The best Lungo alternatives

People leave Lungo because its own FAQ says keeping Slack or Microsoft Teams active is not the app's purpose, it has no built-in schedule, and it stays awake with the lid closed only with a charger and an external display. Amphetamine is the free pick for Triggers and Closed-Display Mode, and Idle Pilot keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud. Stay with Lungo if you only need the screen on, for $4 once.

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 Lungo.

Why people switch from Lungo

  • Its FAQ says it does not keep Slack or Teams active. The developer says that is not the purpose of the app, because different apps detect active status in different ways that can change at any time.
  • It has no built-in schedule. Its developer does not plan one and points to Shortcuts automations instead, so a weekday routine is yours to build.
  • Closed-display use requires a charger and external display. Without both, Lungo will not prevent the Mac from sleeping when you close the lid, which its developer calls a macOS limitation.

At a glance

Checked October 2026 on each vendor's own site. Prices and features can change.
Tool Type Laptop closed Price
Lungo Keep-awake app Only when the Mac is connected to a charger and an external display, which the vendor calls a macOS limitation. $4 once
Amphetamine Keep-awake app Its Closed-Display Mode can keep a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed. Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon; the Mac must remain on. Free
Caffeinated Keep-awake app Its September 2026 update added an option to stay awake with the lid closed; its older help page says it is not built for that. $3.99 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
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
Jiggler for Mac 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. Amphetamine

Free Mac App Store utility that keeps a Mac and its displays awake, with timers, Triggers, Closed-Display Mode and optional cursor movement.

Runs on
macOS 10.13 or later (Mac App Store)
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Not claimed. Its listing offers periodic cursor movement but does not mention Teams or Slack, so its site does not say whether it keeps Teams Available.
Laptop closed
Its Closed-Display Mode can keep a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed. Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon; the Mac must remain on.
Price
Free

Why it fits: Amphetamine is free and adds scheduled keep-awake Triggers by time and day, plus conditions for apps, Wi-Fi, displays, power or idle time. Its Closed-Display Mode can keep a supported MacBook awake with the lid closed.

Watch out: Its last Mac App Store update was November 10, 2023; Power Protect addresses external-power changes on Apple Silicon, and closed-display sessions can work without it.

Amphetamine website Idle Pilot vs Amphetamine Amphetamine alternatives

2. Caffeinated

Paid Mac menu bar app that prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver with one click or a timer.

Runs on
macOS 15 or later (Mac App Store)
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its site does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available; it lists video calls only as a reason to keep the screen on.
Laptop closed
Its September 2026 update added an option to stay awake with the lid closed; its older help page says it is not built for that.
Price
$3.99 once

Why it fits: At $3.99 once, Caffeinated costs about the same as Lungo, and its September 2026 update added an option to stay awake with the lid closed.

Watch out: Its older help page says it is not built for lid-closed use, and its site does not say whether it keeps Slack or Teams Available.

Caffeinated website Idle Pilot vs Caffeinated Caffeinated alternatives

3. 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: Idle Pilot does the job Lungo rules out: it keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud during saved Work Hours, with the laptop closed, asleep or off.

Watch out: It handles presence only, not screen-on time for presentations or reading, and costs $9 per month or $60 per year after a 3-day free trial.

Idle Pilot pricing

4. 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's FAQ describes Slack support through chosen click areas and qualifies Teams behavior by setup and workplace policy. Its weekly scheduler in beta has a lunch break and start and stop times that can vary.

Watch out: It requires an awake Mac, sends mouse movement or clicks that monitoring software can log, and pauses at screen lock or sleep.

Green Dotter website Idle Pilot vs Green Dotter Green Dotter alternatives

5. Jiggler for Mac

Free, open-source Mac menu bar app that moves or clicks the mouse, or resets the idle timer, to keep a Mac awake.

Runs on
macOS. Its 1.10 release notes say it should run on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its site does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. It sends mouse input or resets the idle timer while the Mac is awake; Teams and Slack apply their own away rules.
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: Jiggler is free and open source, and unlike Lungo it sends input: it moves or clicks the mouse, or resets the idle timer, and can run only after idle time or while a chosen app runs.

Watch out: Its site makes no Teams or Slack availability claim, lid-closed behavior is undocumented, and it requires an awake Mac; its README says it is not under active development.

Jiggler for Mac website Idle Pilot vs Jiggler for Mac Jiggler for Mac alternatives

When Lungo is still the right choice

Lungo is still the better choice if you want a simple, low-cost way to keep the screen on during presentations, reading or long tasks. It costs $4 once with Family Sharing, takes commands from Shortcuts, a URL scheme or the command line, and states plainly what it does not do. Older versions remain free for macOS 10.13 to 15.

Lungo sources

FAQ

What is the best Lungo alternative?
It depends on why you leave. For keep-awake with automatic starts and lid-closed use, Amphetamine is free, with Triggers and Closed-Display Mode, though its last App Store update is from November 2023. For Slack or Teams, Lungo's own FAQ rules itself out; Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from the cloud during saved Work Hours.
Is there a free Lungo alternative?
Yes. Amphetamine is free with no ads or in-app purchases, per its developer. Caffeine for Mac and KeepingYouAwake are free and open source under the MIT license, Jiggler for Mac is free under the GNU GPL v3, and Green Dotter is free with no account. Lungo's own older versions for macOS 10.13 to 15 are also free, but they will not run on newer macOS versions.
Which Lungo alternative keeps Slack or Teams Available?
Green Dotter's FAQ describes Slack support through clicks in a chosen area and says Teams behavior depends on setup and workplace policy; mouse movement alone is often insufficient for Slack. The Mac must remain on, awake, and signed in. The keep-awake apps here do not claim Teams or Slack availability. Idle Pilot maintains one Slack workspace or one Teams account during saved Work Hours from the cloud, with the laptop closed, asleep, or off.
Can my employer see that I use one of these apps?
Possibly. Device management can list installed apps and USB devices, and monitoring tools can record input, including the simulated clicks or mouse movement from Green Dotter or Jiggler. Slack and Teams admins can see sessions, devices and network origins, which covers the session Idle Pilot keeps. No tool here can promise it stays hidden or is allowed, and availability is not proof of work. Check your employer's rules first.

Related

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Keep Slack or Teams Available with your laptop closed.

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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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