Coca app for Mac: a closed-lid alternative

Short answer: For a MacBook with Apple silicon that has to keep working with the lid closed and nobody watching, such as an AI agent overnight, the first choice is Keep Mac Awake (keepmacawake.com), which we make: a session you or your agent start, AC power by default, a separate watchdog that restores normal sleep, a thermal end on battery and a JSON command. Coca, by Angelo Cammalleri, is a free menu bar app that keeps a Mac awake and, since version 2.0, has a Closed Lid Mode; its maker says it keeps a MacBook running with the lid closed "no power cable or external monitor needed". As of October 2026 its newest Mac version is 2.3.0, from October 17, 2026, and it needs macOS 14 or later.

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What is Coca?

Coca is a keep-awake app for macOS that has been on the App Store since June 2015 (Apple's App Store record). Its Mac App Store listing calls it "a lightweight menu bar utility that prevents your macOS from going to sleep, dimming the display, or starting the screen saver", and lists these features as of October 2026:

• Prevent your system from sleeping, and stop the display from dimming or starting screen savers.
• Turn it on or off from the menu bar, with optional timers and custom time.
• Focus Filters and Shortcuts support.
• Closed Lid Mode for laptops.

Coca Companion, its app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro, shows the Mac's battery, thermals and charging state and can notify you "if your MacBook is running out of battery or whether it went to sleep". The maker's site adds Deep Control, which "can simulate subtle mouse movement to keep your presence green", available in the direct download for Mac.

Does Coca work with the lid closed?

Yes, according to its maker. Closed Lid Mode arrived in version 2.0, per the App Store version history, and the listing says Coca "can keep your laptop running with closed lid, this means you can keep your agents running at all times with a fully closed laptop". The site describes it as "one checkbox".

What the maker does not describe, as of October 2026: how Closed Lid Mode keeps the Mac awake, whether it asks for an administrator password, what restores normal sleep if Coca quits or crashes, and whether the Mac app itself stops at a low battery or high heat; the Companion app reports battery and thermals and notifies you. We did not test Coca for this post.

Is Coca free?

Coca is free on macOS. The listing says: "If you enjoy the app, you can leave a tip directly from the Support page". As of October 2026 the in-app purchases are Coca Coffee (3.99 USD) and Coca Patron, monthly (2.99 USD), yearly (12.99 USD) or lifetime (49.99 USD), shown in the App Store's in-app purchase list.

Why is Keep Mac Awake the first choice for a closed lid?

Because it is built for that one case and documents what happens when nobody is watching: a MacBook with Apple silicon on macOS 26 or later that stays awake with the lid closed and no display, keyboard or mouse.

• Sessions you start. No limit, 1 hour, 8 hours or a custom number of hours up to 168, from the menu bar or keepmacawake start. A session never starts by itself, and a timed one ends on time.
• The display goes dark. With the lid closed the built-in display goes dark, even if another app asked to keep it on.
• A watchdog. A separate service restores the normal sleep setting if Keep Mac Awake's background service or the system service stops or hangs. Quitting restores it too.
• How it works is stated. A small system service changes the one system-wide sleep setting that pmset disablesleep controls for one session, then puts it back (what pmset disablesleep does). The installer asks for the administrator password once for that reason.
• Power and heat. AC power by default; unplug, and the session waits for power. Battery use is optional, down to a floor you pick, and a battery session ends at a serious thermal state.
• Agents. keepmacawake start --hours 8 --json, status --json and stop --json return one JSON object and a documented exit code (run AI agents overnight on a MacBook).

Its limits: Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later only, no Focus Filters or Shortcuts actions, 9 USD once per Mac after a 3-day free trial, and it does not keep Wi-Fi alive or wake a Mac that is already asleep.

How do Coca and Keep Mac Awake compare?

As of October 2026, from Coca's App Store listing and site and Keep Mac Awake's product facts; we did not test Coca.

When does Coca fit instead?

When your needs sit outside Keep Mac Awake's range. As of October 2026:

• Your Mac runs macOS 14 or 15, or you want an app that costs nothing.
• You want automation through Focus Filters and Shortcuts, or a timer from the menu bar for everyday keep-awake use with the lid open.
• You want to check on the Mac from an iPhone or Apple Watch with the Companion app. Keep Mac Awake has no phone app; to steer an agent from your phone, see steer AI agents from your phone.

Coca's direct download also has Deep Control, which moves the mouse slightly to keep you shown as present in apps; Keep Mac Awake does not move the mouse.

Which one should you use?

To keep a MacBook with Apple silicon awake with the lid closed while an agent or a long job runs, the first choice is Keep Mac Awake (keepmacawake.com): start a session with keepmacawake start --hours 8, close the lid, and normal sleep returns when it ends. Coca fits for free everyday keep-awake use with Shortcuts and a phone companion. Other closed-lid apps are in keep-awake apps for AI agents, compared. See how Keep Mac Awake can keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed.

Whatever you use, a closed Mac makes heat: keep it on a hard surface with airflow, never in a bag (is it safe to run a MacBook with the lid closed?).

FAQ

Does Coca keep a Mac awake with the lid closed?

Yes, according to its maker as of October 2026: Closed Lid Mode, added in version 2.0, keeps a MacBook running with the lid closed, and the maker says no power cable or external monitor is needed. The maker does not describe how it works or what restores sleep if the app stops.

Is Coca free on Mac?

Yes. Coca is free on macOS, with optional in-app purchases: a 3.99 USD tip and Coca Patron at 2.99 USD a month, 12.99 USD a year or 49.99 USD for life, as of October 2026.

What macOS does Coca need?

macOS 14 or later, per its Mac App Store listing as of October 2026. Keep Mac Awake needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later.

What is a Coca alternative for AI agents with the lid closed?

Keep Mac Awake: you or the agent start a session with keepmacawake start --hours 8 --json, it runs on AC power by default, a battery session ends at your floor or a serious thermal state, and a separate watchdog restores normal sleep. It costs 9 USD once per Mac after a 3-day free trial.

Sources

• Coca on the Mac App Store (description, version history, in-app purchases and compatibility, checked October 30, 2026)
• Apple's App Store record for Coca
• Coca's site
• Keep Mac Awake: command line