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Roundup

The best apps to keep your Mac awake

Long downloads, builds, renders and presentations all die when the Mac sleeps. Four apps that stop it, the free Terminal command that does the same, and which to choose.

Updated

AppPriceBest for
Amphetamine Free · App Store The most automatic triggers, and lid-closed use on a MacBook.
KeepingYouAwake Free, open source (MIT) One click, nothing else. A tiny open-source wrapper around caffeinate.
Stat Space Free timers · Pro rules Developers who want keep-awake tied to what they’re waiting on, plus a list of what else is blocking sleep.
Lungo Paid, one-time · App Store A polished, minimal keep-awake toggle that works with Shortcuts and Raycast.
  1. 1

    Amphetamine

    William Gustafson · Free · App Store

    Best for The most automatic triggers, and lid-closed use on a MacBook.

    • Triggers for apps, external displays, USB and Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi, VPN, power, battery level, CPU load and idle time.
    • Closed-display mode keeps a MacBook awake with the lid shut.
    • Free, no in-app purchases, from the Mac App Store.
    • Closed-display mode on Apple Silicon needs an extra helper script and admin authentication.
    • Its last App Store update was in November 2023.
    • The sheer number of options can be a lot for a simple job.
  2. 2

    KeepingYouAwake

    Marcel Dierkes · open source · Free, open source (MIT)

    Best for One click, nothing else. A tiny open-source wrapper around caffeinate.

    • Click the cup to toggle, or pick a preset duration.
    • Can switch itself off when the battery gets low.
    • Open source, updated for macOS 26 Tahoe, brew install --cask keepingyouawake.
    • No app or condition triggers.
    • No lid-closed mode.
  3. 3

    Stat SpaceOurs

    Stat Space · Free timers · Pro rules

    Best for Developers who want keep-awake tied to what they’re waiting on, plus a list of what else is blocking sleep.

    • Free timers: 15 minutes, 1 hour, until a time, or indefinitely; system only or system and display.
    • Condition timers like until downloads finish, while plugged in, or until a terminal task exits.
    • Shows the reason it’s awake and lists every other app holding a sleep assertion.
    • Pro rules: while an app, process or port runs, while the network or CPU is busy, on AC, on an external display or on a schedule.
    • No lid-closed keep-awake; that would need a root helper.
    • Apple Silicon and macOS 14+ only.
    • Automatic rules are a Pro feature, where Amphetamine’s triggers are free.
  4. 4

    Lungo

    Sindre Sorhus · Paid, one-time · App Store

    Best for A polished, minimal keep-awake toggle that works with Shortcuts and Raycast.

    • Preset and custom durations, a URL scheme, a CLI and Shortcuts actions.
    • Options to let the display sleep, stop on battery, or allow sleep when the screen locks.
    • No app triggers or scheduling, by design.
    • The current version needs macOS 26; older versions cover earlier systems.

How we chose

All four rely on macOS power assertions, the same mechanism caffeinate uses. Only Amphetamine’s closed-display mode goes further, with a helper script that changes power settings. We compared how you start a session, what can end it automatically, and whether the app tells you anything about the rest of your Mac’s sleep state.

The built-in way: caffeinate

Every Mac has caffeinate:

# Keep the display and system awake until Ctrl-C
caffeinate -d

# Keep the system awake (display may sleep) for 2 hours
caffeinate -i -t 7200

# Stay awake until a build finishes
caffeinate -i npm run build

# Stay awake as long as process 4821 is alive
caffeinate -i -w 4821

-i prevents idle sleep, -d prevents display sleep, -s prevents sleep only while on AC power. To check what is currently keeping your Mac awake:

pmset -g assertions

Look for PreventUserIdleSystemSleep or PreventUserIdleDisplaySleep set to 1, and the process names listed under them.

Which one should you pick?

  • You want it automatic, for free: Amphetamine. Nothing else has as many triggers.
  • You want one click and open source: KeepingYouAwake.
  • You want a pretty toggle that fits Shortcuts and Raycast: Lungo.
  • You’re a developer who already wants a system monitor: Stat Space, which saves a menu bar slot and can stay awake until a terminal task exits, or (with Pro) while a dev server holds a port.

Where Stat Space fits

We make Stat Space. Keep-awake there is part of a monitor, not a standalone app, and its distinctive bit is the reverse question: the Awake tab lists every other app currently blocking sleep, so a Mac that won’t sleep stops being a mystery. If you need lid-closed operation without an external display, Amphetamine is the better pick.

We make Stat Space, so weigh our pick accordingly. Prices and features as of November 2026; spotted something out of date? Email [email protected].

Questions

How do I keep my Mac awake without an app?

Run caffeinate -d in Terminal to keep the display on until you press Control-C, or caffeinate -i -t 3600 to keep the system awake for an hour. caffeinate -i some-command stays awake until that command finishes.

Can I keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed?

Yes, natively, if it’s on power with an external display, keyboard and mouse connected (clamshell mode). Without a display, you need an app like Amphetamine’s closed-display mode. See [keeping a Mac awake with the lid closed](/guides/keep-mac-awake-lid-closed).

Does keeping my Mac awake hurt the battery?

It uses more power than sleeping, so the battery drains faster. Keeping only the system awake (caffeinate -i) and letting the display sleep saves most of it.

Why does my Mac stay awake even when I don’t want it to?

Some app is holding a sleep assertion. Run pmset -g assertions to see which; the guide on [why your Mac won’t sleep](/guides/why-wont-my-mac-sleep) explains each type.

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