Caffeine vs KeepingYouAwake: Which Mac Keep-Awake Cup to Use

Caffeine and KeepingYouAwake look almost the same: a free, open-source coffee cup in the Mac menu bar that keeps the Mac awake when you click it. The differences are in the details. KeepingYouAwake runs on macOS 10.13 and newer, installs with Homebrew, and has more options: let the display sleep while the Mac stays awake, stop on low battery, and turn on when an external display connects. Caffeine needs macOS 14.6 and has fewer settings, but it has one KeepingYouAwake lacks: Keep apps active, a cursor nudge that keeps Microsoft Teams green. Pick KeepingYouAwake for control, Caffeine for the Teams nudge.

Neither keeps Slack active, because neither creates keyboard or mouse input.

Caffeine vs KeepingYouAwake at a glance

We downloaded both releases on macOS 26.5.2. Each is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple (spctl reported "accepted, source=Notarized Developer ID"), and the minimum versions above come from each app's Info.plist. One catch: brew install --cask caffeine installs an older 1.1.4 build from IntelliScape, not 1.6.4.

How each one keeps the Mac awake

KeepingYouAwake does not have its own sleep blocker. It starts /usr/bin/caffeinate -di with a timer and ties it to the app, so quitting the app ends it. With "Allow display sleep" on, it passes only -i, which keeps the Mac awake with the screen off, useful for long downloads on battery. The full breakdown, with the exact command, is in KeepingYouAwake vs Amphetamine.

Caffeine creates its own PreventUserIdleDisplaySleep assertion. Five seconds after launch on our Mac, pmset -g assertions listed it as "Caffeine prevents sleep". Because it holds the display on, it also stops the screen saver and the lock that follows it. Setup and every setting are in Caffeine app for Mac.

In daily use both do the same job. Neither survives closing the lid on a MacBook with no display attached; for that, see pmset disablesleep.

The one feature that separates them for Teams

Microsoft Teams sets you Away after about 5 minutes without keyboard or mouse input, and a Mac that is merely awake gives it none. Caffeine's Keep apps active setting, off by default, posts a mouse-move event after 90 seconds of idle time, which resets the idle timer Teams reads. It needs Accessibility permission. KeepingYouAwake has no such option by design: it only runs caffeinate. If Teams is the reason you want a keep-awake app, see mouse jiggler vs Caffeine.

Which one to install

• • Mac older than macOS 14.6: KeepingYouAwake.
• • Screen off, Mac awake, for downloads on battery: KeepingYouAwake with Allow display sleep.
• • Homebrew, scripts or Shortcuts: KeepingYouAwake and its URL scheme.
• • Teams must stay green: Caffeine with Keep apps active.
• • Triggers, schedules or a closed lid: neither; use Amphetamine, compared in Amphetamine vs Caffeine.

The wider list is in best app to keep a Mac awake, and the no-install option is caffeinate on Mac.

FAQ

Is KeepingYouAwake better than Caffeine? For options and older Macs, yes. Caffeine is simpler and adds a cursor nudge for Teams.

Are Caffeine and KeepingYouAwake safe? Both are open source under the MIT license, and both downloads are notarized by Apple.

Does KeepingYouAwake use caffeinate? Yes. It runs Apple's /usr/bin/caffeinate in the background while the cup is on.

Do Caffeine or KeepingYouAwake keep Slack active? No. Slack goes grey after 10 minutes without keyboard or mouse input.

Can I run both? Yes, but there is no reason to. They do the same basic job.