Lunar

What it is for

Lunar is a macOS monitor-brightness desk: you set Clock Mode on DELL U3419W over Hardware DDC, and the core stays Free. Use it when the job is hardware brightness you start at a public $, not when you need BetterDisplay’s virtual screens / HiDPI / PIP first.

Soft-note: Free (DDC / Apple Native / Manual / Gamma fallback / CLI) + Lunar Pro US$23 one-time (homepage Pricing table: Free | $23). 14-day Pro trial on first launch (FAQ). Source is MIT at alin23/Lunar. Distinct from BetterDisplay, BetterTouchTool, and Stats.

What makes it unique: the cover is Lunar’s official Clock Mode Preferences (DELL U3419W, Hardware DDC, Brightness 0 / Contrast 50, DisplayPort 1, Time 13:25 + Sunset 18:00) from lunar.fyi — not a wordmark. The DELL U3419W tile itself is ops of Clock Mode.

Key features

• Clock Mode Preferences — DELL U3419W / Hardware DDC / DisplayPort 1 (cover still; product). One desk. Cover DELL U3419W sits here.
• Hardware DDC — real brightness / contrast / input / volume to the panel (product). A DDC command, not a Pro tile.
• Brightness + Contrast readouts — MIN / CURRENT / MAX on the cover (cover). A readout, not a $23 meter.
• Time / Sunset schedules — 13:25 and Sunset (18:00) on the cover (cover). A schedule, not Get started.
• Manual + brightness keys — same keys for external monitors; Free Manual is capped (product). A key, not Enterprise.
• Gamma fallback — software dim when DDC fails (product). A fallback, not SSO.

Download / Buy Pro are CTAs (not desks). Pro $23 stays in Pricing. Sync / Location / Sensor / BlackOut / FaceLight / XDR unlock / unlimited Manual+Shortcuts are Pro desks — see Limitations. There is no AI extra to drop.

Who it's for

Best fit: Mac users who will stay on Free while they send a first DDC brightness to an external panel — then Lunar Pro at US$23 when they need Sync / Location / Clock beyond the trial, not BetterDisplay Pro US$21.99 first unless they want HiDPI / virtual screens / PIP, and not if they are not on macOS.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) from lunar.fyi (Pricing table Free | $23) plus lunar.fyi/faq (14-day Pro trial) and github.com/alin23/Lunar (LICENSE MIT). Soft-note: USD as printed. Do not invent Pro+ / Pro++ $ — the homepage table we fetched lists one paid cell.

• Free — $0. DDC / Apple Native / Manual (capped) / Gamma fallback / CLI / input switching.
• Lunar Pro — US$23 one-time. Unlocks Sync / Location / Sensor / Clock / BlackOut / FaceLight / XDR / unlimited Manual + Shortcuts.
• Trial — 14 days of Pro on first launch; Free features remain after.
• Source — alin23/Lunar. MIT.

Limitations / costs

• macOS-only. No Windows / Linux brightness desk.
• DDC success depends on cable / hub / monitor firmware. Some panels need Gamma fallback or a Pi relay — not every display.
• Pro gates Sync / Location / Sensor / BlackOut / FaceLight / XDR / unlimited Manual+Shortcuts. Free Manual and Shortcuts are capped on the homepage table.
• A brightness/DDC desk, not BetterDisplay’s virtual-screen / HiDPI / PIP desk. For that see BetterDisplay.

Alternatives

• BetterDisplay — HiDPI / virtual screens / PIP when you want Free + Pro US$21.99, not Clock Mode DDC first.
• BetterTouchTool — input + window automation when you want Standard ~$15 / Lifetime ~$25, not monitor DDC.
• Stats — a menu-bar sensor when you want Free / MIT readouts, not hardware brightness.

Official tutorial

We resolved @Lunar.Official (HTTP 200). lunar.fyi has no YouTube how-to we could oEmbed as a first-party getting-started film. No official YouTube how-to to embed. Written path: lunar.fyi plus FAQ and github.com/alin23/Lunar. Channel (if you want their uploads): @Lunar.Official.

Website

https://lunar.fyi

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is Lunar’s official Clock Mode Preferences still (DELL U3419W / Hardware DDC / Time + Sunset). Dollars checked on lunar.fyi (Free $0; Pro US$23) + FAQ 14-day trial. GitHub: alin23/Lunar (MIT). No official YouTube embed.

Last verified

2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.