# Free Alternative to BetterDisplay (Pro) Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 The best free alternative to BetterDisplay (Pro) is MonitorControl, which is open source. Install it with: `brew install --cask monitorcontrol`. ## BetterDisplay free vs Pro, and the free tools that cover only part of Pro People searching for a BetterDisplay Pro license, a free license key, or a free alternative are usually trying to get Pro features without paying, or to see what the free app already does. On 3 October 2026 the purchase guide at betterdisplay.pro advertised BetterDisplay Pro at US$21.99 / €19.99. The same page says currency, exchange rates, and taxes can change the checkout total, so the figure to pay is the total Paddle shows before you confirm. The license is perpetual for the versions it covers, not a subscription. A new purchase covers the current major version and previous versions, and it includes at least one year of updates, including a major upgrade released in that period. Pro access for BetterDisplay 5 is a free upgrade for purchases on or after 1 January 2025. The 14-day trial starts the first time you open the app with licensing enabled and includes Pro features. After it ends, Pro features turn off. Non-business users can keep using free features. The license terms say a business that keeps using the app after the trial, even for free features only, is expected to buy Pro. The app does not enforce that rule in software. Non-profits are not treated as businesses. A BYOD user, freelancer, or private entrepreneur may class themselves as a non-business user. There is no separate free Pro license key on the purchase guide. The free tier is the supported way to use the app without paying. The homepage tells you to download and pay only on betterdisplay.pro or the GitHub repository waydabber/BetterDisplay, and to avoid lookalike sites that offer downloads or take payment. A cracked copy is a malware risk. The free and Pro columns on the homepage, and the guide page Free and Pro features, agree on the split that matters. Free, including after the trial, includes DDC brightness, volume, contrast, input switching, and power control. It includes native brightness and volume keys, software dimming, dimming to black, combined hardware and software dimming, and basic brightness syncing. It includes the resolution slider, custom scaled-resolution editing, refresh-rate and display-mode selectors, color-mode selection on supported Apple silicon setups, virtual screen creation, and visual display arrangement with on-screen guides. The guide's footnote says some advanced grid-snap options are Pro, as are adaptive layout protection and other advanced layout tools. EDID retrieval and export are free. EDID overrides are Pro. The command-line interface, the built-in console, HTTP and custom URL scheme, and macOS Shortcuts are free to open. The guide says operations that change Pro features still require Pro. Pro is required for flexible HiDPI scaling, every listed XDR and HDR brightness-upscaling method, brightness upscaling on compatible third-party HDR displays, soft disconnect and reconnect, display configuration protection, nits-based brightness sync, advanced image sync, resolution and UI-scale sync, mirroring protection, sharpening and advanced color filters, picture-in-picture, local streaming, custom virtual-screen configurations, and HDR or high-refresh virtual screens. The homepage feature list describes XDR upscaling up to 1600 nits on XDR displays, with a display-dependent boost on external HDR screens, and direct upscaling for built-in XDR displays on macOS 26.3 or later. macOS version names are not the same sentence on every official page. The GitHub release v5.0.6, published 22 September 2026, says BetterDisplay 5 supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 27 Golden Gate or macOS 26 Tahoe, and that earlier macOS should stay on BetterDisplay 4. The homepage labels the current v5.x download for macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate, and labels v4.3.7 for Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura, v2.3.9 for Monterey, and v1.4.15 for Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur. The v3.5.6 download link on that page has no OS name beside it. The free-and-pro guide, in its note on older XDR upscaling, says the current app requires macOS 26.3 or later. This page quotes both statements and does not merge them into one minimum. None of the other apps below replaces the whole Pro column. MonitorControl and Lunar's free tier cover hardware brightness that BetterDisplay already lists as free. displayplacer and one-key-hidpi cover scripted arrangement and a HiDPI simulation, with older update dates and no macOS 26 or macOS 27 sentence on the pages fetched for them. ## Free alternatives 1. [MonitorControl](https://bundl.run/apps/monitorcontrol) — Control external monitor brightness & volume `brew install --cask monitorcontrol` 2. [Lunar](https://bundl.run/apps/lunar) — Adaptive brightness for external displays `brew install --cask lunar` ## Verdict BetterDisplay's free tier is the legitimate no-payment version of this app: DDC, basic sync, custom scaled resolutions, virtual screen creation, and visual arrangement, without flexible HiDPI, XDR upscaling, EDID overrides, or picture-in-picture. Pro is advertised at US$21.99 / €19.99 before tax and currency adjustment, as a perpetual license with at least one year of updates. MonitorControl covers free-column brightness and names macOS 27. Lunar's free tier covers DDC with a daily cap and leaves XDR on a $23 license. displayplacer and one-key-hidpi are real command-line tools for arrangement and HiDPI simulation, and neither fetched source names macOS 26 Tahoe or macOS 27 Golden Gate. No cracked key is required, and none should be used. ## FAQ ### How much is a BetterDisplay Pro license, and what does it cover? The purchase guide fetched on 3 October 2026 advertises US$21.99 / €19.99. Checkout currency, exchange rate, and tax can change the total. The license is perpetual for the versions it covers, covers the current major version plus earlier versions, and includes at least one year of updates. BetterDisplay 5 is a free upgrade for Pro purchases on or after 1 January 2025. Paddle handles checkout, invoices, and the license code. A student discount of 25 percent is described through Student App Centre. That membership is separate from the BetterDisplay license, and the purchase guide does not print a discounted dollar total. ### Is there a free BetterDisplay Pro license key? The purchase guide describes a paid Paddle license and a 14-day trial. It does not list a free Pro license key. After the trial, non-business users can keep the free features. The homepage says to download and purchase only from betterdisplay.pro or the waydabber/BetterDisplay GitHub repository, and to avoid lookalike sites. A cracked or shared key is a malware risk. The free tier is the legitimate no-payment path. ### What is the difference between BetterDisplay free and Pro? Free includes DDC brightness, volume, contrast, inputs, and power, plus software dimming to black, basic brightness sync, the resolution slider, custom scaled-resolution editing, virtual screen creation, and visual display arrangement. Pro adds flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR and HDR brightness upscaling, EDID overrides, soft disconnect, configuration protection, adaptive layout protection, nits sync, picture-in-picture, streaming, and custom or HDR virtual screens. CLI, Shortcuts, and HTTP are free to open, and Pro operations inside them still need Pro. The guide says free features stay available after the trial for non-business users, and that the app is not supposed to show purchase pop-ups or intrusive ads in free mode. ### Does BetterDisplay support macOS 27? The v5.0.6 release notes say BetterDisplay 5 supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 27 Golden Gate or macOS 26 Tahoe, and that earlier macOS should keep using BetterDisplay 4. The homepage labels the current v5.x download for those two OS names. The free-and-pro guide says the current app requires macOS 26.3 or later, in the note about legacy XDR upscaling. Those pages were all fetched on 3 October 2026 and they do not state one identical minimum, so both sentences are left as written. ### How does MonitorControl compare with BetterDisplay? MonitorControl's README covers DDC brightness, volume, contrast, software dimming, dim-to-black, and sync from Apple displays, and it says the app is completely free. BetterDisplay lists that brightness work in the free column, and also lists DDC over specific built-in HDMI ports that the MonitorControl README says are not supported. MonitorControl v4.4.0 names macOS 27 Golden Gate and macOS 26 Tahoe. The README does not describe flexible HiDPI, EDID overrides, or XDR upscaling, and it points those needs to BetterDisplay. ### How does Lunar compare with BetterDisplay? Lunar's free labels cover DDC, keyboard brightness and volume, sub-zero dimming, and a CLI, with Manual Mode capped at 100 adjustments per day and Shortcuts capped at 100 action calls per day. Lunar Pro is listed at $23 lifetime and holds XDR Brightness, Sync, Sensor, Clock, Location, BlackOut, and FaceLight. BetterDisplay's free column has no daily adjustment cap stated on the license terms or the free-and-pro guide fetched on 3 October 2026, and its XDR upscaling is Pro. Fetched Lunar pages name macOS 11 or newer and do not name macOS 27. Lunar's site and README disagree on XDR nit numbers, so no nit number for Lunar is used here. ### Can displayplacer or one-key-hidpi replace BetterDisplay Pro? displayplacer's README sets resolution, scaling, origin, rotation, and mirroring from the terminal. That overlaps free arrangement and resolution controls, not XDR or DDC brightness. Its latest GitHub release is v1.4.0 from 11 June 2023. one-key-hidpi's README simulates HiDPI and can inject a patched EDID, which is the Pro area of flexible HiDPI and EDID overrides, with wake and fake-resolution warnings in the README. Its last fetched commit is 5 April 2025, and its README does not name macOS 26 or macOS 27. The latest-release URL returned HTTP 404. ### Do I get a refund if Pro does not work on my monitor? The license terms say the 14-day trial is the evaluation period and that purchases are generally final. There is no refund option in the general case, including a waiver of withdrawal because the app is available immediately. A refund is described for unresolved license delivery, activation failure, or duplicate billing. Compatibility problems are generally excluded, with case-by-case consideration. The terms also say DDC and EDID features can, on faulty hardware, cause temporary or permanent damage, and the developer does not accept responsibility for that. ### Will Pro settings survive after the trial if I do not pay? The license terms say Pro features are disabled when the 14-day trial ends. They also say some Pro-only settings made during the trial may remain until you reinstall, upgrade the system, or change hardware. The examples given are custom virtual screens and smooth resolution settings. Non-business users then continue in free mode. ## Sources - [BetterDisplay Pro homepage](https://betterdisplay.pro/) - [Getting a Pro license](https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/getting-a-pro-license/) - [License terms, refunds and privacy](https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/terms/) - [Free and Pro features](https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/free-and-pro-features/) - [BetterDisplay GitHub release v5.0.6](https://api.github.com/repos/waydabber/BetterDisplay/releases/latest) - [MonitorControl README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/main/README.md) - [MonitorControl release v4.4.0](https://api.github.com/repos/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/releases/latest) - [Lunar official site](https://lunar.fyi/) - [Lunar GitHub README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alin23/Lunar/master/README.md) - [displayplacer README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jakehilborn/displayplacer/master/README.md) - [displayplacer release v1.4.0](https://api.github.com/repos/jakehilborn/displayplacer/releases/latest) - [displayplacer repository metadata](https://api.github.com/repos/jakehilborn/displayplacer) - [one-key-hidpi README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xzhih/one-key-hidpi/master/README.md) - [one-key-hidpi repository metadata](https://api.github.com/repos/xzhih/one-key-hidpi) - [one-key-hidpi latest commit](https://api.github.com/repos/xzhih/one-key-hidpi/commits?per_page=1) - [one-key-hidpi latest release endpoint](https://api.github.com/repos/xzhih/one-key-hidpi/releases/latest) ## Related - [MonitorControl vs Lunar](https://bundl.run/compare/monitorcontrol-vs-lunar) - [MonitorControl vs BetterDisplay](https://bundl.run/compare/betterdisplay-vs-monitorcontrol) - [Lunar vs BetterDisplay](https://bundl.run/compare/betterdisplay-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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Checkout currency, exchange rate, and tax can change the total. The license is perpetual for the versions it covers, covers the current major version plus earlier versions, and includes at least one year of updates. BetterDisplay 5 is a free upgrade for Pro purchases on or after 1 January 2025. Paddle handles checkout, invoices, and the license code. A student discount of 25 percent is described through Student App Centre. That membership is separate from the BetterDisplay license, and the purchase guide does not print a discounted dollar total." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is there a free BetterDisplay Pro license key?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The purchase guide describes a paid Paddle license and a 14-day trial. It does not list a free Pro license key. After the trial, non-business users can keep the free features. The homepage says to download and purchase only from betterdisplay.pro or the waydabber/BetterDisplay GitHub repository, and to avoid lookalike sites. A cracked or shared key is a malware risk. The free tier is the legitimate no-payment path." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between BetterDisplay free and Pro?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Free includes DDC brightness, volume, contrast, inputs, and power, plus software dimming to black, basic brightness sync, the resolution slider, custom scaled-resolution editing, virtual screen creation, and visual display arrangement. Pro adds flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR and HDR brightness upscaling, EDID overrides, soft disconnect, configuration protection, adaptive layout protection, nits sync, picture-in-picture, streaming, and custom or HDR virtual screens. CLI, Shortcuts, and HTTP are free to open, and Pro operations inside them still need Pro. The guide says free features stay available after the trial for non-business users, and that the app is not supposed to show purchase pop-ups or intrusive ads in free mode." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does BetterDisplay support macOS 27?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The v5.0.6 release notes say BetterDisplay 5 supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 27 Golden Gate or macOS 26 Tahoe, and that earlier macOS should keep using BetterDisplay 4. The homepage labels the current v5.x download for those two OS names. The free-and-pro guide says the current app requires macOS 26.3 or later, in the note about legacy XDR upscaling. Those pages were all fetched on 3 October 2026 and they do not state one identical minimum, so both sentences are left as written." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does MonitorControl compare with BetterDisplay?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "MonitorControl's README covers DDC brightness, volume, contrast, software dimming, dim-to-black, and sync from Apple displays, and it says the app is completely free. BetterDisplay lists that brightness work in the free column, and also lists DDC over specific built-in HDMI ports that the MonitorControl README says are not supported. MonitorControl v4.4.0 names macOS 27 Golden Gate and macOS 26 Tahoe. The README does not describe flexible HiDPI, EDID overrides, or XDR upscaling, and it points those needs to BetterDisplay." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does Lunar compare with BetterDisplay?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Lunar's free labels cover DDC, keyboard brightness and volume, sub-zero dimming, and a CLI, with Manual Mode capped at 100 adjustments per day and Shortcuts capped at 100 action calls per day. Lunar Pro is listed at $23 lifetime and holds XDR Brightness, Sync, Sensor, Clock, Location, BlackOut, and FaceLight. BetterDisplay's free column has no daily adjustment cap stated on the license terms or the free-and-pro guide fetched on 3 October 2026, and its XDR upscaling is Pro. Fetched Lunar pages name macOS 11 or newer and do not name macOS 27. Lunar's site and README disagree on XDR nit numbers, so no nit number for Lunar is used here." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can displayplacer or one-key-hidpi replace BetterDisplay Pro?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "displayplacer's README sets resolution, scaling, origin, rotation, and mirroring from the terminal. That overlaps free arrangement and resolution controls, not XDR or DDC brightness. Its latest GitHub release is v1.4.0 from 11 June 2023. one-key-hidpi's README simulates HiDPI and can inject a patched EDID, which is the Pro area of flexible HiDPI and EDID overrides, with wake and fake-resolution warnings in the README. Its last fetched commit is 5 April 2025, and its README does not name macOS 26 or macOS 27. The latest-release URL returned HTTP 404." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I get a refund if Pro does not work on my monitor?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The license terms say the 14-day trial is the evaluation period and that purchases are generally final. There is no refund option in the general case, including a waiver of withdrawal because the app is available immediately. A refund is described for unresolved license delivery, activation failure, or duplicate billing. Compatibility problems are generally excluded, with case-by-case consideration. The terms also say DDC and EDID features can, on faulty hardware, cause temporary or permanent damage, and the developer does not accept responsibility for that." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will Pro settings survive after the trial if I do not pay?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The license terms say Pro features are disabled when the 14-day trial ends. They also say some Pro-only settings made during the trial may remain until you reinstall, upgrade the system, or change hardware. The examples given are custom virtual screens and smooth resolution settings. Non-business users then continue in free mode." } } ], "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://bundl.run/free-alternative-to/betterdisplay" } } ] } ```