A Vestaboard alternative · For aviation lovers
The airport feeling.
Your own patch of sky.
Vestaboard is a mechanical message board. Mach 2 puts live aircraft on a compact maple LED display.
Explore Mach 2 · $399 →Overhead tracking and the Departure Board included, with no API key.
Choose what you want to see
A message to share.
Or a flight to follow.
Vestaboard for split-flap messages and channels; Mach 2 for a small aviation display.
| What matters to you | FlightTrackerLED Mach 2 | Vestaboard |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 64 × 32 full-color LEDs, 3 mm pitch | Mechanical split-flap characters |
| At home | Compact handmade maple desk or shelf display | Full-size wall board; smaller Note for a desk, shelf, or wall |
| Main use | Overhead aircraft, individual flights, airport departures | Messages, quotes, and connected content |
| Hardware price | $399 USD | Full-size $3,499; Note from $999 |
| Ongoing services | No device subscription. Overhead tracking and the Departure Board included, with no API key. | Basic messaging included. Optional Vestaboard+ content subscription: $119/year. |
| Setup | From your phone over the display’s own Wi-Fi hotspot (or desktop Chrome/Edge over USB-C); online owner portal afterward | Vestaboard app and Wi-Fi |
Sources: Vestaboard product comparison and Vestaboard+ pricing update. Prices, offers, and availability can change; confirm at each checkout.
Mach 2, made by hand
A smaller display.
A daily discovery.
A nominal 192 × 96 mm (7.56 × 3.78 in) LED panel, before the maple enclosure. Set your location and watch the sky above it.
Before you order
Built, finished, and tested for you.
In stock: ships in 1–2 business days, the last batch before Christmas. Free US shipping; international is a flat $60.
Shipping & returns →Common questions
Vestaboard alternative FAQ
Mach 2 is a $399 LED flight tracker in handmade maple. It costs less than the Vestaboard models in my dated comparison and shows live aircraft rather than messages.
Checked September 4, 2026: the official Vestaboard comparison page lists the full-size board at $3,499 and Note from $999. Optional Vestaboard+ is $119 per year; basic messaging does not require it. Check the manufacturer for current prices, offers, taxes, and availability.
Vestaboard uses mechanical split-flap characters for messages. Mach 2 uses a 64 by 32 LED matrix in handmade maple for overhead aircraft, single flights and a free Departure Board.
No. Mach 2 is built around aviation tracking and its scenes. For your own messages, choose Vestaboard, or program my separate open-source Dev Kit.