LidRun, Amphetamine, and Clamshell can all keep a MacBook running with the lid closed, but they are built for different jobs.
Clamshell for Mac keeps the Mac awake with the lid closed while armed. No sudo, no monitor. Free for 7 days, then $9.99 once.
Download free trialpmset disablesleep with a helper, Amphetamine offers an optional Power Protect install on Apple Silicon laptops, and Clamshell needs no helper or admin rights.Amphetamine is the free, general keep-awake toolkit. LidRun Pro adds closed-lid mode to a developer tool that detects agents like Claude Code and stops when they finish. Clamshell for Mac is a narrow menu bar app for Apple Silicon MacBooks that keeps the Mac running lid-closed with no admin rights and restores normal lid sleep when the session ends.
Quick answer
Amphetamine
Free, no in-app purchases
- Want free and many triggers.
- On Apple Silicon laptops, an optional Power Protect install keeps Closed-Display Mode working across power changes.
- Free on every Mac, Intel included.
LidRun Pro
From $9.90 once
- Want the Mac to notice your agent and release when it is done.
- Its free tier is lid-open only.
- 2, 3, and 10-Mac packs. Runs on Intel MacBooks.
Clamshell
$9.99 once for one Mac
- After a 7-day free trial.
- Want to close the lid with no admin prompt, helper, or
pmset. - Or $19.99 once for 3 Macs. Apple Silicon only.
Side-by-side comparison
Every competitor cell comes from that product's own pages, checked September 29, 2026. "Not stated" means we could not find it on their official pages; it does not mean the feature is missing.
| LidRun | Amphetamine | Clamshell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price and tiers | Free tier, $0, lid open. Pro one-time: 1 Mac $9.90 (launch price), 2 Macs $14.90, 3 Macs $19.90; Startup 10 Macs $59.90. 14-day refund. | Free. No in-app purchases. | 7-day free trial, then $9.99 once for 1 Mac or $19.99 for 3 Macs. 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Closed-lid support | Yes, Closed-Lid Mode in Pro only. | Yes, Closed-Display Mode. On Apple Silicon laptops, an optional Power Protect install for power changes. | Yes, in the only tier. |
| How closed-lid works | Calls pmset disablesleep, per its FAQ. |
A session option that prevents system sleep when the built-in display is closed. Mechanism not stated. | Unprivileged IOKit clamshell sleep-state control plus an idle-sleep assertion while armed. Not pmset. |
| Admin or helper | A helper approved once as a Login Items toggle. Without it, an admin password each time Closed-Lid Mode flips. | App: none. Optional Power Protect install asks for Touch ID or an admin password. | None. No sudo, admin rights, kernel extension, driver, or privileged helper. |
| Agent auto-detection | Yes, Pro Auto Mode: Claude Code, Cursor, Docker, and Ollama per its pricing page. | No agent detection. Triggers can run a session while a chosen app is running. | No. Arm from scripts with clamshell://arm and clamshell://disarm, or Shortcuts actions. |
| Thermal safeguard | Warns at serious thermal state, ends Closed-Lid Mode at critical; on by default. | Not stated on its listing. | Always on. Serious or critical thermal pressure disarms toward normal lid sleep and blocks arming until cooled. |
| Battery safeguard | Adjustable auto-stop, default 20%, plus a 4% force-sleep floor. Free tier includes Low Battery Auto Stop. | Triggers can depend on charging state or a battery threshold. | Optional low-battery disarm at a level you choose, off by default. Re-applies on every plug or unplug. |
| Restore behavior | Releases when the job ends or a guardrail trips. Helper restores normal sleep within about 45 to 60 seconds if the app stops checking in. Without the helper, a crash can leave the setting on until the next launch. Lid-open behavior not stated. | Session ends by its own rules. Crash and lid-open behavior not stated. | Option-close session ends on lid open and the Mac locks. Menu or URL arming stays until disarmed. Never persists across a restart. |
| Availability | Direct DMG, notarized, and a Homebrew tap. Not on the Mac App Store. | Mac App Store. | clamshell.dev and Setapp. Not on the Mac App Store; an App Store app with the same name is unrelated. |
| Platform | macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel. | macOS 10.13 or later on the listing. | Apple Silicon MacBooks, macOS 14 or later. |
| Last update | 1.2.25, September 27, 2026. | 5.3.2, November 10, 2023. | 1.4.19, September 23, 2026. |
Where LidRun is stronger
- Agent auto-detection. LidRun Pro watches for known tools and keeps the Mac awake while they run, then releases it. Neither Amphetamine nor Clamshell detects agents.
- A free tier with no time limit. Keep Awake, timers, charging-only mode, low-battery auto stop, and the
lidruncommand-line wrapper are free. That tier is lid-open only. - Multi-Mac packs. 2, 3, and 10-Mac options with the same features. Clamshell offers 1 or 3 Macs.
- Intel support. LidRun runs on Intel Macs and macOS 13. Clamshell does not.
- Extras. Pro adds watchdog rules, alerts, and webhooks.
Where Amphetamine is stronger
- Price. Free, with no in-app purchases.
- Breadth. Sessions by time, download, or running app, and triggers for displays, apps, battery, and power adapter state.
- Mac App Store distribution. Installs and updates through the App Store.
- Older macOS. The listing supports macOS 10.13 or later.
Where Clamshell is stronger
- No privileged setup at all. No privileged helper, no admin password, and no
pmset disablesleepsetting involved. The optional crash-recovery agent is an unprivileged Login Items entry. The state is never saved across a restart, and the direct edition can relaunch after an unexpected exit when its crash-recovery agent is permitted. - Lid-open restore. Close with Option held and opening the lid ends the session and locks the Mac, so the normal lid behavior comes back without a menu.
- Thermal safety you cannot switch off. Serious thermal pressure already disarms, not only critical.
- Power transitions. It re-applies on every plug and unplug without a separate download.
What Clamshell does not do: detect agents, run on Intel, offer a free tier past the trial, or act as a general keep-awake app. It also pauses while an external display is connected.
Try the narrow option. Clamshell is free for 7 days with no payment details, then $9.99 once for one Mac.
Download free trialWhich should you pick
Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor runs with the lid closed
If you want the app to see the agent and let the Mac sleep when it finishes, LidRun Pro is built for that. If you would rather decide yourself, Clamshell works well with a wrapper script.
A MacBook in a bag or on a train
Pick a tool with a thermal cut-off and a clear end. LidRun and Clamshell both state thermal behavior; Clamshell acts at serious pressure, LidRun at critical. Airflow matters more than any software.
A work Mac without admin rights
Clamshell, since it needs no administrator access. LidRun's Closed-Lid Mode needs a helper approval or an admin password, and pmset needs sudo.
Lid open, many rules, zero cost
Amphetamine. For only the lid-open basics, LidRun's free tier and KeepingYouAwake are also options.
For agent runs, the Clamshell wrapper calls open "clamshell://arm" before the run and open "clamshell://disarm" after. The Claude Code lid-closed guide has a complete script.
A desk with a monitor. You may not need any of them: Apple's external display, keyboard, and mouse setup keeps a MacBook running with the lid closed. See every way to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between LidRun and Clamshell?
LidRun is a developer keep-awake tool whose Pro tier adds Closed-Lid Mode and agent auto-detection, using pmset disablesleep with an optional helper. Clamshell for Mac is a menu bar app that only handles the closed lid, with no admin rights or helper, and restores normal lid sleep when the session ends.
Is LidRun free?
LidRun has a free tier with no time limit, but it covers lid-open sessions. Closed-Lid Mode needs Pro, a one-time purchase that its pricing page lists at $9.90 for one Mac as a launch price.
Does LidRun need an administrator password?
Its FAQ says Closed-Lid Mode calls pmset disablesleep, which can prompt for an administrator password if its helper is not approved. Its helper guide says approving the helper is a one-time Login Items toggle.
Is Amphetamine still updated?
On September 29, 2026 its App Store listing showed version 5.3.2, released November 10, 2023, as the latest.
Which one detects Claude Code automatically?
LidRun Pro. Its Auto Mode detects Claude Code, Cursor, Docker, and Ollama per its pricing page. Amphetamine and Clamshell do not detect agents.
Which works on Intel Macs?
LidRun and Amphetamine. Clamshell supports only Apple Silicon MacBooks on macOS 14 or later.
Is there a LidRun alternative that needs no helper or admin rights?
Clamshell for Mac. It uses an unprivileged system control instead of pmset disablesleep, so there is no helper, sudo, or admin prompt. It costs $9.99 once after a 7-day free trial.
Related guides
- How to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed
- Amphetamine alternatives for closed-lid use on Apple Silicon
- Best apps to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed
- What sudo pmset disablesleep 1 does and how to undo it
- Keep Claude Code running with the lid closed
Sources checked September 29, 2026: LidRun's pricing page, homepage, download page, changelog, helper guide, closed-lid safety guide, and docs (FAQ, pricing, overview); the Amphetamine App Store listing and version history. LidRun's pricing page and its docs differ on whether the Dashboard and Weekly Reports are free or Pro, so they are left out of the table. Clamshell details come from its own documentation and changelog. Clamshell is the publisher of this comparison. Product names belong to their respective owners.