Idle Pilot vs NeverAwayTeams

Pick NeverAwayTeams if you sit at a Windows PC all day: it is free for one device, and Pro costs €1 per month or €60 once. It sends a tiny mouse or key signal when you stop typing, so the PC must stay on and awake. Pick Idle Pilot if your laptop closes, sleeps, or turns off during work hours: it keeps Slack or Teams Available from the cloud for $9 per month or $60 per year.

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

Quick Verdict

NeverAwayTeams is the better free choice for a Windows PC that stays on all day; Idle Pilot fits people whose laptop closes, sleeps, or turns off.

NeverAwayTeams runs on your PC and keeps Teams Available by sending small input when you are idle, so it stops when the PC sleeps or shuts down. Idle Pilot runs your saved Work Hours on its servers, so the laptop can be closed, asleep, or off. NeverAwayTeams is free for one device, and Pro starts at €1 per month. 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	NeverAwayTeams
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Windows 10 and 11; Teams, and other chat apps per its site
Where it runs	Cloud	Your Windows PC
Works with your laptop closed	Yes	Not documented; computer must stay on and awake
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Slack or Teams, during your Work Hours	Teams, by sending a tiny mouse or key signal when you are idle
How it works	Cloud presence; does not move your mouse	Simulated input, and it keeps the screen on
Monthly price	$9	Free for one device; Pro €1
Yearly price	$60	Pro €9 for 12 months, or €60 once
Free trial	3-day free trial · No credit card; 7 days when linked within 3 hours of sign-up	Free plan with no time limit
Setup	Desktop Chrome and the Idle Pilot extension, once	Download one portable file and run it; no account
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Pro: weekly open and close times on the days you pick

Detailed Comparison

NeverAwayTeams is a local app. It runs on Windows 10 or 11 as one portable file, without an installer, admin rights, or an account. Idle Pilot is a cloud service: you link one Slack workspace or one Microsoft Teams account once in desktop Google Chrome, and its servers keep your presence Available during saved Work Hours.

The two tools keep your status active in different ways. Microsoft says Teams sets a user on a computer to Away after a few minutes of inactivity or when the computer is locked, and to Offline when it enters sleep mode. NeverAwayTeams waits until you stop typing, ten seconds by default, then nudges the pointer by an amount you will not see or simulates keyboard input intended by its vendor to avoid interrupting work; compatibility with every app is not verified. It also asks Windows not to sleep or blank the screen. Idle Pilot does not move your mouse or send key presses.

That difference decides what happens when you close the laptop. NeverAwayTeams needs the PC on and awake, so Teams goes Away or Offline when the laptop sleeps or shuts down. Its Pro plan can put the PC to sleep after your scheduled close and set a wake timer for the morning. Idle Pilot keeps working with the laptop closed, asleep, or off.

NeverAwayTeams costs less. Its free plan keeps Teams Available on one device with no time limit. Pro adds the weekly schedule for €1 per month, €5 for 6 months, €9 for 12 months, or €60 once, for one computer. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year. Its offer is a 3-day free trial · No credit card, or 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.

Platforms differ too. NeverAwayTeams runs on Windows only; its site says presence works whichever chat app you use, and Pro opens and closes New Teams and Zoom. It keeps working offline on a license stored on the PC. Idle Pilot works with Slack or Microsoft Teams, one account at a time, and needs desktop Chrome only for the one-time link.

Neither tool hides you from your employer. NeverAwayTeams says it runs in plain sight, with an icon beside the Windows clock and a plain-text log anyone can read. Device management and monitoring software can log processes and input patterns on a work PC. With Idle Pilot, admins and security tools can inspect sessions, devices, and network origins. Check your workplace rules before you use either.

Idle Pilot Advantages

Keeps running with your laptop closed, asleep, or off
Supports Slack or Microsoft Teams, one account at a time
Does not move your mouse or send key presses on your computer
Vacation Mode pauses the schedule when you set a status you choose, such as Out of Office

NeverAwayTeams Advantages

Free plan for one device with no time limit
Pro costs €1 per month, €9 for 12 months, or €60 once
No account, no installer, and no admin rights needed
Keeps working offline on a license stored on your PC
Pro opens and closes Teams and Zoom on your schedule and waits if Teams looks busy

Which Should You Choose?

If your laptop closes or sleeps during work hours

Use: Idle Pilot

If you work on a Mac

Use: Idle Pilot

If you want the schedule to pause when you set an away status, such as Out of Office

Use: Idle Pilot

If you sit at a Windows PC all day and want a free tool

Use: NeverAwayTeams

If you want Teams and Zoom to open and close on a schedule

Use: NeverAwayTeams

If you do not want to create an account

Use: NeverAwayTeams

What is NeverAwayTeams?

NeverAwayTeams is a portable Windows 10 and 11 app, written and maintained by one developer in Portugal since 2020. When you stop using the keyboard and mouse, it sends a tiny mouse movement or an unused key, and it keeps the screen on. Pro adds a weekly schedule that opens and closes Teams and Zoom. We checked its website and manual on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do NeverAwayTeams and Idle Pilot cost?

NeverAwayTeams is free for one device with no time limit. Its Pro plan, which adds the weekly schedule, costs €1 per month, €5 for 6 months, €9 for 12 months, or €60 once. Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year, with a 3-day free trial · No credit card. We checked NeverAwayTeams on October 28, 2026.

Does NeverAwayTeams work with my laptop closed?

NeverAwayTeams 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.

Is NeverAwayTeams a mouse jiggler?

It works in a similar way. After you stop typing, it nudges the pointer by a tiny amount or sends keyboard input intended by the vendor to avoid interruptions; compatibility with every app is not verified, and it keeps the screen on. You can choose keyboard mode so the pointer never moves. Idle Pilot is not a mouse jiggler: it does not move your mouse and keeps presence from the cloud.

Does NeverAwayTeams work on a Mac?

No. Its site lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 only. Idle Pilot needs desktop Google Chrome once to link Slack or Teams. After that, it runs your schedule on its servers, so the computer you work on does not need to stay on.

Can my employer see that I use one of these tools?

Possibly. NeverAwayTeams says it runs in plain sight, with an icon beside the Windows clock and a plain-text log. Device management and monitoring software can log processes and input patterns on a work PC. With Idle Pilot, admins and security tools can inspect sessions, devices, and network origins. Check your employer's rules before you use either.

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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.