Idle Pilot vs Caffeinated

Choose Caffeinated if you want a low-cost Mac app that stops sleep, dimming and the screensaver with one click or a timer. Its site does not say that it 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. Caffeinated costs $3.99 once; Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year.

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

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits people who need Slack or Teams Available with the laptop closed or off; Caffeinated fits people who want a cheap one-click way to keep a Mac awake.

Caffeinated keeps the Mac awake and the screen on; its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation and do not mention Teams or Slack. It needs the Mac to stay 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	Caffeinated
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Mac only (macOS 15 or later)
Where it runs	Cloud (Idle Pilot servers)	Your Mac
Works with your laptop closed	Yes, even asleep or off	Lid-closed option added in September 2026; the Mac must stay on
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	Not claimed; prevents sleep, dimming and screensaver
How it works	Maintains presence from the cloud	Prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver
Computer must stay on	No	Yes
Monthly price	$9	No subscription; $3.99 once
Yearly price	$60	No subscription; $3.99 once
Free trial	3-day free trial · No credit card; 7 days when linked within 3 hours of sign-up	None listed
Setup	Desktop Chrome and the Idle Pilot extension, once	Buy on the Mac App Store
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Timer and custom durations; no weekday Work Hours

Detailed Comparison

Caffeinated is a Mac menu bar app. One click on the coffee cup stops the Mac from sleeping, dimming the screen or starting the screensaver, and a timer can turn it off. 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.

Caffeinated changes the Mac's power behavior; its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation. 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. Caffeinated's listing names video calls as a reason to keep the screen on, but its site does not say whether it keeps Teams Available.

Caffeinated's pages disagree about the lid. Its September 11, 2026 update added an option to keep the system awake with the lid closed, while its help center still says it is not developed for that. Either way, the Mac has to stay on. Idle Pilot keeps working when the laptop is closed, asleep or off, because nothing runs on the Mac after linking.

Caffeinated costs $3.99 once on the Mac App Store, with free updates and Family Sharing; no trial is listed. 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.

Caffeinated installs from the Mac App Store, requires macOS 15 or later and works on battery power, according to its help center. 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.

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. 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

Caffeinated Advantages

Low one-time price ($3.99) with free updates
One-click toggle, custom durations and a global shortcut
Works on battery power, according to its help center
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 cheap one-click way to keep the screen on

Use: Caffeinated

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

Use: Idle Pilot

If you need the Mac awake while a large file uploads

Use: Caffeinated

If you want a keep-awake app without a subscription

Use: Caffeinated

What is Caffeinated?

Caffeinated is a paid Mac menu bar app from Yugen GmbH, a small studio in Frankfurt, Germany. It prevents the Mac from sleeping, dimming the screen or starting the screensaver, with a timer and a global shortcut. Version 3.3.0 came out on October 19, 2026. We checked its site, help center and App Store listing on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Caffeinated keep Microsoft Teams or Slack Available?

Its site does not say so. Caffeinated prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver, and its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation. 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 Caffeinated and Idle Pilot cost?

Caffeinated costs $3.99 once on the Mac App Store, with free updates. 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 Caffeinated on October 28, 2026.

Does Caffeinated work with my laptop closed?

Its September 2026 update added an option to keep the system awake with the lid closed, but its help center still says it is not developed for that, so test it on your Mac. The Mac has to stay on either way. Idle Pilot runs on its servers, so your presence follows your Work Hours even when the laptop is closed, asleep or off.

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

Possibly. Device management and monitoring software can record installed apps, running processes and input patterns. 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 Caffeinated the same app as Caffeine?

No. Caffeinated is a separate app from Yugen GmbH that its developer says was based on the older Caffeine tool. Caffeine for Mac at caffeine-app.net is a different, free, open-source app. Check the publisher of the app you use, because similarly named apps can behave differently.

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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 the lid is 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.