Moving from IdleBuster to Stayaway
You have IdleBuster set up the way you like it and want to try Stayaway. This maps each IdleBuster setting to its Stayaway match and walks through the switch.
Last checked 2026-10-20.
Most IdleBuster settings have a Stayaway setting with the same name: Activity Level, Screen Preset, Auto Detect, Smart Resume and Screen Rotation. The default Alt shortcuts match too. Switching takes a few minutes: quit IdleBuster, install Stayaway, sign in with your email and set the values you noted, and the setup you are used to carries over.
IdleBuster's status, as of 2026-10-20
- IdleBuster is still sold and supported from orientminds.com, which published a new article on 16 October 2026. (orientminds.com)
- idlebuster.com, the product's old domain, now redirects to a page offering the domain for sale. That is the domain, not the app. (idlebuster.com)
- If IdleBuster stops activating or checking your licence, contact OrientMinds first: your licence and any refund are theirs to handle. (orientminds.com/contact-us)
Your IdleBuster settings, in Stayaway
| In IdleBuster | In Stayaway | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse Cursor Movement | Mouse Activity | Free in both. Stayaway moves along curved paths with rests, and keeps the pointer on the display you are using. |
| Random Keyboard Activities | Keyboard Activity (Pro) | Stayaway taps keys that type no characters, so nothing lands in the document in front. |
| Scrolling Events | Scroll Activity (Pro) | Same idea, same place in the settings. |
| Application Switching, Browser Tab Changing | Screen Rotation: App Switch and Tab Switch (Pro) | Both switches, with their own intervals. |
| Automatic Idle Detection | Auto Detect (Pro) | Pick your time tracker when Stayaway asks and it sets the kick-in time for you, or set it yourself. |
| Smart Resume | Smart Resume (Pro) | Same name. Set the sensitivity to the distance you used in IdleBuster. |
| Screen Presets: Single, Dual, Ultra-wide, Custom | Screen Presets (Pro) | The same four presets. |
| Activity Level: Ultra Low to Ultra High | Activity Levels (Pro) | The same five levels. Pick the one you used. |
| Alt+A run, Alt+X stop, Alt+Q quit | The same three, plus Alt+M, Alt+K and Alt+S for mouse, keyboard and scroll | Alt+X is Emergency Stop on every plan, including Free. |
| Start with Windows, start in tray | Launch at login (Pro) | Starts Stayaway when you sign in to Windows. |
| Licence key | Sign in with your email | No key to paste: we email a six-digit code. New accounts get 7 days of Pro with no card. |
Switching, step by step
- Note your IdleBuster Activity Level, Screen Preset and idle kick-in time, so you can match them.
- Quit IdleBuster from its tray menu or with Alt+Q. The two apps use the same Alt shortcuts, and only one app can hold a shortcut at a time.
- Download Stayaway, check its SHA-256 if you like, and install it. Windows may warn about a new app; the install guide shows what to click.
- Sign in with your email. Your 7-day Pro trial starts, with no card.
- When Stayaway asks which tracker you use, pick it; then set the Activity Level and Screen Preset you noted.
- Press Alt+X once when onboarding asks, so you know Emergency Stop works before you need it.
- When you are happy, uninstall IdleBuster from Windows Settings, Apps, Installed apps. For the portable version, delete its folder.
Installing for the first time? The install guide shows the Windows warning and what to click.
What you get by switching
- The free plan keeps every setting yours to change, and adds Timed runs, Keep awake and "Is it working?".
- Pro covers up to 3 computers on every plan.
- Scheduled runs (Pro): working days, hours and breaks, from office-hours templates.
- Every purchase can be refunded within 30 days, under a published refund policy.
- An installer of about 4 MB, against IdleBuster's 105.8 MB.
The full, sourced table is on IdleBuster alternative.
Questions
Is IdleBuster shut down?
- No. When we checked on 20 October 2026, IdleBuster was still sold from orientminds.com, which had published a new article that week. Its old domain, idlebuster.com, is listed for sale, which is a different thing.
Can I bring my IdleBuster licence to Stayaway?
- No. They are separate products from separate companies. Stayaway has a free plan and a 7-day trial of Pro with no card, so you can try it before paying anything.
Do my IdleBuster settings import automatically?
- No. The settings use the same names, though, so the table above maps each one, and setting them takes a minute.
Can I run IdleBuster and Stayaway together?
- Not at the same time. Both send mouse and keyboard input and use the same Alt shortcuts, so quit one before you start the other.
Will switching change what my time tracker records?
- No. Stayaway keeps your computer active while you step away; it doesn't alter screenshots, app logs or anything else a tracker records.
Is there a Mac or portable version of Stayaway?
- Not yet. Stayaway runs on Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit, as an installed app. A Mac version is in progress.
Sources
IdleBuster's setting names are from its own pricing page and documentation. Everything was checked 2026-10-20.
- orientminds.com
- idlebuster.com
- orientminds.com/contact-us
- orientminds.com/pricing
- orientminds.com/faq (trial, refund, computers, hotkeys)
- orientminds.com/download (platforms, installers)
- IdleBuster Pro Lifetime product page ($178)
- Ultimate Monthly product page ($9.99)
- Ultimate Yearly product page ($99)
- Installer size: measured by Stayaway (method and exact bytes)
Try it beside your old settings.
Every Pro feature is free for the trial with no card, and after it Stayaway keeps working on the free plan.