External display apps for MacHead to head
MonitorControl vs Lunar
MonitorControl ranks #2 and Lunar ranks #3 in our guide to the best external display apps for Mac. MonitorControl is the better pick for most people.
MonitorControlPick MonitorControl if you only want your keyboard's brightness and volume keys to work on an external monitor.Free, open source#3 in the guide
LunarPick Lunar if you want your external monitor's brightness to follow your MacBook's screen automatically.Free to startWhat decides it
- On price: MonitorControl is free and open source. Lunar is free with daily limits. Pro is $23 once for up to 5 Macs.
- Both run on Mac.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | MonitorControl | Lunar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source | Free with daily limits. Pro is $23 once for up to 5 Macs |
| How you pay | Free | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | Free | Depends on the plan |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer | Developer |
| Features | Menu bar app, Open source | Menu bar app, Shortcuts, Free trial |
| Last updated | Not tracked | 26 Oct 2026 |
Who should get which
Get MonitorControl if
You use a non-Apple monitor every day and just want the brightness keys on your keyboard to work.
Get Lunar if
You work on a MacBook plus an external monitor and want both screens to dim and brighten together.
Skip MonitorControl if
You only use your MacBook's own screen or an Apple display, where the keys already work.
Skip Lunar if
You only need the brightness keys to work on a monitor; MonitorControl does that free with no daily limit.
Our verdicts
MonitorControl
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.
Lunar
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.
What each one helps you do
MonitorControl
- Dim an external monitor with your Mac's keys
- Change monitor volume from the keyboard
- Adjust several screens with 1 slider
- Dim a screen all the way to black
Lunar
- Change monitor brightness with your Mac's keys
- Match your monitor's brightness to your MacBook
- Dim a screen below its lowest setting
- Switch monitor inputs from your Mac
Where to get them
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best external display apps for Mac.
Read the full guideAll MonitorControl alternativesAll Lunar alternatives