Short answer: Lumous is the cheaper option: one plan at $5 per month or $48 per year with every feature, on Windows and macOS, plus click controls such as Safe Click Zones. AFK Assistant costs $7 to $21 per month depending on the plan, adds a Linux version (Basic and Pro), and its Ultimate plan adds idle detection and scheduled runs, which Lumous does not list. Pick Lumous on price and click controls; pick AFK Assistant for Linux, idle-triggered runs or schedules.
Disclosure: AFK Assistant is our product. Details about the other tool come from its official website or store listing, checked on October 24, 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm them with the vendor before you buy.
A note on AFK Assistant prices: some comparisons, including one on Lumous's blog, still list AFK Assistant at $9.99 (Personal) and $17.99 (Enterprise) with a 10-day trial. Those were the prices of our older editions. Current plans are Basic $7, Pro $14 and Ultimate $21 per month, each with a 7-day free trial.
At a glance
| Feature | Lumous | AFK Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5 per month, or $48 per year | Basic $7, Pro $14, Ultimate $21 per month |
| Plans | One plan (Lumous One) with every feature | Three tiers |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days on every plan |
| Yearly billing | Yes | No, monthly only |
| Platforms | Windows 10/11; macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon installers) | Windows; macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon); Linux (Basic and Pro) |
| Mouse and clicks | Yes, with Safe Click Zones and Click In-Place | Fast and slow movement, left and right clicks at random rates |
| Keyboard | Silent Keys, or natural typing with varied speed, pauses and corrections | Random characters or text from your own .txt file, at varying speeds |
| Scrolling | Yes | Yes (Pro and Ultimate) |
| App and tab switching | Yes, never switches to Lumous itself | Yes (Pro and Ultimate); choose the browser and number of tabs |
| Activity pattern | Adaptive work rhythms; random micro-breaks (v4.1.0) | Random values within ranges; scheduled switches between fast and slow mouse and typing |
| Idle detection | Not listed | Yes (Ultimate) |
| Scheduled runs | Not listed | Yes (Ultimate) |
| Published tracker tests | Yes, run by Lumous | None published |
What Lumous offers
Lumous keeps a Windows or Mac desktop active from the background. Its single plan, Lumous One, costs $5 per month or $48 per year (about $4 per month) after a 7-day free trial and includes every feature. Its pricing page also mentions savings of up to 20% for more devices. The download page offers a Windows 10/11 installer and separate macOS installers for Intel and Apple Silicon; Linux is not listed.
Features listed on its site include coordinated mouse, keyboard, clicking and scrolling; adaptive work rhythms that shift between typing, reading, navigation, mixed work and quieter periods; Safe Click Zones, which keep clicks inside areas you choose, and Click In-Place; Silent Keys or natural typing; app and tab switching that never switches to Lumous itself; a discreet mode that runs minimized under the name Reminders; Simple and Advanced modes; and a global stop shortcut, Ctrl+Shift+K. Version 4.1.0 added randomly scheduled micro-breaks of 30 to 120 seconds.
Lumous says it is proven undetectable across Hubstaff, Time Doctor and other trackers, and publishes test sessions to back that up. Those tests are run by Lumous itself; we have not verified them, and no vendor can guarantee how every tracker measures activity.
What AFK Assistant offers
AFK Assistant simulates mouse movement and clicks, keyboard typing, scrolling, and app and browser tab switching, with each setting randomized within a range. Plans are tiered:
- Basic, $7 per month: cursor movement and keyboard activity. Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Pro, $14 per month: adds scrolling, browser tab switching, application switching and configurable settings. Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Ultimate, $21 per month: adds idle detection, scheduled runs, priority support and early access to new features. Windows and macOS.
Where it goes further than Lumous is control over when it runs. On Ultimate, idle detection starts the simulation once you have been inactive for a time you choose and stops it when you return, and scheduled runs start it at set times. It also has a Linux version for Basic and Pro. The documentation lists every setting.
Key differences
Price
Lumous is cheaper at every level. A year of Lumous costs $48; a year of AFK Assistant costs $84 on Basic, $168 on Pro and $252 on Ultimate, billed monthly.
Platforms
Both cover Windows and macOS on Intel and Apple Silicon. Only AFK Assistant offers a Linux version.
Control
Lumous focuses on what the activity looks like, with click zones, silent keys and adaptive rhythms. AFK Assistant adds control over when it runs, with idle detection and schedules, and lets you type text from your own file.
Evidence
Lumous publishes its own tracker tests. AFK Assistant does not publish test reports and makes no guarantee about any specific tracker.
Choose Lumous if...
- Price matters most: $5 per month, or $48 per year, for everything.
- You want click controls such as Safe Click Zones and Click In-Place.
- You prefer a single plan with no tiers, or yearly billing.
- You only use Windows or macOS.
Choose AFK Assistant if...
- You use Linux, alone or alongside Windows or macOS.
- You want the simulation to start by itself when you go idle and stop when you return, or to run on a schedule (Ultimate).
- You want typing based on text from your own file.
- Mouse and keyboard are enough for you and you would rather pay monthly than commit to a year: Basic is $7 per month.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lumous cheaper than AFK Assistant?
Yes. Lumous costs $5 per month or $48 per year for all features. AFK Assistant costs $7 (Basic), $14 (Pro) or $21 (Ultimate) per month, billed monthly. Both offer a 7-day free trial.
Does Lumous work on Linux?
Its download page lists Windows 10/11 and macOS installers for Intel and Apple Silicon. Linux is not listed. AFK Assistant Basic and Pro have Linux versions.
Which one has idle detection?
AFK Assistant Ultimate has idle detection: it starts once you have been inactive for a time you set and stops when you return. Lumous does not list idle detection on its site.
Why do some comparisons list AFK Assistant at $9.99 or $17.99?
Those were the prices of the older Personal and Enterprise editions, which came with a 10-day trial. Current plans are Basic $7, Pro $14 and Ultimate $21 per month, each with a 7-day free trial.
Is Lumous or AFK Assistant undetectable?
Lumous says its tool is proven undetectable based on its own tests. AFK Assistant is designed to produce varied, natural-looking activity. Neither is a guarantee: no tool can promise how every monitoring product measures activity, and screenshots or your actual output can still show you were away.
Want idle detection, schedules or Linux?
AFK Assistant simulates natural mouse, keyboard, scroll and app activity on Windows, macOS and Linux. Try any plan free for 7 days.
See plans and start a trialSources (checked October 24, 2026)
- Lumous: https://lumous.app/
- Lumous pricing: https://lumous.app/pricing
- Lumous downloads: https://lumous.app/download
- Lumous comparison that lists older AFK Assistant prices: https://lumous.app/blog/lumous-vs-lazywork-vs-afk-assistant
Competitor details come from the vendors' own websites and store listings on the date above. Prices and features change, so check the vendor's site before you buy. AFK Assistant details come from our pricing, documentation and downloads pages.