# Vivid review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Mac app that unlocks extra brightness on XDR displays Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Vivid is a macOS menu bar app that makes the extra brightness range of Apple's XDR displays available for everyday content, not only HDR video. It works with M-series MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models, Studio Display XDR and Pro Display XDR. A free Splitscreen Mode covers half the screen, and the full app is a one-time purchase. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** Lumen Digital - **Website:** https://www.getvivid.app/ - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** 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. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Vivid has a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store in-app purchase). - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **Free plan:** Splitscreen Mode: half of the screen can reach full brightness, for as long as you like. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://www.getvivid.app/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Vivid before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - M-series MacBook Pro owners who work in bright light - Studio Display XDR and Pro Display XDR users - Teams that want one-time licenses for several Macs ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Vivid pushes an XDR display past its normal brightness, system-wide. It does that one job, but only on XDR screens, and the free mode lights up just half the screen. - **Value for money: 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: B.** Splitscreen 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: C.** Does 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: B.** No rating on record. You install it and flip a toggle; nothing to configure. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Mac only, and only certain Macs. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lumen Digital's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - Vivid's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 69 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 46. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 55 of 186) 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 Vivid 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. It costs $9.99, 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 Setapp **Tags:** Display control, One-time purchase, Menu bar app ## Alternatives - [BetterDisplay](https://toolgpa.com/tools/betterdisplay): Display scaling, brightness and DDC control for Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/betterdisplay-vs-vivid) - [Lunar](https://toolgpa.com/tools/lunar): Mac app that sets external monitor brightness over DDC. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/lunar-vs-vivid) - [MonitorControl](https://toolgpa.com/tools/monitorcontrol): Free, open-source brightness and volume control for Mac displays. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/monitorcontrol-vs-vivid) - [Iris](https://toolgpa.com/tools/iris): Screen color and brightness software for eye comfort. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/iris-vs-vivid) - [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-vivid) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.getvivid.app/ - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vivid-screen-brightness-boost/id6443470555?mt=12 Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/vivid Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).