Every vendor says "free". Most mean one screen, a watermark, a 30-day trial, or a plan that ends the moment you add a second TV. Here is what each free plan actually gives you, the catch in each one, and what it costs the day you outgrow it.
| Platform | Free screens | Time limit | Ads or branding on the free plan | Hosted where | After the free tier | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalSignage.com | 3 | None, forever | Ad-free | Cloud (on-premise server also available) | Plus+ from $3/screen/month | 1GB storage on the free plan; screen 4 needs a paid plan |
| PosterBooking | Up to 10 | None stated | See vendor | Cloud | Paid plans, see vendor | The company states it reserves the right to change the free offer |
| OptiSigns | 3 | None stated | OptiSigns branding shown | Cloud | Standard $10 to Engage $30/screen/month | Branding and limited storage on the free plan |
| Yodeck | 1 | None, but only while the account has exactly 1 screen | No | Cloud | Basic $8, Premium $12, Enterprise $16/screen/month | New accounts since March 2, 2026 get a 30-day trial of up to 5 screens, then drop back to 1 free screen |
| EasySignage | 1 | None stated | See vendor | Cloud | Paid per screen, see vendor | One screen only |
| PiSignage | 2 | None stated | No | Cloud (Raspberry Pi players) | About $1.67/screen/month | Raspberry Pi only; no Windows, Android or Chrome OS players |
| Xibo (open source) | No cap, self-hosted | None | No | Your own server (Xibo Cloud is paid) | Paid licenses for Android, webOS and Tizen players | You install, host, update and secure the server yourself |
| Anthias (Screenly OSE) | No cap, self-hosted | None | No | Each Raspberry Pi is managed on its own | Free (Screenly's commercial product is separate) | No central cloud dashboard; each Pi is configured individually |
| ScreenCloud | 0 (trial only) | Trial | n/a | Cloud | Core from $20/month | No permanent free plan |
Limits and prices from each vendor's published pricing and help pages as of September 2026. "See vendor" means the vendor does not publish that detail on its pricing page.
What the free plan includes: the SignStudio web editor with 180+ templates, scheduling, multi-zone layouts, live data widgets (weather, RSS, social, stocks), remote screen management, and the SignPlayer app for Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome OS and Chrome OS Flex, Raspberry Pi, iPad, and any web browser. 1GB of cloud storage. The plan is permanent: no trial clock, no card on file.
The catch: the free tier stops at 3 screens. Screen 4 needs mediaCLOUD Plus+, which starts at $3.00 per screen per month with dynamic volume pricing, 3GB storage and business support. That is still less than half of the cheapest mainstream paid plan. Enterprise (proof of play, white-label, kiosk/touch, IoT, POS) is priced dynamically in the public price calculator.
Trade-off to know: the editor is more powerful than a one-screen menu-board app, so expect a learning curve in the first week.
Start Free — 3 Screens, No Credit CardPosterBooking's free plan covers up to 10 screens on Fire TV, Android and Windows devices, which is the largest free allowance from a cloud vendor. Read the terms first: the company states it reserves the right to change the offer, and it does not publish the paid rate on its pricing page. Good for a small chain that needs many basic screens today and can accept that the plan may change.
OptiSigns' free plan manages up to 3 screens with a large app catalog, but the free tier shows OptiSigns branding and limits storage. Paid plans run Standard $10, Pro Plus $15 and Engage $30 per screen per month. Choose it if you need a specific OptiSigns app integration; skip it if a vendor logo on your screens is a problem. See our OptiSigns alternatives page for the full cost math.
Yodeck's free plan is genuinely permanent for a single screen, and a Raspberry Pi player ships free on annual paid plans. The moment you register a second screen, every screen is billed at Basic $8, Premium $12 or Enterprise $16 per month. New accounts since March 2, 2026 start with a 30-day trial of up to 5 screens before dropping back to the 1-screen free plan. Fine for one lobby TV; see Yodeck alternatives if you have more.
PiSignage gives 2 screens free forever and charges roughly $1.67 per screen per month after that. It is Raspberry Pi only, so there are no Windows, Android or Chrome OS players and no on-premise option. A lean choice for a technical user with a couple of Pis. If you already own Pi hardware, note that DigitalSignage.com's SignPlayer runs on Raspberry Pi as well; see the Raspberry Pi guide.
Xibo is an open-source CMS you install on your own server, with no screen cap; the Windows player is free while Android, webOS and Tizen players carry paid licenses, and Xibo's hosted cloud is a paid product. Anthias (formerly Screenly OSE) turns a Raspberry Pi into a signage player at zero cost, but each Pi is managed on its own with no central cloud dashboard. Both are excellent if you have the IT time to install, update and secure them; neither is "free" once you count that time.
Read every free plan for these five things before you commit a wall of TVs to it:
1. The screen cap. Most free plans are 1 to 3 screens. Ask what happens to screen 1 when you add screen 2; on Yodeck the free benefit ends for the whole account.
2. Branding and ads. Some free tiers place the vendor's logo on your screens. DigitalSignage.com's free plan is ad-free.
3. Trial-then-downgrade. A 30-day "unlimited" trial is not a free plan; check what the account becomes on day 31.
4. Storage and features. Free tiers often cap storage (1GB here) or hold back scheduling and multi-zone layouts. DigitalSignage.com keeps about 90% of the feature set on the free plan.
5. Hardware. "Free software" that requires a $60 to $500 player per screen is not free at 10 screens. DigitalSignage.com runs on the PCs, Android boxes, Chromebooks, Raspberry Pis and iPads you already own.
| Screens | DigitalSignage.com (first 3 free, then Plus+ $3/screen) | Yodeck Basic ($8, free at 1 screen) | OptiSigns Standard ($10, 3 free with branding) | PiSignage (2 free, ~$1.67) | PosterBooking (up to 10 free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 (branded) | $0 | $0 |
| 3 | $0 | $288 | $0 (branded) | $20 | $0 |
| 5 | $180 | $480 | $600 | $60 | $0 |
| 10 | $360 | $960 | $1,200 | $160 | $0 |
| 25 | $900 | $2,400 | $3,000 | $460 | See vendor |
| 50 | $1,800 | $4,800 | $6,000 | $960 | See vendor |
DigitalSignage.com Plus+ pricing is dynamic and adjusts with screen count; the table uses the $3.00 starting rate for every screen once a network passes the free tier. Exact quotes for any screen count are in the public price calculator. For the full picture including hardware and installation, see how much digital signage costs in 2026.
1. Create a free DigitalSignage.com account. No credit card; the first 3 screens are free forever.
2. Build your first screen in SignStudio from one of the 180+ templates, or upload your own images, video and web pages.
3. Install SignPlayer on the device behind the TV: a Windows or Mac PC, an Android box or TV, a Chromebook or Chrome OS Flex machine, a Raspberry Pi, an iPad, or simply a browser.
4. Pair the player with your account and publish. Add screens 2 and 3 the same way, still free.
What is the best free digital signage software?
For most small businesses, schools and churches, DigitalSignage.com: 3 screens free forever with no credit card, no ads and about 90% of the paid features, then $3 per screen per month if you grow. PosterBooking offers more free screens (up to 10) with fewer guarantees; Xibo and Anthias are free open-source options if you can host and maintain them yourself.
Is DigitalSignage.com really free, or is it a trial?
It is a permanent free plan, not a trial. Your first 3 screens stay free with no time limit and no card on file. The only limits are 1GB of storage and the 3-screen cap; screen 4 moves you to the Plus+ plan from $3 per screen per month.
Which digital signage software gives the most free screens?
PosterBooking, with up to 10 free screens, though the company states it may change the offer. DigitalSignage.com and OptiSigns give 3 (OptiSigns adds its branding), PiSignage 2, and Yodeck and EasySignage 1. Self-hosted open source (Xibo, Anthias) has no cap but no cloud service either.
Is there free digital signage software without ads or a vendor logo?
Yes. DigitalSignage.com's free plan is ad-free. OptiSigns shows its branding on the free tier. Check each vendor's help pages, as this detail is often not on the pricing page.
Can I run free digital signage on a Raspberry Pi or an old PC?
Yes. DigitalSignage.com's SignPlayer runs on Raspberry Pi, Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome OS and Chrome OS Flex (which revives old PCs), iPad and any browser, so the free plan needs no new hardware. PiSignage and Anthias are Pi-only alternatives.
What is the cheapest paid digital signage software after the free tier?
DigitalSignage.com Plus+ from $3 per screen per month is the lowest published rate among cloud vendors with multi-platform players; PiSignage is about $1.67 but is Raspberry Pi only. Mainstream vendors run $8 to $30 per screen per month. See the 2026 ranking with full cost tables.
Start Free — Your First 3 Screens Cost Nothing
Yodeck, OptiSigns, PosterBooking, EasySignage, PiSignage, Xibo, Screenly, Anthias and ScreenCloud are trademarks of their respective owners. Plan limits and prices cited from each vendor's published pricing and help pages as of September 2026; this comparison is the editorial opinion of MediaSignage Inc. Found an error? Contact us and we will correct it.
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