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Keeping a Mac awake for AI agents: every option, compared.
If your lid stays open and you're plugged in, the free tools are often enough, and we say so below. Night Crew is for when you want the Mac to follow your agents on its own: awake while they work, asleep when they're done, lid open or closed, with battery and heat guards.
| App | Price | Follows agent activity | Lid closed | Battery floor | Heat guard | macOS | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Crew | $9 once (30-day refund) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14+ | Agents that run while you're away, lid open or closed. On the charger only by default. |
| caffeinate (built into macOS) | Free | Partly | No | No | No | Any | Lid open and plugged in: caffeinate -i <your agent command> is all you need. |
| Amphetamine | Free, no in-app purchases | Partly | Yes | Yes | Not stated | 10.13+ | Free sessions you start yourself or by rule (an app open, the charger in, a display connected), lid open or closed. If you don't need it to follow your agents, it's enough. |
| Adrafinil | Free (MIT) | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes | 26.4+ | The free benchmark for agent-aware keep-awake. On macOS 26.4 or later, if you're happy with open source and no battery floor, start here. |
| KeepingYouAwake | Free (MIT) | No | No | Yes | Not stated | 10.13+ | A free, open-source on/off switch for a Mac with the lid open. If you stay near the Mac and switch it on before a long run, it's all you need. |
| Clamshell (clamshell.dev) | $9.99 once per Mac, $19.99 for 3 Macs | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14+ | Lid-closed running without installing an admin helper, if you're happy to arm it yourself before you close the lid. |
| Lungo | $4 once (App Store or Setapp) | No | No | Partly | Not stated | 26+ | A tidy one-click toggle for a Mac with the lid open. Enough if you start and stop sessions yourself. |
| Vigil (appsbymo) | $9.99 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14+ | The closest match to Night Crew. Pick it if you want the iPhone companion or run an Intel Mac. |
Notes and sources
- caffeinate (built into macOS). Holds the Mac awake while a command runs (caffeinate -i <command>) or until a process ends (-w PID). Apps can't prevent the sleep that closing the lid forces, and -s only works on the charger. Checked 5 November 2026: caffeinate man page (ss64), Apple QA1340: forced sleep can't be prevented.
- Amphetamine. Mac App Store, version 5.3.2 (10 Nov 2023). Sessions can start on many triggers, including while a chosen app is running, which is not the same as while an agent is working. Closed-Display Mode keeps a MacBook awake with the lid shut; since 5.3 it uses an installed script and admin approval, and Power Protect is a separate download on Apple silicon laptops. It can end a session when the battery is low. Checked 5 November 2026: Amphetamine on the Mac App Store.
- Adrafinil. Hooks for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Devin, Aider, Hermes, OpenCode, Cline and Pi. Closed-lid sleep control through a privileged helper that needs admin approval. A thermal cut-out and automatic release of abandoned holds limit unattended runs. About 525 GitHub stars; a community backport covers macOS 15. The README doesn't mention a battery limit. Checked 5 November 2026: Adrafinil on GitHub (README), Adrafinil macOS 15 backport.
- KeepingYouAwake. A menu bar wrapper around caffeinate, about 7,000 GitHub stars, installable with Homebrew. You turn it on by hand or for a set time, or have it start when an external display connects. The README says it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and laptops with the lid open. Settings can turn it off below a battery level or in Low Power Mode. Checked 5 November 2026: KeepingYouAwake on GitHub (README), KeepingYouAwake battery settings (source strings).
- Clamshell (clamshell.dev). Apple silicon laptops only. You arm it from the menu bar or with an Option-close gesture (the gesture needs a lid angle sensor: MacBook Air M2 or later, 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 or later). The maker says it needs no external display, sudo or admin rights; we haven't tested that. It disarms on serious heat and has an optional low-battery cut-off. The site doesn't say it detects agents. 7-day free trial. Checked 5 November 2026: Clamshell website, Clamshell pricing.
- Lungo. A polished menu bar toggle with timers, Shortcuts and a command-line tool. By design it has no app or schedule triggers. Its FAQ says keeping a closed Mac awake is not allowed for App Store apps, except with a charger and an external display. It can switch off when the Mac moves to battery. Checked 5 November 2026: Lungo website and FAQ.
- Vigil (appsbymo). Watches up to 13 agents you choose, using Claude Code hooks, transcripts and CPU. A root helper, installed once with your password, keeps a closed Mac awake. A battery floor you set, and a pause on serious heat with the lid closed. A free iPhone companion shows what Claude is doing. Apple silicon or Intel. Sold direct with a 7-day trial. Not the same app as others named Vigil. Checked 5 November 2026: Vigil product page (appsbymo), appsbymo.app (price).
"Not stated" means the maker doesn't say. Facts change: last checked 5 November 2026. Spot something out of date? Write to support@nightcrewapp.com and we'll fix it.
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macOS 14+ · Apple silicon · signed and notarized by Apple