Ever joined a video call looking like you're testifying in witness protection? Overhead lighting is the silent killer of professional appearances—casting harsh shadows under your eyes and chin that make you look tired, menacing, or both.
LightBuddy is a $4.99 Mac app that turns your display into a virtual ring light. It lives in your Menu Bar and wraps an adjustable glow around your screen's edges—no physical hardware, no desk clutter, no setup time.
The "Pre-Sherlocked" Story
Here's where it gets interesting. Developer Gui Rambo prototyped LightBuddy months before Apple announced their own Edge Light feature in macOS 26.2. Most developers would've shelved the project. Rambo shipped it anyway.
Why? Because Apple's version only works on Apple-branded displays running the latest macOS. LightBuddy works everywhere else—and does more.
What makes it stand out
LightBuddy runs on macOS Sonoma and later, including Intel Macs—so if you're not on the latest hardware, you're still covered. It's optimized for Apple displays but works with third-party monitors too. The results depend on brightness and panel quality, but good displays work very well. If you're running a Dell, LG, or Samsung, this is your only option for display-based ring lighting.
The app supports multiple displays simultaneously, letting you create interesting lighting setups across your screens—or just light up your primary while keeping others normal. A temperature slider lets you match your room lighting, and you can pick any custom color if you want something more creative. Apple's Edge Light offers presets. LightBuddy gives you full control.
On HDR-capable displays, LightBuddy can push the ring area brighter than the rest of your screen, keeping your workspace comfortable while your face stays well-lit. And since it lives in the Menu Bar, you can toggle it on or off whenever you need—not tied to any specific camera app.
The trade-offs
The good news: it's dead simple to use, the $4.99 one-time purchase covers five Macs, and the temperature slider plus custom colors give you real flexibility that Apple's version lacks. HDR mode genuinely brightens things up on compatible displays.
The honest caveats: animations between states can feel heavy on some systems, though they're togglable in preferences. Third-party display results vary by panel quality—cheap monitors won't match an Apple display. And if you're doing serious content creation, this won't replace a proper ring light. It's a supplement, not a substitute.
What stands out is the care Rambo put into this. It doesn't feel like a quick cash grab. It feels like a thoughtfully designed utility from a developer who builds quality Mac apps.
Performance and user experience
In my testing, LightBuddy delivered noticeable improvement in video call lighting. The effect is subtle but effective—shadows soften, skin tones even out, and you look more "present" on camera.
One observation worth noting: it works particularly well for darker skin tones. Many lighting solutions are optimized for lighter complexions, but LightBuddy's temperature slider and custom color options let you dial in what actually works for your skin.
The animations between states can tax older machines, but disabling them in preferences solves this without losing functionality.
Pricing
LightBuddy costs $4.99 on Gumroad—one-time purchase, license covers up to five Macs. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no "pro" tier you'll feel pressured to upgrade to.
For context: a decent physical ring light costs $20-50, takes up desk space, requires setup before every call, and adds another cable to manage. LightBuddy costs less than a coffee and a pastry.
About the developer
Gui Rambo is a Mac and iOS developer based in Brazil, known in Apple circles for discovering Apple's secrets and writing about them on 9to5Mac. He's built several well-regarded Mac utilities and brings genuine expertise to everything he ships.
The origin story here is charming: Rambo was rushing to a video call, realized he hadn't set up his physical ring light, and thought "wait—my Studio Display is essentially a programmable soft box." A few months of development later, LightBuddy was born.
Then Apple announced Edge Light. Most developers would've abandoned ship. Rambo called it "sherlocked before it was born" and shipped anyway—because his version works for more people.
Is LightBuddy worth $4.99?
If you have a third-party display, absolutely—this is your only option for display-based ring lighting, and it works well on quality panels. If you have an Apple display but run macOS 14 or 15, also yes—you won't get Edge Light until macOS 26.2, and LightBuddy gives you more features anyway.
If you already have an Apple display on macOS 26.2, it's a softer sell. The built-in Edge Light handles the basics, but LightBuddy's custom colors, multi-display support, and HDR mode might be worth five bucks if you want more control.
For content creators and streamers, consider it a supplement rather than a replacement for proper lighting—but it's a solid addition to your toolkit.
Have you tried LightBuddy or Apple's Edge Light? I'd love to hear how it's working for your setup. Find me on @todayonmac and share your experience.
