Mac utilities3 picks

The best external display apps for Mac

BetterDisplay is the external display app most Mac users should install, and its free version already fixes your brightness keys.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickBetterDisplay app iconBetterDisplayPick it if text looks soft on the non-Apple monitor you plug your MacBook into every day.Free to start
Also greatMonitorControl app iconMonitorControlPick this if you only want your keyboard's brightness and volume keys to work on an external monitor.Free, open sourceAlso greatLunar app iconLunarPick it if you want your external monitor's brightness to follow your MacBook's screen automatically.Free to start

BetterDisplay gives any monitor working brightness keys and virtual screens for free, and Pro at $21.99 once makes text on non-Apple displays look sharp. MonitorControl is the simplest free pick if you only want brightness and volume keys. Lunar suits MacBook users who want an external monitor to dim and brighten along with the built-in screen.

How we chose

  1. 1Sharp text on non-Apple monitors
  2. 2Brightness keys that reach the monitor
  3. 3Matching brightness across screens

Compare at a glance

Tap a name to jump to its write-up.

AppPriceHow you payMacDeveloperRating
BetterDisplay app iconBetterDisplayFree to startFree, with paid upgradesToo few ratings
MonitorControl app iconMonitorControlFree, open sourceFreeToo few ratings
Lunar app iconLunarFree to startFree, with paid upgradesToo few ratings

Swipe the table sideways to see more

The picks, in order

  1. 1BetterDisplay app icon

    BetterDisplay

    Free to startOur pick

    Pick it if text looks soft on the non-Apple monitor you plug your MacBook into every day.

    MonitorControl gives an external monitor working brightness keys for free, and BetterDisplay's free version does the same plus volume, dimming to black and virtual screens. The $21.99 Pro license adds HiDPI scaling, the fix for fuzzy text on non-Apple monitors, and can push an XDR MacBook Pro screen to 1600 nits. If brightness is all you want, MonitorControl or Lunar is simpler.

    Prices and full verdictDeveloper's site
  2. 2MonitorControl app icon

    MonitorControl

    Free, open source

    Pick this if you only want your keyboard's brightness and volume keys to work on an external monitor.

    Your Mac's brightness and volume keys do nothing on most external monitors, and this free, open source menu bar app makes them work, complete with the native macOS on-screen indicator. It talks to monitors over DDC and falls back to software dimming for TVs and DisplayLink docks. It won't fix fuzzy scaling, so if text looks soft too, the paid BetterDisplay Pro is the app to get instead.

    Prices and full verdictDeveloper's site
  3. 3Lunar app icon

    Lunar

    Free to start

    Pick it if you want your external monitor's brightness to follow your MacBook's screen automatically.

    Press your Mac's brightness keys and an external monitor actually responds, because Lunar talks to the monitor's own controls instead of laying a dark filter over the screen. The free version handles brightness and volume but caps you at 100 adjustments a day. Pro, $23 once for up to 5 Macs, syncs the monitor with your MacBook screen; if you only want key control, the free MonitorControl does it with no daily cap.

    Prices and full verdictDeveloper's site

Head to head

Stuck between 2 of these? Each comparison lines up price, devices and who should pick which.

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