Monocle vs MonitorControl
Side-by-side comparison for macOS
Monocle
8.0Window dimming utility
MonitorControl
8.5Tool to control external monitor brightness & volume
| Metric | Monocle | MonitorControl |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Utilities | Utilities |
| AI Score | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| 30-day Installs | 75 | 2.9K |
| 90-day Installs | 123 | 8.6K |
| 365-day Installs | 333 | 30.2K |
| Version | 3.0.3 | 4.3.3 |
| Auto-updates | Yes | Yes |
| Deprecated | No | No |
| GitHub Stars | 1.7K | 32.6K |
| GitHub Forks | 205 | 938 |
| Open Issues | 53 | 18 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Scala | Swift |
| Last GitHub Commit | 2mo ago | 2mo ago |
| First Seen | Dec 10, 2025 | Aug 9, 2023 |
Reviews
Monocle
Monocle is a sleek window dimming utility that enhances focus by darkening background windows. It offers customization options for dimming levels and supports macOS integration for seamless productivity. Ideal for developers and anyone needing distraction-free work environments.
Monocle dims background windows to help users focus on the active window.
Pros
- + Enhances focus with customizable window dimming
- + Seamlessly integrates with macOS
- + Open-source with an active community
Cons
- - Limited recent installs suggest niche adoption
- - Primarily appeals to technical users
MonitorControl
MonitorControl is a macOS app that allows users to control external monitor brightness and volume, providing a seamless experience as if using a native Apple display. It supports keyboard shortcuts and displays native macOS OSDs, making it a must-have for users with external monitors.
Controls brightness and volume of external monitors using keyboard shortcuts or custom commands, displaying native macOS OSDs.
Pros
- + Integrates seamlessly with macOS, providing a native experience.
- + Supports multiple monitors and customizable shortcuts.
- + Actively maintained with a strong community and regular updates.
- + Free and open-source under MIT license.
- + Strong community support and responsive developers.
Cons
- - Some compatibility issues with older macOS versions or specific hardware, though resolved.
- - Limited to macOS, requiring different solutions for other platforms.