Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Menubar Auto Brightness

Auto adjust brightness when switching apps for Mac

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Menubar Auto Brightness launched in 2020; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1
Smart Brightness for Dark Mode▲80
Don't let white pages hurt your eyes
2019 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
2
Lumen▲185
Magic auto brightness based on screen contents
2016 · github.com · its alternatives →
3
Fader▲90
Minimize windows when you switch apps automatically
Apr 2026 · eythor.com · its alternatives →
4
Lunar 5▲142
Control every aspect of your external monitors
2022 · lunar.fyi · its alternatives →
5
Adjust page brightness ▲117
Automate your screen comfort with custom brightness website
2024 · chromewebstore.google.com · its alternatives →
6
Easily▲126
Control volume, brightness & desktop clutter
2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
7
Power Mode Switcher for macOS▲70
Toggle low power mode from status bar
2021 · its alternatives →
8
Lunar 2.0▲142
Sync your monitor's brightness with your in-built display 🖥💡
2018 · lunar.fyi · its alternatives →
9
Cooldown▲129
Quickly toggle Low Power Mode on your Mac from the menubar
2021 · goodsnooze.gumroad.com · its alternatives →
10
Solace▲171
macOS gives you three appearance options: Light, Dark, or Auto. Auto follows sunset, which is a surprisingly blunt heuristic. It doesn't account for season (dark mode at 3:50pm in December, light mode at 9pm in June), and it has zero awareness of actual conditions outside. Overcast and dark at 2pm? Your Mac doesn't care. The deeper problem is that macOS treats appearance, wallpaper, and colour temperature as unrelated settings. You end up stitching together separate tools that don't know about each other, or you just live with the defaults and accept the friction. Solace tries to solve this…
Feb 2026 · theodorehq.com · its alternatives →
11
Window Focus▲134
Highlight active apps & dim your screen
2016 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
12
MonitorControl▲103
🖥 Control external monitor brightness & volume on your Mac
2020 · github.com · its alternatives →
13
NightOwl▲320
Easily toggle your Macs Dark Mode with this menubar app.
2019 · nightowlapp.co · its alternatives →
14
HazeOver: Distraction Dimmer▲403
Focus on one app by dimming all the background windows
2015 · hazeover.com · its alternatives →
15
Curtains▲176
Automate night shift and keyboard backlight for movies
2024 · getcurtains.app · its alternatives →
16
AudioPriorityBar▲217
Priority-based audio switching for macOS menu bar
Dec 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →
17
Later▲447
Save all your Mac apps for later with one click
2022 · getlater.app · its alternatives →
18
NightTone▲121
Colored light filter, screen dimmer & brightness control
2016 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
19
Look Up for Mac▲269
Reduce eye strain & exhaustion with the 20-20-20 Rule
2015 · 96problems.com · its alternatives →
20
Screen Tint▲82
Reduce the brightness of your Mac’s screen
2016 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
21
Auto Shutdown▲96
Make Mommy proud, never miss bedtime.
Nov 2025 · clemstation.com · its alternatives →
22
One Thing▲138
Put a single task or goal in your Mac's menu bar
2022 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
23
AltTab▲109
See every window. Switch in an instant
2023 · alt-tab.app · its alternatives →
24
One Switch▲218
All your mac toggles in one place
2019 · fireball.studio · its alternatives →

Also compare

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →