Idle Pilot vs Theine

Choose Theine if you want a one-time purchase that keeps your Mac awake and also hides desktop icons and dims background windows. Its site does not say that it keeps Teams or Slack Available, and the Mac must stay on. Choose Idle Pilot if you need Slack or Microsoft Teams Available during Work Hours with the laptop closed, asleep or off. Theine costs $8.99 once; Idle Pilot costs $9 per month or $60 per year.

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

Quick Verdict

Idle Pilot fits people who need Slack or Teams Available with the laptop closed or off; Theine fits Mac users who want a polished keep-awake app for a one-time price.

Theine keeps the Mac awake and adds desktop hiding and focus dimming for presentations and screen sharing. Its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation and do not mention Teams or Slack, and it needs an external display to stay awake with the lid closed. 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	Theine
Platforms	Slack or Microsoft Teams (one at a time)	Mac only (macOS 15.6 or later)
Where it runs	Cloud (Idle Pilot servers)	Your Mac
Works with your laptop closed	Yes, even asleep or off	Only with an external display connected; the Mac must stay on
Keeps Teams or Slack Available	Yes, during saved Work Hours	Not claimed; prevents sleep, dimming and screensaver
How it works	Maintains presence from the cloud	Prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver
Computer must stay on	No	Yes
Monthly price	$9	No subscription; $8.99 once
Yearly price	$60	No subscription; $8.99 once
Free trial	3-day free trial · No credit card; 7 days when linked within 3 hours of sign-up	None; the developer does not offer trials
Setup	Desktop Chrome and the Idle Pilot extension, once	Buy on the Mac App Store
Schedule	Per-day Work Hours, Lunch Break, Vacation Mode	Timer or indefinite; no weekday Work Hours

Detailed Comparison

Theine is a Mac menu bar app with three features: Keep Awake, Hide Desktop and Focus Dim. Keep Awake stops the Mac from sleeping, dimming the screen or starting the screensaver, for a set time or indefinitely. 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.

Theine changes the Mac's power behavior; its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation. 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. Theine's listing names video calls as a reason to keep the screen on, but its site does not say whether it keeps Teams Available.

Theine says it will not prevent a MacBook from sleeping when the lid is closed and no external monitor is connected. With a display attached, the Mac still has to stay on. Idle Pilot keeps working when the laptop is closed, asleep or off, because nothing runs on the Mac after linking.

Theine costs $8.99 once on the Mac App Store, and owners of version 3 can upgrade for $4.99. Its developer says he avoids offering trial versions. 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.

Theine installs from the Mac App Store and requires macOS 15.6 or later. You start it from the menu bar, a global hot key or macOS Shortcuts. 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

Theine Advantages

One-time price with no subscription
Also hides desktop icons and dims windows behind the active one
Timer, global hot key and Shortcuts support
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 present or share your screen and want a clean desktop

Use: Theine

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

Use: Idle Pilot

If you want a keep-awake app without a subscription

Use: Theine

If you want to dim everything except the window you are working in

Use: Theine

What is Theine?

Theine is a paid Mac menu bar app from App ahead GmbH, designed and built by Martin Lexow and sold on the Mac App Store since 2015. It prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver, and version 4 added Hide Desktop and Focus Dim. Version 4.3 came out on October 1, 2026. We checked its site and App Store listing on October 28, 2026.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Theine keep Microsoft Teams or Slack Available?

Its site does not say so. Theine prevents sleep, screen dimming and the screensaver, and its pages describe no mouse or keyboard simulation. 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 Theine and Idle Pilot cost?

Theine costs $8.99 once on the Mac App Store, and version 3 owners can upgrade for $4.99. 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 Theine on October 28, 2026.

Does Theine work with my laptop closed?

Only with an external display. Theine says it will not prevent a MacBook from sleeping when you close the lid with no external monitor connected. 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 Theine 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 there a free trial of Theine?

No. Its developer says he avoids offering trial versions and explains the features on the product page and in videos instead. Its help page points App Store buyers to Apple for refund requests. Idle Pilot offers a 3-day free trial · No credit card, or 7 days if you connect within 3 hours of sign-up.

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Last updated: October 28, 2026

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Presence Guide Comparisons Keep Slack Active

Keep Slack or Teams Available when your Mac sleeps.

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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.