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Candela vs BetterDisplay: catalog facts
Candela	BetterDisplay
Best for: Mac users who want OLED protection and controls for external displays	Best for: Mac users with external monitors who want more control over scaling and brightness
Free Free and open source under the MIT license, with no paid tier.	Free + paid options Free to download, with a Pro version offering more features.
macOS	macOS
Tracks local display exposure and checkup history Can dim static bright regions on OLED panels All 3 strengths for Candela Tracks local display exposure and checkup history Can dim static bright regions on OLED panels Controls supported external display settings from the menu bar	HiDPI scaling on displays macOS does not offer it for Brightness and input control for external monitors over DDC All 4 strengths for BetterDisplay HiDPI scaling on displays macOS does not offer it for Brightness and input control for external monitors over DDC Virtual screens and picture-in-picture Builds kept for older macOS versions
Requires macOS 14 or later and Apple Silicon Some docks and adapters block display controls	macOS only Some features require the Pro version All 3 limitations for BetterDisplay macOS only Some features require the Pro version Source code is not published
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Not open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Candela candela.fyi Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for BetterDisplay github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.