# BetterDisplay vs Lunar Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 BetterDisplay is the top pick for most Mac users looking at display management. It is free and open-source and installs in one Homebrew command. Lunar is the stronger choice if you are moving off DisplayBuddy. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask betterdisplay and brew install --cask lunar. For most Mac users in 2026, BetterDisplay is the better choice for display management because it is free and open source, so you can inspect, self-host, and trust the code. Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose Lunar instead if you are moving off DisplayBuddy. ## Head to head | Factor | BetterDisplay | Lunar | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Open Source | Yes | No | | Replaces | — | DisplayBuddy ($24.99) | | Best for | display, resolution, management | display, brightness, adaptive | | Install | brew install --cask betterdisplay | brew install --cask lunar | | Category | System Utilities | System Utilities | ## BetterDisplay Display management and customization tool Install: `brew install --cask betterdisplay` [BetterDisplay on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/betterdisplay) ## Lunar Adaptive brightness for external displays Install: `brew install --cask lunar` [Lunar on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/lunar) ## Features - **Adaptive brightness automation.** Lunar wins adaptive brightness brains. - **HiDPI scaling & custom resolutions.** BetterDisplay dominates resolution and scaling control. - **Virtual displays, PIP, EDID, layout tools.** BetterDisplay is the broader display toolbox. - **DDC brightness, contrast, volume keys.** Lunar edges pure DDC daily driving. - **XDR / HDR brightness helpers.** Both strong; BetterDisplay's wider HDR/XDR toolbox wins narrowly. - **Pricing & free tier.** Lunar's free tier is more complete for the narrow brightness job. - **Platform requirements (2026).** Lunar is less constraining if you are not on BetterDisplay 5's OS/CPU cutover. ## FAQ ### Is BetterDisplay or Lunar better overall? BetterDisplay overall for power users who need scaling and advanced display tools. Lunar if brightness automation is your only problem. ### Can free Lunar replace BetterDisplay? For basic external brightness/volume DDC, often yes. It will not replace HiDPI custom resolutions or virtual displays. ### Do I need BetterDisplay 5? Only if you are on Apple Silicon with macOS 26+. Otherwise stay on BetterDisplay 4.x. ### Why don't my brightness keys work with Lunar? DDC may be blocked by the monitor, cable, or dock. Try direct connections and check Lunar's compatibility guidance. ### Can I run both apps? Yes, but avoid duplicate DDC control. Use BetterDisplay for scaling/virtual displays and Lunar for adaptive brightness, carefully. ### How much do they cost in 2026? BetterDisplay Pro ~$21.99; Lunar Pro $23. Both are one-time style purchases with free tiers. ### Which is better for XDR? Both have XDR-related tools; BetterDisplay's broader HDR/XDR feature set is the safer power-user pick. ### Is MonitorControl still an alternative? Yes, open-source brightness focus. It is lighter than both but not a BetterDisplay replacement for scaling/virtual displays. ### Did the winner flip since May 2026? No. BetterDisplay still wins breadth; Lunar still wins adaptive brightness. The BetterDisplay 5 hardware/OS cutover is the biggest new buying caveat. ### Intel Mac user, what should I buy? Lunar Pro is the simpler recommendation. If you need BetterDisplay features, use the BetterDisplay 4 line rather than assuming v5 will run. ## Sources - [BetterDisplay Pro site](https://betterdisplay.pro/) - [BetterDisplay GitHub README (pricing & platforms)](https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay) - [Lunar homepage](https://lunar.fyi/) - [Lunar Pro](https://lunar.fyi/pro) - [BetterDisplay free vs Pro features wiki](https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/wiki/List-of-free-and-Pro-features) - [Lunar GitHub](https://github.com/alin23/Lunar) - [MonitorControl open-source alternative](https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl) ## Related - [BetterDisplay vs MonitorControl](https://bundl.run/compare/betterdisplay-vs-monitorcontrol) - [MonitorControl vs Lunar](https://bundl.run/compare/monitorcontrol-vs-lunar) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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