Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Geforce Now VS Parsec

Compare Geforce Now VS Parsec and see what are their differences

Geforce Now logo Geforce Now

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

Parsec logo Parsec

Streams games locally or over the internet
  • Geforce Now Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-30
  • Parsec Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

Geforce Now features and specs

  • High-Performance Streaming
    GeForce Now allows users to stream games with high graphics quality and superior performance, effectively turning any compatible device into a high-end gaming rig.
  • Device Compatibility
    The service is available on a wide range of devices including PCs, Macs, Android devices, and NVIDIA Shield, making gaming accessible to more people regardless of their hardware specifications.
  • Library Access
    Users have access to a vast library of games from popular platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect, enabling a diverse gaming experience.
  • Freemium Model
    GeForce Now offers a free-tier option, allowing users to test the service with limited session lengths and providing an affordable entry point for casual gamers.
  • Regular Updates
    NVIDIA frequently updates the service with new features, performance improvements, and expanded game library, ensuring a continuously improving user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Geforce Now

  • Bandwidth Requirements
    High-quality game streaming requires a strong and stable internet connection, which can be a barrier for users with limited or slow bandwidth.
  • Limited Game Library
    While the game library is extensive, not all games are supported. Users may find that some of their favorite titles are not available for streaming.
  • Subscription Cost
    The premium tier, which offers priority access, extended session lengths, and RTX features, comes at a cost that might not be justifiable for all users.
  • Latency Issues
    Even with a good internet connection, users may experience latency or input lag, which can negatively impact gameplay, especially in fast-paced or competitive games.
  • Game Ownership
    GeForce Now requires users to already own the games they wish to play. It does not come with its own game library, which could be an additional expense for users.

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.

Geforce Now videos

Nvidia GeForce Now Review

More videos:

  • Review - Is Geforce Now Any Good? Test & Review + Benchmarks
  • Review - Geforce Now Review | Breakdown | Can Geforce Now Compete With Other Cloud Services?

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Geforce Now and Parsec)
Games
32 32%
68% 68
Game Streaming
26 26%
74% 74
Gaming
46 46%
54% 54
Cloud Computing
26 26%
74% 74

User comments

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Reviews

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

Geforce Now Reviews

Moonlight game streaming alternatives
GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service, a lot different than streaming. However, you can also enable game streaming on GeForce Now. However, this option is only viable if you already own a GeForce Now subscription. If you don’t, it might not be worth buying a cloud gaming subscription just for streaming games on a different device.
Source: androidgram.com
11 Best Parsec Alternatives & Similar Apps
However, the connection speed might slow down, which will drain your battery dramatically. Still, this platform is worth-trying, especially if you are “that” game. GeForce now is simply one of the best game streaming Parsec alternative apps.
5 Best Google Stadia Alternatives 2020 | Cloud Gaming Services
The first choice on our list of Stadia Alternatives is NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, a service that just came out of beta recently and focuses primarily on streaming. While other services on this list offer game libraries access, NVIDIA’s sole focus is allowing you to play games on non-gaming devices that you already own, such as:
7 Best Cloud Gaming Services for 2020 (No. 3 is My Favorite)
GeForce NOW is free, but only because it’s in beta mode. When it ends beta, who knows—there could be a limited free model in addition to paid plans, or only paid plans.
Source: hostingpill.com
Stream games with these Google Stadia alternatives
But while GeForce Now utilises its own servers and not your home PC, it allows you to verify your games across popular distribution platforms. That means you can stream games from your own library, but you can also net the benefits of a centrally-located, always on, uber-connected datacentre. The only downside is not all games are supported by GeForce Now. As of today, there...

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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parsec seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 369 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.

Geforce Now mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Geforce Now yet. Tracking of Geforce Now recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Parsec mentions (369)

  • Raspberry Pi 5 now supports Valve's Steam Link
    Parsec[1] would be interesting to compare. [1] https://parsec.app/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month 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 / 5 months 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 / 6 months ago
  • Are the Apple addicts ok?
    If that's an option, you could use a Macbook air and something like https://parsec.app/ to stream from a windows machine. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Crossplay for the Overcooked! Series
    For PC players, there are unofficial ways to play with people online. Steam Remote Play Together and Parsec can be used to play the game online with other PC users. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Geforce Now and Parsec, you can also consider the following products

Shadow - Transform any device into a supercharged gaming machine.

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

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

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

Stadia - A new gaming platform from Google

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.