POWER · 5 min read
Tegaro vs Amphetamine: Mac Sleep and Power Compared
Amphetamine keeps macOS awake; Tegaro does not. Here is what each tool does, and how they fit together during long downloads and renders.
Tegaro and Amphetamine solve different power problems. Amphetamine is a dedicated, highly configurable keep-awake utility with trigger rules based on apps, Wi-Fi networks, and displays. Tegaro does not prevent sleep: its Power tool shows battery percentage, charger and system wattage, time to full, battery health, cycle count, and CPU, memory, and disk load in one menu bar icon. If you need your Mac to stay awake, keep Amphetamine or use the built-in caffeinate command alongside Tegaro.
At a Glance: Feature Comparison Matrix
| Capability | Amphetamine | Tegaro |
|---|---|---|
| Prevent Mac Sleep / Keep Awake Amphetamine is the tool for keep-awake | Yes (highly granular timers and triggers) | No (use Amphetamine or caffeinate) |
| Battery Charge Limiter (80% Cap) Neither caps charging; macOS Optimized Battery Charging can | No | No |
| Power & Wattage Telemetry Tegaro reads AppleSmartBattery data via IOKit | No | Yes (real-time charger watts, cycles, health) |
| CPU & Memory Telemetry Tegaro includes system load monitoring | No | Yes (instant CPU, RAM, and disk utilization) |
| Complex Automated Triggers Amphetamine offers extensive automation scripts | Yes (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, app triggers) | No (no keep-awake triggers) |
| Menu Bar Footprint Reduces top menu bar overcrowding | Requires dedicated menu bar icon | Integrated into unified multi-tool icon |
| Scope of Application Tegaro includes screenshots, clipboard, typing | Single-purpose sleep manager | All-in-one toolkit (8 modules) |
| Pricing All 8 tools free for the first 14 days | Free on Mac App Store | Power is free forever; Pro ($29.99/yr or $100) adds the other tools |
When to Choose Amphetamine
Power users requiring highly intricate keep-awake automation rules, such as staying awake only when connected to a specific corporate Wi-Fi network, mounting a specific NAS drive, or running a specific background script.
When to Choose Tegaro
MacBook and desktop users who want live battery wattage, battery health, and system-load readings in the same menu bar icon as clipboard, typing, and display tools, and who handle keep-awake separately with Amphetamine or caffeinate.
Explore full details on the Tegaro Power module, which runs completely locally on your Mac.
Architecture and Privacy Comparison
Amphetamine uses native macOS IOKit power assertion APIs (IOPMAssertionCreateWithName) to prevent system idle sleep, display sleep, or disk spin-down without installing kernel extensions. Tegaro creates no power assertions and never changes sleep behavior: its Power tool only reads battery, charger, and system-load data through standard IOKit interfaces, so it runs next to Amphetamine without conflicts.
Tegaro requires no accounts, no cloud sync, and transmits zero telemetry. All operations execute strictly on your Mac.
How to Switch from Amphetamine to Tegaro
- Install Tegaro and open the Power tool from the menu bar to see battery percentage, wattage, and health.
- Keep Amphetamine for keep-awake sessions, or run caffeinate -i in Terminal for a one-off long task.
- Watch Tegaro’s wattage and time-to-full readings during long renders to see how hard the Mac is working.
- Remove standalone battery and system-load menu bar apps that Tegaro now covers to reduce menu bar clutter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tegaro keep my MacBook awake?
No. Tegaro has no keep-awake or sleep-prevention feature. Use Amphetamine, or run caffeinate -i in Terminal to keep the Mac from idle-sleeping until you press Control-C. With the lid closed, macOS stays awake on its own in closed-display mode when the MacBook is connected to power, an external display, and a keyboard or mouse.
Does Tegaro limit MacBook charging to 80%?
No. Tegaro shows charge level, charger wattage, time to full, and battery health, but it does not change how the battery charges. macOS Optimized Battery Charging (System Settings → Battery → Battery Health) delays charging past 80% on its own; dedicated limiters such as AlDente override it.
Is Amphetamine free while Tegaro requires a purchase?
Amphetamine is free for sleep prevention. Tegaro's Power tool (battery wattage, health and system load) is free too, along with Critter and AI limits. The rest of the toolkit, which replaces Maccy, BetterDisplay, Shottr, and language switchers, is free for 14 days and then needs Pro ($29.99/year or $100 lifetime). Tegaro does not replace Amphetamine, because it does not keep the Mac awake.
Replace Multiple Single-Purpose Mac Utilities Today
Tegaro unites Power, Clipboard, Displays, Power telemetry, and Typing correction into one local-first app. One license, zero bloat.