The research shortlist
Page updated
KeepingYouAwakeTop pick
Prevent your Mac from going to sleep.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Best overall fit: mature, widely used, MIT-licensed, and closely matches Lungo's simple menu-bar workflow; active commits and a current macOS 26-compatible release support maintenance.
A lightweight native menu-bar utility built around Apple's caffeinate command, with timed or indefinite sleep prevention.
- 01One-click keep-awake toggle
- 02Preset activation durations and indefinite mode
- 03Low-battery auto-deactivation
- 04Launch-at-login and external-display activation options
- Does not prevent sleep on a MacBook with the lid closed.
- Requires macOS 10.13 or newer.
Evidence sources (9)
- Official KeepingYouAwake GitHub repositorySource available ·
- KeepingYouAwake MIT License fileLicense ·
- Latest KeepingYouAwake releaseRelease ·
- KeepingYouAwake 1.6.8 downloadFree at review time ·
- Official KeepingYouAwake homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- KeepingYouAwake product screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest GitHub releaseRelease ·
Caffeine
Keeps your Mac awake.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Strong simple alternative: a long-running Mac utility with a maintained modern fork, a focused feature set nearly identical to Lungo, direct downloads, and a substantial public community.
Full review — capabilities, 2 caveats, evidence
A minimal native menu-bar utility that toggles sleep prevention and offers timeouts, startup, and default-duration settings.
- 01One-click menu-bar toggle
- 02Timeouts for temporary sessions
- 03Launch-at-startup option
- 04Default activation duration setting
- 05macOS 11 and newer support
- The modern build requires macOS 11 or newer.
- Less configurable than KeepingYouAwake and Keepresso.
Evidence sources (12)
- Official Caffeine GitHub repositorySource available ·
- Caffeine MIT License fileLicense ·
- Latest Caffeine releaseRelease ·
- Official Caffeine downloadFree at review time ·
- Official Caffeine homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- Caffeine project icon assetScreenshots ·
- Caffeine product screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest GitHub releaseRelease ·
- screenshot asset fetched by the local materializerScreenshots ·
- screenshot asset fetched by the local materializerScreenshots ·
Keepresso
Keep your Mac awake on your terms.
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
The most feature-rich and actively released option, with native SwiftUI, tested core logic, signed/notarized downloads, and broad trigger support; ranked below the older projects because its community is smaller and its privileged feature surface is broader.
Full review — capabilities, 3 caveats, evidence
A native SwiftUI menu-bar utility with timed sessions, condition-based triggers, activity reporting, battery and thermal safeguards, and optional closed-display mode.
- 01Timed sessions and until-time schedules
- 02Condition-based triggers
- 03Battery and thermal safety controls
- 04Closed-display mode for supported Macs
- 05Signed, notarized DMG and Homebrew installation
- Requires macOS 14 or newer.
- Closed-display mode and some advanced controls require administrator approval.
- Newer project with a smaller community than KeepingYouAwake and Caffeine.
Evidence sources (8)
- Official Keepresso GitHub repositorySource available ·
- Keepresso GNU GPL v3.0 license fileLicense ·
- Latest Keepresso releaseRelease ·
- Official Keepresso homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest GitHub releaseRelease ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
Specifications, side by side
| Attribute | 1 · KeepingYouAwake | 2 · Caffeine | 3 · Keepresso |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | MIT | GPL-3.0-only |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS | macOS |
| Status | Checked | Checked | Checked |
| Version | v1.6.8 | v1.6.4 | v1.20.2 |
| Stars | 6.8k | 680 | 70 |
| Last push | |||
| Caveats | 2 | 2 | 3 |
About Lungo
Lungo — Prevent your Mac from sleeping during videos, presentations, or focused work.
Setapp listing: Keep your Mac awake
