# BetterDisplay

> Display scaling, brightness and DDC control for Mac

BetterDisplay is a macOS menu bar utility from Kodeon Software for managing built-in and external displays. Its free features cover DDC brightness, volume and input control, software dimming, resolution and refresh rate selection, and basic virtual screens. A one-time Pro license adds flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR and HDR brightness upscaling, Picture in Picture and display disconnection. Businesses need a Pro license to keep using it after the 14-day trial.

- **Category:** Desktop Utilities
- **Made by:** Kodeon Software
- **Website:** https://betterdisplay.pro
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

BetterDisplay has a free plan. Paid plans start at $21.99 one-time purchase (Pro license, tax may apply).

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** Non-business users keep the free features after the trial: DDC brightness, volume and input control, software dimming, the resolution slider and basic virtual screens. The terms say there are no purchase pop-ups or ads.
- **Free trial:** 14-day trial with all Pro features unlocked.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | For non-business users: DDC brightness, volume and input control, software dimming, resolution slider, refresh rate selector and basic virtual screens. |
| Pro License | $21.99 one-time purchase per license (€19.99), tax may apply | All Pro features for the current major version on up to two personal Macs, with at least one year of updates including major upgrades. |

Read from https://betterdisplay.pro/ on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with BetterDisplay before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **25% student discount via Student App Centre** (Education): The purchase guide says Student App Centre offers 25% off BetterDisplay through its membership, which has a seven-day free trial and then renews as a paid yearly subscription. Source: https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/getting-a-pro-license/
- **Free features open to nonprofits** (Nonprofit): The license terms do not treat nonprofits, charities, churches and similar entities as businesses, so they may use the free version without buying Pro. Source: https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/terms/
- **Volume licensing for 25 or more computers** (Other savings): For deployments of 25 or more computers, the vendor asks businesses to contact the developer about volume licensing. Source: https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/getting-a-pro-license/

## Key features

- **DDC monitor control:** Changes brightness, volume, contrast, input and power on external monitors over DDC, using sliders, the native keys or custom shortcuts. These controls are in the free feature set.
- **Flexible HiDPI scaling:** Converts built-in and natively connected external displays to flexibly scaled HiDPI screens. The resolution slider is free; flexible scaling needs Pro.
- **XDR and HDR brightness upscaling:** Raises brightness beyond the standard range, up to 1600 nits on XDR displays, with display-dependent boosts on external HDR screens. A Pro feature.
- **Virtual screens and Picture in Picture:** Creates virtual screens with chosen aspect ratios and resolutions, and shows any display in a Picture in Picture window. Basic virtual screens are free; Picture in Picture and streaming need Pro.
- **Disconnect and configuration protection:** Disconnects and reconnects displays without unplugging them, and protects a display's resolution, refresh rate, rotation and color profile from changing. Both need Pro.
- **CLI, Shortcuts and HTTP integration:** Offers a command-line interface, macOS Shortcuts actions, a custom URL scheme and an HTTP interface. Access is free, but operations that change Pro features still need Pro.

## Good for

- Controlling an external monitor's brightness, volume and input from the Mac
- Running scaled HiDPI resolutions on external displays
- Headless Macs that need a virtual screen for remote access
- Scripting display changes through the CLI or macOS Shortcuts

## Worth knowing

- macOS only. The current v5 release requires macOS 26.3 or later; older releases for earlier macOS versions are still listed for download.
- Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR and HDR upscaling, Picture in Picture and display disconnection all need the $21.99 Pro license.
- Businesses must buy a Pro license to use any feature, free or Pro, beyond the 14-day trial.
- A license covers the current major version plus at least one year of updates; a later major version may need a new or upgrade license.

## Works with

Apple Shortcuts, LG webOS TV, Samsung Tizen TV, Philips Android TV, Yamaha AVR, DisplayLink

**Tags:** Display control, Menu bar app, One-time purchase

## Alternatives

- [MonitorControl](https://toolgpa.com/tools/monitorcontrol): Free, open-source brightness and volume control for Mac displays. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-monitorcontrol)
- [f.lux](https://toolgpa.com/tools/f-lux): Warms your screen's color at night to match the time of day. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-f-lux)
- [Twinkle Tray](https://toolgpa.com/tools/twinkle-tray): Free brightness sliders for external monitors on Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-twinkle-tray)
- [DisplayFusion](https://toolgpa.com/tools/displayfusion): Multi-monitor taskbars, wallpaper and window control for Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-displayfusion)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://betterdisplay.pro/
- https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/getting-a-pro-license/
- https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/free-and-pro-features/
- https://betterdisplay.pro/guide/licensing/terms/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/betterdisplay
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).