Keep-awake apps for Mac compared
Short answer: for keeping a Mac awake with the lid open, any of these works, and the free ones are excellent: KeepingYouAwake (open source), Amphetamine (most triggers), or the built-in caffeinate. The real difference is the closed lid: KeepingYouAwake, Lungo, Theine and caffeinate say they cannot do it; Amphetamine can (with a helper script on Apple silicon), Caffeinated lists an option for it, and Ledge (mine, macOS 26) does it with a root helper on a self-expiring lease.
The comparison
| Tool | Price | Source | macOS | Lid closed, no monitor | Timers and triggers | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
caffeinate | Built in | Apple | Any | No | Timeout (-t), while a process runs (-w) | Ships with macOS |
| Amphetamine | Free | Closed | 10.13+ | Yes; Apple silicon sessions need a script | Apps, downloads, displays, USB/Bluetooth devices, battery, power, Wi-Fi, IP, VPN | 5.3.2, Nov 2023 |
| KeepingYouAwake | Free | MIT | 10.13+ | No (README says so) | Durations, battery cut-off, external display | 1.6.8, Sep 2025 |
| Lungo | US$4 | Closed | 26 (2.7.2 for 15) | No (FAQ says so) | Durations; Shortcuts, URL scheme, CLI | 2.8.3, Sep 2026 |
| Theine | US$8.99 | Closed | 15.6+ | No (listing says so) | Durations; Shortcuts | 4.3, Oct 2026 |
| Caffeinated | US$3.99 | Closed | 15+ | Listed option (3.2.0); requirements not stated | Timer; display-sleep and charger options | 3.3.0, Oct 2026 |
| Caffeine | Free | MIT | not stated | Not stated | Default duration | 1.1.4, Sep 2025 |
| Raycast Coffee | Free with Raycast | MIT | Raycast's own | No (wraps caffeinate) | For, until, while an app runs, schedules | Oct 2026 |
| Ledge Keep Awake | Free | GPL-3.0 | 26+ | Yes; root helper, installed only when enabled | Until a time you set | 1.2.2, Oct 2026 |
Why the lid is the hard part
Most keep-awake apps work by asking macOS not to sleep while idle, the same thing caffeinate does. That request is honoured while the lid is open, but closing the lid of a MacBook with no external display puts it to sleep anyway. Its manual is explicit that even caffeinate -s "is valid only when system is running on AC power", and nothing in it covers the lid. KeepingYouAwake's README puts it plainly: it works only on "portable Macs with an open lid".
Getting past that needs root, which is why Amphetamine asks you to install a script for Closed-Display Mode on Apple silicon (its optional Power Protect add-on writes a sudoers rule), and why Ledge installs a helper only when you turn its lid-closed stop on. The full how-to, including the built-in closed-display mode with a monitor, is in how to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed.
Which to choose
- Free and simple, lid open: KeepingYouAwake. Open source, tiny, and in Homebrew (
brew install --cask keepingyouawake). - Automation: Amphetamine. Nothing else here has as many triggers. It has not been updated since November 2023, but it is still free on the App Store.
- Already use Raycast: the Coffee extension. Note that its "Decaffeinate" command runs
killall caffeinate, which also endscaffeinatesessions started by other apps. - Native, polished, macOS 26: Lungo (US$4) or Theine (US$8.99), lid open only.
- Lid closed, released automatically: Ledge, if you have a notched MacBook on macOS 26. Its hold is a 90-second lease that Ledge keeps renewing, so if Ledge quits or crashes, the Mac is free to sleep again. While the lid is shut it quiets the screen, keyboard light and speakers.
- No app at all:
caffeinate -dimsu -t 3600keeps everything awake for an hour, lid open.
Two notch apps also have keep-awake features: Droppy lists a "lid-closed High Alert with battery safety" in its changelog, and Atoll's alpha builds add a keep-awake button based on a power assertion.
FAQ
What is the best free app to keep a Mac awake?
KeepingYouAwake (free, MIT) for simple use with the lid open, and Amphetamine (free) if you want triggers such as an app running or a download in progress.
Which keep-awake apps work with the MacBook lid closed?
Amphetamine (Closed-Display Mode; on Apple silicon it asks you to install a script), Caffeinated (lists a lid-closed option) and Ledge (lid-closed stop with a root helper, macOS 26). KeepingYouAwake, Lungo, Theine and caffeinate do not.
Is Amphetamine still maintained?
Its latest App Store version is 5.3.2 from November 2023. It still works and is still free, but it has not been updated since.
Does caffeinate work with the lid closed?
No. caffeinate prevents idle sleep, and its -s option applies only on AC power; closing the lid of a MacBook without an external display still puts it to sleep.
Related
- How to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed
- Best notch apps for MacBook in 2026
- Ledge: a free, open-source notch app for MacBook
Sources
- Amphetamine App Store listing and version history; Amphetamine Power Protect
- KeepingYouAwake README and releases
- Lungo site and FAQ, App Store listing
- Theine App Store listing; Caffeinated App Store listing and version history
- Caffeine repository; Raycast Coffee store page and source; Raycast pricing
caffeinatemanual page (ss64 copy)- Droppy changelog; Atoll 2.3.3-alpha.4 release notes; Ledge README and release notes, version 1.2.2