there will be a free tier. Early testers get launch discounts. Final pricing is not locked yet, and we will not surprise the waitlist with it.
Exposing your PC to the internet via port forwarding for remote desktop introduces significant security risks. Learn why it's often not worth it.
TechnologyWhat makes a remote desktop feel slow or sharp? Often it is how your PC encodes video. Here is how hardware (like NVENC) and software encoding compare.
NetworkingCGNAT puts your home behind a second router you don't control, so port forwarding stops working. How to tell if you're behind it, and what actually works.
