Atapa vs Solace: a warmth app, or dark mode, wallpapers and warmth in one?
Choose Solace if you want dark mode switching, wallpapers and screen warmth in one $4.99 app, read on 28 October 2026. Choose Atapa if you want deep red at 500K that stays readable, dimming below the lowest brightness step, or an app tested on an M5 Pro. Solace publishes no kelvin figure and does not state M5 support.
Kevin Hofmann, maker of Atapa. Updated . We make Atapa. Corrections welcome at hello@atapa.app.
Solace is a small, calm Mac app from Theodore HQ that does three things: dark mode on a schedule, wallpapers, and screen warmth. Atapa does one thing, warmth and dimming, and goes further with it. Which one you want depends on which of those you use every evening.
Side by side
| Criterion | Solace | Atapa |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 once (2026-10-28) | $12 once, all of your own Macs; 14-day trial without a card; 14-day refund |
| Requirements | macOS 13 or later (2026-10-28) | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon; Intel not supported in 1.0 |
| Dark mode switching, wallpapers | Yes | No |
| M5 Pro | Not stated on its site (2026-10-28); not tested by us | Works, 6500K to 500K on our M5 Pro (2026-10-29, macOS 27.2) |
| Warmest | Not published (2026-10-28) | 500K |
| Readable red | Not described (2026-10-28) | Yes, below 1500K |
| Dims below the lowest brightness step | Not described (2026-10-28) | Yes, 5% floor by default |
| Automation | Not listed (2026-10-28) | Shortcuts, Focus filter, URL scheme, CLI |
| Network use | Not stated (2026-10-28) | No network code |
Where Solace leads
The bundle. If you switch between light and dark mode in the evening and like a wallpaper that follows, Solace does that and adds warmth for $4.99. It also runs on macOS 13, which Atapa does not. Theodore HQ writes in a calm voice, publishes honest comparison tables, and we have learned from that.
Where it stops
Solace publishes no kelvin figure for its warmth, so we cannot say how far it goes. It does not describe a red mode or a way to dim below the hardware minimum. Its site does not state whether it changes the screen on an M5 Pro or M5 Max, where apps that tint through a gamma table report success and change nothing (Apple bug FB22273730, open on macOS 27.2 as of 26 October 2026). We have not installed it on our M5 Pro, so we do not say either way. The one-minute check for that bug is on the M5 page.
What Atapa adds
Deep red to 500K, with Readable red from 1500K down so links and icons stay visible. Dimming below the lowest brightness step, with a 5% floor you can raise. One bedtime question that sets the whole evening: warming 30 minutes before sunset, deepest an hour before bed, back to daylight by wake-up. Nine Shortcuts actions, a Focus filter, a URL scheme and a CLI. And no network code at all.
Price
Solace is $4.99 once. Atapa is $12 once for all of your own Macs, with a 14-day trial that asks for no card and a 14-day refund. After the trial Atapa keeps working; from day 29 without a key, warmth stops at 2700K and everything else continues.
Choose Solace if
Dark mode switching and wallpapers are the features you use, warmth is a bonus, and $4.99 is the budget. On macOS 13 it is also the only one of the two that installs.
Choose Atapa if
Warmth is the point: you want deep red that stays readable, the screen darker than the keys allow, Shortcuts and a Focus filter, or an app tested on an M5 Pro. The comparison table has the rest of the field.
Questions
What does Solace do that Atapa does not?
Solace switches macOS dark mode, changes wallpapers, and adds screen warmth, in one app for $4.99 once, read 2026-10-28. Atapa does none of the dark mode or wallpaper work. If those are the features you use every day, Solace is the better fit and this page will not argue otherwise.
Does Solace work on M5 Pro and M5 Max?
Its site does not state it, as of 2026-10-28, and we have not installed it on our M5 Pro, so we do not say either way. On M5 Pro and M5 Max, apps that tint through a gamma table report success and change nothing (Apple bug FB22273730). The one-minute check is on the M5 page. Atapa was tested on a 14-inch M5 Pro, macOS 27.2, on 2026-10-29.
How warm does Solace go?
Solace does not publish a kelvin figure, as of 2026-10-28. Atapa goes from 6500K to 500K, and below 1500K it folds blue and green into red so links and icons stay visible. Atapa's three intensities end the night at 1900K, 1200K and 500K.
What do they cost?
Solace is $4.99 once and requires macOS 13 or later, read 2026-10-28. Atapa is $12 once for all of your own Macs, requires macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon, and has a 14-day trial that asks for no card and a 14-day refund. Both are paid once, with no subscription.
Which one is private?
Solace's site does not state its network use, as of 2026-10-28. Atapa has no network code at all: no account, no update check, no analytics, and the licence key is checked on the Mac with an offline signature.