How I Built a Free AnyDesk Alternative Using Sunshine, Moonlight & Tailscale

#opensource #networking #security #tooling

As a Engineer (and gamer), I’ve always wanted a fast, free, and secure way to access my Windows PC remotely — without paying for tools like AnyDesk or TeamViewer.

After trying a bunch of solutions, I finally found the perfect stack:
👉 Sunshine + Moonlight + Tailscale

This trio gives me a hardware-accelerated, self-hosted, and end-to-end encrypted setup that’s better than most commercial options.
And yes — it’s completely free.

💡 Why This Setup?

Here’s why I switched:

⚡ Full GPU acceleration — buttery-smooth 60 FPS streaming.
🔐 Zero trust networking — no cloud dependency or logins.
💰 100% free & open source.
🌍 Remote anywhere access (thanks to Tailscale).
🧠 Control over my data and latency.

🖥️ Step 1: Install Sunshine on Your Windows PC

Sunshine is the open-source host app that handles all the encoding and streaming from your Windows machine.

Setup:

Download from Sunshine’s GitHub releases.
Install it normally (run as Administrator).
Once it’s running, open your browser and go to:

   https://localhost:47990

Set a username and password.
Under Applications, add “Desktop” (or any app you want to access).
Allow Sunshine through Windows Firewall when prompted.
Make sure GPU acceleration is enabled (NVENC / AMD VCE / Intel QuickSync).

That’s it — Sunshine is now your personal “streaming server”.

🍎 Step 2: Install Moonlight on Your MacBook Air

Moonlight is the open-source client that connects to Sunshine.
Think of it as your portable window into your PC.

Setup:

Download from Moonlight’s official site (or from the Mac App Store).
Launch Moonlight — it should auto-detect your PC.
If it doesn’t, manually add your PC’s IP address.
Enter the pairing PIN shown on your Mac into Sunshine’s web dashboard.

After pairing, you’ll see your PC and the list of apps (or the full desktop).
Click “Desktop”, and boom — you’re controlling your PC from your Mac with near-zero latency.

🌐 Step 3: Go Truly Remote with Tailscale

This is where it gets powerful.
Tailscale gives you a private, encrypted mesh VPN — so you can connect to your PC from anywhere in the world.

Setup:

Install Tailscale on both devices:

Windows
macOS
1. Log in using the same account (Google, GitHub, etc.).
2. Both devices will now appear in your Tailscale network.
3. Copy your Windows PC’s Tailscale IP (100.x.x.x).
4. Add that IP to Moonlight — and you’re done.

Now you can connect to your PC even when it’s on a different Wi-Fi or behind NAT. No port forwarding. No headache.

⚙️ Step 4: Optimize for Best Performance

Inside Moonlight settings:

Resolution: 1080p / 60 FPS for most networks
Bitrate: 20–40 Mbps (depending on Wi-Fi)
Audio: Enable “Stereo” for minimal lag
Input: Enable “Low Latency Mode”

If you’re gaming or coding remotely, it feels almost native.

🔧 Optional: Auto-start Sunshine on Boot

If you want your PC to be accessible anytime:

Open Services in Windows.
Find “Sunshine Service”.
Set Startup Type → Automatic.

Now it’ll always be ready to stream whenever your PC is on.

✅ Final Stack Overview

Tool	Purpose	Notes
Sunshine	Streams your Windows desktop	Uses GPU encoding
Moonlight	Client on macOS	Smooth, low-latency viewer
Tailscale	Secure remote tunnel	Access from anywhere

🧠 My Experience

I’ve been using this setup daily — for development, remote debugging, and even gaming sessions.
It’s been stable, fast, and secure, with no external servers or fees.

Once you try this combo, you’ll never look back at AnyDesk.