Idle Pilot vs Amphetamine

Choose Amphetamine if you want a free Mac app that keeps the computer and display awake. It can also move the cursor, but its listing does not say that keeps Teams or Slack Available, and the Mac must stay on. Choose Idle Pilot if you need Slack or Microsoft Teams Available during Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep or off. Amphetamine is free; Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year.

Disclosure: Idle Pilot wrote this page and makes one of the two products. Amphetamine facts come from its own site, checked October 28, 2026. Idle Pilot is not affiliated with Amphetamine.

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits people who need Slack or Teams Available with the laptop closed or off; Amphetamine fits people who want a free way to keep a Mac awake.

Amphetamine controls the Mac's power state, is free, and offers more automation than most keep-awake apps. Its optional cursor movement simulates input, but its developer does not say that it keeps Teams or Slack Available, and it works only while the Mac is on. Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from its servers during saved Work Hours for $9 per month or $60 per year.

Feature Comparison

Competitor sources checked: October 28, 2026. Prices and features can change.
Feature	Idle Pilot	Amphetamine
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Mac only (macOS 10.13 or later)
Where it runs	Cloud (Idle Pilot servers)	Your Mac
Works with your laptop closed	Yes, even asleep or off	Closed-Display Mode keeps the Mac awake; it must stay on
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	Not claimed; optional cursor movement, no Teams or Slack mention
How it works	Maintains presence from the cloud	Prevents sleep; optional periodic cursor movement
Computer must stay on	No	Yes
Monthly price	$9	Free
Yearly price	$60	Free
Free trial	3-day free trial · No credit card; 7 days when linked within 3 hours of sign-up	Not needed; the app is free
Setup	Desktop Chrome and the Idle Pilot extension, once	Install from the Mac App Store
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Scheduled keep-awake Triggers by time and day

Detailed Comparison

Amphetamine is a Mac app. It keeps the Mac, and optionally its displays, awake with an on/off switch, a timer, an end time, or Triggers such as a running app, a Wi-Fi network, a connected display or the power adapter. Idle Pilot is a cloud service: after you link one Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account, its servers keep your presence Available during the Work Hours you save.

Presence follows its own rules. Microsoft says Teams switches from Available to Away when you lock the computer or it enters idle or sleep mode, and Slack says desktop users become away after 10 minutes of inactivity. Keeping the Mac awake removes the sleep trigger, not the inactivity rules. Amphetamine can also move the cursor periodically, which is simulated input, but its App Store listing never mentions Teams or Slack, so it makes no promise about either.

Amphetamine's Closed-Display Mode can keep a MacBook awake with the lid closed. On Apple Silicon laptops, the developer offers a separate Power Protect download so that this mode keeps working when you connect or disconnect power. The Mac still has to stay on and awake. Idle Pilot keeps working when the laptop is closed, asleep or off, because nothing runs on the Mac after linking.

Amphetamine is free, with no ads, in-app purchases or paid version, according to its developer. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year. It starts with a 3-day free trial · No credit card, which begins at your first Slack or Teams connection and lasts 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.

Amphetamine installs from the Mac App Store and lists macOS 10.13 or later. Its newest App Store version, 5.3.2, is dated November 10, 2023. Idle Pilot is set up once in desktop Google Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension, which you can remove after linking. Mobile-only linking is not supported. Idle Pilot works with Slack or Teams; Amphetamine keeps the Mac awake for any task, such as a download or a presentation.

No tool here can promise that your employer will not notice it. Device management and monitoring software can record installed apps, running processes and input patterns, including simulated cursor movement. Teams and Slack admins can see sessions, sign-ins, devices and network origins, and that includes the session Idle Pilot keeps for you. Idle Pilot sets presence only: it does not write status messages or read chats and files, and it is not a mouse jiggler. Check your workplace rules before you use either tool.

Idle Pilot Advantages

Works with the laptop closed, asleep or off
Keeps Slack or Microsoft Teams Available during saved Work Hours
Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break and Vacation Mode
Nothing has to keep running on your Mac after linking

Amphetamine Advantages

Free, with no ads or in-app purchases, according to its developer
Triggers start sessions by app, Wi-Fi network, display, power or idle time
Closed-Display Mode keeps a MacBook awake with the lid closed
Keeps the Mac awake for any task, not only chat presence

Which Should You Choose?

If you need Teams or Slack Available with the laptop closed or off

Use: Idle Pilot

If you want a free way to keep your Mac awake

Use: Amphetamine

If you want the Mac to stay awake whenever a certain app runs or a display connects

Use: Amphetamine

If you want presence to follow Work Hours, lunch and vacation

Use: Idle Pilot

If you run a long task on a closed MacBook at your desk

Use: Amphetamine

What is Amphetamine?

Amphetamine is a free keep-awake utility for macOS by William Gustafson, sold on the Mac App Store. It keeps the Mac and optionally its displays awake, with timers, automatic Triggers, Closed-Display Mode and optional periodic cursor movement. Its newest App Store version, 5.3.2, is dated November 10, 2023. We checked its listing on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Amphetamine keep Microsoft Teams or Slack Available?

Its developer does not say so. Amphetamine keeps the Mac awake and can move the cursor periodically, but its App Store listing never mentions Teams or Slack. Microsoft says Teams shows Away when the computer locks or goes idle or to sleep, and Slack says desktop users become away after 10 minutes of inactivity. Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from the cloud during your Work Hours.

How much do Amphetamine and Idle Pilot cost?

Amphetamine is free on the Mac App Store, with no ads or in-app purchases, according to its developer. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year. It starts with a 3-day free trial · No credit card, which begins at your first Slack or Teams connection and lasts 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up. We checked Amphetamine on October 28, 2026.

Does Amphetamine work with my laptop closed?

Amphetamine offers Closed-Display Mode for supported MacBooks. On Apple Silicon, the optional Power Protect component addresses connecting or disconnecting external power; it is not a blanket requirement for every closed-display session. The Mac must remain on and awake. Idle Pilot can keep Slack or Teams Available during Work Hours with the computer asleep or off.

Can my employer see that I use Amphetamine or Idle Pilot?

Possibly. Device management and monitoring software can record installed apps, running processes and input patterns, including simulated cursor movement. Teams and Slack admins can see sessions, sign-ins, devices and network origins, including the session Idle Pilot keeps for you. No tool can promise that it stays hidden, and availability is not proof of work. Check your workplace rules before you use either tool.

Is Amphetamine still updated?

Its newest Mac App Store version, 5.3.2, is dated November 10, 2023, and the app is still listed as a free download that requires macOS 10.13 or later. We checked on October 28, 2026. Look at the listing's version history before you rely on it with a new macOS release.

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Last updated: October 28, 2026

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Presence Guide Comparisons Keep Slack Active

Keep Slack or Teams Available when your Mac is off.

Try Idle Pilot free

3-day free trial · No credit card

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.