DDC-CI Control Bridge vs Monitor Brightness Control
DDC-CI Control Bridge
github.comMonitor Brightness Control
github.comSide by side
| Figure | DDC-CI Control Bridge | Monitor Brightness Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Monitor Control Software | 7.6 (#9) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Integrations | The README lists Home Assistant auto-discovery, openHAB, Node-RED, Domoticz, and generic MQTT platforms. | It uses ddcutil for DDC/CI communication and can run as a user systemd service on Linux. |
| License | The repository identifies the project as MIT licensed. | The project is licensed under the MIT License. |
| Purpose | The project controls monitor brightness, contrast, power, and input through DDC/CI. | Controls brightness and contrast of external monitors through DDC/CI on Linux. |
| Requirements | A monitor must support DDC/CI and have it enabled in its on-screen settings; Linux may require i2c group access. | It requires a DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C communication; the README lists ddcutil as a system dependency. |
| Support | The README invites contributions through GitHub issues or pull requests. | The README invites bug reports, feature requests, and contributions through GitHub. |
Plans
In their own words
DDC-CI Control Bridge
DDC-CI Control Bridge is a free project for controlling compatible monitors through DDC/CI. It can manage brightness, contrast, power, and input, and offers command-line or API access. Its Model Context Protocol server provides resources and tools for AI or agent integration, including reading and writing VCP codes, setting brightness from 0 to 100, and rescanning monitors and capabilities. An MQTT client connects it to automation systems. Listed integrations include Home Assistant auto-discovery, openHAB, Node-RED, Domoticz, and generic MQTT platforms. The project is available as an npm package or as standalone executables for Windows, Linux, and macOS. MCP can run locally over stdio or provide remote HTTP/SSE access to other machines on a network. Authentication requires the DDC_API_KEY environment variable. The project is MIT licensed and invites contributions through GitHub issues or pull requests. A monitor must support DDC/CI with the feature enabled in its on-screen settings. On Linux, access may require i2c-dev and membership in the i2c group. Some VCP codes are read-only, and supported codes vary by monitor.
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.