For keeping a MacBook awake with the lid closed, pick Clamshell. It needs no helper, admin password or pmset change, its thermal cut-off is always on, and it keeps working across plug and unplug with no extra install. Closed-lid mode is in its only tier, for $9.99 once after a 7-day free trial.
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 trialApple Silicon, macOS 14+. Notarized by Apple. 3.6 MB. Or buy now, $9.99. On your phone? Send the Mac download link to yourself.
This page compares three apps head to head. For the wider picture, including pmset, caffeinate and Apple's own display setup, see the best app to keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed.
pmset disablesleep with a helper, and Amphetamine offers an optional Power Protect install on Apple Silicon laptops.Clamshell for Mac is a menu bar app for Apple Silicon MacBooks built for the closed lid: it keeps the Mac running with the built-in display black, with no admin rights, and restores normal lid sleep when the session ends. LidRun Pro adds closed-lid mode to a developer keep-awake tool that detects agents like Claude Code. Amphetamine is the free, general keep-awake toolkit from the Mac App Store.
At a glance
Clamshell Recommended
$9.99 once for one Mac
- After a 7-day free trial, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Close the lid with no admin prompt, helper, or
pmset. - Thermal safety always on. Or $19.99 once for 3 Macs.
LidRun Pro
From $9.90 once
- Closed-Lid Mode calls
pmset disablesleepthrough a helper. - Its free tier is lid-open only.
- Agent detection. Runs on Intel MacBooks.
Amphetamine
Free, no in-app purchases
- On Apple Silicon laptops, an optional Power Protect install keeps Closed-Display Mode working across power changes.
- Last updated November 10, 2023.
- Free on every Mac, Intel included.
Why Clamshell is the better pick
- No privileged setup at all. LidRun's Closed-Lid Mode calls
pmset disablesleep, through a helper you approve once or an admin password each time it flips. Amphetamine's optional Power Protect install asks for Touch ID or an admin password. Clamshell needs no helper, no admin password and nopmsetsetting. - Nothing left behind. LidRun's docs say that without its helper, a crash can leave the setting on until the next launch. Clamshell's lid change is never saved across a restart, and it restores normal lid sleep on disarm or quit.
- Thermal safety you cannot switch off. Serious thermal pressure already disarms Clamshell, where LidRun warns at serious and ends Closed-Lid Mode at critical. Amphetamine's listing does not state a thermal cut-off.
- Plug and unplug, no extra download. Clamshell works on battery and re-applies on every plug and unplug. Amphetamine needs its separate Power Protect install for power changes on Apple Silicon laptops.
- Closed lid in the only tier, actively updated. Clamshell 1.4.21 shipped October 5, 2026. LidRun's closed-lid mode is Pro only, and Amphetamine's latest listed version is from November 2023.
pmset disablesleep, through a helper you approve once or an admin password each time.
Close the lid with nothing to approve. Try Clamshell 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.
Side-by-side comparison
Every competitor cell comes from that product's own pages, checked October 5, 2026. "Not stated" means we could not find it on their official pages; it does not mean the feature is missing.
| Clamshell Recommended | LidRun | Amphetamine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin or helper | None. No sudo, admin rights, kernel extension, driver, or privileged 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. |
| How closed-lid works | Unprivileged IOKit clamshell sleep-state control plus an idle-sleep assertion while armed. Not pmset. |
Calls pmset disablesleep, per its FAQ. |
A session option that prevents system sleep when the built-in display is closed. Mechanism not stated. |
| Restore behavior | Option-close and menu arming cover the next close; on lid open the Mac locks. Right-click and Shortcuts arming stay until disarmed. Never persists across a restart. | 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. |
| Thermal safeguard | Always on. Serious or critical thermal pressure disarms toward normal lid sleep and blocks arming until cooled. | Warns at serious thermal state, ends Closed-Lid Mode at critical; on by default. | Not stated on its listing. |
| Closed-lid support | Yes, in the only tier. | Yes, Closed-Lid Mode in Pro only. | Yes, Closed-Display Mode. On Apple Silicon laptops, an optional Power Protect install for power changes. |
| Price and tiers | 7-day free trial, then $9.99 once for 1 Mac or $19.99 for 3 Macs. 14-day money-back guarantee. | 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. |
| Battery safeguard | Optional low-battery disarm at a level you choose, off by default. Re-applies on every plug or unplug. | 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. |
| Last update | 1.4.21, October 5, 2026. | 1.2.25, September 27, 2026. | 5.3.2, November 10, 2023. |
| Agent auto-detection | No. Arm from scripts with clamshell://arm and clamshell://disarm, or Shortcuts actions. |
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. |
| Availability | clamshell.dev and Setapp. Not on the Mac App Store; an App Store app with the same name is unrelated. | Direct DMG, notarized, and a Homebrew tap. Not on the Mac App Store. | Mac App Store. |
| Platform | Apple Silicon MacBooks, macOS 14 or later. | macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel. | macOS 10.13 or later on the listing. |
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
Do I need an admin password for Clamshell?
No. Clamshell uses an unprivileged system control, so there is no sudo, admin prompt or privileged helper. LidRun's Closed-Lid Mode needs a helper you approve once or an admin password each time it flips, and Amphetamine's optional Power Protect install asks for Touch ID or an admin password.
Does Clamshell leave anything behind?
No. Clamshell never changes the persistent pmset SleepDisabled setting, its lid change is never saved across a restart, and it restores normal lid sleep when you disarm or quit. LidRun's docs say that without its helper, a crash can leave its pmset setting on until the next launch.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Clamshell is free for 7 days with no payment details, then $9.99 once for one Mac or $19.99 for three, with a 14-day money-back guarantee. LidRun's free tier covers lid-open sessions only; Closed-Lid Mode needs Pro, listed at $9.90 for one Mac as a launch price. Amphetamine is free.
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; a wrapper script can arm Clamshell with clamshell://arm and disarm it with clamshell://disarm.
Which works on Intel Macs?
LidRun and Amphetamine. Clamshell supports only Apple Silicon MacBooks on macOS 14 or later.
If you need Intel support, agent auto-detection or a free lid-open toolkit, LidRun or Amphetamine covers that.
Clamshell is the pick for a closed lid. No helper, no admin password, thermal safety always on, and nothing saved across a restart. 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.
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
- Clamshell vs Hold My Lid for coding agents
- Clamshell vs Adrafinil: no root helper needed
Sources checked October 5, 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.