Okie Dockie vs BetterDisplay
Short answer: BetterDisplay is a dedicated display utility — resolutions, scaling, brightness, virtual screens and disconnecting displays, among other things. Okie Dockie includes one display feature: turning a connected monitor off and on from the menu bar, with confirmation and an automatic revert. Its other features are for windows and the Dock.
Two different kinds of app
BetterDisplay is made for displays: custom and HiDPI resolutions, brightness and colour control, virtual displays, picture-in-picture, and connecting or disconnecting screens. It has a free version and a paid Pro version with more features.
Okie Dockie has window and Dock features — snap layouts, a window switcher, Dock window lists, keeping the Dock on one display — and turning a monitor off is one of them.
Turning a monitor off
In Okie Dockie, open the menu bar icon, choose Displays and pick the monitor. The Mac stops using it as if it were unplugged; windows move to your other screen. It has these safeguards:
- The last display that is on is never offered.
- It asks you to confirm, and turns the display back on by itself after 15 seconds if you don't.
- Control-Option-Command-D turns every display back on from anywhere.
- Quitting the app, logging out or restarting also brings every display back.
BetterDisplay can also connect and disconnect displays, including from its command-line tool, alongside its other display settings.
Side by side
| BetterDisplay | Okie Dockie | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro is paid | Free |
| Turn a monitor off and on | Yes | Yes |
| Resolution, scaling, brightness | Yes | No |
| Virtual displays | Yes | No |
| Window and Dock features | No | Yes |
Things to consider
- Do you need only to turn a monitor off and on, or also to change resolution, scaling or brightness?
- Would you use window and Dock features as well?
Get every Chrome profile into your Dock
Okie Dockie builds a real Dock icon for each Chrome profile you use, badged with that profile's own picture. Click one and you land back in the window it already had open.
Everything except Chrome profile icons is free forever, and the profile icons come with a 7-day free trial that starts on its own — no sign-up, no card. macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn off an external monitor on a Mac without unplugging it?
Not with macOS alone. Okie Dockie turns a connected monitor off and on from the menu bar for free, and BetterDisplay can disconnect displays too.
Is BetterDisplay free?
It has a free version and a paid Pro version with more features.
What if I turn off the wrong display with Okie Dockie?
It never turns off the last display, reverts after 15 seconds unless you confirm, and Control-Option-Command-D turns every display back on.
Was this guide helpful?
Thank you — that tells me what to write next.