Comparison of Twinkly vs. DIY WS2811 Pixels
I started out in this hobby after buying several sets of Twinkly lights. First I used them with the included app, which let me make some cool effects for Halloween, but wanted more. That’s when I discovered xLights and FPP, bought some more Twinkly lights and built my first real Christmas light shows set to music (“Carol of the Bells” by TSO was my first sequence). It won the best Christmas display in our community of over 3,000 homes, and I was hooked. Since then, I have realized that DIY Pixels allow you do do things difficult or impossible to do with Twinkly. I have both Twinkly and DIY Pixels integrated into my show. The viewers can’t tell the difference between them in the dark (nor do they care).
There’s one huge reason I keep Twinkly lights in my show: The ability to use your phone camera in the Twinkly app to map lights. I have at least 5 trees / bushes decorated with Twinkly string lights each season, that get mapped with the Twinkly app in 3D and imported into xLights, which can then apply effects to the trees like they are props. As far as I’m aware, this capability does not exist anywhere else in the DIY Pixel world. It’s very hard to decorate/wrap a “free form” tree with DIY pixels and model it properly in xLights.
If you are just starting out or curious, getting a few of sets of Twinkly lights can be a good way to get your feet wet with xLights. With Twinkly, you may pay more per bulb, but when you factor in that you aren’t buying a separate controller you might be better off for small shows or just starting out. WS2811 Pixel controllers can be pricey, but they can generally power LOTS of lights and have capabilities and flexibility that Twinkly can’t match — plus are much more reliable on the network. WS2811 Pixels also have a far wider array of bulb types, props and accessories that you can’t get with Twinkly. You need to give strong consideration as to what you want both now and in the future. If you want to throw some strings of lights in the bushes every year and synch them to music, Twinkly may be for you. If you want an extravagant, choreographed light shows with MegaTrees and lots of props, you should probably just go with WS2811 Pixels because of some of the limitations of Twinkly controllers. Ultimately, you need to decide for yourself what works best for you, based on costs and your comfort dealing with the technology.
| Feature | Twinkly (Smart Lights) | DIY Pixel Lights (WS2811 / xLights, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Setup | ✅ Very easy – plug, app setup, auto-mapping | ❌ Complex – wiring, controllers, software setup |
| Technical Skill Required | ✅ Beginner-friendly (app) | ❌ Moderate to advanced |
| Customization | ⚠️ Limited to app features and effects if using app ✅ Nearly unlimited (full sequencing control) using xLights | ✅ Nearly unlimited (full sequencing control) |
| Control Software | App-based (simple UI); Software like xLights, FPP (powerful but complex) | Software like xLights, FPP (powerful but complex) |
| Individual Pixel Control | ✅ Yes (mapped in app) | ✅ Yes (full low-level control) |
| Automatic 3D Mapping Via Camera | ✅ Yes – can use in app or import into xLights | ❌ Manual |
| Music Synchronization | ⚠️ Basic / limited through app ✅ Advanced, fully synchronized shows | ✅ Advanced, fully synchronized shows |
| Scalability | ⚠️ Somewhat Limited — reliance on WiFi makes scaling more of a challenge, but can be done – I run over 8K without issues, but it took some network tuning | ✅ Massive (tens of thousands of pixels possible) |
| Frame Rate | ⚠️ Limited to 20 Frames Per Second (FPS) | ✅ Can run at 40 FPS with correct controller and configuration |
| Cost (per pixel) | ❌ Expensive (although occasional deals are out there) | ✅ Much cheaper at scale |
| Upfront Effort | ✅ Low | ❌ High (design, build, test) |
| Maintenance / Repair | ❌ Hard – replace whole string; power supplies are only replaceable component | ✅ Easy – replace individual components, including individual pixels |
| Flexibility (layout, spacing) | ⚠️ Fixed product designs | ✅ Fully customizable |
| Water Resistance Of Controllers | ⚠️ IP44 (splash resistant) even though they say for outdoor use — I recommend using dry boxes for the power supply and controller, but left them out first year without dry boxes and had one power supply fail; lights themselves are watertight | ⚠️ Controller boxes are mostly custom builds, but should be able to handle downpours or heavy snow; Lights are IP68 (water tight) — can be submerged or frozen in ice and should still be okay |
| Cut To Size | ❌ Can’t be cut to size; stuck with increments sold by Twinkly (100, 150, 250, 400, 600 light strings) and strings longer 150 lights are split into two wires (250 string has 2 strings of 125 coming from controller) | ✅ Fully customizable |
| Power | 24 volt AC to DC adapters (wall warts); need to run AC extension cords to props | 5 volt, 12 volt (most common) – use power supplies similar to a PC — run low voltage extensions to props (safer) |
| Reliability | ✅ Consistent out of box | ⚠️ Depends on build quality |
| Ecosystem | ⚠️ Semi-closed system, but allows xLights and FPP control | ✅ Open ecosystem (mix brands, controllers, software) |
| Corrugated Plastic Props Available | ✅ Yes – but fewer than 12 mm bullet pixel props | ✅ Lots of “coro” props available from many suppliers for 12mm WS2811 pixels |
| Best For | Folks wanting to experiment on a smaller scale, those not as comfortable with tech or DIY who want an off-the-shelf solution | If you plan to start big, want a MegaTree or start small and scale up, Pixels are the way to go; recommend for hobbyists, tech geeks, large synchronized shows — you will appreciate the added flexibility, performance and cost savings |