Comparison
Owl Mode vs Amphetamine, Hold My Lid and Lidless
Four Mac apps keep a MacBook running with the lid closed. They differ in price, in how much they do by themselves, and in what happens when the work is done. Here is an honest side by side.
Updated
Based on each app's own website in October 2026. Spot something that changed? Email hello@owlmode.app and we'll fix it.
At a glance
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| Owl Mode | Amphetamine | Hold My Lid | Lidless | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €5 once | Free | €9.99 to €14.99 once | Free, open source |
| Lid closed, no monitor | Yes | With Enhancer | Yes | Yes |
| AI agents switch it on by themselves | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI | No | More agents, incl. OpenCode | Not listed |
| Timer | 30 min to 8 h | Yes | Pause 30 min or 1 h | 15 min to 4 h |
| Battery guard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heat guard | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Texts your phone when done | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Night log | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
What the others do better
- Amphetamine is free and has a long list of triggers and settings. If you like fine-tuning, it's hard to beat.
- Hold My Lid supports more AI agents, including OpenCode, and can switch the display off while agents work.
- Lidless is free and open source, and never asks for your password once it's set up.
When Owl Mode is the right pick
- You want it to happen by itself: an agent starts, the Mac stays up; the agent stops, the Mac sleeps.
- You want to know it finished without opening the lid: Owl Mode texts your phone, and tells you the next morning what happened.
- You're fine paying €5 once for that, with no subscription and no account.
When to pick something else
- You only need it now and then, and don't mind typing a Terminal command: use
sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1and switch it back after. - You want a free app with every possible trigger: Amphetamine.
- You want free and open source: Lidless.