Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BetterDisplay VS eqMac

Compare BetterDisplay VS eqMac and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

BetterDisplay logo BetterDisplay

Unlock your displays on your Mac!

eqMac logo eqMac

A free menubar equalizer for macOS
Not present
  • eqMac Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-19

BetterDisplay features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

eqMac features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    eqMac offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that allows users, regardless of technical expertise, to control and adjust audio settings effectively.
  • Customization Options
    The application provides a wide range of customizable audio settings, including various equalizer bands, effects, and presets, which cater to diverse user needs and preferences.
  • System-wide Audio Control
    eqMac controls audio output across all applications on a Mac device, providing a consistent audio experience regardless of the source application.
  • Free Basic Version
    There is a free version available that offers essential features for users who require basic audio adjustments without additional costs.
  • Open-source Software
    eqMac is open source, allowing developers to contribute to its improvement and ensuring transparency in its development process.

Possible disadvantages of eqMac

  • Limited Advanced Features in Free Version
    While the free version is robust, some advanced features are restricted to the paid version, which may not suit budget-conscious users seeking comprehensive functionalities.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users have reported occasional compatibility issues with certain macOS versions or hardware configurations, leading to a need for troubleshooting.
  • Performance Overheads
    Running eqMac can introduce minor CPU usage, which may be a concern for users on older machines or those running resource-intensive applications.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Functions
    While basic functions are straightforward, mastering the advanced settings and features may require a learning curve for users unfamiliar with audio processing.
  • Potential Bugs and Updates
    Being open-source and relying on community development can sometimes result in bugs or delayed updates, affecting usability until resolved.

Analysis of BetterDisplay

Overall verdict

  • BetterDisplay is a highly regarded macOS utility that gives users powerful control over their displays, offering flexible resolution scaling, brightness management, and virtual screen creation that Apple doesn't provide natively. It's well-maintained, actively developed, and widely praised by the Mac community.

Why this product is good

  • Enables custom and HiDPI resolutions on external monitors that macOS normally restricts
  • Provides software brightness and dimming control for displays that lack native adjustment
  • Lets you create virtual displays useful for streaming, screen sharing, or headless Mac setups
  • Offers XDR/HDR brightness enhancements and fine-grained per-monitor settings
  • Has a generous free tier with an affordable one-time Pro upgrade rather than a subscription
  • Lightweight, actively maintained, and trusted with a strong reputation among Mac power users

Recommended for

  • Mac users with external monitors who want better resolution and scaling options
  • People who need software brightness control for monitors without hardware buttons
  • Developers and content creators needing virtual or headless displays
  • Power users who want granular control over their display setup
  • Anyone frustrated by macOS's limited native display management

BetterDisplay videos

BetterDisplay Mac Tutorial: Fix Display Resolution & Refresh Rate

More videos:

  • Review - BetterDisplay Resolution Scaling Fix For Mac HiDPI mode

eqMac videos

Controlling External Monitor Volume: How to Use eqMac with HDMI, USB-C, and DisplayPort Connections

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to fix sound on an external display - Mac DisplayPort - eqMac - sound options greyed out

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BetterDisplay and eqMac)
Crypto
100 100%
0% 0
Music
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
47 47%
53% 53
Focus Music
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BetterDisplay seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

BetterDisplay mentions (4)

  • Ask HN: Is anyone working at least 4 hours daily on an Apple Vision Pro?
    > it's important to use Better display to upscale the output to the XReals to high DPI I got excited for a second but then read Better Display[0] is only available for MacOS? :( [0]: https://betterdisplay.pro/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Resizing windows on macOS Tahoe โ€“ the saga continues
    For the first one (and all other screen-related bugs) you can use BetterDisplay to fix it: https://betterdisplay.pro/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • DeskPad โ€“ A virtual monitor for screen sharing
    Thanks for sharing this! My main issue with the windowed projectors is that you can't force them to have the proper size for the resolution of the OBS canvas which causes the result to be scaled and it has window borders. I've worked around this by having a virtual display (in my case BetterDisplay [1], but DeskPad should work as well) and use the full-screen projector instead, as an added benefit there is no... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Time to Upgrade Your Monitor
    > the 4K monitors the author recommends are not good for macOS due to them not supporting native retina scaling above 1080p Is this true even with the help of 3rd party apps? My 3840x1600 ultrawide has that problem using the native screen resolution tools but I can get it to full-res HiDPI using BetterDisplay [0]. [0] https://betterdisplay.pro/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

eqMac mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of eqMac yet. Tracking of eqMac recommendations started around Nov 2022.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing BetterDisplay and eqMac, you can also consider the following products

DisplayBuddy - Control the real brightness of your monitors directly from your Mac - no need to touch the buttons on your Monitor.

Loopback by RogueAmoeba - Get all the power of a high-end studio mixing board, right inside your Mac!

MonitorControl - Control your external monitor brightness&volume on your Mac

Sleeve - Your currently playing track displayed right on your desktop

Twinkle Tray - Easily manage the brightness of your monitors in Windows from the system tray.

VolumeHub - Per-app volume control for macOS with no driver installs