Iris vs MonitorControl (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MonitorControl grades higher than Iris: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Iris grades higher on features and platforms. MonitorControl grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Iris
Screen color and brightness software for eye comfort
MonitorControl
Free, open-source brightness and volume control for Mac displays
Which one is for you
Pick Iris if
- Fits if you work at a screen late and just want it warmer after dark
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once than monthly
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free filter with controls, because Iris mini has none and sits at two fixed settings
- Tight if you want updates on the cheap licence, since Iris Pro at $14.99 leaves out major feature updates
- Watch out: each licence covers one device at a time, though it can be moved
- Watch out: the trial download asks for an email address that the vendor uses for tips and news
Pick MonitorControl if
- Fits if your external monitor ignores the brightness keys on your Mac keyboard
- Works for desks with several screens you want dimmed together
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your monitor uses the built-in HDMI port of an M1 Mac, a 2018 Intel Mac mini or an entry-level M2 Mac mini
- Watch out: most TVs, DisplayLink docks and some EIZO displays get software dimming only, not the real backlight
- Not for you if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, and macOS 10.15 runs it with limits
- Too light for XDR and HDR brightness upscaling, which is in BetterDisplay, a separate app
- Watch out: macOS 27 needs version 4.4.0 or newer, and the Apple keys need Accessibility permission
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIrisGood | 2.8GPAMonitorControlGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$1.99 a month sits inside the cheaper quarter of utilities, which starts at $2.42. The $14.99 one-time Pro licence is cheap too, but it leaves out major updates; the Lifelong one that includes them is $49.99. | AFree and open source under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. There's nothing to buy and nothing held back for a paid tier. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial, and the free Iris mini has no interface and two fixed settings. Downloading the trial asks for an email address. | AThe whole app is free: brightness, volume and contrast, shortcuts, brightness sync and software dimming. For extras the README points you to BetterDisplay, a separate app from the maintainer. |
| Features | BColour temperature and brightness, nine presets, automatic mode and custom presets. Nothing in the listing is missing from a blue-light filter's job. | CIts one job is getting at an external display's brightness, volume and contrast, and it covers that: sliders, the Apple keys, dimming down to black, one slider driving every screen. Its own notes show the holes, though: most TVs and DisplayLink docks get software dimming only. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it, pick a preset or leave it on automatic, and there is nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: it sits in the menu bar and the keys you already press start working. Using the Apple keys wants Accessibility permission first. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but all desktops. No phone or web version and no integrations. | DMac only. Version 4 has full functionality from macOS 11 and runs on 10.15 with limits. No integrations are listed, and there's nothing for Windows or Linux. |
| Best for | a basic blue-light filter on Windows, Mac or Linux | brightness keys that work on an external Mac monitor |
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: Iris and MonitorControl. How we grade
Price against what you get
Iris starts at $1.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MonitorControl has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Iris scores higher, and starts $1.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Iris for less, and none scores higher than MonitorControl for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Iris can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- MonitorControl is open source, according to its own site.
- MonitorControl also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Iris | MonitorControl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. The README points to BetterDisplay for extra features. |
| Free trial | 7 days free; invited friends who install Iris earn extra free months of Iris Pro | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Iris Technologies EOOD | MonitorControl |
| Price read from | iristech.co | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Iris
- Iris Pro is a license for one version; major feature updates need the subscription or the Lifelong license.
- Each license covers one device at a time, though it can be moved to a new machine.
- Iris mini, the free version, has no interface and fixed settings.
- Downloading the trial asks for an e-mail address, which the vendor says it uses for tips and product news.
MonitorControl
- macOS only. Version 4 runs on macOS 10.15 with limits, has full functionality from macOS 11, and needs v4.4.0 or newer for macOS 27.
- DDC control does not work over the built-in HDMI port of M1 Macs, the 2018 Intel Mac mini or the entry-level M2 Mac mini; USB-C or software dimming is the fallback.
- Most TVs, DisplayLink docks and some displays such as EIZO models get software dimming only, not hardware backlight control.
- XDR and HDR brightness upscaling and support for more Macs and displays are in BetterDisplay, a separate app from the maintainer.
Key features
Iris
- Color temperature and brightness
- Lowers blue light and adjusts brightness; the vendor says brightness is changed without PWM, the flicker approach many monitors use.
- Presets and modes
- Nine presets, including Health, Sleep, Reading, Programming, Sunglasses, Dark and Movie, with Automatic, Manual and Paused modes.
- Custom presets
- Advanced settings let you build your own preset; the site mentions 20+ advanced features.
- Iris mini
- A free, stripped-down version with no interface; it switches between 5000K and 3400K and between 100% and 80% brightness in automatic mode.
- Invite-a-friend time
- Invited friends get 1 month of Iris Pro, and the person who invites gets 1 more month for each person who downloads it.
MonitorControl
- Brightness, volume and contrast
- Sliders in the menu bar adjust an external display's backlight, speaker volume and contrast over DDC/CI, which most modern LCD monitors support.
- Apple keys and custom shortcuts
- The brightness and media keys on Apple keyboards control external displays, or custom shortcuts can be set. Using the Apple keys needs Accessibility permission.
- Native on-screen display
- Brightness and volume changes show the same on-screen indicator macOS uses for Apple displays.
- Hardware and software dimming
- Software dimming continues below a display's minimum backlight level, down to full black, with smooth brightness transitions.
- Brightness sync
- Changes on the built-in or an Apple display, including those from the ambient light sensor, can be copied to other displays, and one slider can drive every screen.
- Several control methods
- DDC for external displays, Apple's native protocol for Apple and built-in screens, gamma tables for software dimming, and a shade overlay for AirPlay, Sidecar and DisplayLink.
Plans
Iris
Subscription$1.99
per month for 1 PC, billed monthly
Activates both Iris and Iris mini on one device at a time, with free program updates.
Iris Pro$14.99
one-time
Lifelong license for one version on one device at a time; free minor builds and bug fixes, but major feature updates are not included.
Lifelong$49.99
one-time
One-time purchase valid for all future versions, with free program updates, on one device at a time.
MonitorControl
MonitorControl$0
Brightness, volume and contrast control, native on-screen display, keyboard shortcuts, brightness sync and software dimming. MIT licensed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Iris or MonitorControl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MonitorControl is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1.99 a month for Iris. Iris starts at $1.99 per month, and MonitorControl is free.
Which has a free plan, Iris or MonitorControl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MonitorControl has a free plan. Iris does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Iris and MonitorControl run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Iris 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.