Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Parsec VS Steam Link

Compare Parsec VS Steam Link and see what are their differences

Parsec logo Parsec

Streams games locally or over the internet

Steam Link logo Steam Link

Play your Steam games on any TV in the house
  • Parsec Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09
  • Steam Link Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-17

Parsec features and specs

  • High Performance
    Parsec provides low latency and high-quality streaming even for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Parsec is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, allowing users to connect from various devices.
  • Ease of Use
    The application features a user-friendly interface that makes setup and connection straightforward, even for beginners.
  • Collaboration Features
    Parsec allows multiple users to connect and control a single machine, making it useful for collaborative projects and remote work.
  • Security
    Parsec uses SSL and DTLS encryption to ensure data integrity and privacy during remote sessions.
  • Customization
    Users can fine-tune settings for resolution, bitrate, and frame rate to optimize performance based on their network conditions.

Possible disadvantages of Parsec

  • Internet Dependence
    High-quality and low-latency performance heavily depends on a stable and fast internet connection, which can be a limitation in some areas.
  • Subscription Cost
    Advanced features and commercial use require a paid subscription, which may be a barrier for some users or small businesses.
  • Resource Intensive
    The host machine needs to be powerful enough to handle the encoding required for high-quality video streaming, which can be demanding on system resources.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    Parsec primarily functions as an online solution and lacks robust offline features for situations where internet access is intermittent or unavailable.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Despite wide platform support, there can still be compatibility issues with certain hardware or software setups, which may require troubleshooting.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Users might have concerns about sharing control of their machine or files when collaborating, posing potential security risks if not managed carefully.

Steam Link features and specs

  • Convenience
    Steam Link allows you to stream games from your PC to other devices, enabling gaming anywhere in your house as long as you have a good network connection.
  • Compatibility
    Works with many different devices, including TVs, tablets, and smartphones, expanding your options for where and how you play.
  • Cost-Effective
    Since it's a free app, you can gain an additional way to play your games without needing to purchase more hardware.
  • Quality Gaming Experience
    Supports high-quality streaming, including high frame rates and low latency, provided you have an adequate network setup.
  • Ease of Use
    The setup is straightforward, mostly involving the app and some basic networking setup, making it accessible to most users.

Possible disadvantages of Steam Link

  • Network Dependency
    The quality of the experience depends heavily on your home networkโ€™s speed and stability, potentially requiring upgrades to achieve optimal performance.
  • Limited to Home Network
    Works best over your local home network, meaning you're not truly mobile and are limited to your home unless you configure remote play over the internet.
  • Hardware Requirements
    You still need a host PC that can run the games, so while the app itself is free, it's not a substitute for owning capable gaming hardware.
  • Input Lag
    Although minimized, some users might still experience noticeable input lag depending on their network configuration and hardware.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some games or setups may have compatibility issues with Steam Link's streaming capabilities, requiring adjustments or troubleshooting.

Analysis of Parsec

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Parsec is considered a good option for anyone needing remote access or streaming capabilities. Its robust performance and user-friendly interface make it a reliable choice for various applications.

Why this product is good

  • Parsec (parsec.app) is widely appreciated for its low-latency, high-quality remote desktop and game streaming capabilities. It allows users to access and control their computers from anywhere, making it a versatile solution for gamers, creatives, and professionals alike. The software's ease of setup and use, combined with its strong performance even in low-bandwidth environments, contribute to its positive reputation.

Recommended for

  • Gamers looking for low-latency game streaming to play with friends remotely.
  • Professionals needing access to their desktop environment from different locations.
  • Creative professionals who require remote collaboration or access to powerful hardware for rendering tasks.
  • Anyone seeking a high-quality remote desktop experience with minimal setup complexity.

Parsec videos

Is Parsec any good? First Impressions with UNIST, Skullgirls, and DBFZ

More videos:

  • Review - Gaming On A $17 Office PC with Parsec! | OzTalksHW
  • Review - Parsec Cloud Gaming Review

Steam Link videos

Steam Link Review - A surprisingly interesting device?

More videos:

  • Review - Should You Buy The Steam Link?
  • Review - Steam Link Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Parsec and Steam Link)
Game Streaming
87 87%
13% 13
Games
85 85%
15% 15
Cloud Computing
92 92%
8% 8
Gaming
66 66%
34% 34

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Parsec and Steam Link

Parsec Reviews

Top Remote Desktop Software for Gaming
Like AnyDesk or TeamViewer, Parsec was not initially an RDP gaming solution. It was developed primarily for developers and engineers who needed a remote connection to work on their projects. Thus, a main feature Parsec offered was great graphics.
Source: cloudzy.com
Moonlight game streaming alternatives
Released 6 years ago, Parsec is an application that lets users capture their desktop. This is mainly used by players to play games on their computers from different devices. Players can stream their games on their own personal computers for free through Parsec. But there is also an option to rent servers to play games on. Moreover, it prioritizes user safety over everything...
Source: androidgram.com
15 Best Parsec Alternatives [Remote Desktop Tools] in 2022
Parsec is a proprietary desktop capture application primarily used to play games via video streaming. Using Parsec, users can stream video game footage over an Internet connection, allowing one person to run the game on one computer but play it remotely from another device. While its primary focus is gaming, Parsec can also be used as a low-latency desktop sharing software.
Source: phreesite.com
10 Best Hamachi Alternatives for Virtual LAN Gaming
Parsec is a desktop capturing application mainly used for playing video games through video streaming. Still, it also allows the creation of virtual LAN gaming servers using the local co-op feature.
Source: techviral.net
11 Best Parsec Alternatives & Similar Apps
Parsec has been known for its ability to connect your smartphone to the desktop. However, some Parsec alternatives are also known for offering a lot more to their users.

Steam Link Reviews

Top Remote Desktop Software for Gaming
Steam Link, a Valve 2019 production, is another RDP gaming solution designed explicitly for streaming games from a Windows computer to any device. All you need to do is install the app on both your host and client devices.
Source: cloudzy.com
Moonlight game streaming alternatives
Steam Link is a free game streaming service that could have been the perfect alternative for Moonlight. But a few limiting factors prevent it from doing so. Even with the limiting factors, it is still a pretty good streaming service that can be sued by the players who fulfill the requirements. First and foremost, players can only play the games that are a part of their Steam...
Source: androidgram.com
5 Best Google Stadia Alternatives 2020 | Cloud Gaming Services
Steam Link, released in 2018, is the best alternative to Google Stadia. This game streaming service is all about bringing your Steam library to any of your devices, including TVs, streaming youโ€™re your hosting desktop.
Stream games with these Google Stadia alternatives
Valve has been slowing creeping into the streaming market with its Steam Link Anywhere program, now simply called Steam Link. Itโ€™s largely flown under the radar since launch, probably due to the fact there are only a couple of Steam support pages regarding it, which are light on the details, and little to no discernible effort to spread the good word of what it does. But...
15 game streaming services you can try before Google Stadia arrives
Right now, Valve is being somewhat cryptic about the exact requirements for Steam Link Anywhere. According to the beta page, you need to have โ€œa good upload speed and [that] your Steam Link device has a good network connection.โ€ Once you get past that, all you need is a Windows PC to host the games, plus the Steam beta client running on an Android device or the ill-fated...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parsec seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 371 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Parsec mentions (371)

  • Developing in the (Google) Cloud
    Select the remote desktop software you want to use to access the machines. There are many available options like HP Anywhere, Parsec or Moonlight to name a few. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Comet open source remote KVM from GL-iNet
    There's not much to it to be honest. If you've got Home Assistant running then https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/wake_on_lan/ will sort you out, and I have Parsec (https://parsec.app) installed on my desktop so that it starts on boot. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Raspberry Pi 5 now supports Valve's Steam Link
    Parsec[1] would be interesting to compare. [1] https://parsec.app/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • How I created my first open-source project.
    Everything started with me trying to log into my AWS EC2 machine. Every time I wanted to connect to AWS EC2 using Parsec, I had to type the entire OS password, because there isn't a way to paste over Parsec. And yes, it is a large password. Is it a boring activity? Yes! I did it every time until my patience ran off and my laziness took over. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • SF's AI boom can't stop real estate slide, as office vacancies reach new record
    Yep I agree. The other advantage Vancouver always had is that there's a pretty significant amount of residential Downtown and near Downtown, and so Downtown didn't fully empty out as badly as many American cities, and there are a massive amount of workers that can walk and bike to work. I don't have familiarity with the needs of digital effects workers, but I'm unsure that there were any technical barriers for the... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

Steam Link mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Steam Link yet. Tracking of Steam Link recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Parsec and Steam Link, you can also consider the following products

Moonlight-Stream.org - Moonlight allows you to stream your collection of games from your GameStream-compatible PC to any...

Shadow - Transform any device into a supercharged gaming machine.

Geforce Now - Underpowered PC can now pack the punch of high-performance GeForce GTX GPUs with GeForce NOW.

Rainway - Rainway is a free video game streaming service that allows you to play your favourite games on any device.

Vortex Cloud Gaming - Cloud gaming app allowing to play PC games on Android, PC or even in web browser

AnyDesk - AnyDesk is the world's most comfortable remote desktop application. Access all your programs, documents and files from anywhere, without having to entrust your data to a cloud service.