BetterDisplay Alternative for Mac: DisplayBuddy vs BetterDisplay (2026)
BetterDisplay vs DisplayBuddy: comparing the two most popular Mac display apps. See which one is right for your setup.
Trying to decide between BetterDisplay and DisplayBuddy for your Mac? Both apps control external monitor settings, but they are built for completely different users. Here is the short version:
BetterDisplay is a power-user tool built for developers and tinkerers. Its strengths are virtual displays, custom HiDPI scaling, EDID overrides, and CLI scripting.
DisplayBuddy is built for everyday Mac users. Its strengths are effortless brightness control, multi-monitor Presets, automated Schedules, and a clean native macOS interface.
Here's what the two apps actually look like side by side:
DisplayBuddy is designed to make monitor control effortless and intuitive. Its interface mirrors Apple's own design language—clean, focused, and immediately understandable. BetterDisplay, while powerful, presents users with a dense settings panel that can feel overwhelming if you just want to adjust brightness or save a preset.
For most Mac users, DisplayBuddy is the better choice. Here is the full breakdown.
BetterDisplay vs DisplayBuddy: Feature Comparison
| Feature | DisplayBuddy | BetterDisplay |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness and contrast control (DDC) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Volume control | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Keyboard brightness keys | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Apple Shortcuts support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Input source control | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Presets (save and restore all display settings) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Save display layout and monitor arrangement | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Sync brightness across all monitors | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Basic |
| Schedules (automate settings by time or event) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Siri integration | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| macOS widgets | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Spotlight integration | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Samsung Smart Monitor control (M5, M7, M8, S9) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Native macOS UI | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Complex |
| Apple Silicon native | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Virtual displays and dummy screens | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (free) |
| EDID overrides | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| XDR and HDR brightness upscaling | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Custom HiDPI and resolution scaling | ❌ No | ✅ Basic free, flexible Pro |
| Picture-in-Picture window | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| CLI scripting support Scripting and automation via command line — view docs | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Free tier | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (limited) |
| Paid upgrade | One-time purchase | BetterDisplay Pro (one-time) |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial (Windows) | 14-day Pro trial |
| Money-back guarantee | ✅ 7 days (Mac) | ❌ No |
Why Mac Users Choose DisplayBuddy Over BetterDisplay
Presets: Save Everything, Switch Instantly
Presets are DisplayBuddy's most-used feature. BetterDisplay does not have them. The BetterDisplay developer confirmed this on GitHub in January 2024, listing Presets as "coming in a future update." As of the time of writing, they are still not available in any version of BetterDisplay.
With DisplayBuddy Presets, you can:
- Save brightness, contrast, volume, input source, display arrangement, and resolution as a named Preset across every connected monitor
- Switch between setups like "Work Mode" and "Evening Mode" with a single click
- Apply the switch across all monitors simultaneously, with no per-screen adjustments
- Trigger Presets via Siri, Apple Shortcuts, Control Center widgets, or Spotlight
Sync: One Adjustment, All Monitors
With multiple monitors, keeping brightness consistent is a constant manual task. Both apps offer brightness sync, but DisplayBuddy's implementation goes further:
- Adjust any one monitor and all others follow automatically
- Works via the app, keyboard shortcuts, or Siri voice commands
- Stays active in the background with no manual management required
- Ties directly into Presets and Schedules, so your Sync settings carry across automated workflows
BetterDisplay includes basic brightness and image control sync across displays. DisplayBuddy builds on this with Siri control, background persistence, and integration with Presets and Schedules that BetterDisplay does not offer.
Schedules: Your Displays Change Automatically
DisplayBuddy Schedules let your display settings change automatically based on triggers you configure once:
- Time of day (e.g., dim all monitors at 9 PM)
- Sunrise and sunset
- Mac lock and unlock
- Dark Mode toggle
- Monitor connected or disconnected
- Charging state (separate settings on battery vs. plugged in)
Once set up, your displays just work the way you want. No manual adjustments. BetterDisplay does not offer Schedules.
A Native macOS Interface
DisplayBuddy is built to look and feel like a native Apple app. The interface mirrors Control Center, with smooth animations and a layout that requires no learning curve.
BetterDisplay is powerful, but its interface surfaces its entire feature set at once. Users who want to do something simple, like dim an external monitor with a keyboard shortcut, often find themselves looking at a dense settings panel full of technical terminology they do not need. The difference in day-to-day experience is significant.
Samsung Smart Monitor Support
DisplayBuddy includes built-in support for Samsung Smart Monitors (M5, M7, M8, ViewFinity S9) over Wi-Fi, including full control of brightness, contrast, volume, and input source, plus a built-in remote. BetterDisplay does not support Samsung Smart Monitors.
Spotlight, Siri, and Control Center Integration
In macOS Tahoe, DisplayBuddy adds integration points that BetterDisplay does not match:
- Spotlight: search for and activate any Preset without opening the app
- Control Center widgets: access and switch Presets directly from the menu bar
- Siri commands: "Hey Siri, set all monitors to 50% brightness"
What Is BetterDisplay?
BetterDisplay (originally released as BetterDummy) is a display management app for macOS. It started as a tool for creating virtual dummy displays and has grown into a comprehensive utility targeting power users and developers.
BetterDisplay's core feature set includes:
- Virtual screens and dummy displays for headless Mac setups
- Custom HiDPI and resolution scaling for monitors macOS does not handle natively
- EDID overrides to fix display detection and configuration issues
- XDR and HDR brightness upscaling on compatible displays
- Picture-in-Picture windows for any display
- CLI support for scripting display changes in developer workflows
- GPU dithering controls to address Apple Silicon display flickering
BetterDisplay is freemium. Brightness control, keyboard shortcuts, input source control, Apple Shortcuts support, virtual displays, basic custom HiDPI resolutions, and multi-display brightness sync are available for free. Advanced features, including flexible HiDPI scaling, EDID overrides, XDR/HDR upscaling, layout protection, and Picture-in-Picture, require BetterDisplay Pro, which is a one-time paid upgrade. A 14-day free trial of Pro is available.
The current major version is BetterDisplay v4.x. It supports macOS Tahoe, Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura.
How to Download BetterDisplay
BetterDisplay is available from the developer's website at betterdisplay.pro and on GitHub. It is not available on the Mac App Store.
Consider BetterDisplay only if you specifically need EDID overrides, flexible HiDPI resolution scaling, or XDR brightness upscaling. Virtual displays and basic brightness sync are available in the free version. For everything else, including everyday brightness control, multi-monitor Presets, and automated Schedules, DisplayBuddy is the more capable and easier-to-use option. DisplayBuddy includes a 7-day free trial on Windows and a 7-day money-back guarantee on Mac.
Common Problems with BetterDisplay on Mac
A Dense Interface That Gets in the Way of Simple Tasks
BetterDisplay's biggest weakness is its interface. The app surfaces every advanced feature up front, which makes simple tasks harder than they need to be. Users who want to save a brightness setting or switch monitor inputs find themselves navigating a settings panel designed for developers configuring low-level display parameters.
This is the most consistent complaint about BetterDisplay across Mac user communities: it is built for power users, and it shows, even when all you want is a brightness slider.
Display Settings That Reset After Sleep
A well-documented pattern across multiple versions of BetterDisplay is that certain settings do not survive sleep and wake correctly. Confirmed issues reported on the BetterDisplay GitHub include:
- Brightness resetting to 100% on wake from sleep
- Custom resolutions and scaling configurations reverting to defaults
- Image adjustment settings clearing after the display sleeps
- Refresh rate settings resetting to a fixed rate on wake
The BetterDisplay developer has attributed some of these to a macOS bug affecting certain displays on wake, but the issues have been reported across M1, M2, and M3 Macs on Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe. This is a real friction point for users relying on BetterDisplay for daily monitor management.
Advanced Features Are Behind a Paywall
BetterDisplay's free version covers brightness control, virtual displays, basic custom resolutions, and multi-display brightness sync. But the features that set BetterDisplay apart from simpler tools, including flexible HiDPI scaling, EDID overrides, XDR/HDR upscaling, layout protection, and Picture-in-Picture, all require BetterDisplay Pro. Users who install the free version expecting the full BetterDisplay experience discover a paid upgrade is required for the advanced capabilities.
No Presets or Schedules, and Limited Sync
BetterDisplay offers basic brightness sync across displays, but it lacks the two features Mac users with multiple monitors request most: Presets and Schedules. Presets are listed as a planned future addition by the developer, but have no confirmed release date and are absent from BetterDisplay v4.x. Schedules are not available and have not been announced. Without Presets and Schedules, BetterDisplay's sync cannot be tied to saved configurations or automated triggers, limiting its usefulness for users who switch between setups throughout the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BetterDisplay free?
Is BetterDisplay Pro worth it?
What is the best BetterDisplay alternative for Mac?
Is BetterDisplay better than DisplayBuddy?
Does BetterDisplay have Presets?
Does BetterDisplay work on Windows?
Which is better for Mac: BetterDisplay or DisplayBuddy?
The Verdict: BetterDisplay vs DisplayBuddy
BetterDisplay is a legitimate tool for a specific audience: developers who need virtual displays, power users forcing custom resolutions on non-native monitors, and anyone troubleshooting display detection with EDID overrides. If those use cases apply to your setup, consider BetterDisplay.
For everyone else, DisplayBuddy is the better Mac display app. Most Mac users do not need EDID overrides or CLI scripting. They need brightness and contrast control from their keyboard, a way to save multi-monitor setups as named Presets, and the option to automate settings without touching anything. DisplayBuddy delivers all of that, offers deeper Sync integration with Siri and automation that BetterDisplay cannot match, adds Samsung Smart Monitor support, and wraps it in an interface that feels like it belongs on macOS.
DisplayBuddy is a one-time purchase with lifetime updates, a 7-day free trial on Windows, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on Mac.