What is LaraPaper?

LaraPaper is a self-hosted TRMNL BYOS server written in PHP using Laravel. It manages TRMNL-compatible e-paper devices including official hardware, DIY kits, e-readers, Android devices, and Raspberry Pi displays. Screens are generated via native plugins, community recipes, REST API, web UI markup, or custom Blade views. It acts as a proxy for the TRMNL cloud service for hybrid setups (requires Developer Edition). The web UI has dark mode. Deployment options include Docker Compose, bare-metal PHP, Laravel Forge, Dokploy, Umbrel, and VS Code devcontainer. Default database is SQLite; MySQL and PostgreSQL are supported. Authentication uses email/password with optional Passkeys and OpenID Connect. An experimental MCP server exposes recipe management to AI clients.

Should you self-host LaraPaper?

LaraPaper scores 51/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #61 of 104 in Home Automation. It has 443 GitHub stars.

It shipped 10 stable releases in the past year. The latest, 0.45.1, came out on 21 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 9 days.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is MIT-licensed and written mostly in PHP.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Home Assistant (91/100, 91 796 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See LaraPaper vs Home Assistant side by side.

Features

Auto-Join
Blade View Customization
Device Management
Markup Editor
MCP Server (Experimental)Experimental feature in Lab, alpha quality
Multiple database support
OpenID Connect
Passkey Authentication
Recipe support
REST API
Screen Generation via Plugins
TRMNL Cloud ProxyRequires TRMNL Developer Edition license

How to configure LaraPaper

APP_TIMEZONEUTCDefault timezone, which will be used by the PHP date functions. UTC is recommended.
Default timezone, which will be used by the PHP date functions. UTC is recommended.
FORCE_HTTPS0If your server handles SSL termination, enforce HTTPS. Alternative: `TRUSTED_PROXIES`.
If your server handles SSL termination, enforce HTTPS. Alternative: `TRUSTED_PROXIES`.
HTTP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT10Outbound HTTP timeout when fetching recipe polling URLs. (sec)
Outbound HTTP timeout when fetching recipe polling URLs. (sec)
OIDC_CLIENT_IDOAuth client ID
OAuth client ID
OIDC_CLIENT_SECRETOAuth client secret
OAuth client secret
OIDC_ENABLEDfalseEnable the OIDC login button and callback
Enable the OIDC login button and callback
OIDC_ENDPOINTProvider base URL, or the full well-known configuration URL
Provider base URL, or the full well-known configuration URL
OIDC_SCOPESopenid,profile,emailComma-separated scopes
Comma-separated scopes
PASSKEYS_ENABLED0Enable Passkeys for login (requires HTTPS)
Enable Passkeys for login (requires HTTPS)
PHP_OPCACHE_ENABLE0Enable PHP Opcache
Enable PHP Opcache
REGISTRATION_ENABLED1Allow user registration via Webinterface
Allow user registration via Webinterface
SSL_MODEoffSSL Mode, if not using a Reverse Proxy (docs)
SSL Mode, if not using a Reverse Proxy (docs)
TRMNL_BLADE_FRAMEWORK_BASE_URLhttps://trmnl.comBase URL for versioned TRMNL framework CSS/JS used when rendering recipes
Base URL for versioned TRMNL framework CSS/JS used when rendering recipes
TRMNL_BLADE_FRAMEWORK_CSS_URLOverride the framework stylesheet URL
Override the framework stylesheet URL
TRMNL_BLADE_FRAMEWORK_JS_URLOverride the framework JavaScript URL
Override the framework JavaScript URL
TRMNL_IMAGE_URL_TIMEOUT30How long TRMNL waits for a response on the display endpoint. (sec)
How long TRMNL waits for a response on the display endpoint. (sec)
TRMNL_PROXY_BASE_URLhttps://trmnl.appBase URL of the native TRMNL service
Base URL of the native TRMNL service
TRMNL_PROXY_REFRESH_MINUTES15How often should the server fetch new images from native service
How often should the server fetch new images from native service
TRUSTED_PROXIESIf your server handles SSL termination, allow mixed mode. e.g. `"172.0.0.0/8"` or `*`
If your server handles SSL termination, allow mixed mode. e.g. `"172.0.0.0/8"` or `*`