The 4 best apps to keep your Mac awake (2026)
A one-click switch, rules that turn on by themselves, or “stay up until this build is done” — four keep-awake apps compared, plus the free command that’s already on your Mac.
The best apps to keep your Mac awake in 2026 are Amphetamine (best free all-rounder, with automatic triggers and a closed-lid mode), KeepingYouAwake (best simple, free and open-source switch), Vigil (best for staying awake exactly as long as a build, render or AI coding session runs, then letting the Mac sleep) and Lungo (best minimal one-time purchase from the Mac App Store). If you only need it now and then, the built-in caffeinate command in Terminal does the job for free, and System Settings can stop sleep while the display is off when you’re plugged in.
Disclosure: We make Vigil, one of the apps on this list. We’ve tried to place it where it genuinely fits and to describe every app fairly, using each developer’s own site or Mac App Store listing. Prices and features checked 28 October 2026.
“Keep my Mac awake” means different jobs. Some people want the screen on during a presentation. Some want a download or backup to finish while they’re away. Developers and video editors want the Mac up while a build or render runs, then asleep again. And some want a MacBook to keep working with the lid shut, which most apps can’t do. We’ve labeled each pick by the job it does best.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Price model | Runs locally? | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine | Free all-rounder with automatic triggers | Free; no in-app purchases | Yes | macOS 10.13+ (App Store listing) |
| KeepingYouAwake | A simple one-click switch | Free, open source (MIT) | Yes | macOS 10.13+ |
| Vigil | Awake while a task runs, then sleep | One-time purchase | Yes | macOS 14+ |
| Lungo | A minimal App Store toggle | $4 one-time; also in Setapp | Yes | macOS 26 (older versions for earlier macOS) |
Prices and features checked 28 October 2026 on each developer’s website. Check the official site before you buy.
1. Amphetamine: best free all-rounder with automatic triggers
Amphetamine, by William Gustafson, is the best-known keep-awake app on the Mac, and it’s free with nothing to unlock. Its Triggers start sessions on their own. One thing to know: the latest App Store version, 5.3.2, dates from November 2023. It’s still on sale, but check it behaves well on your macOS version.
Standout features
- Triggers that start a session automatically, based on things like an external display, a USB or Bluetooth device, a running app, battery and power adapter state, the Wi-Fi network, a VPN, mounted drives, CPU use or idle time.
- Sessions that last while a file downloads or while an app runs.
- Closed-Display Mode to keep a MacBook awake with the lid shut. Since version 5.3, on Apple silicon it asks you to install a helper script and authenticate as an admin.
- Drive Alive for external drives, auto-end on low battery, hot keys and AppleScript.
Limits
- No new version since November 2023, according to the App Store version history.
- There are a lot of options. Setting up Triggers takes some reading.
- The developer notes that Closed-Display Mode can fail if you plug in or unplug power during a session without the helper script installed.
Price: free. The App Store listing says there are no in-app purchases and nothing to unlock.
Who it’s for: anyone who wants a free app that turns itself on when docked, on a certain Wi-Fi network or while an app runs.
2. KeepingYouAwake: best simple, free and open-source switch
KeepingYouAwake, by Marcel Dierkes, is a small menu bar app that, in the developer’s words, wraps Apple’s caffeinate command. Click the icon and your Mac stays awake; click again and it can sleep. It’s still maintained: version 1.6.8, released in September 2025, added icons for macOS 26 Tahoe. It’s also on Homebrew: brew install --cask keepingyouawake.
Standout features
- One click to turn it on or off, with predefined durations when you want it to stop by itself.
- Can switch itself off when the battery runs low, with Low Power Mode support in its Battery settings.
- An option to turn on automatically when an external screen is connected.
- A URL scheme for scripting, and full source code on GitHub.
Limits
- It doesn’t keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed. The project’s README says so plainly.
- There are no app, network or schedule rules like Amphetamine’s Triggers.
Price: free.
Who it’s for: people who want caffeinate with a menu bar icon and nothing more.
3. Vigil: best for staying awake while a task runs
Vigil is our app: a small candle in the menu bar. Light it for 30 minutes, an hour, three hours, until a time or until you stop it. Or point it at what’s actually running: a terminal tab, a Claude Code or Codex session, a cargo build, an xcodebuild, an ffmpeg render. The Mac stays awake until that task exits, waits a short grace period, then is allowed to sleep, and you get a notification such as “claude finished · 42 min”. It keeps the Mac awake with the standard macOS power assertion, the same kind caffeinate -i uses.
Standout features
- “While this runs”: pick one or more terminal tabs or running tasks. The grace period after they finish is adjustable, from none to 10 minutes.
- Auto-watch (off until you turn it on): Vigil lights itself when a task on your list, such as
claude,codexorcargo, runs for longer than a set time. - Screen on or off: keep the display lit for a presentation, or let it sleep while the Mac keeps working.
- Battery rules: require the power adapter, end at a battery level you choose, and a 10% floor that always applies.
- An opt-in closed-lid mode for MacBooks. It turns sleep off with
pmset disablesleeponly for the vigil, and back on when it ends, when you quit, on low battery or heat, and after a crash or force-quit. On battery it’s capped at 1 to 4 hours. - Schedules (for example weekdays 9 to 6) and a history of every vigil, how long it ran and why it ended.
What it doesn’t do
- It has no Wi-Fi, display or USB device triggers, no Drive Alive and no cursor movement. Amphetamine covers those.
- There are no Shortcuts actions, AppleScript or URL scheme yet.
- Closed-lid mode needs your administrator password once, to add a rule for just those two
pmsetcommands. - It doesn’t stop you choosing Sleep from the Apple menu (that ends the vigil), and it doesn’t wake a sleeping Mac on a timer.
- It isn’t on the Mac App Store, and it doesn’t explain why your Mac woke overnight. That’s what our app Nightwatch is for.
Price: one-time purchase, no subscription, no account: ₹499 for 1 Mac, ₹799 for 3, ₹1,099 for 5. Free updates and a 14-day refund.
Who it’s for: developers, video editors and anyone who starts a long job, walks away, and wants the Mac to sleep again once it’s done.
4. Lungo: best minimal one-time purchase from the App Store
Lungo, by Sindre Sorhus, keeps your Mac awake for a set time or until you turn it off, and deliberately does little else. Version 2.8.3 needs macOS 26; the developer links to older builds for earlier macOS.
Standout features
- Preset durations and a default duration for quick activation from the menu bar icon.
- An option to let the display sleep while the Mac stays awake.
- Can switch off when you unplug the power adapter, and pause while the screen is locked.
- A custom keyboard shortcut, Shortcuts support and a URL scheme that accepts hours and minutes.
Limits
- It doesn’t prevent sleep when you close the lid.
- There’s no built-in activation by app, schedule or Focus mode; the developer suggests Shortcuts automations instead.
- Durations are presets; custom durations aren’t built in.
Price: $4 one-time on the Mac App Store, or included with a Setapp subscription.
Who it’s for: people who want a simple, well-made switch and like to automate with Shortcuts.
The built-in option: caffeinate and sleep settings
You may not need an app at all.
Terminal: caffeinate
caffeinate holds a power assertion for as long as it runs. With no options it prevents idle sleep until you press Control-C or close the Terminal window:
caffeinateThe options, from Apple’s manual page:
-iprevents the system from idle sleeping. This is what most people want.-dprevents the display from sleeping.-mprevents the disk from idle sleeping.-sprevents the system from sleeping, but only while it’s on AC power.-udeclares that the user is active, which turns the display on. Without-tit lasts 5 seconds.-tsets a timeout in seconds.-wwaits for the process with the given process ID to exit.
Keep the Mac and the screen awake for one hour:
caffeinate -d -i -t 3600Run a command and stay awake until it finishes (swap make for any command, such as a build or an ffmpeg render):
caffeinate -i makeStay awake until a running process exits (find its ID with pgrep):
pgrep -l ffmpeg
caffeinate -i -w 4821See what is keeping your Mac awake right now:
pmset -g assertionsSystem Settings
On macOS 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia and 26 Tahoe, a MacBook has this setting in System Settings › Battery › Options: turn on “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off”. On a desktop Mac, open System Settings › Energy (called Energy Saver on macOS 14) and turn on “Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off”. To keep the screen itself on longer, change the “Turn display off … when inactive” options in System Settings › Lock Screen.
With the lid closed
Closing a MacBook’s lid puts it to sleep, and nothing above changes that; KeepingYouAwake and Lungo stop at the lid too. Apple’s supported way is to connect power, an external display and an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad (on Apple silicon you may need to allow those accessories in System Settings › Privacy & Security first). Without a display, you need an app with a closed-lid mode, such as Amphetamine or Vigil, which turns system sleep off and asks for your administrator password. Never put a running MacBook in a bag or sleeve: with the lid closed it can get hot.
How we picked
- Still available in 2026. We checked each developer’s site or Mac App Store listing. We kept Amphetamine even though its last update was in November 2023, because it’s still on sale and its Triggers have no equivalent among the other picks. We left out WakeBee because we couldn’t find an official site or listing for it.
- Native Mac apps that run locally without an account.
- A distinct job. Each pick fits a different way of working.
- Clear pricing stated by the developer or the Mac App Store.
- No scores or ratings. We describe what each app does and doesn’t do.
We make Vigil. We ranked it third because it’s a specialist: it ties keeping awake to a task and then lets the Mac sleep, while Amphetamine and KeepingYouAwake cover everyday keep-awake for free. Lungo is fourth because its current version needs macOS 26 and it deliberately does the least.
FAQ
How do I keep my Mac awake without installing an app?
Open Terminal and run caffeinate -i. Your Mac won’t idle-sleep until you press Control-C or close the window. Add -d to keep the screen on too, or -t 3600 to stop after an hour. On a MacBook you can also turn on “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off” in System Settings › Battery › Options.
Can I keep my MacBook awake with the lid closed?
Yes, in two ways. Connect power, an external display and an external keyboard and mouse, and macOS keeps running with the lid closed. Without a display, you need an app with a closed-lid mode, such as Amphetamine or Vigil, which turns system sleep off and asks for your administrator password. caffeinate, KeepingYouAwake and Lungo can’t keep it awake with the lid shut. Never put a running MacBook in a bag.
What is the best app to keep a Mac awake?
It depends on the job. Amphetamine is best for a free app with automatic triggers, KeepingYouAwake for a simple free switch, Vigil for staying awake until a specific task finishes, and Lungo for a minimal App Store app. For occasional use, the built-in caffeinate command is enough.
Is Amphetamine still free?
Yes. Its Mac App Store listing says there are no in-app purchases and nothing to unlock. The latest version listed, 5.3.2, is from November 2023.
Does keeping my Mac awake drain the battery?
Yes. An awake Mac uses more power than a sleeping one, especially with the screen on. Let the display sleep when you don’t need it and set an end condition: Amphetamine, KeepingYouAwake and Vigil can stop at low battery, and Lungo can switch off when you unplug.
How do I keep my Mac awake until a download or build finishes?
Put caffeinate -i in front of the command, for example caffeinate -i make, and the Mac stays awake until it ends. For something already running, use caffeinate -i -w followed by its process ID. Vigil can also watch a terminal tab or process and tell you when it’s done.
Key takeaways
- Pick by job: rules that turn on by themselves (Amphetamine), one click (KeepingYouAwake), a specific task (Vigil) or a minimal App Store toggle (Lungo).
caffeinateis built in and free:-ifor the system,-dfor the screen,-tfor a time limit,-wto wait for a process.- System Settings › Battery › Options (laptops) or Energy (desktops) can stop sleep while the display is off on power.
- Closing the lid sleeps a MacBook unless it has power, an external display and a keyboard and mouse, or an app with a closed-lid mode and your admin password.