Idle Pilot vs Amphetamine for Mac

Compare Idle Pilot to Amphetamine for Mac. See why cloud-based Slack scheduling beats sleep prevention for staying active on Slack.

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot wins for Slack presence; Amphetamine wins for general Mac sleep prevention.

Amphetamine is excellent at keeping your Mac awake, but it doesn't directly control Slack presence. If you close your laptop lid, Amphetamine can't help. Idle Pilot runs from the cloud and maintains Slack status regardless of your Mac's power state.

Feature Comparison

FeatureIdle PilotAmphetamine (Mac App)
Works with laptop closed Yes No
Directly controls Slack presence YesNo (system-level only)
Schedule-aware YesYes (triggers)
Battery impactNoneHigh (prevents sleep)
Prevents system sleepNo (not needed) Yes
Cost$4/monthFree

Idle Pilot Advantages

  • Works when laptop lid is closed
  • Directly controls Slack presence (not just system wake)
  • Schedule-aware with lunch breaks
  • No battery drain from preventing sleep
  • Works across multiple devices

Amphetamine (Mac App) Advantages

  • Free and open source
  • Powerful trigger system (app-based, location-based)
  • Useful for non-Slack purposes (downloads, presentations)
  • No account required
  • Works offline

Which Should You Choose?

If you need slack to stay green during work hours

Use: Idle Pilot

If you close your laptop throughout the day

Use: Idle Pilot

If you need to prevent sleep during downloads

Use: Amphetamine

If you want app-based wake triggers

Use: Amphetamine

What is Amphetamine (Mac App)?

A popular free Mac utility that prevents your computer from sleeping, with triggers and scheduling options for keeping your Mac awake.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Amphetamine to keep Slack active?
Indirectly. Amphetamine prevents your Mac from sleeping, which keeps Slack running. But it doesn't control Slack's own idle detection, and it can't help when you close your laptop lid. For reliable Slack presence, cloud-based scheduling is more effective.
Is Amphetamine better than Caffeine?
Yes. Amphetamine has more features including triggers, scheduling, and drive-alive options. It's considered the successor to Caffeine for Mac. But for Slack presence specifically, both have the same limitation: they can't help when your laptop sleeps.
Should I use both Amphetamine and Idle Pilot?
You could, but it's usually unnecessary. If your goal is Slack presence, Idle Pilot handles it from the cloud regardless of your Mac's sleep state. Amphetamine would only add value if you also need your Mac to stay awake for other reasons.

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