Idle Pilot vs KeepingYouAwake

Choose KeepingYouAwake if you want a free, open-source app that stops your Mac from sleeping while the lid is open. It runs Apple's caffeinate tool, and its site does not say that it keeps Teams or Slack Available. Choose Idle Pilot if you need Slack or Microsoft Teams Available during Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep or off. KeepingYouAwake 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. KeepingYouAwake facts come from its own site, checked October 28, 2026. Idle Pilot is not affiliated with KeepingYouAwake.

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits people who need Slack or Teams Available with the laptop closed or off; KeepingYouAwake fits people who want a free, open-source way to keep an open Mac awake.

KeepingYouAwake prevents sleep and nothing else: it runs Apple's caffeinate tool and adds no mouse or keyboard activity. Its README says it does not work with a closed lid. 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, whether the laptop is open, closed or off.

Feature Comparison

Competitor sources checked: October 28, 2026. Prices and features can change.
Feature	Idle Pilot	KeepingYouAwake
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Mac only (macOS 10.13 or later in release 1.6.8)
Where it runs	Cloud (Idle Pilot servers)	Your Mac
Works with your laptop closed	Yes, even asleep or off	No; its README says the lid must be open
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	Not claimed; prevents sleep only
How it works	Maintains presence from the cloud	Runs Apple's caffeinate tool to prevent sleep
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	Download from GitHub or install with Homebrew
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Preset durations; no weekday Work Hours

Detailed Comparison

KeepingYouAwake is a small Mac menu bar app. Click it and the Mac stops going to sleep, for a preset duration or until you click again; it can also turn itself off when the battery is low. 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.

KeepingYouAwake runs Apple's caffeinate command, a power assertion that stops idle sleep and, unless you allow it, display sleep. It does not move the mouse or press keys. 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. A Mac that stays awake can still show Away, and KeepingYouAwake's site does not say whether it keeps Teams Available.

Its README answers the lid question directly: it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and on laptops with an open lid. A request for a lid-closed option is still open on GitHub. Idle Pilot keeps working when the laptop is closed, asleep or off, because nothing runs on the Mac after linking.

KeepingYouAwake is free and open source under the MIT license. 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.

You install KeepingYouAwake from its GitHub releases or with Homebrew; it is not on the Mac App Store. Release 1.6.8 supports macOS 10.13 and newer, and the next version will require macOS 12, according to its changelog. 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

KeepingYouAwake Advantages

Free and open source under the MIT license
Uses Apple's own caffeinate tool, with no simulated input
Preset durations and an automatic stop on low battery
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, open-source way to keep an open Mac awake

Use: KeepingYouAwake

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

Use: Idle Pilot

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

Use: KeepingYouAwake

If you prefer a tool that only uses Apple's built-in caffeinate command

Use: KeepingYouAwake

What is KeepingYouAwake?

KeepingYouAwake is a free, open-source menu bar app for macOS by Marcel Dierkes, released under the MIT license. It wraps Apple's caffeinate command to stop the Mac from sleeping for a set time or until you turn it off. Its latest release, 1.6.8, came out on September 12, 2025, and the project had new commits in August 2026. We checked its site and GitHub repository on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does KeepingYouAwake keep Microsoft Teams or Slack Available?

Its site does not say so. KeepingYouAwake runs Apple's caffeinate command to stop sleep and does not move the mouse or press keys. 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 KeepingYouAwake and Idle Pilot cost?

Does KeepingYouAwake work with my laptop closed?

No. Its README says it only prevents sleep on desktop Macs and on laptops with an open lid, because of macOS limits and heat. 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 KeepingYouAwake 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 KeepingYouAwake still maintained?

Yes. Its latest release, 1.6.8, came out on September 12, 2025, with a macOS 26 Tahoe icon, and the repository had new commits in August 2026. Its changelog says the next version will require macOS 12. We checked on October 28, 2026.

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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.