Comparison
Perked vs LidRun
Looking for a LidRun alternative to keep your Mac awake while your coding agents work? Here's an honest look at how Perked and LidRun compare — what each is best at, and which one fits your workflow.
What is LidRun?
LidRun is the closest thing to a like-for-like rival: a Mac menu-bar app built for the same problem, keeping AI and dev work alive with the lid closed, inside battery and thermal limits. The free tier is a full lid-open keep-awake with timers, charging-only mode and guardrails; Pro unlocks closed-lid mode, automatic workload detection, a run-a-command wrapper and alerts.
The main difference
The pitch is the same, so the differences are in the details. LidRun draws its paywall at the lid: everything safety-related is free, and closing the lid is the paid feature. It detects a handful of tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Docker, Ollama) and adds things Perked does not have — a CLI and phone alerts when a job finishes. Perked recognises a much longer list of coding agents out of the box, adds Lock & Leave, and is a single one-time purchase with no free/paid split to reason about.
Perked vs LidRun, feature by feature
| Feature | Perked | LidRun |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-detects AI coding agents (zero setup) | ||
| Power-aware (AC / battery threshold) | ||
| Clamshell / lid-closed keep-awake | ||
| Timed sessions | ||
| Lock & Leave (lock screen, stay awake) | — | |
| Runs entirely on-device (no account) | ||
| Open source | — | — |
| Price | One-time from €1 | Free · Pro from $9 one-time |
“Manual setup” means the app can do it, but you configure it yourself. Last reviewed June 2026.
Which should you pick?
Choose LidRun if…
- You want to try a keep-awake app for free before paying anything.
- You want a CLI, or a phone notification when a long job finishes.
- Your workloads are Docker and Ollama as much as coding agents.
Choose Perked if…
- You run agents beyond the big four and want them recognised without configuring anything.
- You want Lock & Leave — lock the screen and let the session keep running.
- You would rather buy one thing once than work out which features are behind Pro.
FAQ
Is LidRun free?+
Partly. Lid-open keep-awake, timers, charging-only mode and the battery and thermal guardrails are free. Closed-lid mode, automatic workload detection and alerts are Pro, a one-time purchase. Perked has no free tier — it is one purchase that includes everything.
Which detects more coding agents?+
Perked. LidRun advertises Claude Code, Cursor, Docker and Ollama; Perked ships detection for around thirty agents, connects to the lifecycle hooks of six of them, and lets you add any process yourself. If you use one of the big four, both will spot it.
Do both keep the Mac awake with the lid closed?+
Yes, and neither needs an external display. In LidRun it is the paid feature; in Perked it is one toggle in the app you already bought. Both fall back to letting the Mac sleep when the battery or temperature says so.
Built for AI coding sessions
One-time purchase, yours forever — €1 today, and your price is locked in for good.
Keep your Mac awake for Claude Code & Cursor → · See all alternatives →