Clamshell for Mac keeps an Apple Silicon MacBook awake with the lid closed and no external display, with no admin password, sudo rule or helper, for $9.99 once after a 7-day free trial. Of the 22 alternatives compared on this site, most lid-closed apps switch the system-wide SleepDisabled flag (pmset disablesleep) through a root helper or a sudo rule, idle-sleep apps such as caffeinate and KeepingYouAwake do not survive a closed lid, and Apple's closed-display mode or a dummy plug need extra hardware and a charger.
Clamshell for Mac keeps an Apple Silicon MacBook awake with the lid closed while armed. No monitor, no sudo. Free for 7 days.
Download free trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
Every row below comes from a full comparison page on this site, checked against the rival's own website, App Store listing, README or FAQ on the date that page gives. This hub does not add new research: it collects the answer, the mechanism, the price and the verdict in one place. Where a vendor does not say something, the cell says so. Prices are the vendors' listed prices and may change, so check the full comparison and the vendor before you buy.
The labels work the same way as in each comparison: blue marks a yes or a Clamshell strength, red a drawback for a closed lid, and amber something the vendor does not state or that is uncertain.
Lid-closed apps compared with Clamshell
These apps can keep a MacBook awake with the lid shut and no external display. They differ in how they do it and what they ask of your system.
| App | Lid closed, no display | How | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clamshell Our pick |
Yes, on power or battery; built-in display stays black | No admin. Unprivileged IOKit lid sleep-state control plus an idle-sleep assertion while armed. Never sets SleepDisabled | 7-day free trial, then $9.99 once for 1 Mac or $19.99 for 3 Macs | Thermal safety always on, nothing saved across a restart, also on Setapp. What Clamshell is |
| Keepresso | Yes, with closed-display mode, on power or battery | Uses pmset. Flips pmset disablesleep with a password once per app run, or an optional admin helper approved once |
Free, open source (GPL-3.0) | Pick Clamshell: no admin password, sudo or helper, and it never touches the system-wide pmset disablesleep setting. Keepresso vs Clamshell |
| Sleepless | Yes, on battery too | sudoers rule. Toggles pmset disablesleep, the SleepDisabled flag |
Free, open source (MIT) | Pick Clamshell: it runs on macOS 14 or later where Sleepless needs macOS 26, with no sudoers rule, and it is notarized. Sleepless vs Clamshell |
| Adrafinil | Yes, while an agent session holds it | Root helper. Sets pmset disablesleep while a hold is live |
Free, open source (MIT) | Pick Clamshell: no admin rights or root helper, no pmset change, and macOS 14 or later where Adrafinil needs macOS 26. Adrafinil vs Clamshell |
| Insomnia | Yes, timed sessions, on power or battery | sudoers rule. Switches pmset -a disablesleep; the rule covers your whole user account |
Free, open source (MIT) | Pick Clamshell: no password or sudoers rule, notarized, macOS 14 or later. Insomnia needs macOS 26 and calls itself experimental. Insomnia vs Clamshell |
| Capsomnia | Yes, while Caps Lock is on | Needs admin. A privileged helper runs pmset -a disablesleep through a sudoers rule |
Free, open source (MIT) | Pick Clamshell: no administrator at install, no privileged helper, and it changes lid-close sleep only. Capsomnia vs Clamshell |
| Macchiato | Yes, system-wide | Root helper. An idle-sleep assertion plus pmset -a disablesleep 1 |
Free, open source (Apache-2.0) | Choose Macchiato for a free open-source switch if a root helper is fine; choose Clamshell for no admin step, a lid-only change, a thermal cutoff and scripting. Clamshell vs Macchiato |
| Hold My Lid | Yes, per its FAQ, while agents work | A PreventUserIdleSystemSleep power assertion, per its FAQ; Apple's documentation says the system may still sleep for lid close with that assertion. Admin needs not stated |
Free trial, then $9.99 once early-bird (normally $14.99), up to 3 Macs | Pick Clamshell: it sets the lid sleep state directly, its thermal cut-off is always on, and it keeps any job running, not only detected agents. Hold My Lid vs Clamshell |
| LidRun | Yes, Pro only | Root helper or password. Flips pmset -a disablesleep |
Free lid-open tier; Pro from $9.90 once (launch price) | Pick Clamshell for no admin, root helper or pmset change; pick LidRun Pro for Claude Code detection with sleep-when-done, or an Intel Mac. LidRun vs Clamshell, three-way |
| Helmlet | Yes, on battery too | Privileged helper. Sets SleepDisabled, the same flag as pmset -a disablesleep 1 |
€3.99 once, introductory (regularly €7.99) | Pick Clamshell: no helper or admin password, never sets SleepDisabled, and a 7-day free trial where Helmlet has none. Helmlet vs Clamshell |
| Amphetamine | Yes, Closed-Display Mode | Not documented by the developer; a user report logs SleepDisabled at 1. Power Protect add-on on Apple Silicon laptops: a script plus a configuration file in /private/etc/sudoers.d/, Touch ID or admin password once |
Free | For the lid-closed part, switch to Clamshell: one app, no add-on, plug and unplug handled. Amphetamine's listing shows no update since November 10, 2023. Amphetamine alternative, vs pmset |
| Lidless | Yes | Root helper. Sets the SleepDisabled flag; a watchdog restores sleep after a crash | Free, open source (MIT) | Best for a free one-click toggle with a watchdog. No dedicated comparison yet. Roundup |
| StillOn | Yes, hold Fn while closing | An undocumented macOS interface, per its FAQ. No password or sudo, per its site. Beta | 7-day free trial, then $14.99 once for up to 3 Macs | Best for a paid app with Intel and macOS 11 support. No dedicated comparison yet. Roundup |
| Awake | Yes on power; battery mode is optional | Not stated. A helper is installed for battery mode | $14.99 lifetime, launch price | Best for simple timers, lid closed on power. No dedicated comparison yet. Roundup |
caffeinate, KeepingYouAwake, Lungo, Theine) stop the idle timer only. The pmset flag (Keepresso, Sleepless, Adrafinil, Insomnia, Capsomnia, Macchiato, LidRun, Helmlet, Lidless) stops lid sleep but needs root. A display or dummy plug needs hardware and a charger. Clamshell uses an unprivileged lid sleep-state control while armed. How keep-awake apps work has the details.
No helper, no sudo rule, no pmset switch. Clamshell is free for 7 days with no payment details, then $9.99 once for one Mac. 14-day money-back guarantee.
Download free trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
Built-in commands and hardware routes
No app to buy, but each has a catch for a closed lid.
| Route | Lid closed, no display | How | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
pmset disablesleep |
Yes, on every power source | Needs sudo. sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1, a system-wide setting that stays on until you undo it |
Free, built into macOS | Reversible with sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0, but not safe to leave on: no timer or indicator. Clamshell vs Amphetamine vs pmset, pmset guide |
caffeinate |
No | Idle-sleep assertion tied to a process or timer | Free, built into macOS | It only blocks idle sleep; closing the lid triggers a separate sleep path, so the Mac still sleeps. Fine for one job with the lid open. caffeinate with the lid closed |
| Apple's closed-display mode | No, it needs an external display | Supported macOS workflow with an external display, keyboard, mouse and power attached | Free if you own the hardware | Works at a desk. It does not cover travel, headless work or an unattended Mac with no display attached. Clamshell vs Amphetamine vs pmset |
| Dummy display plug | Yes, by posing as a display; needs the charger | An HDMI plug that looks like a display to macOS. Uses a port, no software | $3.50 to about $10 | The right choice at a desk on power when agents need a real display. An app fits a Mac on battery, with no port to spare, or on the move. The two do not combine. Dummy plug vs an app |
Virtual display plus pmset |
Yes, no charger needed | Admin password for pmset, plus a virtual display app |
BetterDisplay Pro $21.99; pmset is free |
Custom resolutions, including HiDPI, but no heat or battery cutoff and a manual undo. Dummy plug vs an app |
Idle-sleep apps: fine with the lid open
These hold off idle sleep only. Without an external display, they do not keep the Mac awake once the lid closes. Caffeinated's 3.2.0 lid option is the one unexplained exception.
| App | Lid closed, no display | How | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KeepingYouAwake | No, per its README | Wraps caffeinate, an idle-sleep assertion |
Free, open source (MIT) | Keep it for open-lid work; add an external display, pmset disablesleep or Clamshell when the lid has to close. KeepingYouAwake with the lid closed |
| Caffeinated | Listing says no. 3.2.0 adds a lid option, unexplained | Not stated for the 3.2.0 option. Its lid guide recommends sudo pmset -b disablesleep 1 |
$3.99 on the App Store | Built for idle sleep, not the lid. For a closed lid with no display, Clamshell does it with no admin password, sudo or helper. Clamshell vs Caffeinated |
| Lungo | No, unless a charger and display are connected | Holds off idle sleep only | $4 on the App Store, or via Setapp | Best for polished idle keep-awake. No dedicated comparison yet. Roundup |
| Theine | No | Holds off idle sleep only | $8.99 | Best for keep-awake plus window focus dimming. No dedicated comparison yet. Roundup |
Every full comparison
Best keep-awake apps for Mac
20 apps and commands checked in October 2026, lid closed and lid open.
Clamshell vs Amphetamine vs pmset
Every lid-closed route by setup, scope and price.
LidRun vs Amphetamine vs Clamshell
A three-way comparison of lid-closed apps.
Clamshell vs LidRun
Root helper and agent detection, or no admin at all.
Clamshell vs Keepresso
Free and trigger-heavy, or no admin password.
Clamshell vs Sleepless
macOS 26 and a sudoers rule, or macOS 14 and none.
Clamshell vs Adrafinil
A free agent-aware root helper, or a no-admin app.
Clamshell vs Insomnia
Free timed sessions with a sudoers rule, or no password.
Clamshell vs Capsomnia
A Caps Lock switch for pmset, or a lid-only change.
Clamshell vs Macchiato
A free pmset helper, or a paid no-admin lid app.
Clamshell vs Hold My Lid
Two paid lid-closed apps for coding agents.
Clamshell vs Helmlet
Fan control and a helper, or no admin and a free trial.
Clamshell vs Caffeinated
An idle-sleep app with a new, unexplained lid option.
Amphetamine alternative
When a lid-focused app fits better than Amphetamine.
KeepingYouAwake with the lid closed
Why it sleeps anyway, and what works instead.
Dummy display plug vs an app
A few dollars of hardware, or software that runs on battery.
Close the lid, keep working. Try Clamshell free for 7 days. No admin rights, nothing left behind, $9.99 once if you keep it.
Download free trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99
Related guides
- How keep-awake apps work with the lid closed
- How to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed
- What pmset disablesleep does, and its risks
- Why caffeinate does not work with the lid closed
- Amphetamine not working with the lid closed
- What is Clamshell for Mac?
- Clamshell pricing
Every rival fact on this page is taken from the linked comparison page on this site, which lists its own sources and check date (October 2026). Prices are the vendors' listed prices and may change. Clamshell is the publisher of this page. Product names belong to their respective owners.