Idle Pilot vs Jiggler for Mac

Pick Jiggler if you sit at a Mac that stays on and want a free, open-source way to stop idle timers and sleep. Pick Idle Pilot if Slack or Microsoft Teams should stay Available during saved Work Hours while the laptop is closed, asleep, or off. Jiggler is free and runs only on your Mac. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year and runs from the cloud.

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

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits Slack or Teams presence on a schedule with the laptop closed; Jiggler fits keeping an awake Mac from idling, for free.

Jiggler and Idle Pilot solve different problems. Jiggler sends mouse input on your Mac so the Mac does not idle or sleep, and its site does not mention Teams or Slack. Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account Available from its servers during saved Work Hours, so the laptop can be closed or off. Jiggler is free and open source; Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year.

Feature Comparison

Competitor sources checked: October 28, 2026. Prices and features can change.
Feature	Idle Pilot	Jiggler for Mac
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	macOS; release notes say macOS 13 (Ventura) and later
Where it runs	Cloud	Your Mac
How it keeps you active	Keeps your Slack or Teams session Available from a server	Moves or clicks the mouse, or resets the system idle time
Works with your laptop closed	Yes	Not documented; computer must stay on and awake
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	Not stated on its site; it sends mouse input while the Mac is awake
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; it is free
Setup	Desktop Chrome and the Idle Pilot extension, once	Download the disk image and drag Jiggler to Applications
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Conditions and Timed Quit; no weekday schedule

Detailed Comparison

Jiggler is a small Mac app from Stick Software that lives in the menu bar. Its site says it has one purpose: to keep your Mac awake. Idle Pilot is a cloud service that keeps Slack or Microsoft Teams presence Available during the Work Hours you save. It is not a mouse jiggler and does not move your mouse.

Jiggler offers three styles. Standard jiggle moves the cursor, Click jiggle clicks once without moving it, and Zen jiggle resets the system idle time without moving the cursor. Its source code warns that some apps watch the cursor position, so Zen jiggle may not work for them. Its site does not say whether it keeps Teams or Slack Available. Microsoft says Teams sets you to Away when you lock your computer or when it enters idle or sleep mode, and Slack says it sets you to away after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity.

Jiggler works only while the Mac is on and awake. When the lid closes and the Mac sleeps, or the Mac turns off, it stops. It can also be set to stop jiggling on battery power or while the screen is locked. Idle Pilot runs on its servers, so the schedule continues when the laptop is closed, asleep, or off.

Jiggler is free, with no paid plan, and its code is on GitHub under the GNU GPL v3. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year. It has a 3-day free trial with no credit card, which starts at your first Slack or Teams connection, and 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.

Setup and scope differ. You install Jiggler by dragging it from its disk image to Applications; its 1.10 release notes say it should run on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. It affects every app on that Mac. Idle Pilot connects once in desktop Google Chrome with its extension, which you can remove after linking. It covers one Slack workspace or one Teams account at a time, with per-day Work Hours, a Lunch Break, and Vacation Mode.

Neither tool is approved by default. Jiggler runs as a process on your Mac and sends simulated input, which device management and monitoring software can log. Idle Pilot runs nothing on your Mac after setup, but Slack and Teams admins and security tools can inspect sessions, sign-ins, devices, and network origins. Check your employer's rules before you use either one.

Idle Pilot Advantages

Works with the laptop closed, asleep, or off
Schedules Slack or Teams presence with per-day Work Hours, a Lunch Break, and Vacation Mode
Does not move your mouse or click for you
Nothing runs on your Mac after setup

Jiggler for Mac Advantages

Free, with no account or subscription
Open source under the GNU GPL v3
Works offline and keeps the whole Mac awake, for any app
Flexible conditions: after idle time, while an app runs, or while the CPU is busy
Timed Quit stops it after a set number of hours and minutes

Which Should You Choose?

If you need Slack or Teams presence during set work hours

Use: Idle Pilot

If you close your laptop or let it sleep during the day

Use: Idle Pilot

If you want a free tool and your Mac stays on at your desk

Use: Jiggler for Mac

If you need the Mac awake during a long export or download

Use: Jiggler for Mac

If you want open-source code you can inspect

Use: Jiggler for Mac

If you want the schedule to pause when you set Out of Office

Use: Idle Pilot

What is Jiggler for Mac?

Jiggler is a free menu bar app for macOS from Stick Software, open source under the GNU General Public License v3. It keeps a Mac awake by moving the cursor, clicking once in place, or resetting the system idle time without moving the cursor (Zen jiggle). Version 1.10, released in December 2025, added macOS 26 (Tahoe) support. We checked its site and GitHub repository on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jiggler keep Microsoft Teams or Slack Available?

Its site does not say. Jiggler moves or clicks the mouse, or resets the idle timer, while the Mac is awake. Microsoft says Teams sets Away when you lock the computer or it enters idle or sleep mode, and Slack says it sets you to away after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity. Jiggler cannot help once the Mac sleeps or turns off.

How much do Jiggler and Idle Pilot cost?

Jiggler is free, with no paid plan, and open source under the GNU GPL v3. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year. It has a 3-day free trial with no credit card, and 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up. We checked Jiggler on October 28, 2026.

Does Jiggler work with my laptop closed?

Jiggler for Mac needs the computer on and awake. Its cited source does not document lid-closed operation, and it cannot continue while the computer is asleep or off. A supported external-display setup can differ from a sleeping laptop. Idle Pilot maintains Slack or Teams availability from its servers during saved Work Hours even with the computer off.

Can my employer see Jiggler or Idle Pilot?

Possibly. Device management and monitoring software can log running apps and input patterns, including simulated mouse movement from Jiggler. Slack and Teams admins and security tools can see sessions, sign-ins, devices, and network origins, which covers Idle Pilot. Neither tool is approved by default. Check your employer's rules before you use either one.

Which macOS versions does Jiggler support?

Its version 1.10 release notes, from December 2025, say it should run on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. That release fixed Zen jiggle on macOS 26 (Tahoe). Its README says it is not under active development but welcomes pull requests.

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Last updated: October 28, 2026

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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.