DisplayBuddy vs Twinkle Tray
DisplayBuddy
displaybuddy.app
Twinkle Tray
twinkletray.comSide by side
| Figure | DisplayBuddy | Twinkle Tray |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Monitor Control Software | 7.9 (#7) | 7.2 (#17) |
| Automation | The Mac app can schedule presets by sunrise, sunset, time of day, charger state, or connected display, and supports macOS Shortcuts, Siri, a CLI, and MCP. | It supports brightness adjustments by time of day or when the computer is idle. |
| Monitor controls | It can control brightness, contrast, built-in speaker volume, input source, resolution, and rotation on supported displays. | It can control DDC/CI features including contrast, volume, and power state. |
| Privacy | Display controls and settings are processed and stored locally; optional anonymous product analytics can be disabled in the app. | The privacy policy says it collects user settings, operating system, CPU name, app version, user interactions, and estimated location through Google Analytics, with an opt-out in Settings. |
| Purpose | DisplayBuddy controls external monitor brightness, contrast, and volume from a Mac menu bar or Windows taskbar. | Twinkle Tray manages brightness levels for multiple monitors from a Windows system-tray icon. |
Plans
DisplayBuddy
- Personal$24.99, paid once
- Pro$29.99, paid once
- Family$49.99, paid once
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
DisplayBuddy
DisplayBuddy controls supported external monitor settings from a Mac menu bar or Windows taskbar. Depending on the display, it can adjust brightness, contrast, speaker volume, input source, resolution, and rotation. The Mac app uses DDC for hardware control and can use gamma dimming when a monitor does not respond. The maker says it also controls supported LG webOS and Samsung Tizen smart monitors over Wi-Fi. Users can save presets and synchronize brightness across displays. On Mac, presets can be scheduled by sunrise, sunset, time of day, charger state, or connected display; the app also supports Shortcuts, Siri, a command-line interface, and MCP. The Windows app supports Windows 10 and 11, with presets, hotkeys, input switching, and resolution and refresh-rate controls. Personal costs $24.99, paid once for one Mac, Pro costs $29.99, paid once for up to two Macs, and Family costs $49.99, paid once for up to five Macs; each includes lifetime access. There is no free plan, but a 7-day trial is available. Core controls work offline after internet-based license activation.
Twinkle Tray
Twinkle Tray is a Windows utility for managing brightness on multiple monitors from a system-tray icon. Sliders can adjust one display or all displays at once, and the app can control DDC/CI monitor features such as contrast, volume, and power state. It supports most laptops and DDC/CI-enabled monitors, using WMI for internal laptop displays and DDC/CI for external displays. Users can schedule brightness adjustments by time of day or when the computer is idle, and bind hotkeys to particular displays or all of them. Command-line arguments support custom scripting, and the application is localized in over 20 languages. Twinkle Tray is free and can be obtained through the Microsoft Store or as a GitHub installer. Compatibility may be limited with VGA or DVI connections and some USB, Thunderbolt, or Surface docks using HDMI or DisplayPort. Its privacy policy describes collection of settings, operating system, CPU name, app version, user interactions, and estimated location through Google Analytics; users can opt out in Settings.