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BetterDisplay 5 introduces a range of new features and improvements and is designed for Apple silicon Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later. Users with Intel Macs or earlier macOS versions should continue using BetterDisplay v4.x (or older). FAQ TL;DR
Q: Which Macs and macOS versions can run BetterDisplay v5.x?BetterDisplay v5.x requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS Tahoe 26 or later. Intel Macs are no longer supported. Intel Mac users and users running an earlier macOS version should continue using BetterDisplay v4.x (or older). Q: Is the v5.x upgrade free for Pro users?BetterDisplay 5 is a free Pro upgrade if you purchased Pro on or after January 1, 2025. Unlike previous upgrades, eligibility is based on the purchase date rather than the major app version purchased. This means that:
If your license is outdated for v5.x, we kindly ask you to purchase a new license after upgrading to support the continued development of BetterDisplay. Q: Is the v5.x upgrade free for non-Pro users?Of course. Free features remain available to non-business users without purchasing a Pro license, as before. The only additional requirement is that BetterDisplay v5.x needs an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 26 or later. Q: Is there a cheaper upgrade license or an upgrade discount?Unfortunately, no. Every license considered outdated for v5.x was purchased more than a year and a half ago and has already received at least one major-version upgrade at no additional cost. BetterDisplay licenses are not subscriptions. A license remains valid indefinitely for the major app version it covers and also covers at least one year of updates, including any new major version released during that period. Q: I am still running an earlier app version. If I purchase Pro now through that version, will my license cover v5.x?Yes. Any new Pro purchase—whether made through the BetterDisplay website or as an in-app purchase from an earlier app version—is considered a current v5.x purchase. Q: I need to use an older BetterDisplay version for compatibility. Can a newly purchased v5.x license activate an older app version?Yes. Newly purchased licenses can activate older versions of BetterDisplay as well as v5.x. Q: I have an outdated Pro license. Will BetterDisplay deactivate Pro immediately when I upgrade to v5.x?No. If you update through the built-in updater from an already activated installation, the app will not deactivate Pro. You will see an outdated-license warning in the app menu and under Do not deactivate the existing outdated license if you intend to continue using v5.x with the outdated license. Once deactivated, an outdated license cannot activate Pro in v5.x again. Q: I purchased Pro very close to the January 1, 2025 cut-off date. Can you make an exception?Unfortunately, no. A clear cut-off date is necessary for the upgrade policy to remain consistent and manageable. However, as explained above, updating through the built-in updater will not immediately deactivate an already activated outdated license. You may continue using Pro with the outdated-license warning for a while before purchasing a current license. Q: I am not ready to purchase a new license. What can I do?If BetterDisplay is already activated, you can technically continue using Pro after updating through the built-in updater, provided that you do not deactivate the license. The app will display an outdated-license warning, but Pro features will remain accessible. Alternatively, you can continue using the latest app version supported by your existing license. Q: I installed v5.x as a fresh installation, or my existing installation became deactivated. Why does v5.x reject my older license?Outdated license keys cannot activate Pro in BetterDisplay v5.x. You can either purchase a current license or install the latest previous major version supported by your existing license. Q: I upgraded to v5.x with an outdated license and do not want to see the warning. Can I hide it?The preferred way to remove the outdated-license warning is to purchase a current license. If you are not ready to do so, go to Make sure you do not deactivate the app, as an outdated license cannot reactivate a v5.x installation. Q: Why should I have to purchase a new license for a major version?BetterDisplay licenses are lifetime licenses for the major app versions they cover, not subscriptions. Your existing license does not expire, and you can continue using the supported app version indefinitely. Each purchase also includes at least one year of updates and has historically included at least one major-version upgrade at no additional cost. For BetterDisplay 5, the free-upgrade period was extended to include every Pro purchase made after January 1, 2025—covering some v3.x purchasers and all v4.x purchasers. Previous app versions remain available and do not lose their functionality or value when a new major version is released. Q: I need to use an Intel Mac or an older macOS version. Am I being forced to upgrade?No. BetterDisplay v4.x remains available for Intel Macs and earlier macOS versions and continues to provide the features covered by your existing license. We do not want a hardware or macOS compatibility change to force anyone into purchasing an upgrade. If v5.x does not support your Mac—or if you simply prefer to remain on v4.x—you can continue using that version. The latest version of BetterDisplay v4.x was updated to run flawlessly on macOS 27 Golden Gate. See also: Outdated Pro License FAQ for the v4.x version: #4620 |
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Based on last year's comments (#4620) about the upgrade policy, I extended upgrade eligibility with an other half year. This means that all who purchased Pro for v4.x will get Pro for v5.x for free + those who got v3.x on or after January 1, 2025 will also get the upgrade for free. So the cut-off date is now January 1, 2025 instead of July 15, 2025. The option to simply "Dismiss" the outdated license warning also stands for those who are unable to get a new license for any reason or prefer not to support development, but still want the latest version (not covered by their license). Additionally, the v4.x version is fully updated for macOS 27 Golden Gate - so a macOS upgrade does not require/force an app upgrade. |
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Based on last year's comments (#4620) about the upgrade policy, I extended upgrade eligibility with an other half year. This means that all who purchased Pro for v4.x will get Pro for v5.x for free + those who got v3.x on or after January 1, 2025 will also get the upgrade for free.
So the cut-off date is now January 1, 2025 instead of July 15, 2025.
The option to simply "Dismiss" the outdated license warning also stands for those who are unable to get a new license for any reason or prefer not to support development, but still want the latest version (not covered by their license).
Additionally, the v4.x version is fully updated for macOS 27 Golden Gate - so a macOS upgrade does not requi…