ClickMonitorDDC vs Monitor Brightness Control
ClickMonitorDDC
clickmonitorddc.comMonitor Brightness Control
github.comSide by side
| Figure | ClickMonitorDDC | Monitor Brightness Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Monitor Control Software | 8.5 (#1) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Compatibility | The site lists Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 and requires a monitor with DDC/CI enabled. | The README lists Ubuntu 20.04+, Linux Mint 20+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+, Arch Linux/Manjaro, and openSUSE as tested distributions. |
| Controls | Settings can be adjusted with tray controls, hotkeys, or the mouse wheel, and profiles can be switched with shortcuts. | The GUI provides real-time brightness and contrast sliders, Day/Night/Gaming presets, and monitor refresh. |
| Hotkeys | Users can assign keyboard shortcuts for adjustments and profile switching. | Global shortcuts can switch profiles or adjust brightness, and the key combinations are customizable. |
| Installation | The maker describes a portable executable that normally runs without formal installation. | The README documents installation through a shell script, pip, or source checkout. |
| Purpose | ClickMonitorDDC controls external monitor settings from Windows using DDC/CI. | Controls brightness and contrast of external monitors through DDC/CI on Linux. |
Plans
In their own words
ClickMonitorDDC
ClickMonitorDDC is a free Windows utility for controlling external monitor settings through DDC/CI. Depending on monitor support, it can adjust brightness, contrast, speaker volume, RGB gains, and color temperature. Multiple displays can be controlled independently or have settings synchronized. Controls include tray options, hotkeys, and the mouse wheel; shortcuts switch profiles, while command-line arguments or hotkeys can automate adjustments and profile changes. The listed Windows versions are 7, 8, 10, and 11, and the monitor must have DDC/CI enabled. Some laptop displays may restrict DDC/CI, and some monitors may not support every setting. The download is a portable app that runs without formal installation. The privacy policy says the software runs locally and does not collect, transmit, or store personal data from the computer, monitor, or hardware configuration. It separately says the website may collect browsing data and use cookies. The utility is described as intended for professionals, gamers, and everyday users who want monitor controls.
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.