Shadow PC vs Parsec

A Parsec alternative that is the PC itself

Parsec reaches a computer you already own. Shadow PC is the computer, ready on every screen you have. Updated October 2026.

See the offers

No PC to own
iPhone, iPad and Apple TV apps
210 hours a month on Shadow PC

The short answer. Parsec is remote desktop software. It streams a computer you already own, which has to stay switched on at home: a Windows or macOS host with a graphics card that can encode video. Shadow PC is the computer itself, a complete Windows PC in the cloud with a dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPU, that you open from a laptop, a Mac, an iPhone, an iPad, a TV or a browser tab.

So the choice is simple. If you own a gaming PC and only want to reach it from the sofa or a hotel room, Parsec's free plan is hard to beat. If you don't own one, or you play on Apple devices, you need a PC before you need Parsec. That is the Parsec alternative this page is about.

Compared on October 5, 2026, from Parsec's own pages.

Parsec and Shadow PC, side by side

Where Parsec does it, Parsec gets the tick. Shadow PC prices are on the offers below, not in the table.

Parsec and Shadow PC compared on nine criteria
	Parsec	Shadow PC
What you get	Parsec Remote desktop software	Shadow PC A complete Windows 11 PC in the cloud
Needs your own PC	Parsec Yes, switched on at home	Shadow PC No
GPU	Parsec The one in your PC	Shadow PC Dedicated NVIDIA RTX
iPhone and iPad	Parsec No	Shadow PC Yes
Apple TV app	Parsec No	Shadow PC Yes
Browser	Parsec Chromium browsers	Shadow PC Chromium browsers, at pc.shadow.tech
Max quality	Parsec Up to 4K at 60 fps, 240 fps at lower resolutions	Shadow PC Up to 5K at 240 Hz (Shadow PC range)
Play time	Parsec No limit on your own PC	Shadow PC 210 h a month (Shadow PC), 120 h (Lite)
Price	Parsec Free, Warp from $8.33 a month	Shadow PC See the offers below

Parsec data from parsec.app and Parsec's support pages, checked on October 5, 2026. Shadow PC prices are on the offers block: they vary by market and change often.

Which one is for you

Parsec

Choose Parsec if

you already own a gaming PC and want to reach it from elsewhere
you want to invite a friend into your game for free
you work with a Wacom tablet on your own machine

Shadow PC

Choose Shadow PC if

you don't own a gaming PC, or don't want to keep one running
you play on an iPhone, an iPad or an Apple TV
you want your PC and your files on every screen, with 210 hours of play a month

Parsec needs a PC. Shadow PC is one

Parsec calls itself remote desktop, and that is exactly what it does. It links your device to a host computer, peer to peer, and streams whatever that host renders. The host is yours: a Windows 10 or 11 PC, or a Mac, with a GPU that can encode video, switched on and online every time you want to play. Parsec does not rent you a machine.

Shadow PC takes the host out of the picture. Your Windows PC runs in a data center with a dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPU, and it is there when you open the app, whether there is a tower under your desk or not.

Nothing left running at home. No machine to wake up from another country.

How Shadow PC works

A gaming PC tower glowing under a desk at night

Every screen, iPhone and Apple TV included

Parsec's apps cover Windows, macOS, Ubuntu and Android, plus Chromium browsers. There is no Parsec app for iPhone or iPad, and Safari is not supported either. The tablet on the sofa and the phone on the train are out.

Shadow PC has native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS and Apple TV, and a browser tab at pc.shadow.tech when you cannot install anything. Plenty of our players open their Shadow PC from a Mac, a phone or a TV, not only from a Windows PC.

It works like a real computer: one session at a time. Stop on the iPad, pick up on the TV, same game, same save.

Play on your TV

A player with a controller in front of a tablet running a racing game

No gaming PC to buy, upgrade or keep running

To play a demanding game through Parsec, the host has to run it first. The real cost of Parsec includes a gaming PC, the graphics card you replace every few years and the power it draws while you are away.

With Shadow PC, the hardware comes with the subscription: a dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPU, 512 GB of storage on the Shadow PC range, expandable up to 5 TB, and 210 hours of play a month with sessions of up to 6 hours. Shadow PC Lite gives you 120 hours and 4-hour sessions.

You install Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net and your mods as on any Windows PC. They stay on your drive between sessions.

Gaming on Shadow PC

A laptop at night showing a Windows desktop with its file explorer open

Where Parsec does better

Parsec is free for personal use. If you already own a powerful PC, that means remote play with no subscription and no monthly hour count: your hardware, your rules.

It is also great at couch co-op at a distance. You share a link, and a friend joins your game from their own computer as if they were sitting next to you.

Warp, at $9.99 a month or $8.33 a month billed yearly, adds 4:4:4 color, up to three screens and Wacom pen pressure, which artists like. On a good connection, Parsec streams at up to 240 fps.

If that is your setup, keep Parsec. Shadow PC is for the day you no longer have, or no longer want, the PC behind it.

Two friends on a sofa playing a split-screen racing game on the TV

If you don't have the PC

Start with Shadow PC Lite if you play a few hours a day, or take Shadow PC for 210 hours a month and two screens. No commitment, you can switch as you go.

Questions about Parsec and Shadow PC

Is Parsec free?

Yes, for personal use. Parsec's free plan streams at up to 60 fps and lets you share access with a link. Warp, the paid plan for individuals, costs $9.99 a month or $8.33 a month billed yearly, according to Parsec's pricing page in October 2026. Commercial use requires the Teams or Enterprise plans. In every case, you need your own host computer.

Does Parsec still offer cloud gaming?

Not for players. Parsec is remote desktop software: it streams a computer you own or manage, and it does not rent gaming machines. Its pricing page lists software plans only. To play without your own PC, you need a cloud PC such as Shadow PC, or a game streaming service such as GeForce Now, which streams a list of games rather than a full desktop.

Does Parsec work on iPhone or iPad?

No. Parsec's compatibility page lists clients for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Android and Chromium browsers, and states that iOS and iPadOS are not supported, Safari included. Shadow PC has native apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, as well as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and Android TV.

Do I need a gaming PC to use Parsec?

Yes. Parsec streams a host computer, and that host has to run the game. For gaming, it means a Windows 10 or 11 PC, or a Mac, with a graphics card that supports hardware video encoding, switched on and connected whenever you play. Linux cannot act as a host.

What is the best Parsec alternative if I don’t own a PC?

If you don't own a gaming PC, you need a computer in the cloud rather than remote desktop software. Shadow PC is a complete Windows PC with a dedicated NVIDIA RTX GPU, on a monthly subscription with no commitment: you install your launchers, games and mods yourself, and your files stay on your drive. Other cloud PCs, such as AirGPU or Vagon, bill by the hour.

Can I use Shadow PC without a computer at home?

Yes. Shadow PC runs in the cloud, so the only thing you need at home is a screen and a connection: a laptop, a Mac, a phone, a tablet, an Android TV or Apple TV box, or a Chromium browser at pc.shadow.tech. Shadow recommends at least 15 Mbit/s, with Ethernet or 5 GHz Wi-Fi for the best results.

Keep comparing

Skip the host. Take the PC

A Windows PC with a dedicated RTX GPU, on your Mac, your phone and your TV. No tower to leave running at home.

See the offers