Updated November 4, 2026 · by Nathan Tarasiuk, who makes Glass

Glass vs Parsec

$ curl -fsSL glassdesk.dev | sh

Run it on the Mac or Linux computer you want to reach. Free and open source.

Short answer

Parsec is a low-latency streamer built around Windows gaming PCs. It hosts on Windows and macOS (with fewer features on a Mac), has no Linux host, and has no iPad or iPhone client, not even in Safari. Glass hosts on Mac and Linux and runs in any browser, iPad included, at about 20 ms. Choose Parsec for streaming games from a Windows PC; choose Glass to use your Mac or Linux computer from an iPad, phone or browser.

Compared

	Glass	Parsec
Price	Free, open source (MIT)	Free for personal, non-commercial use; Warp from $8.33/user/month (billed yearly)
Computers you control	macOS 13+, Linux on Wayland (beta)	Windows and macOS; no Linux host
On a Mac host	Everything Glass does	No 4:4:4 colour, gamepads, microphone, camera or browser clients
iPad and iPhone	Safari is the client	Not supported, including the web app in Safari
What you control it from	Any modern browser	Apps for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu and Android; Chromium browsers (not for Mac hosts)
Speed	About 15–30 ms measured in-app; up to 120 fps	Up to 240 fps (60 at 4K) claimed; "near-zero latency", no figure
Account	None	Required
Self-hosting	Tailscale, or a self-hostable relay for one-time links	On-premises relay on Enterprise only
Pen input	Apple Pencil pressure and tilt	Pen input supported; Wacom pressure and tilt on Warp

Sources: Parsec pricing, hardware and software compatibility, feature matrix, web app, checked October 2026.

Where Parsec is the better choice

Gaming on a Windows PC, with controllers and very high frame rates.
Windows hosts in general, and teams already on Parsec's Warp or Teams plans.

Where Glass is the better choice

From an iPad or iPhone. Parsec has no client there. Glass runs in Safari.
A Mac as the host, fully. Parsec leaves out 4:4:4 colour, gamepads and the microphone on a Mac host, and its web app can't join a Mac. Glass is built on the Mac first: Display P3 colour, a lossless "Sharp text" mode, your microphone on the Mac, Apple Pencil pressure.
Linux, on Wayland, including Hyprland. Parsec doesn't host on Linux.
No account, and free for any use under the MIT license.
The iPad as a second display for the Mac.

Questions

Does Parsec work on iPad?

No. Parsec says it isn't supported on iOS or iPadOS, including web access through Safari. Glass works in Safari on the iPad.

What's a good Parsec alternative for Mac?

To control a Mac from an iPad, another Mac or a browser, Glass is free and measures about 20 ms. For game streaming from a Windows PC, Moonlight with Sunshine is the usual open-source alternative.

Can Parsec host on Linux?

No. Parsec hosts only on Windows and macOS. Glass hosts on Linux with Wayland (beta), and Sunshine hosts on Linux for Moonlight.

$ curl -fsSL glassdesk.dev | sh

Try Glass: run this on the Mac or Linux computer you want to reach. Free and open source.