Scry vs Parsec — honest comparison

Looking for a Parsec alternative? Here's an honest Scry vs Parsec comparison. Scry reaches Linux machines as well as Macs and Windows PCs, connects from a native iPhone and iPad app, and sends files mid-session; Parsec hosts only on Windows and macOS, has no iPhone or iPad app, and lists no file transfer. Scry also sells a $399 lifetime license. If you stream games or color-critical work from a Windows PC at 60 fps with 4:4:4 color, Parsec's Warp plan is built for that.

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Free for 24 hours: every feature, no card.

Verified 2026-09-26
Parsec pricing
Where Parsec wins

Scry vs Parsec at a glance

At a glance	Scry	Parsec
Entry price	$0 for 7 days, then $9.99/mo	Free (personal, non-commercial use)
Next plan up	$0 for 7 days, then $95.99/yr	$8.33 / mo (Warp, billed annually — $9.99 monthly)
Lifetime license	$399 once	None
Platforms	Mac (host + client), Windows (host + client), Linux (host + client), iOS (client), Android (client), Web (client)	Windows (host + client), macOS (host + client), Linux (client), Android (client), Web (client, Chrome)

Where Scry and Parsec each win

Pick Scry if

A Linux machine you can reach. Scry can be the computer you reach on Mac, Windows and Linux, lock screen included (on Linux, with an X11 desktop). Parsec hosts only on Windows and macOS.
A native iPhone and iPad app. Scry for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) has Touch, Trackpad and Pointer modes, a key bar with ⌘, Ctrl, Option, Shift, Esc, Tab and the arrows, and pinch to zoom up to 4x. Parsec has no iPhone or iPad app.
Send files mid-session. Drop or paste a file into Scry and it shows up on the computer you control, where you click Save. Parsec's plans list no file transfer.
Pay once, or pay less. Scry sells a $399 lifetime license, which Parsec doesn't offer, and costs $95.99 a year against Warp's $8.33 a month, billed annually. Scry's annual and lifetime plans also unlock all 8 other Bravely apps.

Pick Parsec if

Frame rate and color. Parsec streams at 60 fps on every plan, Free included, with higher settings available, and Warp adds 4:4:4 color from Windows hosts. Scry streams at 30 fps by default, or up to 60 fps on the Experimental setting in the Mac and Windows apps, with no 4:4:4 mode.
A free plan. Parsec's Free plan covers personal, non-commercial use at 60 fps with encrypted connections. Scry has no free tier.
Warp's extras: up to 3 monitors at once, virtual monitors, a privacy mode that shuts off the host's physical displays, and Wacom pen pressure and tilt. Scry streams one display at a time and has no privacy mode or pen pressure.
The login screen after a restart. A per-computer Parsec install reaches the Windows login screen, and a separate Mac installer reaches the Mac login window (with a wired connection and FileVault off). Scry reaches a Mac or Windows PC only while someone is signed in (a locked screen is fine).

Scry vs Parsec, feature by feature

Verified 2026-09-26. Source linked at the bottom.

Feature	Scry	Parsec
Price (entry, paid)	$0 for 7 days, then $9.99/mo	$8.33/mo (Warp, billed annually) or $9.99 monthly
Lifetime license	$399 once	None
Free path	24 hours with no card, or 7 days on a plan (card required); no free tier	Free plan, personal and non-commercial use
Runs on	Reach: macOS 14 or later, Windows 10 or 11 (x64), 64-bit Linux. Connect from: those, plus iOS 17 or later, Android 8.0 or later and the web (tested in Chrome)	Reach: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 10.15 or later. Connect from: those, Linux (client only), Android 9 or later, or a Chrome or Chromium browser
Account needed	Yes: a Bravely account (Apple, Google or email) on each device	Yes: a Parsec account, to host or to join
Platforms (host)	Mac, Windows, Linux	Mac, Windows (no Linux host)
Platforms (client)	Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, web	Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, web (Chrome)
iPhone and iPad app	Yes (iOS 17 or later)	No
Browser client (no install)	Yes (tested in Chrome)	Chrome or Chromium; joins Windows computers only
File transfer	Yes — one way, from any device to the computer you control (click Save there)	None listed in Parsec's plans
Transport	Open WebRTC, end-to-end encrypted (DTLS-SRTP)	Parsec's own BUD protocol, encrypted with DTLS 1.2 (AES-128)
Frame rate	30 fps by default; up to 60 fps on Experimental (Mac and Windows apps)	60 fps on every plan; higher settings available
4:4:4 color	No (standard H.264)	Yes (Warp), on Windows hosts with NVIDIA GTX 1000+ or 11th-gen Intel+ graphics
Multi-monitor	One display at a time; switch mid-session	Up to 3 at once (Warp)
Sound from the other computer	Yes — from Mac, Windows and Linux hosts, on by default, with a mute button	Yes (Opus or uncompressed)
Unattended access	Yes, while someone is signed in on the computer (a locked screen is fine; on Linux that takes an X11 desktop)	Yes, to your own computers signed in to the same Parsec account
Wake-on-LAN	No; the computer has to be awake	No; Parsec says the host has to be on and awake
Login screen after a restart	No; someone must be signed in (a locked screen is fine)	Windows with a per-computer install; Mac with a separate installer, a wired connection and FileVault off
Wacom pressure / tilt	No	Yes (Warp)
Privacy mode (blank host display)	No	Yes (Warp)

Scry vs Parsec FAQs

Can Parsec host on Linux?

No. It hosts on Windows and macOS only, and its Linux app only connects. Scry hosts on x64 Linux, from a .deb or an AppImage; the lock screen and display switching need X11.

Is there a Parsec app for iPhone or iPad?

No. Parsec is "not currently supported on iOS or iPad, including web access through Safari", and there's no Parsec app from Unity in the App Store. Scry for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) reaches your Macs, PCs and Linux machines, with Touch, Trackpad and Pointer modes, a key bar and pinch to zoom up to 4x.

Can Parsec transfer files?

Parsec lists no file transfer. No plan includes it, its help center has no article on it, and its changelog (118 entries since 2016) never adds it. In Scry, drop or paste up to 5 files mid-session; they go one way, to the computer you control, where you click Save.

Is Parsec free?

Yes, for personal, non-commercial use: 60 fps over encrypted peer-to-peer connections. Warp is $8.33 a month billed annually, or $9.99 monthly. Scry: try every feature free for 24 hours with no card, or start the monthly ($9.99) or annual ($95.99) plan with 7 days free (card required). The lifetime license is $399 once.

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Free for 24 hours: every feature, no card.

Pricing verified 2026-09-26. Parsec pricing source. Subject to change.