Make Mac BetterCompare
An Amphetamine alternative for keeping your Mac awake
Amphetamine is free and extremely configurable, and it is what most people install to stop their Mac from sleeping. Make Mac Better includes a simpler keep-awake designed for long AI agent runs, downloads and remote sessions, with a safe lid-closed mode.
| Feature | Amphetamine | Make Mac Better |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free on the Mac App Store | Included in Make Mac Better (€19.99 once) |
| Keep awake for a time or until a time | Yes | Yes: 30 min, 1–8 h, until a time or unlimited |
| Keep awake while an app runs or a file downloads | Yes, plus automatic triggers | No: you start and stop it |
| Lid closed | Yes (needs extra setup on some Macs) | Yes, with a helper you approve once in Settings |
| Safety limits with the lid closed | Configurable | 4-hour limit; stops if the Mac gets hot or the charger is unplugged (unless you allow battery) |
Where Amphetamine is better
It is free and has triggers for almost anything: keep awake while a given app is open, while a file downloads, on a schedule, with AppleScript. If you want that level of automation, Amphetamine is excellent.
Where Make Mac Better fits
One button in the menu bar: choose how long, press “Keep awake”, and a cup shows it is on. For lid-closed use it waits until it is safe and says “Ready: you can close the lid”. It is built for AI agents (Codex, Claude Code, Cursor) and remote sessions that take hours, with limits that always bring normal sleep back.
What else you get
The same app manages your windows, adds a second Dock with widgets, 38 local file tools, a smart file library, phone-to-Mac transfer and screenshots with an editor.
Bottom line
Choose Amphetamine if you only want keep-awake and love automation, for free. Choose Make Mac Better if a simple, safe keep-awake is enough and you want the other utilities too.
Reviewed October 2026. Prices and features of other apps can change; check their websites.