# Lunar review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Mac app that sets external monitor brightness over DDC Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Lunar controls external monitors from a Mac by sending DDC commands, so brightness, contrast, volume and input can change on the display itself instead of through a dark overlay. The free version covers manual control with the keyboard keys; Lunar Pro adds automatic modes that follow the MacBook's light sensor, the clock or the sun. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** THE LOW-TECH GUYS SRL - **Website:** https://lunar.fyi - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Tight if you stay on free, since it stops at 100 adjustments and 100 action calls a day. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Lunar has a free plan, and paid plans start at $23 one-time. - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **Free plan:** DDC brightness control, sub-zero dimming, brightness and volume keys, input switching and multi-monitor support, with 100 adjustments and 100 action calls per day. - **Free trial:** 14-day trial of Pro included. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Manual control of external monitors, limited to 100 adjustments and 100 action calls per day. | | Lunar Pro | $23 one-time, lifetime license | Unlimited adjustments and actions, plus Sync, Sensor, Clock and Location modes, XDR brightness, FaceLight and BlackOut. | Read from https://lunar.fyi on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Lunar before buying. ## Key features - **DDC control:** Sends brightness, volume and input commands straight to the monitor rather than dimming with an overlay. - **Apple display support:** Controls Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, LG UltraFine for Mac and Thunderbolt Display natively. - **Keyboard control:** Uses the Mac brightness and volume keys for external monitors, with hotkeys to switch inputs. - **Sync and sensor modes:** Pro copies the MacBook's adaptive brightness to monitors, or reads an external ambient light sensor for desktop Macs. - **Clock and location modes:** Pro changes brightness on a schedule or by the sun's position, with sunrise and sunset offsets. - **XDR brightness and BlackOut:** Pro can lift the macOS brightness cap on XDR panels and turn off selected displays with a hotkey. ## Good for - Mac users with external monitors who want to use the keyboard brightness keys on them - Desktop Mac setups that need brightness to follow a schedule or the sun ## Worth knowing - Mac only; the version 7 beta needs macOS 14 and Apple Silicon, while the current release lists macOS 11 or newer. - The free version stops at 100 adjustments and 100 action calls per day. - Some monitors or ports block DDC commands, and the site lists a fallback method for those cases. - The license covers 5 personal computers; more need a volume license, according to the EULA. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Lunar sets external monitor brightness on a Mac by talking to the monitor itself, and lets the brightness keys work on it. Free is capped at 100 adjustments a day, some monitors and ports block the commands it uses, and it is Mac only. - **Value for money: A.** $23 once for Pro, under a year of what this category's middle subscription costs. - **Free plan and trial: C.** Free works for manual control but stops at 100 adjustments and 100 action calls a day. The Pro trial lasts 14 days. - **Features: C.** Brightness, volume and input control over DDC, Apple display support and keyboard keys. Sync, schedules and XDR need Pro, and some monitors block DDC. - **Ease of use: C.** No rating on record. Some monitors and ports need the fallback method, so expect trial and error. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Mac only, and the version 7 beta needs macOS 14 and Apple Silicon. Shortcuts is the one listed integration. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Low-Tech Guys's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - Lunar's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 5 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 11. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 96) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** To replace Lunar you would be making control of displays through the operating system. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 80 of the 96 other desktop utilities grade higher. It costs $23, paid once. - You could not: Control of displays through the operating system. - You could not: A native app living in the menu bar. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with macOS Shortcuts **Tags:** Display control, Menu bar app, Keyboard-first, One-time purchase ## Alternatives - [BetterDisplay](https://toolgpa.com/tools/betterdisplay): Display scaling, brightness and DDC control for Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-lunar) - [MonitorControl](https://toolgpa.com/tools/monitorcontrol): Free, open-source brightness and volume control for Mac displays. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/lunar-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/f-lux-vs-lunar) - [Twinkle Tray](https://toolgpa.com/tools/twinkle-tray): Free brightness sliders for external monitors on Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/lunar-vs-twinkle-tray) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://lunar.fyi - https://lunar.fyi/eula Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/lunar Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).