Alternatives guide: LED displays
Tidbyt alternatives in 2026: what to buy now that Tidbyt has stopped shipping
Tidbyt joined Modal on 7 November 2024 and paused manufacturing; on 18 September 2026 every SKU showed sold out while the cloud kept running. If you own one, Tronbyt, a community Apache-2.0 server, runs your apps locally. If you are buying, here are six options priced the same day, including Perchi Matrix (₹4,499) from MyPerchi.
Why are people looking for a Tidbyt alternative?
Tidbyt was the category favourite: a 64x32 LED matrix with hundreds of community apps written in Pixlet. When the company joined Modal it promised that every existing Tidbyt would keep operating, and the status page still reported no incidents on 17 September 2026. What ended was the hardware. Every product on the store front, including Gen 2, the desk stand and the refurbished units, shows sold out, and the Gen 2 page still carries a stale line about pre-orders.
The searches that followed ('is Tidbyt dead', 'Tidbyt alternative reddit', 'does Tidbyt still work') split into two groups. Owners want to know how long the cloud lasts and whether the device can be kept alive without it. Would-be buyers want a display that cannot do the same thing to them: one that renders on the device, has a local API, and does not need a company's servers for the basics.
Checklist
What to look for in Tidbyt alternatives
Five things the options below are judged on. Decide which two matter to you before reading the list.
- 01Renders on the device, not in a cloud that can be switched off
- 02A local API or MQTT you can drive from Home Assistant without the vendor
- 03Clock, timers and cached values keep working when the internet drops
- 04Signed firmware updates from a company that is still shipping
- 05A price and warranty in your own country
The ranked list
6 Tidbyt alternatives, ranked by what you asked for
Ranked by the need in the search: a display you can actually buy that will not do the same thing to you. Tronbyt comes first because it is the honest answer for anyone who already owns a Tidbyt; Perchi Matrix (ours) is second because it is the only option that combines a local API, offline rendering and an Indian warranty, at a lower pixel count.
- 01
Keep your Tidbyt and run Tronbyt
- Price
- Free (Apache-2.0 licence); you already own the hardware
- Best for
- Existing Tidbyt owners who want to keep the device alive without Tidbyt's backend
Where it wins
- A Go server plus replacement firmware that runs Tidbyt Gen 1 and Gen 2 from a machine on your own network, with a Docker Compose install
- Also drives Tronbyt S3, MatrixPortal S3 and Raspberry Pi 64x32, 128x64 and 64x64 matrices
- Runs the Pixlet apps you already use and enables some APIs Tidbyt's servers blocked
- Apache-2.0 licence, Prometheus metrics, 216 GitHub stars on 18 September 2026
Where it falls short
- You host, update and back up the server yourself
- A community project with no company behind it
- Does not help if you do not already own a Tidbyt: no new units are sold
- 02
Perchi Matrix
Ours- Price
- ₹4,499 incl. GST in India
- Best for
- A desk display with a local API and Home Assistant that keeps its basics without any server, sold in India
Where it wins
- Renders on the device: clock, timers and cached apps keep working offline, and a stale value is marked, never faked
- Authenticated local API (an AWTRIX-3-compatible subset) and MQTT with Home Assistant discovery keep working on your LAN without our servers
- 70+ apps out of the box, including Razorpay, Stripe, Shopify, GitHub Actions and YouTube, plus a no-code builder
- Signed firmware updates with automatic rollback; pairs from a browser, no phone app to install
- Sold in India in rupees with a GST invoice and a 12-month warranty serviced in India
Where it falls short
- No Pixlet apps: Tidbyt community apps do not run here
- 192 pixels at the 24x8 launch size; 32x8, 64x16 and 64x32 open later on the waitlist
- No speaker, no battery, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
- A new product with no customer reviews yet; delivery is estimated 2 to 3 weeks from the day you reserve
- 03
Ulanzi TC001 with AWTRIX
- Price
- $45.99 direct; ₹7,790 on Amazon.in
- Best for
- Tinkerers who want the cheapest colour hardware and are happy to flash firmware
Where it wins
- 32x8, 256 pixels, a 4,400 mAh battery, a buzzer and light and temperature sensors
- Free AWTRIX 3 or AWTRIX NG firmware runs entirely on your LAN, with Home Assistant over MQTT
- The lowest price for new hardware in this list
Where it falls short
- AWTRIX 3 is archived upstream; AWTRIX NG changed the API and ships with authentication off
- Flashing is required to get past the basic stock firmware
- Amazon.com rates it 3.8 out of 5 (541 ratings) with setup complaints
- 04
LaMetric TIME
- Price
- $199.99 direct; about ₹30,000 as an Amazon.in import
- Best for
- Audio (speakers, radio, alarms) and the deepest third-party app store
Where it wins
- Two 2 W speakers, internet radio and an alarm clock
- LaMetric Market apps and a Home Assistant core integration that polls the device locally
- 1-year warranty (2 years in the EU)
Where it falls short
- The price
- A fixed 37x8 white text area with one 8x8 colour icon
- Needs the phone app and a LaMetric cloud account to set up
- 05
Divoom Pixoo-64
- Price
- $149.99 direct; ₹18,999 to ₹22,914 in India
- Best for
- Pixel art and a huge community gallery
Where it wins
- 64x64, 4,096 pixels, with an in-app editor and animation tools
- Dual-band Wi-Fi
- 12+6 month warranty and 30-day returns on divoom.com
Where it falls short
- The app is required for everything; there is no official API (Divoom calls the local API community reverse-engineered and unsupported)
- Amazon reviews cite connection drops on the 2.4 GHz band and a difficult app
- Four to five times the Perchi Matrix price in India
- 06
TRMNL
- Price
- $139 (TRMNL OG)
- Best for
- E-ink calm and a plugin library of 1,000 or more
Where it wins
- A 7.5 inch 1-bit e-paper screen that is easy on the eyes
- 1,000+ plugins and a bring-your-own-server option
- In stock on shop.trmnl.com on 18 September 2026 (the TRMNL X was on backorder)
Where it falls short
- No colour and no animation
- Not sold in India
- A different category: a status board, not a live ticker
Also on the shortlist, in one line each
- BUSY Bar: $219: a 72x16 status bar with a battery, an OLED on the back, an open HTTP API, MQTT and Matter. Built around 'busy' signalling more than apps.
- GLANCE: $149.99: a 64x32 sports, stocks and crypto ticker with a 90-day warranty. Not sold in India.
- TickrCast: A HUB75 wall ticker on Kickstarter from 1 September to 1 October 2026, tiers reported from $99, deliveries from February 2027. Cloud-rendered, no local API.
Side by side
How the options compare at a glance
The same options as a table. Yes and no marks are only used where the answer is unambiguous; everything else is spelled out.
| Feature | Tronbyt on a Tidbyt you own | Perchi Matrix 24x8, ours | TC001 + AWTRIX Ulanzi | LaMetric TIME | Pixoo-64 Divoom | TRMNL OG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | ₹4,499 incl. GST | $45.99 / ₹7,790 | $199.99 | $149.99 / ₹18,999+ | $139 |
| Pixels | 64x32 (2,048) | 24x8 (192) at launch | 32x8 (256) | 37x8 + 8x8 icon | 64x64 (4,096) | 7.5 in 1-bit e-ink |
| Renders on the device | No | Yes | Yes | Partly | Partly | No |
| Works offline (clock, cached values) | Needs your server | Yes | Yes | Clock only | No | Last image |
| Local API | Your server's | Yes, authenticated | Yes (AWTRIX) | Yes (API key) | Unofficial | Your server's |
| Home Assistant | Community | MQTT discovery | MQTT (AWTRIX) | Core integration | Community | Community |
| Behind it | Community project | Company, shipping | Community firmware | Company | Company | Company |
| Sold in India | — | Yes | Import | Import | Import | No |
Two markets, two answers
Best for a US buyer, and best for an Indian buyer
Where an import price changes the answer, the guide gives both instead of averaging them into one verdict.
Best for a US buyer
TRMNL if you want calm and a plugin library; a Ulanzi TC001 with AWTRIX if you want colour and a battery for under $50 and do not mind flashing.
Best for an Indian buyer
Perchi Matrix: priced in rupees with a GST invoice and a 12-month warranty serviced here. The TC001 is the only other option with an Indian listing, at ₹7,790 on Amazon.in.
If you already own a Tidbyt
Keep it. Tidbyt's cloud was still running on 17 September 2026, and Tronbyt exists precisely so that the device outlives the service: install the server with Docker Compose, flash the replacement firmware, and your Pixlet apps render from a machine in your own home. Hackaday called it 'the only thing keeping some of these devices up and running' once the hosted service ends.
Two other conversions were being offered in the Tidbyt community on 18 September 2026: TickrCast's 'Tidbyt Revive' flash (free until 1 October 2026 according to r/TIDBYT posts) and Niblet's conversion (described there as free for good). Both move your panel to a different company's cloud, so weigh that against Tronbyt's local server before you flash.
Tidbyt alternatives: your questions, answered
What is the best Tidbyt alternative you can actually buy?
It depends on what you valued in Tidbyt. For a colour desk display with a local API, Home Assistant and an Indian warranty, Perchi Matrix (₹4,499). For the cheapest colour hardware, a Ulanzi TC001 with AWTRIX ($45.99). For audio, LaMetric TIME ($199.99). For pixel art, the Divoom Pixoo-64 ($149.99). For calm e-ink and a plugin library of 1,000 or more, TRMNL ($139). If you already own a Tidbyt, run Tronbyt and keep it.
What is Tronbyt, and can it run Tidbyt apps on other hardware?
Tronbyt is a community Go server and replacement firmware, under the Apache-2.0 licence, that runs Tidbyt Gen 1 and Gen 2 devices without Tidbyt's backend. It renders the same Pixlet apps from a server on your own network, installs with Docker Compose, and also drives Tronbyt S3, MatrixPortal S3 and Raspberry Pi matrices. Other hardware is a community effort: check the supported list on GitHub before buying a panel for it.
Is there a Tidbyt alternative that does not depend on a company's cloud?
Yes, two kinds. For a Tidbyt you already own, Tronbyt replaces the backend with a server on your own machine. For a new display, Perchi Matrix renders on the device: the clock, timers and cached apps keep working offline, the authenticated local API and MQTT keep working on your LAN without our servers, and firmware updates are signed. A Ulanzi TC001 running AWTRIX is also fully local, at the cost of flashing it yourself.
Is there a Tidbyt alternative sold in India?
Perchi Matrix is sold in India at ₹4,499 including GST, with a GST invoice and a 12-month warranty. The Ulanzi TC001 is the only other display with an Indian listing, at ₹7,790 on Amazon.in on 18 September 2026; the Divoom Pixoo-64 lands at ₹18,999 to ₹22,914 through importers. Tidbyt itself was never sold in India, and TRMNL, BUSY Bar and GLANCE do not ship here.
Which Tidbyt alternative works offline?
Perchi Matrix keeps its clock, timers, countdowns, text and the last cached value of every app when the internet drops, and marks stale values instead of inventing numbers. A Ulanzi TC001 with AWTRIX runs entirely on your LAN. Tidbyt and Tronbyt both need a server to render. LaMetric TIME keeps its clock but its Market apps are cloud-fed, and the Divoom Pixoo-64 needs Wi-Fi for its widgets.
Should I wait for TickrCast instead?
Only if you want a wall ticker. TickrCast is a HUB75 display with 64x32 per panel, chainable to ten, on Kickstarter from 1 September to 1 October 2026 with tiers reported from $99 and deliveries from February 2027. Content is rendered on its cloud, there is no local API, and Home Assistant support is a stretch goal. For a desk you control today, that is a different product.
Keep reading
Related comparisons and guides
- Perchi Matrix vs Tidbyt
- Tidbyt stopped shipping: what to do now
- Perchi Matrix vs TickrCast
- Home Assistant on Perchi Matrix
- Perchi Matrix sizes and power
- LaMetric TIME alternatives
Other guides in this group: AWTRIX alternatives, Ulanzi TC001 alternatives, LaMetric TIME alternatives, Divoom Pixoo alternatives. All ten are on the alternatives hub.
Sources
- tidbyt.com: Tidbyt is joining Modal (7 November 2024)
- tidbyt.com store front (every SKU sold out)
- github.com/tronbyt/server
- Hackaday on Tronbyt (29 March 2025)
- discuss.tidbyt.com: More complete Tidbyt alternative?
- shop.trmnl.com
- busy.app
- CNX Software on TickrCast (3 September 2026)
Competitor names and prices are quoted for comparison only; none of the companies named is affiliated with MyPerchi.
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