1. 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: If you need Slack as well as Teams, Idle Pilot lets you switch platforms and runs saved Work Hours from the cloud with the laptop closed, asleep, or off. Setup uses its extension once in desktop Chrome, and the extension can be removed after linking.
Watch out: It costs $9 per month or $60 per year after a 3-day free trial without a card, and covers one Slack workspace or one Teams account at a time.
Idle Pilot pricing
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: For an awake Windows PC, NeverAwayTeams offers free local input for Teams on one device without a time limit. It nudges the pointer or sends a keyboard signal rather than holding a cloud presence connection.
Watch out: The PC must stay on and awake, its site does not name Slack, 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 is free on Mac and Windows, including its weekly scheduler with a lunch break in beta. Its FAQ describes Slack support through clicks and says its Teams usefulness depends on your setup and workplace policies.
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
4. 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: For a free Windows schedule and local activity simulation, Move Mouse provides weekday and cron schedules, blackout windows, and mouse movement, clicks, or scrolling. It is open source and offers a portable zip.
Watch out: It requires an awake PC, cannot interact with apps in a locked session, and its README and wiki do not claim Teams or Slack availability.
Move Mouse website
Idle Pilot vs Move Mouse Move Mouse alternatives
5. slack.green
Slack presence service that keeps your Slack session active from its servers on your schedule, plus a self-hosted command-line version, sg-cli.
- Runs on
- Hosted plan: cloud servers. sg-cli: macOS or Linux, on a laptop or a server
- Keeps Teams or Slack Available
- Slack only, per the vendor. It does not support Microsoft Teams.
- Laptop closed
- Hosted plan: yes, per the vendor. sg-cli runs where you install it, so on a laptop it stops when the laptop shuts down.
- Price
- $3.99 per month or $23.99 per year
Why it fits: If you are switching to Slack, slack.green's hosted plan runs on its servers with your laptop off. It costs $3.99 per month or $23.99 per year, covers up to three workspaces, and includes a 14-day trial without a card.
Watch out: It does not support Teams, and its site says paid-plan Slack admins can see the server session in access logs.
slack.green website
Idle Pilot vs slack.green slack.green alternatives