f.lux remains free and actively developed, calculating sunrise and sunset from your location and adding sunset dark-mode switching in a later release, though it stays focused on screen colour alone. Umbra, Nightfall and Shifty each cover one adjacent job for free or pay-what-you-like: Umbra pairs a light and dark wallpaper to system appearance, Nightfall is an open source dark-mode toggle, and Shifty is an open source Night Shift companion. Iris brings cross-platform colour temperature control, while smaller free tools such as One Switch, Abendrot and Equinox each handle a slice of the same ground, from bundled toggles to sunset warmth to dynamic wallpapers. One name is worth a caution rather than a comparison: NightOwl, once a popular night-mode app, was sold to a new owner in 2022 and found to enrol installs in a botnet, and Apple revoked its certificate. Anyone searching for a NightOwl alternative is better served by any of the actively maintained apps here.
| Rank | App | Best For | Price | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Solace |
Full appearance automation (colour, mode, wallpaper) | $4.99 One-Time | Weather-aware switching plus paired wallpapers, all on-device |
| 2 |  f.lux |
Screen colour warmth only | Free | Actively updated through 2026; adds sunset dark-mode switching, but no wallpapers or weather awareness |
| 3 |  Umbra |
Wallpaper switching tied to appearance | Pay-what-you-like | Pairs a light and dark wallpaper to system appearance; no weather awareness or colour warmth |
| 4 |  Iris |
Cross-platform eye comfort | Free, with paid tiers | Colour temperature and eye strain tools across Mac, Windows and Android; no dark mode or wallpaper switching |
| 5 |  Shifty |
Night Shift companion | Free | Open source menu bar control for Night Shift and Dark Mode; no weather-based scheduling |
| 6 |  Nightfall |
Free, open source dark mode toggle | Free | Simple menu bar toggle with a keyboard shortcut; colour and wallpaper stay outside its scope |
| 7 |  macOS Night Shift + Dark Mode |
Manual, built-in appearance control | Free (built-in) | No install needed, but the two settings do not coordinate automatically |
Solace
Your Mac, in tune with the world around you.
Solace covers everything f.lux does for colour warmth, then adds automatic dark mode switching, matching wallpapers and weather awareness in the same menu bar app, all for a single $4.99 purchase.
- Switches light and dark mode by the weather, not just the clock
- Pairs wallpapers automatically to match day and night
- Reduces blue light with an evening warmth setting
- Runs entirely on-device, with no account and no data collection
Frequently asked
Is Solace a good replacement for f.lux?
Yes for anyone who wants more than colour warmth. Solace adds automatic dark mode switching, weather awareness, paired wallpapers and evening warmth in one app, still without a subscription.
What happened to NightOwl, and is it safe to use?
NightOwl was sold to a new owner in 2022 and later found to enrol installs in a botnet without consent, leading Apple to revoke its certificate. It should not be installed or updated; Solace, f.lux, Umbra, Nightfall and Shifty are all safe, actively maintained alternatives for the same job.
Does f.lux still work in 2026?
Yes, f.lux remains free and actively maintained, with dark mode switching added at sunset in a later release, though it stays focused on screen colour rather than full appearance automation.
Does Solace need my location for weather-based switching?
Yes, Solace uses CoreLocation on the device to fetch local weather and sunrise and sunset times, and none of that data is collected or leaves the Mac.
Is Solace a subscription?
No, Solace is a one-time purchase of $4.99, with free updates and no ongoing fee.