CHECKED
Choose Caffeinated for a one-click menu bar control and a keep-awake timer. Choose Vigil when you want supported coding-agent events to start protection and end it after work or input-wait grace.
This page compares Vigil with Caffeinated: Anti Sleep App by Yugen GmbH. It does not cover Apple's caffeinate command or other apps named Caffeine.
THE DIFFERENCE AT A GLANCE
| Behavior | Caffeinated | Vigil |
|---|---|---|
| Main control | One-click menu bar activation and an integrated timer. | Lifecycle hooks from supported coding agents. |
| Timed sessions | A timer with optional notifications. | No manual timer; 5–30 minutes of grace for agent input waits. |
| Agent work or waiting | The cited product descriptions do not document an agent-lifecycle policy. | Tracks working, waiting, done, and error events. |
| Display behavior | Advertises prevention of display dimming and screensaver activation. | Display protection is optional and off by default. |
| Typical fit | A presentation, call, download, or other user-chosen keep-awake period. | Supported coding agents running while you step away. |
| Price reference | Paid app; see its current App Store price. | $3.99 once, for two Macs. |
WHEN A TOGGLE OR TIMER IS THE RIGHT TOOL
If you are giving a presentation or want the display to remain awake during a call, a direct control is useful. Caffeinated puts that control in the menu bar and includes a timer with optional notifications.
You decide when to start the session. That can be exactly what you want when the reason to stay awake is not tied to a coding agent. Vigil does not offer a manual on switch or general-purpose session timer.
WHEN THE END TIME IS AN AGENT EVENT
An agent run is harder to time in advance. It can finish quickly, continue through several tasks, or stop at an approval question. A timer does not know which of those happened.
After you install Vigil's hooks, supported agent events drive its sleep protection. Working sessions keep its hold active. Input waits start a grace period, and Vigil releases its assertion when no tracked session needs protection. That makes the end condition depend on the work rather than a duration you chose earlier.
Vigil supports Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Copilot CLI, pi, and OpenCode. Its menu bar and optional session card at the top of the screen show session state and waiting countdowns. It requires macOS 14 or newer and an activated license.
A quiet session is not protected forever. After 30 minutes without an event from the session or its sub-agents, Vigil stops holding the Mac awake for it. It also does not override lid-close sleep or explicit Sleep.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Does Caffeinated have no automation?
Its timer already ends a session without another click. The sources reviewed here document a toggle, timer, and advanced options, but not a coding-agent lifecycle policy. This page does not claim that every possible automation method is absent.
Can I use Caffeinated to keep an agent running?
A keep-awake session can prevent sleep while an agent works. Vigil's distinction is the supported-agent policy: work, input waits, completion, and errors drive its own hold.
What about running with the lid closed?
Vigil is not a closed-lid solution. Caffeinated's 3.2.0 release notes announce a closed-lid option, while its product description still says the feature does not work with the lid closed. Check with its developer for current requirements; this comparison makes no closed-lid guarantee for it.
Can another keep-awake app prevent sleep after Vigil lets go?
Yes. Vigil releases only its own assertion. Another app's active hold can keep the Mac awake after Vigil's grace period ends.
CHOOSE BY HOW YOU WANT TO STOP
Choose Caffeinated if you want to click a menu bar control or set a timer. Choose Vigil if supported agents' work and waiting states are the boundary you want.
Vigil has no trial. A purchase includes a 30-day refund period.
SOURCES AND RELATED COMPARISONS
Based on Caffeinated's developer site, its App Store listing and release notes, and Vigil's implementation. App Store prices and requirements vary over time and by storefront. No runtime or battery-life comparison was performed.