Stay up all night. Keep the screen dark.
Allnighter keeps your Mac awake for downloads, builds and renders — and can turn the display backlight all the way off while it works. Close the lid if you like.
Free and open source. macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
Awake until you say so
Start from the menu bar, indefinitely or for 15 minutes to 8 hours. Right-click the icon to start or stop in one move.
The screen actually goes off
Leave it alone for the time you pick and the backlight itself drops to zero — not a black window on top. Touch the mouse or keyboard and it comes straight back, exactly where it was.
Lid closed, still working
A MacBook can keep going with the lid shut. If Allnighter ever quits unexpectedly, your Mac goes back to sleeping normally.
What it asks for
Keeping the Mac awake and dimming the screen need no special permission. The lid-closed mode needs a small background helper, so macOS asks you once to allow it in System Settings. The helper only listens to Allnighter and switches the setting off the moment the app goes away.
Every line is on GitHub, and the app is signed and notarized by Apple.