Lunar vs m1ddc

Lunar is a macOS app for controlling monitors, including external monitor brightness, volume and input. On compatible monitors it uses DDC to send brightness and input commands directly. Manual Mode provides hotkeys for external-monitor adjustments, while Sync Mode copies the MacBook’s adaptive brightness changes to external displays. Sensor Mode adjusts brightness and contrast using an external ambient light sensor; Location Mode responds to the sun’s position. Clock Mode schedules changes by time or by sunrise, noon or sunset. Pro features include XDR Brightness, sub-zero dimming, Auto BlackOut, BlackOut and FaceLight. Lunar also works with macOS Shortcuts and includes a command-line interface for monitor automation. It supports macOS 11 and later and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. When DDC is unavailable, Gamma can dim a display but cannot change its volume or input. The free version permits 100 Manual Mode adjustments and 100 Shortcuts action calls per day. Lunar Pro costs $23.00 USD as a lifetime license.

m1ddc is a free command-line tool for controlling external displays from Apple Silicon Macs. Through DDC/CI, it can set or read luminance, contrast, RGB gain, volume, mute, and input source when a display supports those controls. Supported connections include USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode, and compatible built-in HDMI ports. Certain Dell displays also expose PIP, PBP, and KVM configuration. The command-line interface is intended for scripts, and the project links to a Hammerspoon example. A Raycast Display Input Switcher extension is also linked, although it does not cover every m1ddc feature. The tool is available for macOS on Apple Silicon and does not support Intel Macs. Building requires clang from Apple’s Command Line Tools; the README says those tools install automatically if absent. The repository includes an MIT License. Display behavior depends on the connected monitor’s supported controls.