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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

ddcutil

Ch 036.9of 25 Monitor Control Software
  1. 1Runs onAPI, Linux, self-hosted
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Supported platformsLinux
  4. 4DDC/CI controlYes
  5. 5Input switchingYes
  6. 6Monitor profilesYes
  7. 7CLI or API accessYes
7 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: ddcutil.com
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The ddcutil homepage

Overview

ddcutil is ranked #3 of 25 in monitor control software on Specifiction. It runs on API, Linux, Self-hosted. There is a free plan.

ddcutil plans and pricing

All plans
ddcutil Free GNU General Public License, V2 (GPLV2) ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
ddcui Free GNU General Public License, V2 (GPLV2); graphical interface for ddcutil ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on monitor control software

Free plan
Yesddcutil.com
Supported platforms
Linuxddcutil.com
DDC/CI control
Yesddcutil.com
Input switching
Yesddcutil.com
Monitor profiles
Yesddcutil.com
CLI or API access
Yesddcutil.com

Facts

Purpose
ddcutil is a Linux program for managing monitor settings such as brightness, color levels, and input source.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Monitor communication
It communicates with monitors using DDC/CI over I²C and also supports monitors that implement MCCS over USB.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Monitor controls
Its commands can detect monitors, report capabilities, read and set VCP feature values, and save or restore color related settings.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Graphical interface
ddcui is a Qt graphical interface with Summary, Capabilities, and Features views, and its Features view can change modifiable values.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Color profiles
The dumpvcp command saves current color related monitor settings to a file, and loadvcp restores them.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Integration
The documentation says ddcui can be used alongside DisplayCal’s monitor adjustment phase, and C or C++ programs can access dump/load services through the API.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
API
The C API is exposed through the shared library libddcutil.so and includes functions for reading and writing VCP values and saving and restoring profile related features.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
License
ddcutil is released under the GNU General Public License version 2, and its source is hosted on GitHub.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Installation
The maker documents prebuilt packages and source builds; its project maintained packages include builds for some Debian, openSUSE, and Ubuntu releases, with Launchpad and Fedora COPR packages also described.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Linux distributions
The documentation says ddcutil is included in Arch, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, Manjaro, openSUSE, and Raspbian.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Setup requirements
ddcutil requires the Linux kernel i2c-dev module, and permissions must be granted for non-root users to run it.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Support
The maker directs technical support questions, bug reports, and feature requests to the GitHub issue tracker.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Display limits
ddcutil does not support laptop displays, which are controlled through a special API rather than I²C.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
USB limits
For MCCS over USB, table type features are unsupported and the capabilities command synthesizes a response because the specification has no mechanism to query a capabilities string.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Maker
The documentation identifies Sanford Rockowitz as ddcutil’s developer and maintainer.ddcutil.com · 3 Oct 2026
Settings automation
Its commands can detect monitors, read and set VCP features, and save or restore monitor settings.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
C API
The C API is exposed through the shared library libddcutil.so, with installed header files and sample client programs.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
Platforms
Prebuilt packages are listed for Linux distributions including Arch, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, Manjaro, openSUSE, and Raspbian, with source builds available when packages are unavailable.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
Laptop display limit
ddcutil does not support laptop displays because they use a special API rather than I²C.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
Virtual machine limit
The documentation says ddcutil generally will not run in a virtual machine because virtual video drivers do not implement I²C.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
Table features
Reading and writing MCCS table type features is implemented but the project says it has not been tested due to lack of a monitor for testing.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026
Intended users
The documentation describes color profile management as a primary use and also presents a C API for programs that need monitor control.ddcutil.com · 4 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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