The KeepingYouAwake alternative for Mac
The same menu-bar keep-awake idea, signed and notarized, with a battery guard and lid-closed mode.
KeepingYouAwake (KYA) is a free, open-source menu-bar keep-awake app with timed activations — a solid, no-nonsense tool. nosleep covers the same job with a signed, notarized build, a low-battery guard, and built-in lid-closed mode; KYA wins if open source is a hard requirement.
KeepingYouAwake vs nosleep
| KeepingYouAwake | nosleep | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (open source) | Free |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Distribution | GitHub / Homebrew | Signed + notarized direct download |
| Timed sessions | Yes | Yes |
| Low-battery guard | No | Yes |
| Lid-closed mode | No | Yes, admin-gated |
| Account / cloud | None | None |
- Low-battery guard so long sessions don't drain a laptop flat
- Built-in lid-closed mode
- Developer ID signed + notarized download from nosub — no Homebrew or Gatekeeper detour
- One toolkit alongside other subscription-free nosub apps with consistent support
- Free and open source (you can read and build the code)
- Clean menu-bar UI with preset timed activations
- Lightweight and well-regarded
you want the same menu-bar keep-awake job with a battery guard, lid-closed mode, and a signed/notarized installer you don't have to reason about.
open source is a hard requirement for you — nosleep is free but not open source, so KeepingYouAwake is the better fit there.
Quit KeepingYouAwake, download nosleep, click to activate. Timed activations map directly to nosleep's timed sessions; there's no data to migrate.
Common questions
What's a good alternative to KeepingYouAwake?
nosleep is a free, native menu-bar keep-awake app for macOS. It does the same core job and adds a low-battery guard and built-in lid-closed mode, distributed as a signed, notarized download. KeepingYouAwake remains the pick if you specifically need open source.
Is nosleep open source like KeepingYouAwake?
No. nosleep is free but not open source. If reading or building the source is important to you, KeepingYouAwake is the better choice; if you mainly want the feature set and a signed installer, nosleep fits.
Done renting KeepingYouAwake?
nosleep — keep your mac awake. Free, no account, no cloud. Yours to keep.