Pick Clamshell for Mac if you want the lid closed with no admin password, no root helper and no pmset change; pick LidRun Pro if you want an app that detects Claude Code and lets the Mac sleep once the agent is done, or you use an Intel Mac. Both keep a MacBook running with the lid shut and no monitor, for about $10 once. The free routes are an external display on power (Apple's closed-display mode) or sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1, which you have to undo yourself.
Clamshell for Mac keeps a MacBook awake with the lid closed, on power or battery. No admin password, no helper, no monitor. Free for 7 days, then $9.99 once.
Download free trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
pmset disablesleep setting through a helper that runs as root, and adds agent detection on top.LidRun is a menu bar app for developers that holds a Mac awake while AI agents, builds and downloads run, and releases it when the work ends or a battery or heat limit is reached. Its free tier keeps the Mac awake with the lid open; Closed-Lid mode, Auto Mode and alerts are in Pro. Clamshell for Mac does one thing: you arm it, close the lid, and the Mac keeps running with the built-in display black until you disarm, quit or, after a one-close arm, open the lid.
This page is the two-way version. For Amphetamine as a third option, see LidRun vs Amphetamine vs Clamshell.
Side-by-side comparison
LidRun cells come from its homepage, pricing page, download page, helper guide, closed-lid safety guide and FAQ, checked October 14, 2026. "Not stated" means we could not find it on those pages; it does not mean the feature is missing.
| Clamshell Recommended | LidRun | |
|---|---|---|
| Admin rights | None. No sudo, admin password, kernel extension, driver or privileged helper. | Root helper or password. Closed-Lid mode needs a helper approved once in Login Items, a LaunchDaemon that runs with root-level privileges. Without it, an admin password each time the mode turns on and off. |
| How lid-closed works | No pmset changes. Unprivileged IOKit clamshell sleep-state control plus an idle-sleep assertion while armed. | Uses pmset. Flips pmset -a disablesleep, a global setting that persists until turned back off, per its helper guide. |
| After a crash or force quit | Never saved across a restart. The direct edition can relaunch after an unexpected exit when its crash-recovery agent is permitted. | Setting stays on. With the helper, normal sleep returns within about 45 to 60 seconds. Without it, not until LidRun launches again or you run sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0. |
| Thermal safeguard | Always on. Serious or critical thermal pressure disarms toward normal lid sleep and blocks arming until cooled. | Ends at critical. Warns at serious. "Drop Closed-Lid if the Mac gets too hot" is on by default in Settings, and 1.2.30 added an option to tolerate more heat. |
| Closed lid, no display | Yes, in the only tier, on power or battery. | Pro only. The free tier is lid-open. Unlicensed users get a limited number of free Closed-Lid runs to test it. |
| Agent detection | No. Arm from scripts or Claude Code hooks with clamshell://arm and clamshell://disarm, or Shortcuts actions. | Yes, Pro Auto Mode: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, Cline, Ollama, Docker and more. A known agent counts as working even at near 0% CPU. |
| When it ends | You decide. Menu and Option-close arming cover the next close; right-click and Shortcuts arming last until you disarm. Normal lid sleep returns on disarm or quit. | Task-aware. "Sleep when done" (recommended) sleeps the Mac after 10 minutes with no tracked work, adjustable to 20 or 30. Or a 30 minute to 8 hour timer, or until you turn it off. |
| How you arm it | Menu bar, right-click, URL scheme, Shortcuts, or hold Option while closing the lid on Macs with a lid angle sensor. | Menu bar, Option-L or Caps Lock, before you close the lid. |
| Battery safeguard | Optional. Low-battery disarm at a level you choose, off by default. Re-applies on every plug or unplug. | On by default. Auto-stop at 20% (15% to 50%), warnings at 15% and 5%, and a 4% force-sleep floor that always runs. |
| Agents using the screen | Yes. The built-in display stays black while computer use and the iOS Simulator keep working (a setting, on by default). | Not stated. |
| Platform | Apple Silicon only. MacBooks on macOS 14 or later. | macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel. |
| Signing and install | Notarized by Apple. DMG from clamshell.dev, or Setapp. | Notarized and Developer ID signed. DMG or Homebrew tap. Not on the Mac App Store. |
| Extras | URL scheme and four Shortcuts actions. | Free lidrun -- <cmd> CLI, Activity Log, "Why is my Mac awake?" viewer. Pro adds alerts, webhooks and watchdog rules. |
| Last update | 1.4.23, October 12, 2026. | 1.2.30, October 11, 2026. |
| Price | 7-day free trial, then $9.99 once for 1 Mac or $19.99 for 3 Macs. 14-day money-back guarantee. | Free tier, lid open. Pro, one-time launch prices: 1 Mac $9.90, 2 Macs $14.90, 3 Macs $19.90; Startup, 10 Macs, $59.90. 14-day money-back. |
How each app keeps the lid closed
A MacBook sleeps for two separate reasons. Idle sleep happens when nobody touches it, and a power assertion, the thing caffeinate holds, stops it. Lid sleep happens the moment the lid closes, and a power assertion alone does not stop it. LidRun's own safety guide says the same: its Keep Awake, Timer and Auto Mode only block idle sleep, so you need Closed-Lid mode for a shut lid. Why caffeinate does not work with the lid closed covers this in detail.
For the lid itself, the two apps take different routes. LidRun's Closed-Lid mode turns on pmset -a disablesleep, a system-wide setting that needs root. Its helper is a background service registered through Apple's Service Management framework and approved in Login Items; LidRun says it accepts only a fixed set of requests from LidRun's own signed app. Clamshell uses an IOKit lid sleep-state control that macOS lets an ordinary app use, so there is nothing to approve and no global setting to restore.
Where LidRun is better
- It notices the agent and lets the Mac sleep after. Pro Auto Mode recognizes Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other tools, and "Sleep when done" puts the Mac to sleep about 10 minutes after the last tracked task stops. Clamshell has no agent detection; it stays armed until you, a script or a lid open ends it.
- Intel Macs and macOS 13. LidRun runs on both. Clamshell needs an Apple Silicon MacBook on macOS 14 or later.
- Battery protection on by default. LidRun auto-stops at 20% and always force-sleeps at 4%. Clamshell's low-battery disarm is optional and off until you turn it on.
- A free tier and more tooling. LidRun's lid-open keep-awake, CLI and "Why is my Mac awake?" viewer are free, and Pro adds alerts, webhooks, an activity log of why each session ended and a 10-Mac plan.
- One-key arming on any Mac. Option-L or Caps Lock arms Closed-Lid mode. Clamshell's Option-close gesture needs a lid angle sensor; other Macs arm from the menu bar.
You can get close to LidRun's "sleep when done" with Clamshell: the Claude Code hooks recipe arms Clamshell when a session starts and disarms it when the session ends, and the Claude Code lid-closed guide has a wrapper script. It is a setup step, not a built-in feature.
Where Clamshell is better
- No administrator access at all. No helper to approve, no password prompt, and no background service running as root. It also works on Macs where you are not an admin.
- No system-wide sleep switch.
pmset disablesleeptells the whole Mac to ignore sleep until something turns it off. Clamshell's override exists only while armed, normal lid sleep returns on disarm or quit, and nothing is saved across a restart. - Nothing stuck after a crash. LidRun's own guide says a crash leaves its setting on until the helper steps in, or until the next launch without the helper. Clamshell has no such leftover state.
- Earlier heat cut-off you cannot switch off. Clamshell disarms at serious thermal pressure. LidRun warns at serious and drops Closed-Lid mode at critical, with a setting that is on by default.
- Closed lid in the only tier, with a full trial. Every Clamshell feature works for 7 days, then $9.99 once. LidRun's closed-lid mode is Pro, with a limited number of free test runs.
- Agents can use the screen. The built-in display stays black while computer use and the iOS Simulator keep working.
Close the lid with nothing to approve. Clamshell is free for 7 days, then $9.99 once for one Mac.
Download free trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
Frequently asked questions
Does LidRun need an admin password for closed-lid mode?
Yes, in one of two ways. LidRun's Closed-Lid mode flips pmset disablesleep, which needs administrator rights. You either approve its helper once in Login Items, a background service that runs with root-level privileges, or macOS asks for an admin password each time the mode turns on and off. Clamshell for Mac needs no admin password, helper or pmset change.
Does LidRun detect Claude Code and stop when it finishes?
Yes, in Pro. LidRun's Auto Mode watches for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents, and its recommended Sleep when done setting lets the Mac sleep after 10 minutes with no tracked work. Clamshell does not detect agents; you arm and disarm it yourself, or from a script or Claude Code hooks with clamshell://arm and clamshell://disarm.
Is LidRun's closed-lid mode free?
No. LidRun's free tier covers lid-open sessions. Closed-Lid mode is part of Pro, from $9.90 once for one Mac at its launch price, and unlicensed users get a limited number of free closed-lid runs to test it. Clamshell includes closed-lid use in its only tier: free for 7 days, then $9.99 once for one Mac.
What happens if the app crashes while the lid is closed?
With LidRun, the pmset disablesleep setting stays on after a crash. Its helper restores normal sleep within about 45 to 60 seconds; without the helper, the setting stays on until LidRun launches again or you run sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0. Clamshell does not change pmset, and its lid change is never saved across a restart.
Does LidRun work on Intel Macs or macOS 13?
Yes. LidRun supports macOS 13 Ventura or later on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Clamshell needs an Apple Silicon MacBook on macOS 14 or later.
Which is better for running coding agents with the lid closed?
Clamshell for Mac if you want no admin rights, no root helper and no system-wide pmset setting, with thermal protection that acts at serious pressure and cannot be turned off. LidRun Pro if you want automatic agent detection and sleep when the agent is done, or you use an Intel Mac or macOS 13.
If you are on an Intel Mac, or you want the app itself to spot Claude Code and put the Mac to sleep when it is done, LidRun Pro covers that.
Ready to close the lid? Clamshell keeps your MacBook awake with no admin rights and no pmset change. Free for 7 days, then $9.99 once.
Apple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
Related guides
- LidRun vs Amphetamine vs Clamshell
- Keep Claude Code running with the lid closed
- Keep your Mac awake only while Claude Code runs, with hooks
- Is sudo pmset disablesleep 1 safe?
- How keep-awake apps keep a closed MacBook awake
- Best apps to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed
Sources checked October 14, 2026: LidRun's homepage, pricing page, download page, changelog, helper guide, closed-lid safety guide, docs (FAQ, pricing, safety), and its posts LidRun vs Amphetamine and Keep Claude Code running when your MacBook is closed. LidRun's pages give its battery floor as 4% in one guide and 4 to 8% in a blog post; the table uses the guide. LidRun was not installed or run, so nothing here is a hands-on test of it. Clamshell details come from its own documentation and changelog. Clamshell is the publisher of this comparison and is not affiliated with LidRun. Product names belong to their respective owners.