5 self-hosted options
Self-hosted alternatives to Steam Link / GeForce Now
The best open-source alternative to Steam Link / GeForce Now is Sunshine (GPL-3.0, 42,640 GitHub stars, Docker image). RomM stands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (6,146), and Retrom stands out for the newest codebase (created April 2024).
GameVault is also listed but is source-available, so it comes after the open-source picks.
About Steam Link / GeForce Now: Cloud and LAN game streaming services.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Sunshine
LizardByte/Sunshine
Remote game stream host for Moonlight with support up to 120 frames per second and 4K resolution.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Game ServersC++DockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
RomM
rommapp/romm
ROM manager for organizing, enriching, and playing retro games, with support for 400+ platforms.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Game ServersPythonDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (6,146).
- Rank 3:
Retrom
JMBeresford/retrom
Private cloud game library distribution server + frontend/launcher.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Game ServersTypeScriptDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created April 2024).
At a glance
Steam Link / GeForce Now alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine | the most GitHub stars | GPL-3.0 | 42,640 | 853 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| RomM | the most commits in the last 12 months (6,146) | AGPL-3.0 | 14,051 | 6,146 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Retrom | the newest codebase (created April 2024) | GPL-3.0 | 2,102 | 231 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Gameyfin | its Kotlin codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 1,111 | 28 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| GameVault | – | source-available, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | 327 | 132 | Oct 19, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 5 Steam Link / GeForce Now alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Sunshine
Remote game stream host for Moonlight with support up to 120 frames per second and 4K resolution.
Game ServersDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Sunshine has 42,640 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 853 commits in the last year.
- 2
RomM
ROM manager for organizing, enriching, and playing retro games, with support for 400+ platforms.
Game ServersDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (6,146). RomM has 14,051 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 6,146 commits in the last year.
- 3
Retrom
Private cloud game library distribution server + frontend/launcher.
Game ServersDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created April 2024). Retrom has 2,102 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 231 commits in the last year.
- 4
Gameyfin
Video game library manager with automatic scanning, web access, downloads, and plugin support.
Game ServersDockerStands out for its Kotlin codebase. Gameyfin has 1,111 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 28 commits in the last year.
- 5
GameVault
Organize, download, and play DRM-free games from your own server, complete with metadata enrichment and user-friendly interface.
Source-availableGame ServersDockerGameVault has 327 GitHub stars, is source-available under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 132 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Steam Link / GeForce Now?
Yes. 4 of the 5 apps on this page are open source; 1 is source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps or limits on hosted use, so read them before you commit.
Can I self-host an alternative to Steam Link / GeForce Now with Docker?
Yes. All 5 apps here publish a Docker image, including Sunshine, RomM and Retrom, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Steam Link / GeForce Now alternative is the most actively developed?
RomM (AGPL-3.0), with 6,146 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.