The best Caffeinated alternatives

People leave Caffeinated because its pages disagree about lid-closed use, it needs macOS 15 or later, and its site does not say it keeps Slack or Teams Available. Amphetamine is the free pick with a documented Closed-Display Mode, Caffeine the free open-source toggle for macOS 11 or later, and Idle Pilot the cloud option for Slack or Teams. Stay with Caffeinated if its $3.99 one-click cup does the job.

Disclosure: Idle Pilot wrote this page and makes one of the tools on it. Vendor facts come from each vendor's own site, checked October 2026. Idle Pilot is not affiliated with Caffeinated.

Why people switch from Caffeinated

  • Its pages disagree about lid-closed use. Its September 2026 update added an option to keep the system awake with the lid closed, but its older help page still says it is not developed for that.
  • It needs macOS 15 or later. The Mac App Store version requires macOS 15, so a Mac on an older release needs another app.
  • It does not say it keeps Slack or Teams Available. It prevents sleep, dimming and the screensaver, and its pages describe no mouse or keyboard input. Its listing names video calls only as a reason to keep the screen on.

At a glance

Checked October 2026 on each vendor's own site. Prices and features can change.
Tool Type Laptop closed Price
Caffeinated Keep-awake app Its September 2026 update added an option to stay awake with the lid closed; its older help page says it is not built for that. $3.99 once
Amphetamine Keep-awake app Its Closed-Display Mode can keep a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed. Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon; the Mac must remain on. Free
Caffeine (Mac App) Keep-awake app Its site does not mention lid-closed use; it stops helping once the Mac sleeps. Free
KeepingYouAwake Keep-awake app No. Its README says it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and laptops with an open lid. Free
Idle Pilot Cloud presence tool Yes: it runs in the cloud, so the laptop can be closed, asleep, or off $9 per month or $60 per year
Green Dotter Software mouse jiggler Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free; optional Pro from $12.99 once

The alternatives

1. Amphetamine

Free Mac App Store utility that keeps a Mac and its displays awake, with timers, Triggers, Closed-Display Mode and optional cursor movement.

Runs on
macOS 10.13 or later (Mac App Store)
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Not claimed. Its listing offers periodic cursor movement but does not mention Teams or Slack, so its site does not say whether it keeps Teams Available.
Laptop closed
Its Closed-Display Mode can keep a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed. Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon; the Mac must remain on.
Price
Free

Why it fits: Amphetamine is free, runs on macOS 10.13 or later, and documents Closed-Display Mode for keeping a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed.

Watch out: Its last Mac App Store update was November 10, 2023; Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon, and closed-display sessions can work without it.

Amphetamine website Idle Pilot vs Amphetamine Amphetamine alternatives

2. Caffeine (Mac App)

Free, open-source Mac menu bar app that prevents automatic sleep, screen dimming and screen savers, with an optional timeout.

Runs on
macOS 11 or later; an older version for macOS 10.10 to 10.15 is linked from its site
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its site does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. Slack documents that desktop users become away after 10 minutes of inactivity.
Laptop closed
Its site does not mention lid-closed use; it stops helping once the Mac sleeps.
Price
Free

Why it fits: Caffeine is a free, open-source menu bar cup much like Caffeinated, and it runs on macOS 11 or later, with an older version linked for macOS 10.10 to 10.15.

Watch out: Lid-closed operation is not documented; Caffeine requires the Mac to stay on and awake and cannot work while it is asleep or off.

Caffeine (Mac App) website Idle Pilot vs Caffeine (Mac App) Caffeine (Mac App) alternatives

3. KeepingYouAwake

Free, open-source Mac menu bar app that stops the Mac from sleeping by running Apple's caffeinate tool, for a set time or until turned off.

Runs on
macOS 10.13 or later (release 1.6.8); download from GitHub or Homebrew
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its site does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. It prevents sleep only and adds no mouse or keyboard activity.
Laptop closed
No. Its README says it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and laptops with an open lid.
Price
Free

Why it fits: KeepingYouAwake is free, open source and runs on macOS 10.13 or later, and its README answers the lid question clearly.

Watch out: The answer is no: it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and laptops with an open lid, and it is not on the Mac App Store.

KeepingYouAwake website Idle Pilot vs KeepingYouAwake KeepingYouAwake alternatives

4. Idle Pilot

Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Microsoft Teams availability from the cloud during saved Work Hours.

Runs on
Cloud. Set up once in desktop Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Yes: Slack or Microsoft Teams, one account at a time
Laptop closed
Yes: it runs in the cloud, so the laptop can be closed, asleep, or off
Price
$9 per month or $60 per year

Why it fits: If you kept the screen awake so Slack or Teams stayed Available, Idle Pilot does that from the cloud during saved Work Hours, so the laptop can be closed, asleep or off.

Watch out: It costs $9 per month or $60 per year after a 3-day free trial, against Caffeinated's $3.99 once, and covers one Slack workspace or one Teams account at a time.

Idle Pilot pricing

5. Green Dotter

Free Mac and Windows auto clicker and mouse jiggler that wiggles the mouse or clicks an area you choose, with a weekly scheduler in beta.

Runs on
macOS 11 or later (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its FAQ says yes for Slack and Teams while a session runs, depending on your Teams setup, and that mouse movement alone is often not enough for Slack.
Laptop closed
Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off.
Price
Free; optional Pro from $12.99 once

Why it fits: Green Dotter is free with no account and runs on macOS 11 or later. Its FAQ describes Slack support through chosen click areas and qualifies Teams behavior by setup and workplace policy.

Watch out: It needs an awake Mac and Accessibility permission to simulate mouse input, and it pauses at screen lock or sleep.

Green Dotter website Idle Pilot vs Green Dotter Green Dotter alternatives

When Caffeinated is still the right choice

Caffeinated is still the better choice if you want a low-cost, one-click way to keep the screen on, with custom durations, and it works on battery, per its help center. It costs $3.99 once with free updates and Family Sharing, and it is actively updated (version 3.3.0 on October 19, 2026). If your Mac runs macOS 15 or later and the lid stays open, it does the job.

Caffeinated sources

FAQ

What is the best Caffeinated alternative?
For closed-display settings, Amphetamine is free and documents Closed-Display Mode; Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon, and sessions can work without it. Its last App Store update was November 2023. For a free toggle on macOS 11 or later, Caffeine for Mac is open source. For Slack or Teams while the laptop is asleep or off, Idle Pilot runs from the cloud during saved Work Hours.
Is there a free Caffeinated alternative?
Yes. Caffeine for Mac and KeepingYouAwake are free and open source under the MIT license, and Amphetamine is free with no ads or in-app purchases, per its developer. Jiggler for Mac is free under the GNU GPL v3, and Green Dotter is free with no account. Lungo ($4) and Theine ($8.99) are one-time purchases like Caffeinated, and Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year after its trial.
Which Caffeinated alternative works with the laptop closed?
Amphetamine offers Closed-Display Mode; Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon, and sessions can work without it. Theine requires an external display, and Lungo requires a charger and external display. KeepingYouAwake explicitly rejects closed-lid use. Caffeine's lid behavior is undocumented. All these local apps require an awake Mac. Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Teams availability during saved Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep, or off.
Can my employer see that I use Caffeinated or an alternative?
Possibly. Device management can list installed apps and USB devices, and monitoring tools can record input, including the clicks or mouse movement Green Dotter sends. Slack and Teams admins can see sessions, devices and network origins, which includes the session Idle Pilot keeps. Availability is not proof of work, and no tool on this page can promise it stays hidden or is allowed. Check your employer's rules first.

Related

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Keep Slack or Teams Available with your laptop closed.

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Idle Pilot facts

Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Microsoft Teams availability from the cloud during saved Work Hours.

Who it is for
For people who want availability to follow work hours when the laptop is closed, asleep, or off.
Connected account
One Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account at a time. You can switch platforms.
Price
Freedom Pass costs $9 per month or $60 per year.
Trial
3-day free trial · No credit card. The trial starts at the first Slack or Teams connection. 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.
First setup
Connect once in desktop Google Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension. You can remove the extension after linking. Mobile-only linking is not supported. View the extension.
Limits
Presence only: it does not write custom status messages or read chats and files. It is not a mouse jiggler. Your employer’s rules still apply; availability is not proof of work.
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