The Best f.lux Alternatives for Screen Color and Brightness
f.lux became popular because it automatically makes a display warmer at night. That simple idea now has plenty of alternatives. Some focus on Windows, others work on Linux, Android or browsers, and a few add more control over brightness and scheduling.
LightBulb
LightBulb is one of the strongest f.lux alternatives for Windows. It is free and open source, and it adjusts screen gamma to make colors warmer at night. Users can set custom schedules and change how the display shifts between daytime and nighttime settings.
It is a good fit for people who want more control without paying for extra features.
SunsetScreen
SunsetScreen is a Windows tool built around custom sunrise and sunset times. Instead of relying only on location, users can choose exactly when the display should move into warmer colors.
It also supports automatic brightness changes. The main difference is price: SunsetScreen is paid and proprietary.
Twilight
Twilight is aimed at Android devices. It applies a red filter after sunset and changes the strength of that filter according to the local day and night cycle.
The app works on Android phones, tablets, Android TV and some Chrome OS devices. For mobile users, it is one of the closest equivalents to the basic f.lux idea.
Iris mini
Iris mini takes a lighter approach. It offers blue light reduction and brightness control in a small app with minimal setup. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
The software is freemium rather than fully free, but it is useful for people who want something simple and portable.
Iris
The full Iris app adds more controls than Iris mini. It can adjust color temperature, reduce flicker and apply different display modes. It also supports overlays and other display options.
Iris runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. It is proprietary and uses a freemium model.
Red Moon
Red Moon is a free and open source option for Android. It combines color temperature adjustment with screen dimming and is available through F-Droid and GitHub.
It is a straightforward choice for users who want an open source Android alternative without ads or trackers.
Midnight Lizard
Midnight Lizard works differently. Instead of changing the color temperature of the entire display, it is a browser extension that applies custom color schemes to websites.
It supports Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox. It makes more sense for people who mainly want darker or warmer web pages rather than system wide display changes.
Redshift and RedshiftGUI
Redshift and RedshiftGUI were once popular open source alternatives, especially on Linux. Both adjust color temperature based on time or location.
There is one problem. The source listing marks both projects as discontinued. Redshift is no longer updated for modern systems, while RedshiftGUI has not seen a new release since 2014. They may still work in some setups, but they are harder to recommend for a new installation.
Which alternative should you choose?
For Windows, LightBulb is one of the easiest free options. Android users can look at Twilight or Red Moon. Iris and Iris mini make sense if cross platform support matters, while Midnight Lizard is better for browser only control.
The main things to compare are platform support, scheduling, brightness control and whether the software is still actively maintained. f.lux is no longer the only choice, and the best replacement depends mostly on where and how you use your screen.
