At a glance (as of Oct 2026)
| Lidwork | Amphetamine | |
|---|---|---|
| Lid closed, no monitor | Yes, built in | Yes, via Closed-Display Mode; Apple Silicon needs Power Protect |
| Password / admin | None — allow its background part once | Touch ID or admin password once, to install Power Protect (a sudoers rule) |
| If the app crashes | Background part turns lid sleep back on: at once after a crash, within 30 s after a hang | — |
| Battery cutoff | 10 / 20 / 30%, on in every session | — |
| Honest state | Menu says what Lidwork asked for and whether macOS accepted; says so when something fails (macOS can't read the lid switch back) | A user report (issue #19) describes the session shown active after protection dropped |
| Automation & triggers | No — one toggle | Yes — durations, schedules, app/download/Wi-Fi triggers |
| Distribution | Mac App Store | Mac App Store |
| Last update | 1.0 (2026) | 5.3.2, 10 Nov 2023 |
| Price | $9.99 once on the Mac App Store, every Mac on your Apple Account | Free |
“—” means not published or not verified by us. Sources: Mac App Store listing, Amphetamine issue #19, clamshell.dev's comparison (Oct 2026), Lidwork's own documentation.
Where Amphetamine is the better choice
- It's free, and on the App Store.
- Automation. If you want “stay awake while this app runs” or “until this download finishes”, Amphetamine's triggers are unmatched; Lidwork has none.
- Lid open most of the time. Then you don't need Power Protect at all.
Where Lidwork is the better choice
- The lid is the point. Lid-closed is the default mode, not an add-on with a separate installer.
- Crash safety. Lidwork's background part holds a 30-second lease. If the app quits, crashes, is force-quit or hangs, it turns its lid hold off, so normal lid sleep comes back. If that fails, the menu says so in plain words.
- A battery floor that also applies with the lid shut: at or below your chosen level, normal sleep returns.
- Maintained. Built and tested against current macOS; updates come through the Mac App Store.
Switching from Amphetamine
- End any Amphetamine session and quit it.
- If you installed Power Protect and won't use it anymore, remove it following its developer's instructions.
- Check nothing was left on:
pmset -g | grep SleepDisabledshould show0. - Get Lidwork from the Mac App Store, open it, allow its background part once, and choose Keep Awake with Lid Closed.
macOS has one lid-sleep switch that all apps share, so don't run Lidwork and Amphetamine's Closed-Display Mode at the same time. Help ▸ Let Mac Sleep Again in Lidwork turns its lid hold off in one click, any time.
Verdict
Use Amphetamine if you want a free, feature-rich keep-awake app and mostly keep the lid open. Use Lidwork if you close the lid and walk away, and you want the Mac to go back to sleep on its own when something goes wrong. Setup details for Amphetamine are in Amphetamine closed-lid settings.
FAQ
Is there an Amphetamine alternative that works with the lid closed?
Yes. Lidwork (Mac App Store) keeps a MacBook awake with the lid closed by default, on battery and with no monitor, with no separate helper to install. Amphetamine can do it too, through Closed-Display Mode plus Power Protect on Apple Silicon.
Is Amphetamine still maintained?
As of 30 Oct 2026 its last Mac App Store update is 5.3.2 from 10 Nov 2023. It still installs and runs on current macOS.
Why pay for Lidwork if Amphetamine is free?
Only if the closed lid is what you need: no Power Protect install, a battery limit that also applies with the lid shut, and a background part that turns the lid hold off if the app quits or crashes. If you mostly keep the lid open or want triggers and schedules, Amphetamine is the better pick.
Can I run Lidwork and Amphetamine together?
Not their closed-lid modes at the same time: macOS has one shared lid-sleep switch. Use one at a time.