BetterDisplay vs Monitor Switch

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.

Monitor Switch is an MIT-licensed service for switching a monitor’s input and controlling its DDC/CI features through a browser interface, HTTP API, scripts, or Home Assistant. It is designed for people who use one monitor with multiple computers, including when the computer currently displayed is asleep or off. Where a monitor exposes the controls, the service can adjust brightness, contrast, volume, mute, picture mode, colour temperature, RGB gain, and black level. It can also read usage hours, firmware level, refresh rates, and power state. Editable profiles set monitor values and can replace incorrect capability detection. For Home Assistant, MQTT discovery presents profile features as entities such as selectors, sliders, and sensors. The service runs on a Raspberry Pi connected to the monitor by HDMI; setup requires Raspberry Pi OS and SSH, and installation uses an Ansible playbook. The project is described as usable but not yet released. Hardware verification is reported only for a Samsung Odyssey G9 with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W; other monitors have not been verified.