The best PowerToys Awake alternatives

People leave PowerToys Awake when the PC stays awake but Teams or Slack still shows Away, because Awake sends power requests, not input. For a free, open-source swap with a weekday schedule, try Move Mouse. For Teams on a PC you sit at, try NeverAwayTeams. If the laptop must be closed or off, Idle Pilot keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud. Keep Awake if the PC only needs to stay awake for downloads, builds or presentations.

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 PowerToys Awake.

Why people switch from PowerToys Awake

  • It keeps the PC awake, not your status. Awake sends Windows power requests and does not simulate mouse or key input. Microsoft says Teams shows Away after a few minutes of inactivity, and Slack sets desktop users away after 10 minutes, so an awake PC can still show Away.
  • It has no weekday work-hours schedule. Its modes keep the PC awake indefinitely, for a set time, or until a date and time. Nothing starts it each workday morning and stops it each evening.
  • The PC has to stay on and signed in. Awake works only while you are signed in, and Microsoft says it does not prevent sleep or hibernation that you start yourself. Microsoft also says Teams shows Offline once the computer sleeps.

At a glance

Checked October 2026 on each vendor's own site. Prices and features can change.
Tool Type Laptop closed Price
PowerToys Awake 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
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
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
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

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: Like Awake it is free and open source, but it resets Windows idle time with simulated mouse moves and can start and stop on weekday or cron schedules, with blackout windows.

Watch out: Its README makes no Teams or Slack claim, and in a 2022 GitHub issue Teams showed Away while it ran.

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: It is built for Teams: when you stop typing it sends a small mouse or key signal, and the vendor says Teams stays Available while the PC is on and awake. Pro adds a weekly schedule from €1 per month.

Watch out: It does not name Slack, and Windows shows an unknown-publisher warning on first run, per its site.

NeverAwayTeams website Idle Pilot vs NeverAwayTeams NeverAwayTeams 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: It keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud during saved Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep, or off. The local tools here require an awake PC, and their lid-closed behavior is undocumented.

Watch out: It costs $9 per month or $60 per year after a 3-day free trial, covers one Slack workspace or one Teams account at a time, and needs desktop Chrome once for setup.

Idle Pilot pricing

4. Caffeine for Windows

A free Windows tray app that simulates an F15 key press every 59 seconds so the PC does not lock, sleep or start the screen saver.

Runs on
Windows (x86 and x64 builds). A separate Mac app named Caffeine comes from another company.
Keeps Teams or Slack Available
Its product page does not mention Teams or Slack. On its forum in 2022 the admin said it had worked for him but that some machines are different.
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 stays a tiny free tray app, but it simulates an F15 key press every 59 seconds, which resets Windows idle detection, and its -activeperiods switch limits it to set hours.

Watch out: Its product page makes no Teams or Slack claim, and the vendor says F15 can cause issues in PuTTY, PowerPoint, Google Docs or Smartsheet.

Caffeine for Windows website Idle Pilot vs Caffeine for Windows Caffeine for Windows alternatives

5. 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 is free with no account and has a weekly scheduler in beta. 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, pauses at screen lock or sleep, and needs a carefully chosen click target to avoid unintended actions.

Green Dotter website Idle Pilot vs Green Dotter Green Dotter alternatives

When PowerToys Awake is still the right choice

Awake is still the better choice when you only need a Windows PC to stay awake during downloads, builds or presentations. It is free and open source from Microsoft, does not change your power plan, and has command-line options for scripts. If your chat status does not matter, it does the job without moving the mouse or pressing keys.

PowerToys Awake sources

FAQ

What is the best PowerToys Awake alternative?
For free Windows activity simulation with weekday schedules, Move Mouse is open source but does not claim Teams or Slack availability. NeverAwayTeams explicitly claims Teams support on an awake PC. For presence during saved Work Hours while the laptop is asleep or off, Idle Pilot supports Slack or Teams from the cloud for $9 per month or $60 per year.
Is there a free PowerToys Awake alternative?
Yes. Move Mouse, Caffeine for Windows and Green Dotter are free, and NeverAwayTeams is free for one device with no time limit; its weekly schedule needs Pro. Move Mouse is open source under GPL-3.0, as Awake is under MIT. Idle Pilot is paid, with a 3-day free trial and no credit card.
Which PowerToys Awake 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. Lid-closed operation is not documented for Awake, Move Mouse, NeverAwayTeams, Caffeine for Windows, or Green Dotter. These local tools require the PC on and awake; they cannot work while it is asleep or off.
Can my employer see that I use PowerToys Awake or an alternative?
Possibly, and no tool here is guaranteed to be allowed at work. Device management can list installed apps and USB devices, and monitoring software can record input, including simulated mouse moves and key presses. 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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