Idle Pilot vs Caffeine for Windows

Caffeine for Windows is a small freeware tray app from Zhorn Software. By default it simulates an F15 key-up event every 59 seconds, so Windows does not lock the screen or start the screen saver. It is a different product from the Mac app called Caffeine. Idle Pilot is a cloud service that keeps one Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account Available or Active during the Work Hours you save.

Caffeine sends simulated key input, which is different from tools that only block sleep. Zhorn says this makes the machine think you are still working at the keyboard. Its product page does not mention Teams or Slack. On its own forum in 2022, a user reported Teams turning Away; the admin replied that it had always worked for him but that some machines are different. With the -stes or -allowss switches, Caffeine only prevents sleep, and Zhorn says apps that track user input then see no activity. Zhorn also says F15 can cause issues in PuTTY, PowerPoint, Google Docs or Smartsheet. Idle Pilot does not press keys or move your mouse.

Caffeine runs on your PC, so the PC must be on and awake. Microsoft says Teams presence becomes Away when the computer is locked and Offline when it sleeps. Idle Pilot keeps working with the laptop closed, asleep or off, after you link your account once.

Caffeine is free, also for commercial use, with optional PayPal donations. You download a 306 KB zip, unzip it, and run the 32-bit or 64-bit program. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year (USD), with a 3-day free trial and no credit card. The trial starts at your first Slack or Teams connection, and it lasts 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up. You link once in desktop Google Chrome with the Idle Pilot extension and can remove the extension afterward.

Caffeine has a command-line switch for active hours, such as 0900-1659, and switches to stop when the PC is locked or on battery. Idle Pilot has per-day Work Hours, a Lunch Break, and Vacation Mode, which pauses the schedule when you set a status you choose, such as Out of Office. Caffeine's latest release is v1.98 from November 2024.

Your employer may be able to see either tool. Device management and monitoring software can log running processes and input patterns, including simulated key presses. Teams and Slack admins and security tools can inspect sessions, devices and network origins, which applies to Idle Pilot. Idle Pilot manages presence only; it does not write status messages or read chats or files. Check your employer's rules before you use either.