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didriksg/Crisp

Free, open-source macOS menu bar app for external monitors: HiDPI scaling, DDC brightness and volume, presets and virtual displays.

Open-source alternative to:BetterDisplayLunar

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What is it?

Crisp is a native menu bar app for macOS that gives external monitors the controls macOS leaves out. Its main job is sharp HiDPI scaling on any display, so text on external monitors is no longer blurry or tiny, with HiDPI modes set up automatically for 1440p and larger and kept at the panel's full refresh rate.

Beyond scaling, Crisp controls the monitor's real backlight and speaker volume over DDC, offers an Extra Brightness toggle that pushes XDR and HDR displays past 100%, and can disconnect or reconnect displays, switch monitor inputs, and arrange them on a canvas. Presets save resolution, brightness, arrangement, HDR and image settings under a name for one-click recall.

Automation is available through the Shortcuts app and a command line tool, crispctl, which can list displays, set brightness and apply presets. Crisp requires macOS 14 or later and is released under the MIT license.

Key features

  • 01HiDPI scaling that makes external monitors sharp, set up automatically for 1440p and larger.
  • 02DDC brightness and speaker volume control for external monitors.
  • 03Extra Brightness pushes XDR and HDR displays past 100%.
  • 04Presets save resolution, brightness, arrangement and HDR settings for one-click recall.
  • 05Shortcuts actions and the crispctl command line tool for automation.
  • 06Virtual HiDPI displays and display arrangement with a drag canvas.

Use cases

  • Making text on a 1440p or 4K external monitor sharp on a Mac.
  • Adjusting a monitor's real brightness and volume from the menu bar.
  • Switching between a day and a night display setup with a scheduled Shortcut.
  • Scripting display changes or toggling a monitor from a KVM button via crispctl.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install with Homebrew

    brew install --cask crisp
  2. 2

    Or download Crisp.dmg from the releases page and drag it to Applications

Things to know

  • macOS 14 or later only.
  • Smooth scaling needs a one-time administrator password per monitor.
  • Extra Brightness draws more power and HDR video can look overblown while it's on.
  • Brightness keys routing to other displays requires Accessibility permission.

Topics

#macos#display#monitor#hidpi#ddc#menu-bar#brightness-control#swift#4k#apple-silicon

FAQ

What is Crisp?
Free, open-source macOS menu bar app for external monitors: HiDPI scaling, DDC brightness and volume, presets and virtual displays. Crisp is a native menu bar app for macOS that gives external monitors the controls macOS leaves out. Its main job is sharp HiDPI scaling on any display, so text on external monitors is no longer blurry or tiny, with HiDPI modes set up automatically for 1440p and larger and kept at the panel's full refresh rate.
Is Crisp free to use? What license does it have?
Crisp is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is Crisp still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to Crisp was on Oct 12, 2026.
What can I use Crisp for?
Making text on a 1440p or 4K external monitor sharp on a Mac. Adjusting a monitor's real brightness and volume from the menu bar. Switching between a day and a night display setup with a scheduled Shortcut. Scripting display changes or toggling a monitor from a KVM button via crispctl.
How do I install Crisp?
Install with Homebrew: brew install --cask crisp Or download Crisp.dmg from the releases page and drag it to Applications
Where can I get Crisp?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/didriksg/Crisp

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