App comparison

Amphetamine vs Caffeine

Which is the better productivity for Mac in 2026?

PublishedJanuary 1, 2026•UpdatedAugust 10, 2026

Caffeine

Utility that prevents the system from going to sleep

Full review

Our verdict

How we compare apps

Napless is our recommended #1 pick for most Mac users comparing Amphetamine and Caffeine. Disclosure: Napless is made by the team behind Bundl, and it is our top pick. We say below where another app fits better. Manual timers and presets cover a planned hold, while Pro follows downloads, apps, Terminal jobs, calls, meetings, builds, local servers and supported AI agents, then lets the Mac sleep when work ends. The menu can explain why the Mac slept during a hold, and Pro can send Telegram or Slack alerts. New installs get a free 7-day trial of everything without an account or card. Pro is US$8 for the first 50 licenses, then US$24, paid once for a lifetime license on up to 3 Macs, with no subscription. Amphetamine still offers free triggers, low-battery protection and shipped closed-display support. Caffeine 1.6.4 is maintained and covers a free manual cup toggle with timers. Choose those apps for free-forever use, or Amphetamine for closed-display work. Napless has not shipped closed-lid keep-awake. [Try Napless free for 7 days](https://napless.io/).

Read the quick answer

Which is better: Amphetamine or Caffeine?

Amphetamine is the top pick for most Mac users looking at productivity. It is free. Caffeine is the stronger choice if you want caffeine. Amphetamine: Mac App Store exclusive; Apple does not allow Homebrew distribution. Download: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704 Install Caffeine with Homebrew: brew install --cask domzilla-caffeine.

TL;DR

Amphetamine vs Caffeine: Napless is our recommended #1 pick for most Mac users comparing Amphetamine and Caffeine. Disclosure: Napless is made by the team behind Bundl, and it is our top pick. We say below where another app fits better. Manual timers and presets cover a planned hold, while Pro follows downloads, apps, Terminal jobs, calls, meetings, builds, local servers and supported AI agents, then lets the Mac sleep when work ends. The menu can explain why the Mac slept during a hold, and Pro can send Telegram or Slack alerts. New installs get a free 7-day trial of everything without an account or card. Pro is US$8 for the first 50 licenses, then US$24, paid once for a lifetime license on up to 3 Macs, with no subscription. Amphetamine still offers free triggers, low-battery protection and shipped closed-display support. Caffeine 1.6.4 is maintained and covers a free manual cup toggle with timers. Choose those apps for free-forever use, or Amphetamine for closed-display work. Napless has not shipped closed-lid keep-awake. Try Napless free for 7 days.

Also consider · Napless

Napless: our #1 keep-awake pick for most Mac users

Disclosure: Napless is made by the team behind Bundl, and it is our top pick. We say below where another app fits better. Napless is our first recommendation if you want your Mac awake through the work and able to sleep afterwards. Napless 1.5.0, released 8 October 2026, combines manual timers and one-click presets with Pro holds for downloads, apps, Terminal jobs, meetings, builds, local dev servers and AI coding agents. New installs get a free 7-day trial of everything, Napless Pro included, without an account or card. After 7 days, keeping the Mac awake requires Pro. Version 1.3.0, released 6 October 2026, added presets, a sleep-cause note, a remote-login condition, and Pro conditions for named commands and local servers. Try the holds your work needs before buying a lifetime license. Choose Amphetamine if free-forever automation or shipped closed-display support is essential, or Caffeine if you want a free-forever cup toggle.

Ends when the job ends
Timers, presets and Keep Awake Until are included in the 7-day trial and with Pro. Automatic holds can end when a download finishes, an app quits, a Terminal job exits, a named command stops or a local server stops answering, so a hold does not have to stay on overnight by accident. While a Remote Login Is Open is off by default; after the trial, keeping the Mac awake with it also needs Pro.
Says so when keep-awake fails
Napless checks that macOS is really holding the Mac awake. If it isn't, the menu turns orange, names the problem and offers a fix. When the Mac sleeps during a hold, the menu and Check Health say why in plain words: lid closed, battery almost empty, too hot, or a normal maintenance wake. Check Health and the napless doctor command run the same checks.
Built for AI coding agents
Pro supports 17 agents: hooks for Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Cursor and Gemini CLI, plus Keep Awake While It Runs for 12 more. Claude Code, Codex and Grok stay awake while a turn runs, for up to 10 minutes after the last prompt, even if the turn is still running. Cursor stays awake while a turn runs, for up to 60 minutes after the last prompt. Gemini CLI stays awake while Gemini CLI is open. Settings › Agents lists only agents installed on the Mac. napless mcp can check status, and a named task hold that releases itself is Pro. Napless must be running.
Safety stops on by default
Heat protection is on by default, so Napless stops keeping the Mac awake when the Mac gets too hot. A low-battery stop is optional and off by default. You pick the battery level if you turn that stop on.
Made for current macOS
A Control Center control on macOS 26, desktop widgets with Pause, Shortcuts and Siri actions, AppleScript, durations in the napless:// URL scheme, and a time-left countdown in the menu bar. Kits are documented for Raycast, Alfred, Hammerspoon and Keyboard Maestro. Signed and notarized by Apple, macOS 13 or later.
7-day free trial, then paid keep-awake
New website installs start a 7-day free trial of everything, including Napless Pro, on first launch. No account or card is needed. After 7 days, keeping the Mac awake requires Pro. Napless Pro is US$8 for the first 50 licenses, then US$24, paid once for a lifetime license on up to 3 Macs. There is no subscription. Macs that installed Napless before 1.5.0 keep the free timers, Keep Awake Until, presets and sleep-cause note they already had; Pro features still need Pro. [Napless Pro pricing](https://napless.io/pro/).

Napless compared with the two apps on this page
	Napless	Amphetamine	Caffeine
Ends on its own when the work ends	Timers, presets, downloads, app quit, commands, local servers and agent holds are included in the 7-day trial and with Pro. Remote-login keep-awake also needs Pro after the trial.	With triggers you set up (app, download, display, Wi-Fi and more)	Timer only
Warns you if the Mac slept anyway	Menu and Check Health name the cause if it slept during a hold, and offer a fix	Session timer in the menu bar	Cup icon only
AI coding agents	17 agents: 5 hooks plus 12 run-detected (Pro). napless mcp can check status.	While an app such as Terminal is running	Manual toggle
Heat and battery stops	Heat stop on by default; battery stop optional, off by default	Low-battery end	None
Lid closed on battery	Not shipped in Napless 1.5.0	Yes, with its helper	No
Price	7-day free trial, then US$8 (first 50 licenses) or US$24, once; lifetime, up to 3 Macs, no subscription.	Free	Free (open source)

Keep Awake With Lid Closed is not in Napless yet. If you need clamshell mode on battery today, Amphetamine is still the app for that.

Try Napless free for 7 days See how Napless works

macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel. Website installs start a 7-day trial of all features on first launch, without an account or card. Keeping the Mac awake afterwards requires Pro: US$8 for the first 50 licenses, then US$24, once; lifetime, up to 3 Macs, no subscription.

Disclosure: Napless is made by the team behind Bundl, and it is our top pick. We say below where another app fits better.

Feature Comparison

Feature comparison between Amphetamine and Caffeine
Feature	Amphetamine	Caffeine
Price	Free + paid plans	Free
Open Source	No	No
Replaces	Caffeinated ($3.99)	—
Best for	awake, sleep, utility	caffeine
Install	Mac App Store exclusive — Apple does not allow Homebrew distribution. Download: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704	brew install --cask domzilla-caffeine
Category	System Utilities	System Utilities

Quick Install

Amphetamine

Mac App Store exclusive — Apple does not allow Homebrew distribution.

Download from the official site

Caffeine

brew install --cask domzilla-caffeine

Learn More

Amphetamine Details

Full review, features, and FAQs

Caffeine Details

Full review, features, and FAQs

In-Depth Overview

What is Amphetamine?

Amphetamine is a free keep awake utility by William Gustafson. You install it from the Mac App Store; it has no Homebrew cask. As of August 2026 it is still entirely free with no ads, no in app purchases, no Pro unlock and no tracking, as the App Store listing shows. Beyond the manual toggle, its strength is Triggers. You can keep the Mac awake while conditions hold, such as a specific app running or frontmost, an external display connected or mirrored, a USB or Bluetooth device present, battery level or charging state, power adapter state, Wi Fi SSID, IP or DNS, Cisco AnyConnect VPN, audio output, a volume mounted, CPU use above a threshold, idle time, or a schedule. Sessions can run indefinitely, for a set time, until a clock time, while a download runs, or while an app runs. For each session you choose whether to allow display sleep, screen saver, lid closed sleep, cursor jiggle or screen lock. Closed display or clamshell work, Drive Alive for external disks, Power Protect to end a session when battery gets low, hot keys, custom menu icons and AppleScript keep it the power user pick. In mid 2026 it got new attention from people running Claude Code, Cursor or Codex agents overnight on lid closed MacBooks instead of wrapping caffeinate.

What is Caffeine?

One icon and one click. No preferences needed for basic use and the cup metaphor is immediately clear. Nothing to learn.

Verdict: Caffeine is the most friction free option you can hand to anyone.

Who Should Choose Which?

1Long software download or system update

napless

Napless is our pick: Pro follows a download until it finishes, and a manual timer covers a temporary hold. Try everything free for 7 days, then pay once. Caffeine remains a free instant toggle with no configuration, if you want that manual approach free forever.

2Developer with external monitors and closed MacBook lid

Amphetamine

Amphetamine's closed-lid support and display-specific controls are essential for developers using clamshell mode. Triggers can auto-activate when external displays connect. Napless has not shipped closed-lid keep-awake.

3Presentations and screen sharing

napless

Napless is our pick for a manual end-time hold or Pro keep-awake while presenting. The 7-day free trial includes both. Caffeine is the free-forever alternative: click to present, and use its duration timer to stop the hold after the meeting.

4Automated workflows and build processes

napless

Napless Pro is our pick for named commands and local dev servers, with automatic holds that end when the work is done. Amphetamine can keep a Mac awake while specific apps such as build tools or renderers are running, and its AppleScript support enables automated pipelines. Choose it if those triggers need to stay free forever.

Migration Guide

From_amphetamine → Caffeine

Remove Amphetamine from Applications. Get Caffeine from caffeine-app.net. There are no settings to carry over, because Caffeine has no engine to configure. Click the cup to start. You can keep Amphetamine installed if you sometimes want triggers, both can live together without conflict.

From_caffeine → Amphetamine

Get Amphetamine from the Mac App Store. There is no import for Caffeine settings, so recreate any durations you relied on in Amphetamine's preferences. Open the Triggers section and set up a couple of automatic rules for the common cases so you rarely need the manual toggle. You can keep Caffeine for quick clicks if you like.

Final Verdict

Overall Winner

Napless

Not scored; editorial recommendation

Winner

Not scored; choose by requirement

Runner-up

Scores are Bundl.run editorial ratings out of 10 across 8 criteria (the feature comparison above), last reviewed August 2026.

Bottom Line: Start with Napless for most keep-awake needs. Try Napless free for 7 days. Choose Amphetamine instead for free-forever triggers or shipped closed-display sessions; choose Caffeine for a free-forever cup toggle.

Video Tutorials

One of My Favorite Mac Utility Apps: Amphetamine

Timothy Bramlett • 3.1K views

How to keep your Mac awake 🚀 #shorts

9to5Mac • 22.0K views

How to keep your Mac awake all the time ? #short #mactips

Minimal Nerd • 5.7K views

Stay Awake, Stay Productive: Unlock the Power of Amphetamine for macOS!

How To Make • 826 views

Frequently Asked Questions

Amphetamine or Caffeine in 2026 which should I install?

Napless is our top recommendation for most readers comparing these apps. Its manual sessions and Pro holds cover downloads, builds, meetings and supported agents, with a free 7-day trial before a one-time purchase. Choose Amphetamine for triggers and overnight agent/build sessions if you want them free forever, or for shipped clamshell support. Choose Caffeine 1.6.4 for a free-forever menu-bar cup toggle with timers. Napless has not shipped closed-lid keep-awake. Try Napless free for 7 days.

Which app is better for keeping my MacBook awake with the lid closed?

Amphetamine is the clear choice for closed-lid operation. It includes specific features for clamshell mode, allowing you to keep your MacBook awake while the lid is closed while independently controlling external display sleep. Caffeine has no specific closed-lid functionality beyond general sleep prevention. Napless 1.5.0 has not shipped closed-lid keep-awake.

Is Caffeine abandoned or deprecated?

No, Caffeine is actively maintained as of 2026. While the original version by Tomas Franzén ceased development, Dominic Rodemer revitalized the project in 2022 with modern macOS support. Version 1.6.4 was released with support for macOS Tahoe (26.0+). The app is open source on GitHub with ongoing maintenance.

Can I use both Amphetamine and Caffeine together?

Yes, they can coexist, though it's generally unnecessary since they serve the same core purpose. Some users keep Caffeine for instant manual toggles while using Amphetamine for automated triggers. If both try to prevent sleep simultaneously, there are no conflicts they simply both assert the 'don't sleep' command to macOS.

Which app uses fewer system resources?

Caffeine is lighter, using approximately 5-10MB of RAM and near-zero CPU when idle. Amphetamine uses slightly more resources (20-40MB) due to its trigger monitoring and automation engine, but both are highly efficient on modern Macs including Apple Silicon. Unless you're on extremely constrained hardware, either will be imperceptible.

Do these apps work on Apple Silicon M3/M4 Macs?

Yes, both run natively on Apple Silicon. Amphetamine supports all Apple Silicon Macs through the Mac App Store. Caffeine version 1.6.4 explicitly supports macOS Tahoe (26.0+) and runs natively on M1/M2/M3/M4 chips. No Rosetta translation is required for either app.

Can Amphetamine or Caffeine prevent my external drive from sleeping?

Amphetamine has a specific 'Drive Alive' feature designed to keep external drives spinning and prevent them from unmounting. Caffeine does not have drive-specific features its general sleep prevention may indirectly keep drives awake, but with less precision than Amphetamine's dedicated functionality.

Is there any risk of screen burn-in with these apps?

Both apps can prevent display sleep, which theoretically increases burn-in risk on OLED screens. However, modern Macs primarily use LCD and mini-LED displays where burn-in is minimal. Amphetamine allows you to keep the system awake while letting the display sleep, which is safer for screen longevity. Caffeine has a duration timer to automatically re-enable sleep after a set period.

Which app is easier for non-technical users?

Caffeine is the simplest option. Install, click the coffee cup icon, and your Mac stays awake. No configuration, no complex settings. The visual metaphor (empty vs full cup) is universally understood. Amphetamine's power comes with a learning curve that casual users may find unnecessary.

Can these apps be controlled via keyboard shortcuts or automation?

Amphetamine supports extensive hotkey customization and AppleScript integration for automation workflows. Caffeine has no built-in keyboard shortcuts or AppleScript support it's designed for pure mouse/touchpad interaction via the menu bar.

Is there a keep-awake app that turns itself off when the work is done?

Napless is our pick for that. Napless 1.5.0, released 8 October 2026, offers that with a 7-day free trial, then paid keep-awake. Its timers, presets and Keep Awake Until are included in the trial and with Pro. Automatic holds can end when a download finishes, an app quits, a Terminal job exits, a named command stops, a local server stops answering, or a supported agent reaches its documented limit. While a Remote Login Is Open also needs Pro to keep the Mac awake after the trial. The menu and Check Health say why the Mac slept during a hold. Amphetamine offers free timers and triggers you configure; Caffeine is a free manual toggle. Napless pricing. Disclosure: Napless is made by the team behind Bundl, and it is our top pick. We say below where another app fits better. Try Napless free for 7 days.

About the Author

Jordan Kim

Productivity & Workflow Analyst

Productivity ApplicationsNote-Taking & Knowledge ManagementTask & Project Management

8+ years in operations management · PMP certified

Explore More on Bundl

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Browse Productivity apps, read our complete guide, or discover curated bundles.

Sources & References

Last verified: Aug 9, 2026

Key Verified Facts

Amphetamine remains free on the Mac App Store with no IAP or ads.[1]
Modern Caffeine ships version 1.6.4 with a macOS Tahoe 26 download channel on caffeine-app.net.[3]
Caffeine is MIT-licensed open source with public GitHub history (domzilla/Caffeine).[4]
Napless 1.5.0 was released on 8 October 2026. New website installs start a 7-day free trial of everything, including Napless Pro, on first launch. No account or card is needed. After 7 days, keeping the Mac awake requires Pro.[7][8]
Napless Pro is US$8 for the first 50 licenses, then US$24, paid once for a lifetime license on up to 3 Macs. There is no subscription.[8]

1
apps.apple.comAmphetamine on the Mac App Store
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
2
kb.offsec.nlAmphetamine feature overview
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
3
caffeine-app.netCaffeine official site (Tahoe builds)
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
4
github.comdomzilla/Caffeine on GitHub
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
5
formulae.brew.shHomebrew cask: caffeine
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
6
apps.apple.comAmphetamine on the Mac App Store
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
7
napless.ioNapless release notes
Accessed Oct 8, 2026
8
napless.ioNapless Pro pricing and features
Accessed Oct 8, 2026

Research queries: Amphetamine Mac app 2025 2026 features; Caffeine Mac app 2025 2026 lightweight sleep preventer; Caffeine Mac app abandoned deprecated original IntelliScape 2025

Related Technologies & Concepts

NaplessAmphetamineCaffeineWilliam GustafsonDominic RodemerTomas FranzénApple SiliconmacOS TriggersMenu Bar UtilityClamshell ModeMIT LicenseMac App Store

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Our verdict

Napless: our #1 keep-awake pick for most Mac users

Feature Comparison

Quick Install

Learn More

In-Depth Overview

What is Amphetamine?

What is Caffeine?

Detailed Feature Comparison

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Amphetamine

Caffeine

Who Should Choose Which?

1Long software download or system update

2Developer with external monitors and closed MacBook lid

3Presentations and screen sharing

4Automated workflows and build processes

Migration Guide

From_amphetamine → Caffeine

From_caffeine → Amphetamine

Final Verdict

Napless

Video Tutorials

One of My Favorite Mac Utility Apps: Amphetamine

How to keep your Mac awake 🚀 #shorts

How to keep your Mac awake all the time ? #short #mactips

Stay Awake, Stay Productive: Unlock the Power of Amphetamine for macOS!

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author

Explore More on Bundl

Sources & References

Key Verified Facts

Related Technologies & Concepts

Related Topics

macOS Sleep Prevention

Mac Productivity Utilities

Apple Silicon Mac Optimization

Free macOS Utilities