Wake compared with the alternatives.
Wake is a menu bar app that keeps your Mac from going to sleep. The table below compares it with Amphetamine, Lungo, KeepingYouAwake, Caffeinated and Apple’s caffeinate command on price and features.
| Feature | Wake | Amphetamine | Lungo | KeepingYouAwake | Caffeinated | caffeinate and System Settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9 once | Free | $4.00 | Free | $3.99 | Included with macOS |
| Pay once | Yes | –Free | Yes | –Free | Yes | –Built in |
| Menu bar timer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PartlyTerminal only |
| Display can sleep | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PartlyListed in 2019 | Yes |
| Low-battery cut-off | Yes | Yes | PartlyOn unplugging | Yes | PartlyUnconfirmed in 3.x | No |
| Automatic triggers | No | Yes | PartlyVia Shortcuts | PartlyExternal display | PartlyVia Shortcuts | PartlyWhile command runs |
| Awake with lid closed | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Scripting | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes Yes Partly Partly No No
Checked against each product’s own website and documentation on 13 November 2026. Select a name for the detail and the sources.
One at a time
- Wake vs AmphetamineAmphetamine is a free menu bar app on the Mac App Store, with no advertisements or in-app purchases.
- Wake vs LungoLungo is a $4.00 one-time menu bar app by Sindre Sorhus, sold on the Mac App Store and in Setapp.
- Wake vs KeepingYouAwakeKeepingYouAwake is a free, open source menu bar app, downloaded from GitHub or installed with Homebrew.
- Wake vs CaffeinatedCaffeinated is a $3.99 one-time menu bar app by Yugen GmbH on the Mac App Store.
- Wake vs caffeinate and System Settingscaffeinate is a free command included with macOS, run from Terminal.
Try Wake free for 7 days.
Then $9 once, for up to 3 of your Macs. No subscription and no account.
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
Amphetamine is a trademark of its owner. Lungo is a trademark of its owner. KeepingYouAwake is a trademark of its owner. Caffeinated is a trademark of its owner. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Wake is not affiliated with them.