Buyer's guide · 2026
MacBook Pro Liquid Retina XDR displays can reach 1000 nits, but macOS reserves that brightness for HDR content. Several apps unlock it for everyday use. For a genuinely free, no-setup option, MaxBrightness is the simplest pick — free on the Mac App Store with no account and no tracking. Below is an honest ranking, with each app's real price labeled.
Free — no in-app purchases
A menu-bar app that unlocks extra XDR brightness on supported MacBook Pros. It's genuinely free on the Mac App Store with no account and no tracking, adds a one-tap Sun Mode for outdoors, and boosts full-screen HDR video. Nothing to configure.
Best for: Anyone who wants more brightness for free with zero setup.
Get MaxBrightness free →$1.99 one-time after a 3-day free trial
A polished, open-source (GPL) menu-bar app on the Mac App Store, rated 4.6. The 3-day trial is free; after that a one-time $1.99 unlock is required. Supports MacBook Pro M1 and newer, plus Pro Display XDR.
Best for: People who want an App Store app and don't mind a small one-time fee.
Visit BrightIntosh →Free, open source (MIT-style)
A free, open-source booster by levelsio with menu-bar presets and reliable recovery after sleep or lid close. It's distributed as source on GitHub, so you build and run it yourself — no App Store install.
Best for: Developers comfortable cloning a repo and running a build command.
View on GitHub →Free, open source (MIT)
A tiny (~480 KB) open-source menu-bar app plus CLI that boosts XDR brightness via gamma and EDR headroom. Free on GitHub; like xdr-boost, you install it manually rather than from the App Store.
Best for: Minimalists who want the smallest possible free tool.
View on GitHub →Many features free for non-business; Pro $21.99 / €19.99
A full display-management toolkit — HiDPI scaling, virtual screens, DDC control, PIP, EDID override — with XDR brightness boost included. Many features are usable free for non-business users; the full Pro feature set is a one-time purchase.
Best for: Power users who want a whole display toolkit, not just brightness.
View BetterDisplay →from €10 (direct) / $24.99 (Mac App Store)
Vivid is a well-known paid option with a permanent split-screen free trial and team/company licensing. It isn't free beyond the trial, but it's a solid choice for organizations that want volume licenses.
Visit getvivid.app →MaxBrightness is the best genuinely free option: it's free on the Mac App Store with no in-app purchases, no account, and no tracking. Free open-source tools like xdr-boost and XDR Light also work but must be installed manually from GitHub rather than the App Store.
Yes. Apps like MaxBrightness, xdr-boost, and XDR Light unlock the extra brightness range that Liquid Retina XDR displays reserve for HDR content, at no cost. MaxBrightness is the simplest free route because it installs from the Mac App Store with no setup.
These apps use Apple's own Extended Dynamic Range capabilities rather than low-level hacks, and macOS stays in control of the display and limits output when needed. MaxBrightness also eases off based on thermal and battery conditions.
XDR brightness boosting works on MacBook Pro models with a Liquid Retina XDR display — the 14-inch and 16-inch models from 2021 (M1 Pro/Max) onward — and on the Pro Display XDR. Support for external displays varies by app.
No. MacBook Air displays do not have the Extended Dynamic Range hardware that XDR brightness boosting relies on, so these apps only benefit MacBook Pro models with a Liquid Retina XDR display and the Pro Display XDR.
