Desk displays for startup metrics, compared

In short

No one device suits every team. For your own MRR, users and wins on one desk, DeskBot is built for the job and costs £29 at launch. For a number a room or a shop can read, a Smiirl counter. For a smart clock with sound that can also show a number, LaMetric TIME. For calm e-paper dashboards on a battery, TRMNL. The table gives the facts, dated and sourced.

Written for founders choosing a physical display for their company's numbers. Updated 8 November 2026.

DeskBot, a small white desk clock with a colour screen

The comparison

Prices and details as listed by each maker on 8 November 2026, with sources at the end of the page. Prices change, so check the maker's own page before you buy.

	DeskBot	LaMetric TIME	Smiirl Custom Counter	TRMNL OG	Tidbyt	Ulanzi TC001
Price	£29 at launch until 8 February 2027, then £49 ($39 then $65; €35 then €59)	$199.99	$459 (5 digits) or $629 (7 digits), excluding tax	$139	Manufacturing paused since November 2024	Not checked
Screen	1.54-inch colour LCD, 240 × 240	37 × 8 white LED with an 8 × 8 colour icon	5 or 7 flip digits	7.5-inch e-paper, 800 × 480, black and white	64 × 32 LED	32 × 8 LED matrix
Made for	Your company's numbers on your desk	A smart home clock, notifications and music	One number seen across a room	Calm e-paper dashboards, 1,000+ plugins	Pixel apps: transit, sports, weather	Smart home hobbyists, with custom firmware
Shows MRR	Built-in revenue screen from your endpoint	With the My Data DIY app pointed at your JSON	As one number, by push API or JSON URL	Through a plugin you build or install	Through a community or custom app	Through custom firmware
Stripe	A published route you host	IFTTT applets show new payments	Zapier guide adds 1 per payment	Community recipe shows recent transactions	Community app shows gross volume	A developer's custom firmware
Several numbers at once	MRR, ARR, change, users, a breakdown, today's wins and losses	One app at a time	One number	Yes, several plugins on one screen	Rotating apps	Rotating apps
New customer moment	Celebration on screen	Notification through IFTTT	The counter flips up	Not stated	Notification through Zapier	A chirp, in that developer's firmware
Refresh	Every minute	Depends on the app	Smiirl says real time; no interval stated	Every 15 minutes by default, faster with TRMNL+	Depends on the app	Depends on the firmware
Setup	QR code and a web page; no app	iOS or Android app	Smiirl's web app, plus Zapier or its API	Web platform	Phone app	Web page after flashing firmware

How to choose

Your own MRR, users and trials on your desk, with a moment for each new customer: DeskBot.
One big number that visitors, customers or a whole team read from across the room: a Smiirl counter.
A clock with speakers, radio and smart home control that can also show a number: LaMetric TIME.
A large, calm e-paper screen that runs for months on a battery and shows many kinds of data: TRMNL.
A hackable LED clock and a weekend to write firmware: the Ulanzi TC001.
Already own a Tidbyt? Keep it running; the Tidbyt page explains how.

Where the others are better

LaMetric TIME has two 2 W speakers and plays music and radio. DeskBot has no speaker.
TRMNL runs on a battery for 3 to 6 months. DeskBot needs USB-C power.
A 5-digit Smiirl counter is about 42 cm wide and made to be read across a room. DeskBot's screen is 1.54 inches, for one desk.
LaMetric, TRMNL and Tidbyt have app and plugin libraries. DeskBot shows only the clock, the weather and your numbers.

What every option needs from you

None of these ships with a built-in MRR calculation for Stripe. Each either counts payments through Zapier or IFTTT, reads recent transactions, or shows a number your own server works out. DeskBot reads a full set of numbers from one endpoint, and the Stripe MRR page has a route that works it out for you.

Frequently asked questions

Which desk display is best for showing MRR?

One with a screen made for revenue. DeskBot has a revenue screen with MRR, ARR, their change and a trend line; LaMetric and Smiirl can each show MRR as a single number once you point them at your own data.

Which one updates fastest?

DeskBot asks your endpoint every minute. TRMNL refreshes every 15 minutes by default, and faster on TRMNL+. LaMetric and Tidbyt depend on the app.

Which can a whole room read?

A Smiirl counter, or LaMetric TIME's wide LED display. DeskBot is made for one desk.

Do any of them connect to Stripe directly?

Not for MRR out of the box. LaMetric and Smiirl get payments through IFTTT or Zapier, TRMNL's community recipe reads recent transactions with a Stripe key, and MRR otherwise comes from a number your own server returns.