Lunar
Mac app for controlling external monitor brightness, contrast, volume and input over DDC.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 3
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Lunar
Lunar is a macOS app that controls the real hardware brightness of external monitors instead of dimming the picture with an overlay. It talks to monitors over DDC, so brightness keys, volume keys and input switching work on displays from most brands, and it falls back to gamma tables or a Raspberry Pi network bridge when a monitor or DisplayLink dock blocks DDC. The free version covers manual control, sub-zero dimming, keyboard keys and a command-line tool. Lunar Pro, sold as a lifetime license after a 14-day trial, adds Sync Mode (mirroring the MacBook's ambient light adjustments onto external screens), location and sensor-based modes, XDR brightness unlocking and BlackOut for switching screens off. It is made by an independent developer and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It is Mac-only, and the free tier caps daily adjustments made by automatic features.
Best for: Mac users who want external monitors to follow the built-in display's adaptive brightness.
Pros and cons
What works
- Changes real hardware brightness via DDC rather than an overlay
- Sync Mode matches external screens to the MacBook's light sensor
- Fallbacks for monitors and docks that block DDC
- Lifetime license, no subscription
Why people leave
- macOS only
- Best automatic modes require Pro
- Free tier limits daily adjustments and shortcut actions
Top Lunar alternatives
See all 3- 1
BetterDisplay66.5Adds HiDPI scaling, virtual screens and XDR upscaling on top of DDC brightness control.
- 2
MonitorControl62.6Free and open source if all you need is brightness and volume keys for external monitors.
- 3
DisplayBuddy59.6Simpler one-time-purchase app that also controls LG and Samsung smart monitors over Wi-Fi.
Why people left Lunar
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Lunar: common questions
Is Lunar free?
Lunar has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Lunar open source?
No, Lunar is not open source. Open-source alternatives include MonitorControl.
What platforms does Lunar run on?
Lunar is available for macOS.
What are the best alternatives to Lunar?
The highest-ranked Lunar alternatives right now are BetterDisplay, MonitorControl and DisplayBuddy. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.