f.lux vs Vivid (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, f.lux grades higher than Vivid: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
f.lux grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
f.lux
Warms your screen's color at night to match the time of day
Vivid
Mac app that unlocks extra brightness on XDR displays
Which one is for you
Pick f.lux if
- Fits if you're at a computer most evenings and want the screen warmer
- Works for a household on a mix of Mac, Windows and Linux machines
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want it on your phone, since iOS needs a jailbreak and Android needs root
- Not for you if you do color-critical work all evening, as the maker suggests turning it off for apps like Photoshop
- Pricey if your IT team rolls it out, because managed company use needs the $24 per device license, $12 after the first 10
- Watch out: the Corporate Edition is Windows only and English only, with no volume discounts below 500 seats
- Watch out: Philips Hue control is Windows only, and work use needs your employer's permission even on the free version
Pick Vivid if
- Fits if you own a MacBook Pro or Studio Display with an XDR screen
- Works for people who want more brightness in sunlight and don't mind a battery hit
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if your Mac isn't an XDR model, as Intel Macs, MacBook Air, the M1 13-inch Pro and the non-XDR Studio Display don't work
- Tight if you want full-screen brightness free, since the free mode only covers half the screen
- Watch out: macOS can cut maximum brightness when the display gets warm, the vendor says
- Watch out: the site shows euros and the dollar price is only on the US App Store listing
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAf.luxVery good | 2.6GPAVividGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for personal use, and a plain download on all three systems. A company pays $24 per device once for the Windows Corporate Edition, dropping to $12 after the first 10, with a year of updates included. Either way it's under what paid utilities here ask. | A$9.99 one-time on the US Mac App Store, under a year of the typical utility subscription at about $40. The vendor's own site prices it in euros. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe personal version is free on macOS, Windows and Linux, and it's the standard app, not a cut-down one. One condition: on a work computer you need your employer's knowledge and permission. | BSplitscreen Mode is free with no time limit, but only half the screen reaches full brightness. One person could live with it for a while. |
| Features | CWarming a screen is a small job, and f.lux covers it: 6500K by day, warmer after sunset, a Bedtime tied to your wake time, presets, custom colors, Darkroom, a 2.5 hour Movie mode and switching off for chosen apps. That's all it does, and Philips Hue control is Windows only. | CDoes its one job fully: system-wide extra brightness, a menu bar toggle, shortcuts and battery automation. It is a small job, and only XDR displays work. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it works out the schedule from your location and wake time and runs from a menu by the clock. You can switch it off for an hour, or until sunrise, when colour matters. | BNo rating on record. You install it and flip a toggle; nothing to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, Windows and Linux, which sounds broad but it's a computer program and nothing else. Phones barely count: iOS needs a jailbroken device and Android a rooted one. The one thing it connects to is Philips Hue, and only on Windows. | DMac only, and only certain Macs. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. |
| Best for | a warmer screen in the evening, set and forgotten | extra brightness on an XDR Mac screen |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: f.lux and Vivid. How we grade
Where they differ
- Vivid can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| f.lux | Vivid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $24 per device, one-time (Windows Corporate Edition) | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store in-app purchase) |
| Free plan | The personal version is free on macOS and Linux, and free on Windows for personal use. Using it on a work computer needs your employer's knowledge and permission. | Splitscreen Mode: half of the screen can reach full brightness, for as long as you like. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | f.lux Software LLC | Lumen Digital |
| Price read from | justgetflux.com | getvivid.app |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
f.lux
- The Corporate Edition is for Windows only and in English only, at $24 per device for the first 10 devices and $12 for each one after.
- The vendor treats company-recommended or IT-managed use as commercial use that needs the paid corporate license.
- It is not designed for advanced color work; the vendor suggests disabling it while using apps such as Photoshop.
- Mobile support is limited: the iOS version needs a jailbroken device and the Android build needs a rooted phone.
Vivid
- Only XDR displays are supported; Intel MacBooks, MacBook Air, the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro and the non-XDR Studio Display are not.
- Macs only; there is no Windows or Linux version.
- The vendor's site prices licenses in euros; a dollar price is shown only on the US Mac App Store listing.
- macOS can limit maximum brightness when the display gets warm, the vendor says.
Key features
f.lux
- Automatic color temperature
- Shifts the display's color temperature with the time of day: 6500K in daytime by default and warmer after sunset, timed from your location.
- Bedtime tied to your wake time
- A Bedtime setting removes as much alerting light as possible before sleep and moves with the wake time you set. Options cover sleeping in on weekends and an earlier bedtime for teens.
- Presets and custom colors
- Presets include Recommended colors, Classic f.lux and Working late, and Custom colors lets you pick a color temperature for each part of the day.
- Darkroom and Movie mode
- Darkroom removes all blue and green light and inverts colors. Movie mode lasts 2.5 hours and keeps colors and shadow detail with a warmer tone.
- Disable when color matters
- Can be turned off for an hour, until sunrise, or whenever a chosen app is active, which the vendor suggests for color-critical work.
- Philips Hue control
- The Windows version can drive Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance lights so that room lighting follows the same schedule as the screen.
Vivid
- System-wide extra brightness
- Uses the brightness range macOS normally keeps for HDR content, so the regular brightness keys go past the usual maximum.
- Menu bar toggle and shortcuts
- Turn Vivid on or off from the menu bar, with custom keyboard shortcuts to toggle and to raise or lower brightness.
- Battery automation
- Vivid can switch on or off depending on battery state, according to its App Store listing.
- Free Splitscreen Mode
- Half the screen reaches full brightness with no time limit, so you can check it fits your workflow before buying.
- Several ways to buy
- Available on the vendor's site, on Gumroad, on the Mac App Store with an in-app purchase, and through Setapp.
Plans
f.lux
Personal$0
The standard app for macOS, Windows and Linux, free for personal use and supported by voluntary contributions.
Corporate Edition$24
per device, one-time; $12 per device after the first 10
Windows-only build for companies: automated installs, automatic updates and home automation disabled, and one year of updates included.
Vivid
Splitscreen Mode$0
Free: half of the screen goes into full brightness mode.
Single License$9.99
one-time, for personal devices; the vendor's site shows € 10
Unlocks the whole screen. The $9.99 is the Mac App Store in-app purchase as listed in the US store.
Team License€40
one-time, for up to 5 devices
About € 8 per device; the site lists this price in euros only.
Company License€60
one-time, for up to 10 devices
About € 6 per device; the site lists this price in euros only.
Ways to pay less
f.lux
- Other savings
Volume quotes from 500 seats
The corporate page says there are no discounts below 500 seats; for larger quantities the vendor quotes discounted rates and accepts purchase orders.
Vivid
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, f.lux or Vivid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, f.lux starts at $24 per device, one-time (Windows Corporate Edition), and Vivid starts at $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store in-app purchase).
Which has a free plan, f.lux or Vivid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both f.lux and Vivid have a free plan.
Which platforms do f.lux and Vivid run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only f.lux lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.