Best Free Digital Signage Software in 2026 (Free Plans Compared)
Quick answer: in 2026 five vendors still offer a permanent free tier and two open-source projects are free to self-host. The widest hosted free plan with no ads and no time limit is DigitalSignage.com (first 3 screens free forever, then $3 per screen per month). The table below is verified against each vendor's own pricing page and re-checked daily by the State of Digital Signage Pricing 2026 dataset.
Every free plan, side by side
| Vendor | Free plan in 2026 | Catch | After the free tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalSignage.com | 3 screens, forever, ad-free, 1 GB storage | Storage cap; no proof-of-play on the free tier | from $3 per screen per month (Plus+), or $895 one-time mediaSERVER |
| Yodeck | 1 screen, only while the account has exactly 1 screen | New accounts since March 2, 2026 get a 30-day trial of up to 5 screens instead | $8 Basic, $12 Premium, $16 Enterprise per screen per month |
| OptiSigns | 3 screens | OptiSigns branding shown on screen | $10 Standard to $30 Engage per screen per month |
| ScreenCloud | None permanent (trial only) | Trial expires | from $20 per screen per month (Core) |
| PosterBooking | Up to 10 screens | Vendor states the offer may change | not published |
| PiSignage | 2 screens | Raspberry Pi players only | annual license, about $1.67 per screen per month |
| Xibo (open source) | Unlimited, self-hosted | You run and secure the server; Android/webOS/Tizen players are paid | Xibo Cloud is paid |
| Anthias (Screenly OSE) | Unlimited, one Raspberry Pi each | Each Pi is managed on its own; no central cloud | Screenly's commercial product is separate |
Sources: each vendor's published pricing page, verified September 2026. If a number is out of date, the dataset page carries a correction form.
What "free" usually hides
- Screen caps that shrink. Yodeck's single free screen disappears the moment you add a second one, and new accounts now get a trial instead. Check whether the cap is permanent.
- Branding. OptiSigns' free tier puts the vendor's logo on your screens. Fine for a break room, not for a storefront.
- Time limits. ScreenCloud has no permanent free tier at all; the trial ends and the meter starts at $20 per screen per month.
- Self-hosting cost. Xibo and Anthias are genuinely free software, but somebody has to run the server, apply updates and keep it reachable from every screen. For one or two screens that can be worth it; for a chain it rarely is.
- Features withheld. Proof of play, white-label studios and SSO are almost always paid features. The question is whether the free tier keeps the everyday ones: scheduling, templates, remote monitoring and offline caching.
Which free plan fits which situation
- A cafe, church, gym or small office with 1 to 3 screens: DigitalSignage.com. Three permanent screens, no ads, and the same SignStudio editor paying customers use, so you never migrate.
- A school or club with up to 10 screens and no budget at all: PosterBooking, with the caveat that the vendor says the offer may change.
- A tinkerer with Raspberry Pis: PiSignage (2 free screens) or Anthias (free, one Pi at a time).
- An IT team that wants to own everything: Xibo, self-hosted. Budget the server and the paid commercial players if you use Android or smart-TV screens.
- Anyone who expects to grow past 10 screens: compare the per-screen rate you will pay later, not the free tier. At 50 screens the yearly software bill ranges from about $1,800 (DigitalSignage.com at $3) to $12,000 (ScreenCloud at $20). The cost guide has the worked examples.
How we compared
Free tiers were taken from each vendor's public pricing page in September 2026, not from third-party roundups. Where a vendor blocks the price page or does not publish a number, the table says "not published" rather than guessing. DigitalSignage.com publishes this guide and is one of the vendors in it; every competitor figure links to its source in the dataset so you can check it yourself.
Try it on your own screens, free
DigitalSignage.com, which publishes this guide, runs a permanent free plan: the first 3 screens are free forever (no credit card, no ads, no time limit), then from $3 per screen per month. The free SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any browser. Start free · 2026 pricing · Free plan details
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free digital signage software?
For a permanent free plan with no ads and no credit card, DigitalSignage.com is the widest: the first 3 screens are free forever with about 90% of the features. PosterBooking allows up to 10 free screens but says the offer may change; OptiSigns gives 3 screens with branding; PiSignage gives 2 screens on Raspberry Pi; Yodeck's free tier only applies while an account has exactly one screen. Xibo and Anthias are free to self-host.
What is the best free digital signage CMS?
Hosted and free: DigitalSignage.com (3 screens forever, browser-based SignStudio editor). Self-hosted and free: Xibo for a complete CMS, Anthias for a few Raspberry Pi screens.
Which digital signage software has no monthly fee per screen?
DigitalSignage.com's free plan (3 screens forever) or its one-time $895 mediaSERVER license, self-hosted open source (Xibo, Anthias), or PiSignage's annual license at about $1.67 per screen per month.
Can I run digital signage completely free?
Yes, for small networks: a TV you own, a $30-$60 Android stick or Raspberry Pi, the free player app and a free plan. The only spend is player hardware you do not already have.
This guide is maintained by MediaSignage Inc., the operator of DigitalSignage.com. Last verified September 11, 2026.