Idle Pilot vs Lungo

Choose Lungo if you want a simple $4 app that keeps your Mac awake and the screen on. Its own FAQ says keeping Slack or Microsoft Teams active is not its purpose. Choose Idle Pilot if you need Slack or Teams Available during Work Hours, including when the laptop is closed, asleep or off. Lungo costs $4 once; Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year.

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

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits people who need Slack or Teams Available; Lungo fits people who only need the Mac and its screen to stay awake.

Lungo's developer says plainly that the app is not meant to keep Slack or Microsoft Teams active, because each app detects activity in its own way. Lungo is a low-cost, simple keep-awake tool for presentations, reading and long tasks. 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	Lungo
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Mac only (current version: macOS 26 or later)
Where it runs	Cloud (Idle Pilot servers)	Your Mac
Works with your laptop closed	Yes, even asleep or off	Only with a charger and an external display; the Mac must stay on
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	No; its FAQ says that is not its purpose
How it works	Maintains presence from the cloud	Prevents sleep and screen dimming
Computer must stay on	No	Yes
Monthly price	$9	No subscription; $4 once
Yearly price	$60	No subscription; $4 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 or use Setapp
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Preset durations; schedules only through Shortcuts

Detailed Comparison

Lungo is a Mac menu bar app that keeps the computer awake and the screen on, for a preset duration or until you 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.

Lungo's FAQ answers the presence question directly: keeping your Slack or Microsoft Teams status active is not the purpose of the app, because different apps detect active status in different ways. 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. That job is what Idle Pilot does: it sets presence only.

Lungo can keep a closed MacBook awake only when it is connected to a charger and an external display, which its developer calls a macOS limitation. It also cannot override a scheduled sleep set in Battery settings. Idle Pilot keeps working when the laptop is closed, asleep or off, because nothing runs on the Mac after linking.

Lungo costs $4 once on the Mac App Store and supports Family Sharing; a Setapp version also exists. Older Lungo versions for older macOS releases are free downloads on its site. 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.

The current Lungo requires macOS 26 and can be controlled from the menu bar, Shortcuts, a URL scheme or a command-line tool. It has no built-in schedule; its FAQ suggests Shortcuts automations instead. 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

Lungo Advantages

Low one-time price ($4) with Family Sharing
Simple menu bar toggle with preset durations
Shortcuts, URL scheme and command-line control
Free older versions for older macOS releases

Which Should You Choose?

If you need Teams or Slack Available during Work Hours

Use: Idle Pilot

If you need the screen on while you present or read

Use: Lungo

If you close your laptop during the workday

Use: Idle Pilot

If you want the lowest one-time price for a keep-awake app

Use: Lungo

If you want to control keep-awake from scripts or Shortcuts

Use: Lungo

What is Lungo?

Lungo is a paid Mac menu bar app by Sindre Sorhus that keeps the Mac awake and the screen on, for a set time or until you turn it off. It is sold on the Mac App Store and through Setapp, and the current version requires macOS 26. Version 2.8.3 came out on September 15, 2026. We checked its site and App Store listing on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lungo keep Slack or Microsoft Teams active?

No. Lungo's FAQ says keeping your status on Slack or Microsoft Teams active is not the purpose of the app, because different apps detect active status in different ways that can change at any time. Idle Pilot keeps one Slack workspace or one Teams account Available from the cloud during your Work Hours.

How much do Lungo and Idle Pilot cost?

Lungo costs $4 once on the Mac App Store, and a Setapp version also exists. 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 Lungo on October 28, 2026.

Does Lungo work with my laptop closed?

Only when the Mac is connected to a charger and an external display, which its developer calls a macOS limitation. Without them, closing the lid puts the Mac to sleep. 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 Lungo 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.

Can Lungo turn on at set times each workday?

Not by itself. Its developer does not plan a built-in schedule and suggests Shortcuts automations instead. 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.

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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.