ASUS DisplayWidget Center vs Monitor Brightness Control
ASUS DisplayWidget Center
asus.comMonitor Brightness Control
github.comSide by side
| Figure | ASUS DisplayWidget Center | Monitor Brightness Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Monitor Control Software | 8.1 (#4) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Integrations | The software supports MacBook brightness hotkeys when enabled in macOS Accessibility and integrates with ROG XREAL R1 glasses and the ProArt CaliContrO MCA02. | It uses ddcutil for DDC/CI communication and can run as a user systemd service on Linux. |
| Purpose | DisplayWidget Center is monitor management software designed to optimise and personalise ASUS displays. | Controls brightness and contrast of external monitors through DDC/CI on Linux. |
Plans
In their own words
ASUS DisplayWidget Center
ASUS DisplayWidget Center is free software for managing and adjusting compatible ASUS monitors on Windows and macOS. It lets users change display modes, brightness, contrast and colour temperature. Productivity tools include eye-care controls, MultiFrame window layouts, PIP/PBP, KVM controls and ZenScreen auto rotation. App Tweaker can apply presets or custom profiles to selected apps, and users can assign keyboard shortcuts to monitor settings. OLED Care includes pixel cleaning, uniform brightness and timer reminders, though feature availability varies by monitor. Gaming tools such as AI Visual and GamePlus are limited to specific monitor models or series. The AI Assistant accepts text or voice input to adjust settings and answer ASUS display product FAQs, but requires internet access and an account login; use may be limited to maintain service quality. Display CLI provides programmatic display control, while AI Agent Skills let compatible agents change settings using natural-language requests. Supported systems are Windows 11 or later and macOS 12 Monterey or later. The software works only with select ASUS monitors.
Monitor Brightness Control
Monitor Brightness Control is a free Linux tool for adjusting brightness and contrast on external monitors through DDC/CI. It provides a command-line interface, a graphical interface with real-time sliders and a background service. Day, Night and Gaming profiles are included; custom profiles and applying a profile at startup are also supported. Customizable global shortcuts can switch profiles or adjust brightness. The tool detects compatible monitors and supports individual control or batch operations across connected displays. It requires a DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C communication, with ddcutil listed as a system dependency. DisplayPort and modern HDMI are fully supported, DVI-D is limited, and VGA is unsupported. The README documents installation via shell script, pip or source checkout, as well as granting I2C group access and loading the i2c-dev module. It can run as a user systemd service and is licensed under MIT. The README lists tested distributions including Ubuntu 20.04+, Linux Mint 20+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+, Arch Linux/Manjaro and openSUSE. GitHub is the channel for bug reports, feature requests and contributions.