# Caffeine

A free, open-source menu bar toggle that stops your Mac from sleeping, dimming, or starting a screen saver — the original 2006 utility, still maintained today.

- **Category:** [Utilities](https://notchlist.vercel.app/category/utilities/)
- **Price:** Free
- **Open source:** yes
- **Official site:** https://www.caffeine-app.net/en/
- **Available via:** Homebrew, Direct
- **Requirements:** macOS 11 Big Sur or later; a separate build covers Yosemite through Catalina via the developer’s legacy page.
- **Maker:** Michael Jones (IntelliScape Computer Solutions)

## Kitsmith's take

One menu bar coffee-cup icon: click to keep your Mac awake, click again to let it sleep normally, or set a timer. Tomas Franzén (Lighthead Software) built the original Caffeine in 2006; in 2018 he handed continued development to Michael Jones of IntelliScape Computer Solutions, who open-sourced it under MIT and has kept modernizing it since (macOS 11+ support added in 2022, since translated into several languages). The Homebrew cask’s listed homepage (intelliscapesolutions.com/apps/caffeine, which the developer keeps live specifically for pre-Big-Sur Macs) was returning a server error at verification time — this entry links to the maintainer’s current primary site instead, cross-confirmed as the same project via that site’s own FAQ.

## Features

- **One-click toggle:** A menu bar cup icon — full means your Mac stays awake, empty means it sleeps normally.
- **Timed sessions:** Right-click for a duration menu instead of leaving it on indefinitely.
- **Startup behavior:** Choose whether Caffeine launches at login and whether it activates automatically.

## FAQ

**Is this the same Caffeine people have used for years?**

Yes — Tomas Franzén created it in 2006 under Lighthead Software; Michael Jones (IntelliScape Computer Solutions) has continued it under an open-source MIT license since 2018, per the developer’s own FAQ.

**Is Caffeine free?**

Yes, free and open source, with the source on GitHub.

**Does Caffeine work on older macOS versions?**

The current build needs macOS 11 or later; the developer maintains a separate legacy build for Yosemite through Catalina.


---

Hand-verified listing on Kitsmith: https://notchlist.vercel.app/apps/caffeine/