AFK Assistant vs Amphetamine

Disclosure: AFK Assistant is our product. Details about the other tool come from its official website or store listing, checked on October 24, 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm them with the vendor before you buy.

At a glance

What Amphetamine does

Amphetamine is a menu bar app by William Gustafson, distributed through the Mac App Store. It is completely free, with no in-app purchases and nothing to unlock. The listing's information section says it requires macOS 10.13 or later, and version 5.3.2 is the latest one listed.

Its core is the session: keep the Mac awake indefinitely, for a set time, until a set time, while a file downloads or while a chosen app runs. Triggers start sessions automatically when conditions are met, for example when an external display or USB device is connected, a specific app is running, you join a Wi-Fi network, the battery is charging or the Mac has been idle for a while. Other options include Closed-Display Mode for MacBooks, Drive Alive for external drives, preventing the screen saver, locking the screen, hotkeys and AppleScript support.

Since version 5.0, Amphetamine can also move the mouse cursor periodically during a session. That nudge creates input, so it goes a step further than a pure keep-awake tool.

What AFK Assistant does

AFK Assistant simulates the input of a person at the computer. Activity also keeps the Mac awake, but the point is the input itself:

• Mouse activity: fast and slow cursor movements and left and right clicks, each at a random rate inside per-minute ranges, with pauses in between.
• Keyboard activity: random characters or text from a .txt file you choose, at varying typing speeds.
• Scrolling: vertical and horizontal, with varied distances and pauses (Pro and Ultimate).
• App and browser tab switching: moves between open apps and between tabs in the browser you pick (Pro and Ultimate).
• Idle detection and scheduled runs: starts once you have been idle for a time you choose and stops when you return, or runs on a schedule (Ultimate).

It runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, and also on Windows and Linux. Like any Mac app that sends mouse or keyboard input, it needs the Accessibility permission under System Settings, Privacy & Security. The macOS page covers the Mac edition and the documentation explains every setting.

The real difference: awake versus active

Staying awake and looking active are separate things on a Mac. Preventing sleep keeps the screen lit and the network connected, but it does not create input, so macOS keeps counting idle time. Apps that set an Away status read that idle time, and activity-based time trackers also count keyboard and mouse events.

Amphetamine handles the first part completely and, with cursor movement switched on, touches the second part with a periodic cursor nudge. AFK Assistant is built for the second part: several input types at once, with randomized timing, so the activity does not repeat on a fixed beat. If nothing you use cares about input, that extra layer has no value to you.

Choose Amphetamine if...

• You only need the Mac to stay awake: downloads, renders, backups, presentations or remote access.
• You want it free, with nothing to unlock and no subscription.
• You run a MacBook with the lid closed on an external display (Closed-Display Mode).
• You want automation: sessions that start when a display, app, network or power condition is met.
• You only use a Mac.

Choose AFK Assistant if...

• You need keyboard input, scrolling, clicks and app or tab switching, not just a cursor nudge.
• You want each activity type randomized within ranges rather than one repeating movement.
• You want it to start by itself when you go idle and stop when you return (Ultimate).
• You also use Windows or Linux. Each license key is issued for one plan on one operating system.
• You are fine paying $7 to $21 per month after a 7-day free trial.