Kitsmith / Utilities / KeepingYouAwake
A free, open-source keep-awake menu bar toggle with preset durations and an automatic low-battery cutoff, from a solo German developer.
Our take
Does the same core job as Caffeine and Amphetamine — a menu bar click prevents sleep — with a couple of its own touches: pre-defined activation durations from the menu instead of only a manual toggle, and it can disable itself automatically when the battery gets low. Built by Marcel Dierkes, an independent iOS and Mac developer based in Germany; 6.9k GitHub stars and translated into multiple languages by the community.
- Price
- Free
- License
- Open source
- Requires
- macOS High Sierra (10.13) or later.
- Get it via
- Homebrew · Direct
- Developer
- Marcel Dierkes
Do you use KeepingYouAwake?
Who made this
Germany
Marcel Dierkes’s own GitHub profile (handle newmarcel) names him directly and pins KeepingYouAwake (6.9k+ stars) as his top project — "iOS and Mac developer," based in Germany.
GitHub (opens in new tab) Site (opens in new tab) Mastodon (opens in new tab)
What it does
Preset durations
Choose a set activation length from the menu, instead of only an indefinite on/off toggle.
Low-battery auto-disable
Can turn itself off automatically once battery level drops below a threshold, so it doesn’t drain a Mac unattended.
Retina and Dark Mode
Native support for both, plus community translations into multiple languages.
The deal
- Free, open source
- Source code public on GitHub
KeepingYouAwake — questions people ask
Is KeepingYouAwake free?
Yes, free and open source.
Who makes KeepingYouAwake?
Marcel Dierkes, an independent developer based in Germany.
Does KeepingYouAwake protect battery level?
Yes — it can disable itself automatically once the battery drops below a set level, unlike a plain sleep-prevention toggle.
Is KeepingYouAwake free?
Yes — KeepingYouAwake is free.
Does KeepingYouAwake work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — KeepingYouAwake lives in the menu bar, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download KeepingYouAwake?
KeepingYouAwake is available via Homebrew, Direct.
Is KeepingYouAwake open source?
Yes — KeepingYouAwake is open source.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified August 30, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
How KeepingYouAwake compares
Also in battery & power
Amphetamine
FreeA free keep-awake utility — a one-click toggle or automatic Triggers stop your Mac (and optionally its display) from sleeping, with power-user depth most caffeine-style apps skip.
Caffeine
FreeA 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.
AlDente
Free (Pro: $13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp)A free MacBook battery charge-limiter — cap charging between custom bounds — with a Pro upgrade ($13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp) adding automatic scheduling and heat protection.
coconutBattery
Free (Plus: $12.95 current-version or $17.95 lifetime, one-time)A free battery-health reader for Mac, iPhone, and iPad — running since 2005 — with an optional one-time Plus upgrade for lifetime analytics and low-battery alerts.