Autodarts alternative
The right Autodarts alternative for you depends on how much setting up you want to do, what you want to spend and how much plug-and-play matters to you.
The best Autodarts alternative really comes down to three things: how much DIY you’re prepared to put up with, how much you want to spend and how much plug-and-play matters to you. Some players want to tweak every last setting. Others just want to hang it up, plug it in and play.
Besides Autodarts, you’ve broadly got four options: build it yourself, an entry-level kit, a premium system or a ready-made solution for automatic scoring and training. Don’t compare them by brand name; compare them on reliability, installation, total cost, software freedom and support.
Why players switch from DIY to plug-and-play
At its core, Autodarts is a camera system that scores automatically on a standard steel-tip dartboard. To make it work, you usually need several cameras, even lighting, a computer and careful calibration.
That’s where a lot of players drop out. They want less tinkering and more time playing, training or throwing online.
Your options besides Autodarts
| Option | Setup time | Extra hardware | Price level | Software and support | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself | High | Several cameras, lighting, mounts, PC or laptop | Software is cheap to start with, but the total cost can soon add up | Lots of freedom, help mainly via the community | The tinkerer |
| Entry-level kit | Medium | Often extra mounting, a lamp or a screen | Cheaper to start with, varies by provider | Less freedom, support varies | The budget-conscious player |
| Premium plug-and-play | Low | Usually not much | Higher | Often its own platform, sometimes premium features or a subscription, official support | The convenience seeker |
| Matchflight: Heylo + app | Low to medium | Heylo ring around your own dartboard | €499 | Free app, no subscription needed to play, official support | The convenience seeker and the player who wants to train |
The details that make or break your setup
It’s rarely about the brand name. Three things decide whether you’re enjoying your darts or forever fiddling with settings: how stable the detection is, what the whole setup costs and how much hassle mounting and everyday use involve.
More cameras, more margin for error
Extra camera angles help most when darts block each other, with bounce-outs and with darts right on the edge of a segment. An accuracy claim only means something on a stable, well-calibrated setup. Fewer cameras is simpler, but doesn’t automatically give you the same margin in tricky situations.
Free software isn’t the same as cheap
Free software doesn’t make the whole setup cheap. Cameras, a light ring, mounts and a mini PC or laptop all add up too. Premium features can cost extra later on. So compare the total cost, not just the price of the software or your first shopping list. There’s more on this in What does an auto-scorer really cost?
Support, warranty and safety count more than you think
When you’ve got electronics around your board, product quality, warranty and clear support really matter. A ready-made system usually means less hassle than a pile of separate parts. Community help is handy, but personal advice is better when you just want to play. Not sure? Get in touch, we’re happy to help you decide.
This is where ready-made beats DIY
A complete solution for scoring and training makes sense if you want to get started quickly, train often and keep track of your statistics. That’s Matchflight’s approach: Heylo around your own dartboard, with the Matchflight app for automatic scoring, games, online play and training. No tinkering.
Quick answers
Is there an Autodarts app?
Not always the way you’d expect. Autodarts mainly runs through software and a web interface, not necessarily through a separate mobile app. Alternatives differ: some work via a browser or PC, others via a tablet or their own app. Check beforehand which device you’ll play on and control it from. Heylo works with the free Matchflight app.
How do I install Autodarts?
Broadly speaking: position the cameras, make sure the lighting is even, connect everything to a computer and calibrate. With an alternative, you mainly save time because mounting and settings have already been worked out. With DIY, you also need to check that your hardware and operating system work together.
Is Autodarts free?
The software can be free to start with; the hardware usually isn’t.
What are people’s experiences with Autodarts?
Many players like the freedom and how easy it is to get started with the software. Mounting, adjusting and calibrating often take more time, though. How smoothly it runs depends on the cameras, the lighting and the processing power of your computer. Documentation and the community help, but it’s still DIY.
Do you need a special dartboard?
Usually not. Automatic scoring systems often work with a normal sisal steel-tip board. What really matters is where the cameras go, the lighting and the space around the board. With Heylo, you use your own standard dartboard, see Does Heylo work with my dartboard?