Which Amphetamine alternative should you use on a Mac?

How did we compare these keep-awake tools?

The comparison uses documented price, installation, source licensing, timers, automation, closed-lid support, agent support, and macOS requirements, with availability checked separately from planned features.

Napless makes this page. The recommendations are editorial choices based on the sources linked below, rather than results from a performance test. The tables follow alphabetical order among apps, then show the command and settings. A dash in a table cell means the opened source did not establish that fact; it does not mean a feature is absent.

Use these criteria for your own choice:

• What can you use today, and what requires a future release?
• Can you set a duration or end time from the menu bar?
• Does the tool follow a job or start from a condition?
• Does closed-lid support have a documented setup requirement?
• Does agent support mean tool-specific hooks, a command wrapper, or watching an app?
• Can you inspect the code, and does the documented release support your Mac?

For the broader choice between settings, commands and apps, see ways to keep a Mac awake.

How do Napless, Amphetamine and KeepingYouAwake compare?

Amphetamine documents triggers available now, KeepingYouAwake documents an MIT-licensed timer, and Napless lists free timers with Pro automation coming soon. Sources: Amphetamine, KeepingYouAwake, and Napless.

Tool	Price or inclusion	Where to get it	Open source	Documented macOS requirement
Amphetamine	Free, no in-app purchases (listing)	Mac App Store	-	macOS 10.11+; some features need later versions (listing)
KeepingYouAwake	-	Repository downloads	MIT license (repository)	README says 10.13+; see release caveat below (repository)
Napless	Free; Pro coming soon at $7.99 one time for up to 3 Macs (summary)	Napless download	-	macOS 13+, Apple silicon and Intel (summary)
caffeinate command	Ships with macOS (KeepingYouAwake documentation)	/usr/bin/caffeinate (man caffeinate on macOS)	-	-
macOS System Settings	Part of macOS (Apple guide)	Apple menu > System Settings (Apple guide)	-	-

The KeepingYouAwake README also names version 1.6.8 as the last release for macOS 11 and older. Match the download to your macOS version instead of assuming the README’s headline minimum applies to the newest release. KeepingYouAwake release guidance.

Tool	Menu bar timer	Triggers or automation	Closed-lid support	Agent support
Amphetamine	Duration or end time; optional remaining-time display (listing)	App, Wi-Fi, power, display conditions; AppleScript (listing)	Yes; Apple silicon power changes have a Power Protect caveat (developer guide)	-
KeepingYouAwake	Predefined duration or indefinite activation (repository)	-	No (repository)	-
Napless	Keep Awake For / Until; time left in menu bar (summary)	Pro coming soon: downloads, calls/audio, apps, desk, power, Wi-Fi, schedule (summary)	Coming in an update (help)	Pro coming soon: five hook integrations and a CLI wrapper (help, Pro status)
caffeinate command	-	Timeout, command duration, or process ID (man caffeinate on macOS)	-	Wrap a CLI command; not tool-specific hooks (man caffeinate on macOS)
macOS System Settings	-	Sleep timing and Wake for network access (Apple guide)	-	-

Amphetamine’s developer explains that connecting or disconnecting external power on an Apple silicon laptop may disrupt Closed-Display Mode. The separate Power Protect script and configuration file address that issue; follow the developer’s installation guide if that is your use case.

When is the caffeinate command enough?

The caffeinate command is enough when you want to prevent idle sleep for a set interval or for the lifetime of one Terminal command (source: man caffeinate on macOS).

For a 1-hour interval, run:

caffeinate -i -t 3600

The -i flag prevents system idle sleep, and -t takes seconds. Here, 3,600 seconds equals 1 hour. For a build, the manual’s example is:

caffeinate -i make

The assertion lasts while make runs. A timeout does not apply when you invoke a utility through caffeinate, so choose either a timed hold or a command-bound hold. These behaviors come from man caffeinate on macOS.

Use the same command-wrapper approach for a CLI agent if keeping that process awake is sufficient. That is a recommendation based on caffeinate’s utility syntax, not a claim of native agent integration. See the caffeinate command and its flags for other modes.

When are macOS System Settings enough?

macOS System Settings are enough for a standing sleep preference, such as preventing automatic sleep while a laptop is plugged in and its display is off. Apple’s sleep and wake guide.

Apple documents the laptop control under System Settings > Battery > Options as “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off.” The same guide puts display-off delays in Lock Screen and warns that some options depend on the Mac. Apple’s settings instructions.

Choose settings for that ongoing plugged-in preference. Choose a timer or command wrapper if you want the hold to end with a particular task. Apple also cautions that delaying or preventing sleep may increase power consumption. Apple’s power-consumption note.

When does a menu bar app help?

A menu bar app helps when you prefer to pick a duration without entering a command: Amphetamine, KeepingYouAwake and Napless document that control. Amphetamine listing, KeepingYouAwake repository, Napless feature summary.

For KeepingYouAwake vs Amphetamine, start with the amount of control you need. KeepingYouAwake wraps Apple’s caffeinate command and has predefined durations; Amphetamine documents condition-based triggers. Choose the wrapper for a manual hold, or Amphetamine if a condition should start it. KeepingYouAwake documentation and Amphetamine triggers.

If you searched for a “caffeine app Mac” alternative, KeepingYouAwake’s README explicitly describes it as inspired by Caffeine. That makes it worth a look; this page claims nothing about Caffeine’s current availability. KeepingYouAwake README.

What does Napless do differently?

Napless combines free timers with checks that report keep-awake problems and a heat stop that is on by default. Napless feature summary and health and heat documentation.

An orange warning marks a failed check or a keep-awake incident. A deliberate pause for heat or battery instead shows its reason without that warning. Check Health opens the diagnostic sheet; napless doctor checks from Terminal while Napless is running. These are useful if you want to inspect why a hold failed, rather than relying on the timer alone. Napless health checks.

Heat protection stops keep-awake at a serious or critical thermal state and ends a timed session. Battery protection is also free, but its managed-settings documentation lists it as off by default. Turn it on if you want a battery floor. These controls are documented behavior, not a guarantee that a Mac cannot overheat or run out of charge. Heat protection, battery settings, and Free features.

Napless Pro is coming soon at $7.99 one time for up to 3 Macs. Automatic holds and AI agent mode belong to that planned tier. The documented hook list is Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Cursor and Gemini CLI. For other CLIs, the documented Pro route is napless run -- <command>; for desktop tools, Pro can keep awake while a chosen app is open. Pro feature summary and agent-mode documentation.

The hook behavior has limits: Claude Code, Codex and Grok holds last up to 10 minutes after the last prompt, even if the turn continues; Cursor’s limit is 60 minutes, and Gemini CLI follows an open session. Agent mode requires Napless running. Read Napless’s hook behavior before choosing it for an unattended run, and see keeping a Mac awake for AI coding agents for the wider choice.

Keep Awake With Lid Closed is coming in an update. If closed-lid work is your deciding requirement today, Napless does not meet it yet. Napless lid-support status.

Which tool should you pick for your job?

Pick by how the hold should start and end; the recommendations below use the documented controls rather than an overall score.

• Best for condition-based automation available now: Amphetamine, with app, Wi-Fi, and power triggers. Amphetamine listing.
• Best for an open-source manual timer: KeepingYouAwake, with predefined durations and an MIT license. KeepingYouAwake repository.
• Best for a Terminal build or CLI job: the caffeinate command, whose hold follows the invoked utility (man caffeinate on macOS).
• Best for an ongoing plugged-in laptop preference: macOS System Settings, using Apple’s documented prevent-sleep control. Apple guide.
• Best for a timer with health diagnostics and heat protection: Napless Free. Download it from Napless and check the health documentation. For planned agent hooks, review Napless Pro, coming soon.

Questions

What is a good Amphetamine alternative for Mac?

KeepingYouAwake fits a simple menu bar timer and has an MIT license. Napless fits timers with health checks and heat protection; its automation is in Pro, which is coming soon. See the KeepingYouAwake repository and Napless feature summary.

KeepingYouAwake vs Amphetamine: which should I choose?

Choose KeepingYouAwake for predefined durations and open-source code. Choose Amphetamine for triggers such as a running app or a Wi-Fi network, as documented in the KeepingYouAwake repository and Amphetamine listing.

Can Napless keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed?

Napless closed-lid support is coming in an update and is not available yet. The Napless help page states that status.

Do I need an app to keep a Terminal job awake?

The caffeinate command can prevent idle sleep for the duration of a command, such as caffeinate -i make. The source is man caffeinate on macOS.