BetterDisplay vs ExtLume
BetterDisplay
betterdisplay.proExtLume
github.comSide by side
| Figure | BetterDisplay | ExtLume |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Monitor Control Software | 8.1 (#5) | 7.4 (#15) |
| Privacy | Licensing uses Paddle, crash detection and log collection use Sentry, and the privacy policy says users can disable crash reporting, licensing features, and automatic update checks. | ExtLume says it works offline with no telemetry, analytics, crash upload, update check, account, cloud synchronization, advertising identifier, or network request. |
| Support | Community help is available through GitHub Issues, Discussions, and Discord; support is voluntary and a license does not guarantee personalized support. | The maker directs users to GitHub Issues for general troubleshooting and recommends including app, Windows, laptop or GPU, monitor, connection path, control mode, and expected-versus-actual result in compatibility reports. |
Plans
In their own words
BetterDisplay
BetterDisplay is a macOS app for managing display brightness, resolution, color, and connections. It can provide flexible HiDPI scaling for internal and natively connected external displays, and create virtual screens with different aspect ratios and resolutions. XDR and HDR brightness upscaling is available, though support depends on the Mac and display. Picture in Picture windows can show physical displays or virtual screens, and the app can capture selected windows or groups. Compatible connections support DDC hardware control and HDMI-CEC; network control is listed for LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Philips Android TV, and Yamaha AVR. Automation options include macOS Shortcuts, command-line access, custom URLs, HTTP, notifications, and scripts. The app is free for non-business users after the 14-day trial, but Pro features require a license. BetterDisplay Pro costs $21.99, paid once for a perpetual license for covered versions and includes at least one year of updates. Businesses need a Pro license after the trial even for free functionality. Compatibility varies with the Mac, macOS version, display, and connection.
ExtLume
ExtLume is a Windows tray app for adjusting external-monitor brightness when Windows provides a brightness control only for the laptop panel. It offers a separate slider for each safely identified active external display and shows its EDID model name. When the monitor and the full cable or dock chain support DDC/CI, the app changes the physical backlight. If that is unavailable, it can use a click-through dimming overlay on a safely isolated external desktop area; this changes the image but not backlight power. ExtLume handles multiple displays, mirrored groups, hot-plugging, and resume, while excluding built-in panels and virtual displays. It targets Windows 10 and Windows 11 and requires .NET Framework 4.8. The free, MIT-licensed public beta is available from GitHub Releases as a per-user installer or portable ZIP and requires no administrator rights. ExtLume says it works offline without telemetry or network requests. It stores limited local monitor and dimming data, and its controls are limited to brightness rather than arbitrary VCP commands, resets, or automatic display substitution.