Comparison

Moonlight Game Streaming vs Remote Gamepad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Remote Gamepad

Transform your iPhone into a wireless game controller for Mac. Enjoy smooth, low-latency input with customizable controls and per-game profiles. Ideal for Mac games that use keyboard and mouse controls, offering a gamepad experience without extra hardware.

Highlights
  • Wireless iPhone game controller for Mac
  • Low-latency input and fast pairing
  • Dual analog sticks and ABXY buttons
  • Tap-to-click and mouse-look support
  • Optional gyro steering
  • Per-game profiles and custom key mapping
  • Secure pairing and encrypted sessions
Features
Read full description

Play Mac games with your pocket game pad. iDrift turns your iPhone into a premium wireless game pad for Mac games, built for smooth control, fast pairing, and per-game customization. Pair your iPhone to your Mac in seconds using a QR code, connect automatically when nearby, and start playing with low-latency input. iDrift is designed for Mac games that use keyboard + mouse controls. Your phone becomes the controller. Console-style controls, made for Mac • Dual analog sticks for movement + camera/mouse-look • ABXY action buttons and L1/L2/R1/R2 triggers • Tap-to-click and mouse-look support for aiming and camera control • Optional gyro steering for tilt-based control (great for driving) Per-game profiles and custom key mapping Create profiles for each game with your own keymap: • Map buttons, triggers, and movement to any keyboard keys • Save multiple layouts and switch instantly while you play • Personalize the look with themed controller styles per profile Built for speed, stability, and privacy • Streams controller state at high refresh for responsive gameplay • Reliable button taps + low-latency analog motion • Secure pairing with encrypted MultipeerConnectivity sessions • “Forget device” support on iPhone or Mac to keep trusted devices in sync Mac receiver: lightweight menu-bar app The Mac companion app runs from the menu bar and converts iDrift inputs into keyboard + mouse events. It also manages pairing, trusted devices, and connection status. Ideal for Mac games, emulators, and any title that plays best with a game pad feel, without buying extra hardware.

Screenshots

Moonlight Game Streaming3 screens
Remote Gamepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Moonlight Game Streaming at Free against Remote Gamepad's $3.99. Moonlight Game Streaming also leads on rating (4.2 vs 1.0) and review sentiment (74% vs 40%). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Moonlight Game Streaming is free to download; Remote Gamepad costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Moonlight Game Streaming holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Moonlight Game Streaming has 674 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Moonlight Game Streaming's written reviews are positive against 40% of Remote Gamepad's.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Moonlight Game Streaming versus Remote Gamepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMoonlight Game StreamingRemote Gamepad
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.2 (674 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews74.1% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings674 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiego WaxembergParth Antala

Customer experience

Moonlight Game Streaming

All ratings607 ratings
Positive79.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews673 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral9.1%
Negative16.8%

Remote Gamepad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

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

Remote Gamepad

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Moonlight Game Streaming

No in-app purchases

None

Remote Gamepad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Moonlight Game Streaming free?
Moonlight Game Streaming is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Remote Gamepad free?
Remote Gamepad costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Moonlight Game Streaming or Remote Gamepad?
Moonlight Game Streaming is rated higher. Moonlight Game Streaming averages 4.2 out of 5 from 674 ratings, while Remote Gamepad averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Moonlight Game Streaming or Remote Gamepad have ads?
Neither Moonlight Game Streaming nor Remote Gamepad shows ads.

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