Overview

Parsec is a remote-access app for connecting to a computer from another device, with an emphasis on responsive game streaming and shared control. It suits players who also want a way to share a desktop, as well as organizations that need managed access controls.

Its strongest case is combining gaming-oriented performance with collaboration and business administration; its main caveat is that commercial use requires a paid Teams or Enterprise license.

Key features

Remote access and sharing: Connect to a computer for work or play, or share a link so another person can observe or control it. Guest Access invitations extend temporary access for up to five days at $25 each, useful for short-term access but costly if invitations are frequent.
Gaming controls: Parsec is designed for low-latency gaming at 60FPS UHD and supports keyboard mapping, gamepads, and advanced settings. That makes it more than a basic screen-sharing tool, though the stated design target is not a guarantee of performance on every connection.
Discord integration: The product states that it integrates with Discord, a useful fit for players who coordinate there.
Security and administration: Native-app peer-to-peer traffic is encrypted end-to-end with a shared 128-bit AES key; web-client sessions use DTLS. Accounts support multi-factor authentication, Teams can require SAML 2.0 single sign-on, and Parsec states that it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Enterprise adds SCIM provisioning, full connection audit logs, API access, and a high-performance relay server.

Pricing

Parsec has a free Personal Use plan for personal, non-commercial desktop streaming and sharing. It is the sensible starting point for individual use, but it does not license commercial work.

Individuals (Warp): $8.33 USD per month, billed per user/month and paid annually. It adds multi-monitor displays, 4:4:4 color mode, virtual monitors, privacy mode, and Wacom pressure and tilt. This is the lowest published paid tier, aimed at individual users who need those display and input features; commercial use remains outside its license.

Teams: $30.00 USD per month, billed per user/month and paid annually. It adds SAML SSO, granular permissions, team computer management, and seven-day audit logs. Teams is the appropriate tier for commercial teams needing centralized control; product support tickets include a 24-hour first-response SLA.

Enterprise: $45.00 USD per month, billed per user/month and paid annually only. It includes a high-performance relay, usage logs and analytics, the Teams API, role-based access, and full audit logs. It fits organizations that need broader provisioning and audit controls, plus the same 24-hour first-response SLA for support tickets.

A 14-day trial is available. Parsec states that it offers no volume discounts, regardless of license count, so per-user costs do not fall with larger deployments.

Platforms

Parsec supports Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Desktop, Android, and a Chromium web client. Mobile apps are available. The mix gives users several ways to connect, though the supported desktop Linux distribution is specifically Ubuntu.

Who it's for

Parsec is a good fit for players who want low-latency remote gaming alongside desktop sharing, and for personal users who need remote access across supported devices. Teams considering it for work should budget for Teams or Enterprise rather than rely on the personal-use licenses. Organizations that need provisioning, complete audit coverage, or relay infrastructure have a clearer case for Enterprise.

Pros and cons

Pro: Gaming-focused 60FPS UHD design, gamepad support, and desktop sharing serve both play and remote access.
Pro: Teams and Enterprise provide progressively stronger identity, permission, and audit controls for managed deployments.
Pro: Native-app traffic has end-to-end encryption, while accounts support MFA and Teams can enforce SAML SSO.
Con: Personal Use and Individuals are limited to non-commercial use, making a paid business tier necessary for workplace deployments.
Con: Teams and Enterprise are billed per user annually, and Parsec offers no volume discounts.
Con: Guest Access costs $25 per invitation even though access lasts no more than five days.

Alternatives

For a free, open-source option with no accounts, subscriptions, or paid tiers, choose Moonlight Web. Moonlight Game Streaming is another completely free option without paid versions. Both are worth considering when avoiding subscription costs matters more than Parsec's stated team controls.

Chiaki-ng is a free, open-source PlayStation Remote Play client, a more specific choice for that use. PXPlay offers a one-time purchase of 12.99 EUR for its PC plan, suited to someone preferring a single payment for use across personal machines.

Steam is a free platform where game and content prices vary; choose it when the broader game platform is the priority. Greenlight is an open-source option under the MIT license with no paid plans listed. PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming is a paid Windows option at 19.99 USD per month, with cloud streaming, catalogs, game trials, and online multiplayer. Sunshine is free and self-hosted on your own hardware, a choice for users who want to run the service themselves.

Browse the Game Remote Play Software and Remote desktop software directories for more options.

Verdict

Choose Parsec if you want one service for responsive remote gaming, shared desktop access, and, at higher tiers, team administration. Its commercial licensing boundary and annual per-user pricing are the main reasons to look elsewhere: casual personal users can stay on the free plan, while businesses must weigh the added controls against the recurring cost.

	Krfb	Parsec
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux	Android, api, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Access mode	both	both
Supported platforms	Linux	Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, Android, Chromium web client
Paid from	—	$8.33/user/mo
Mobile apps	—	Yes

Krfb vs Parsec

Krfb

Parsec