Moonlight Game Streaming vs Steam Link
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Moonlight Game Streaming
Stream your PC games and applications to your iOS device over your local network. Control them with your touchscreen or a compatible gamepad. Supports high resolutions and frame rates for a smooth gaming experience.
- Stream PC games and apps
- Use touchscreen or gamepad
- Up to 4K 120 FPS with HDR
- Supports MFi, PS4/5, Xbox controllers
- Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support
- Wake-on-LAN support
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Stream games and other apps from your gaming PC on your local network with Moonlight. Use your touchscreen or an iOS-compatible gamepad to play your PC games on your iOS device. If you have an NVIDIA GPU in your gaming PC, you can install NVIDIA GeForce Experience (GFE) on your compatible PC, enable GameStream in GFE's SHIELD settings page, and you're ready to stream. If you would like to host using LizardByte Sunshine, which works on all GPUs, simply install Sunshine on your PC, perform first-time setup, and you're ready to stream. Features: • Open-source and completely free • Up to 4K 120 FPS with HDR • Stream games purchased from any game store • Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support • Support for MFi, PS4/5, and Xbox Bluetooth controllers • Wake-on-LAN to wake your PC for streaming • Local co-op with up to 4 connected controllers Other Requirements: • 5 GHz WiFi is highly recommended • A physical gamepad is recommended for faster paced games If you have any trouble, click our support link for help or look for the help links within Moonlight. This app is open-source. The code can be found here: https://github.com/moonlight-stream/moonlight-ios All trademarks cited here are the property of their respective owners.
Steam Link
Play your PC Steam games on your iPhone or iPad. Connect a controller and stream your library wirelessly from your computer to your mobile device. Enjoy your favorite titles on the go with this app.
- Stream Steam library to mobile
- Use MFI or Steam controllers
- Play on iPhone or iPad
- Requires iOS 11.0+
- Connect to PC on same network
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The Steam Link app brings desktop gaming to your iPhone or iPad. Just pair an MFI or Steam controller to your device, connect to a computer running Steam on the same local network, and start playing your existing Steam games. Requirements: * iPhone or iPad using iOS 11.0 or higher * Computer running Steam - Windows, Mac, or Linux * iOS device must be on the same local network as the computer running Steam For best performance: * Connect your computer using Ethernet to your 5Ghz WiFi router * Connect your iOS device to the 5GHz band of your WiFi network * Keep your iOS device within a reasonable range of your router
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Moonlight Game Streaming at 4.2 against Steam Link's 3.3. Moonlight Game Streaming also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Steam Link's advantage is ratings volume (3K vs 670) and device support (6 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Moonlight Game Streaming holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 670 and 3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Moonlight Game Streaming's written reviews are positive against 43% of Steam Link's.
Moonlight Game Streaming ships an update every 2 weeks, Steam Link every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Moonlight Game Streaming | Steam Link |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (670 ratings) — better | 3.3 (3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.3% of reviews — better | 42.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 670 | 3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Diego Waxemberg | Valve |
Customer experience
Moonlight Game Streaming
Steam Link
User reviews
Moonlight Game Streaming
From 670 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent streaming quality
- 🎮 Great for gaming on the go
- 👍 Seamless setup and connection
- 💡 Versatile for remote desktop access
- 🎨 Impressive visual fidelity
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional connection issues
- 🖥️ Limited external display support
- 🎮 Restrictive on-screen controls
- 🔋 Potential battery drain
- 🕹️ Lack of controller customization
Steam Link
From 3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent streaming quality
- 👍 Works well with controllers
- 🔥 Allows playing PC games on the go
- 💡 Versatile and convenient
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Requires PC to be on and connected
- 🔍 Limited touch controls
- 🔧 Compatibility issues with some devices
Bugs and requests
Moonlight Game Streaming
Reported bugs
4 issues- Handshake errors when connecting remotely
- Audio quality issues with Bluetooth devices
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Inability to save game progress or settings
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable on-screen controls
- Support for external displays and resolutions
- Bluetooth mouse and keyboard support
- Gyroscope and vibration integration
- Multitouch gesture support
Steam Link
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes on startup
- Audio issues and sound problems
- Controller mapping and input problems
- Streaming quality and performance inconsistencies
Requested features
4 requests- Allow playing games with PC off
- Add remote access and PC control features
- Improve touch screen controls and customization
- Expand device compatibility
In-app purchases
Moonlight Game Streaming
No in-app purchases
Steam Link
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Moonlight Game Streaming free?
Is Steam Link free?
Which has better reviews, Moonlight Game Streaming or Steam Link?
Do Moonlight Game Streaming or Steam Link have ads?
Which is updated more often, Moonlight Game Streaming or Steam Link?
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