Comparison

Steam Link vs Moonlight

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

About

Moonlight

Stream PC games to your mobile devices with enhanced features like a virtual keyboard and gamepad-to-mouse input. Requires a gamepad and PC-side streaming software for hosting.

Highlights
  • Open-source and free
  • Stream games from any store
  • Up to 4K 120 FPS streaming
  • Virtual keyboard and gamepad-to-mouse input
  • Bluetooth controller support
  • Local co-op with multiple controllers
Features
Read full description

Important! GAMEPAD IS REQUIRED to use this app properly! An alternative Moonlight client app which brings some life quality updates like virtual keyboard and gamepad->mouse input, which can help replying in chats, running games outside of Steam or Steam itself. To be able to host your games you will need to install 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 • Stream games purchased from any game store • Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support • Support for MFi, PS4/5, and Xbox Bluetooth controllers • Local co-op with up to 4 connected controllers Other Requirements: • 5 GHz WiFi is highly recommended • A physical gamepad is required 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/XITRIX/Moonlight-Switch All trademarks cited here are the property of their respective owners.

Screenshots

Steam Link4 screens
Moonlight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Steam Link at Free against Moonlight's $0.99. Steam Link also leads on ratings volume (3K vs 3) and device support (6 vs 4). Moonlight's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.3). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

Steam Link is free to download; Moonlight costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Moonlight holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Steam Link has 3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steam Link ships an update every 3 weeks, Moonlight every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Steam Link versus Moonlight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteam LinkMoonlight
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.3 (3K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings3K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB22 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperValveDaniil Vinogradov

Customer experience

Steam Link

All ratings3,028 ratings
Positive52.8%
Neutral10.3%
Negative36.9%
Written reviews1,620 reviews
Positive42.8%
Neutral10.3%
Negative46.9%

Moonlight

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

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

Moonlight

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Steam Link

No in-app purchases

None

Moonlight

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Steam Link free?
Steam Link is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moonlight free?
Moonlight costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Steam Link or Moonlight?
Moonlight is rated higher. Steam Link averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Moonlight averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Steam Link or Moonlight have ads?
Neither Steam Link nor Moonlight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steam Link or Moonlight?
Steam Link ships an update every 3 weeks, and Moonlight every 10 days. Most recently, Steam Link was updated on October 15, 2026 and Moonlight on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons