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Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Trmnl, a hackable e-ink dashboard that helps you stay focused

hi folks, i'm the founder of TRMNL. we launched a KS over the summer, and now ship devices same-day. open source firmware, no subscriptions, no ads, 50+ native plugins already, and a simple API to build your own for private or public use. happy to answer any questions! Ryan

Trmnl is an e-ink dashboard device with open-source firmware that displays customizable information to help users stay focused. It comes with 50+ built-in plugins and offers a simple API for building additional ones.… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Trmnl, a hackable e-ink dashboard that helps you stay focused launched in 2024; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

  1. 1
    TRMNL▲16

    E-ink display for your favorite apps and news

    2024 · kickstarter.com · its alternatives →

  2. 2
  3. 3

    A Terminal UI to browse Hacker News. Contribute to aome510/hackernews-TUI development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4

    Low power, E-Ink dashboard for every day life running on a hacked Kindle. - davidhampgonsalves/Life-Dashboard

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

    Build websites with Notion in ~10 sec

    2022 · simple.ink · its alternatives →

  6. 6HN

    The use of the em dash (—) now raises suspicions that a text might have been AI-generated. Inspired by a suggestion from dang [1], I created a leaderboard of HN users according to how many of their posts before November 30, 2022—that is, before the release of ChatGPT—contained em dashes. Dang himself comes in number 2—by a very slim margin. Credit to Claude Code for showing me how to search the HN database through Google BigQuery and for writing the HTML for the leaderboard. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45053933

    2025 · gally.net · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    Hey HN! I built a native macOS desktop client for Hacker News and I'm open-sourcing it under the MIT license. GitHub: https://github.com/IronsideXXVI/Hacker-News Download (signed & notarized DMG, macOS 14.0+): https://github.com/IronsideXXVI/Hacker-News/releases Screenshots: https://github.com/IronsideXXVI/Hacker-News#screenshots I spend a lot of time reading HN — I wanted something that felt like a proper Mac app: a sidebar for browsing stories, an integrated reader for articles, and comment threading — all in one window.…

    Feb 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  8. 8

    The dynamic personal homepage builder. Contribute to trylinky/linky development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9
    ChattyUI▲149

    Run open-source LLMs locally in the browser using WebGPU

    2024 · its alternatives →

  10. 10

    Fastest E-Ink Tablet with 60 Hz

    2024 · daylightcomputer.com · its alternatives →

  11. 11

    Your day on a calm e-ink screen, not your phone

    Jun 2026 · quietdash.com · its alternatives →

  12. 12
    Dashibase▲119

    Instant dashboards for Supabase users

    2022 · dashibase.com · its alternatives →

  13. 13
    Morgen▲139

    Your entire morning in one tab.

    Mar 2026 · conceptuel.ch · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    sleeek tui for hacker news. Contribute to ahmd-sh/hntui development by creating an account on GitHub.

    25d ago · github.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    :boom: Progressive Hacker News client built with Angular - housseindjirdeh/angular2-hn

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

  16. 16

    This is probably the first Hacker News client on AppStore that uses the newly introduced official Firebase HN API. One of the cool features of the new API are updates pushed in real time. There’s...

    2014 · hnclient.weebly.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    32" e-ink screen with generated art based on tech headlines

    2023 · projecteink.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18HH
  19. 19BA
  20. 20

    A clean, high-contrast Air Traffic Monitor for TRMNL E-ink displays. Includes custom layouts (Vertical, Horizontal, Quadrant) and a Cloudflare Worker script for fetching flight data. - Jay9185/Trmnl-Aviation-monitor

    Feb 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    Crouton MQTT IOT Dashboard. Contribute to edfungus/Crouton development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22HS
  23. 23

    Hi HN! I've just published my small home dashboard project on Github. Hope you like it too and perhaps find it useful as a reference for similar ideas. Overall I'm very happy with the LilyGo e-ink device and I'll probably add a bunch of other features in the future.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24EI

    Hey HN community, I've recently embarked on a tinkering project that merges the versatility of the Badger 2040W with the practicality of an E-ink display. Inspired by the UK Rail departure boards, I've created an E-ink version that updates in real-time with departure information. Would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or similar projects you've come across!

    2023 · pixelpanic.me · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →