The best Caffeine for Windows alternatives

People leave Caffeine for Windows when its F15 key presses clash with an app, when Teams still shows Away, or because releases are years apart. For a free, maintained swap that moves the mouse instead, try Move Mouse. For Teams, try NeverAwayTeams. If the laptop must be closed or off, Idle Pilot keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud. Stay with Caffeine if it already works on a PC that stays on.

Disclosure: Idle Pilot wrote this page and makes one of the tools on it. Vendor facts come from each vendor's own site, checked October 2026. Idle Pilot is not affiliated with Caffeine for Windows.

Why people switch from Caffeine for Windows

  • Its product page makes no Teams or Slack claim. On its forum in 2022 the admin said it had worked for him but that some machines are different. Its -stes switch only prevents sleep, and the vendor says apps that track input then see no activity.
  • F15 can cause trouble in some apps. Zhorn Software says the simulated F15 key can cause issues in PuTTY, PowerPoint, Google Docs or Smartsheet. A -useshift switch sends Shift instead.
  • Releases are years apart. The latest version, 1.98, came out in November 2024; the one before it, 1.97, came out in April 2021.

At a glance

Checked October 2026 on each vendor's own site. Prices and features can change.
Tool Type Laptop closed Price
Caffeine for Windows Keep-awake app Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free
Move Mouse Software mouse jiggler Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free
NeverAwayTeams Software mouse jiggler Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free; Pro from €1 per month
Green Dotter Software mouse jiggler Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free; optional Pro from $12.99 once
Idle Pilot Cloud presence tool Yes: it runs in the cloud, so the laptop can be closed, asleep, or off $9 per month or $60 per year
Mouse Jiggler for Windows Software mouse jiggler Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off. Free

The alternatives

1. Move Mouse

A free, open-source Windows app that simulates user activity with mouse moves, clicks and scrolls, with schedules and blackout windows.

Runs on
Windows 10 (version 14393 or later) and Windows 11; the GitHub build needs .NET Framework 4.7.2
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its README and wiki do not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. In a 2022 GitHub issue, Teams showed Away while it ran, and the developer attributed that to Teams.
Laptop closed
Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off.
Price
Free

Why it fits: Move Mouse uses mouse movement rather than F15 key presses and is actively maintained, with a GitHub release in September 2026. It also provides weekday and cron schedules.

Watch out: It also makes no Teams or Slack claim, and its developer says it cannot reach software in a locked session.

Move Mouse website Idle Pilot vs Move Mouse Move Mouse alternatives

2. NeverAwayTeams

Portable Windows app that sends a tiny mouse or key signal when you stop typing so Teams stays Available; Pro opens and closes Teams on a schedule.

Runs on
Windows 10 and Windows 11
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Teams: yes, per the vendor, while the PC is on and awake. It says presence works whichever chat app you use; it does not name Slack.
Laptop closed
Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off.
Price
Free; Pro from €1 per month

Why it fits: The vendor says Teams stays Available while the PC is on and awake, and its download was updated in October 2026. You choose a small pointer nudge or simulated keyboard input; the manual does not identify the key.

Watch out: Compatibility with other apps is unverified, Slack is not named, and its weekly schedule needs Pro, from €1 per month.

NeverAwayTeams website Idle Pilot vs NeverAwayTeams NeverAwayTeams alternatives

3. Green Dotter

Free Mac and Windows auto clicker and mouse jiggler that wiggles the mouse or clicks an area you choose, with a weekly scheduler in beta.

Runs on
macOS 11 or later (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its FAQ says yes for Slack and Teams while a session runs, depending on your Teams setup, and that mouse movement alone is often not enough for Slack.
Laptop closed
Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off.
Price
Free; optional Pro from $12.99 once

Why it fits: Green Dotter uses mouse movement or clicks rather than key presses, and its downloads were updated in October 2026. Its FAQ describes Slack support through chosen click areas and qualifies Teams behavior by setup and workplace policy.

Watch out: It requires an awake computer; mouse movement alone is often insufficient for Slack, and click targets need care to avoid unintended actions.

Green Dotter website Idle Pilot vs Green Dotter Green Dotter alternatives

4. Idle Pilot

Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Microsoft Teams availability from the cloud during saved Work Hours.

Runs on
Cloud. Set up once in desktop Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Yes: Slack or Microsoft Teams, one account at a time
Laptop closed
Yes: it runs in the cloud, so the laptop can be closed, asleep, or off
Price
$9 per month or $60 per year

Why it fits: It is not a jiggler, so no F15 key presses reach your apps; it keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from the cloud during saved Work Hours, even with the laptop closed, asleep or off.

Watch out: It is paid, $9 per month or $60 per year after a 3-day free trial, and setup needs desktop Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension once.

Idle Pilot pricing

5. Mouse Jiggler for Windows

A free Windows app that fakes mouse input and jiggles the pointer to stop screen savers and other idle-triggered actions.

Runs on
Windows on x64 or ARM64; the mainline build needs the .NET 10 Desktop runtime, the portable build does not
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its README does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. It warns that Zen mode may not work with apps that run their own idle detection.
Laptop closed
Lid-closed operation is not documented; the computer must stay on and awake. It cannot work while asleep or off.
Price
Free

Why it fits: It is free with source code on GitHub, jiggles the mouse instead of pressing keys, and shipped version 3.1.0 on October 24, 2026.

Watch out: Its README makes no Teams or Slack claim, it requires an awake PC with undocumented lid-closed behavior, and its developer says monitoring software can detect it.

Mouse Jiggler for Windows website Idle Pilot vs Mouse Jiggler for Windows Mouse Jiggler for Windows alternatives

When Caffeine for Windows is still the right choice

Caffeine is still the better choice if it already keeps your PC from locking and F15 causes no trouble in your apps. It is free, also for commercial use, comes as a 306 KB zip, and its -activeperiods and -onac switches limit it to set hours or to when the PC is plugged in.

Caffeine for Windows sources

FAQ

What is the best Caffeine for Windows alternative?
For a free, open-source Windows app that moves the mouse instead of pressing F15, Move Mouse, which also has weekday schedules. For Teams on a PC you sit at, NeverAwayTeams. If the laptop must be closed, asleep or off during work hours, Idle Pilot keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud for $9 per month or $60 per year.
Is there a free Caffeine for Windows alternative?
Yes. Move Mouse, Mouse Jiggler for Windows and Green Dotter are free, and NeverAwayTeams is free for one device with no time limit. Move Mouse is open source under GPL-3.0, and Mouse Jiggler's source code is on GitHub. Idle Pilot is paid, with a 3-day free trial and no credit card.
Which Caffeine for Windows alternative works with the laptop closed?
Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from the cloud during saved Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep, or off. Caffeine, Move Mouse, NeverAwayTeams, Green Dotter, and Mouse Jiggler require the PC on and awake. Their vendor sources do not document lid-closed operation, so requiring an awake PC does not establish that closing the lid stops them.
Can my employer see that I use Caffeine or an alternative?
Possibly. Device management can list installed apps and USB devices, and monitoring software can record input, including simulated key presses and mouse moves; Mouse Jiggler's developer says monitoring software can easily detect it. Slack and Teams admins can see sessions, devices and network origins, which applies to Idle Pilot. Check your employer's rules before you use any of them.

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Idle Pilot facts

Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Microsoft Teams availability from the cloud during saved Work Hours.

Who it is for
For people who want availability to follow work hours when the laptop is closed, asleep, or off.
Connected account
One Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account at a time. You can switch platforms.
Price
Freedom Pass costs $9 per month or $60 per year.
Trial
3-day free trial · No credit card. The trial starts at the first Slack or Teams connection. 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.
First setup
Connect once in desktop Google Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension. You can remove the extension after linking. Mobile-only linking is not supported. View the extension.
Limits
Presence only: it does not write custom status messages or read chats and files. It is not a mouse jiggler. Your employer’s rules still apply; availability is not proof of work.
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