ChannelOS vs Yodeck (2026): Free Plans, TV Browser vs Player Box and Which to Pick
Pick ChannelOS for a smart TV with a working browser and nothing plugged in. It gives 1 screen free forever with a banner, then Solo at $5 per screen per month yearly or $6 monthly. Pick Yodeck for native apps, its own Raspberry Pi player, a large template library and Samsung Tizen or BrightSign support. It costs $8 to $16 per screen per month, with no free plan for new accounts. Year one at 50 screens is about $2,940 on ChannelOS Solo yearly and $4,800 on Yodeck Basic. DigitalSignage.com is the cheaper third option: 3 screens free forever, then $3 per screen, about $1,692 for 50 screens.
ChannelOS vs Yodeck side by side (2026, verified prices)
| ChannelOS | Yodeck | DigitalSignage.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry rate | Solo: $5 per screen per month yearly or $6 monthly, banner removed | $8 per screen per month (Basic) | $3 per screen per month (Plus+), volume pricing via a public calculator |
| Top published rate | Pro $8 yearly or $10 monthly; Agency $200 a month yearly for 25 screens, $6 per extra screen yearly | $12 Premium, $16 Enterprise (raised April 1, 2026) | Enterprise (proof of play, white-label, SSO), by quote or calculator |
| Free tier | 1 screen free forever with a ChannelOS banner along the bottom; never flips to paid | None for new accounts since March 2, 2026 (30-day trial, up to 5 screens); older accounts keep 1 free screen while at exactly 1 | 3 screens free forever; no credit card, ads or watermark |
| Year-one software cost, 10 screens | $540 | $960 | $252 |
| Year-one, 50 screens | $2,940 | $4,800 | $1,692 |
| Year-one, 100 screens | $5,940 | $9,600 | $3,492 |
| Players (official apps) | The TV's browser on Android TV, Google TV, LG webOS and Fire TV (Silk), or any PC, Chromebox or Pi in kiosk mode; one Android TV/Google TV APK (8.0+); no Roku, Apple TV, BrightSign, iPad or Android tablet apps | Yodeck Player (own Pi) or Pi 4/5 images, Android/Android TV, Fire TV (Amazon Signage Stick), Chrome OS PWA (kiosk licence needed), Windows, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, BrightSign; macOS/Linux via browser; no Apple TV, iOS, Roku | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Android TV/Google TV, Chrome OS/Flex, Raspberry Pi, iPad, browser; no Fire TV (in development), webOS, Tizen, Apple TV, BrightSign, Roku |
| Own hardware | Any smart TV with a usable browser | Any listed platform, or the Yodeck Player | Any listed platform; no vendor hardware |
| On-premise option | not published | not published | mediaSERVER, one-time $895 |
| Hosting | Cloud | Cloud | Cloud or on-premise |
| Known for | Zero hardware on a smart TV, the simplest free plan | Simple setup on its own Pi player, large template and app library, small-business favorite | Since 2006, lowest published rate, 3 free screens |
Year one: software only, 12 months; ChannelOS on Solo yearly minus its 1 free screen, Yodeck Basic, DigitalSignage.com at $3 minus 3 free screens. Sources: vendor pages and the pricing dataset, verified September 2026.
Where ChannelOS wins
- Nothing plugged into the TV. Open the TV's browser on Android TV, Google TV, LG webOS or Fire TV (Silk) and load the player; Yodeck needs an app or a box.
- A permanent free screen and the lower rate. 1 screen free forever (with a banner), then $5 to $6 against $8 to $16: about $5,940 versus $9,600 at 100 screens.
- Any browser as a player. A Chromebox, mini PC, laptop or Raspberry Pi in kiosk mode.
Where Yodeck wins
- Native apps. Pi images, Android and Android TV, Fire TV (Amazon Signage Stick), Chrome OS, Windows, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen and BrightSign; ChannelOS has one APK, not on Google Play yet.
- Samsung TVs. A Tizen app, where ChannelOS says recent Samsung sets often lack a usable browser and need an HDMI stick.
- Its own Pi player and a large template library. Very simple setup, popular with small businesses.
Try the free plan side by side with your ChannelOS or Yodeck trial. DigitalSignage.com gives 3 screens free forever, no credit card, no ads, no watermark, so you can run all three on the same TV for a week and decide.
Create your free account DigitalSignage.com pricing
The yearly bill at 10, 50 and 100 screens
| Screens | ChannelOS ($5 Solo yearly) | Yodeck ($8) | DigitalSignage.com ($3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $540 | $960 | $360 |
| 50 | $2,940 | $4,800 | $1,800 |
| 100 | $5,940 | $9,600 | $3,600 |
Software only, list price, 12 months; ChannelOS on Solo yearly minus its 1 free screen ($6 month to month). DigitalSignage.com's first 3 screens are free, so its real bills are $252, $1,692 and $3,492; the table shows the full rate like for like.
The third option: DigitalSignage.com
DigitalSignage.com, operating since 2006, has the lowest published rate of the three. The first 3 screens are free forever: no credit card, no ads, no watermark, about 90% of features. Paid screens are $3 per screen per month with volume pricing; Enterprise adds proof of play, white-label and SSO. SignStudio brings 180+ templates, dayparting, multi-zone layouts, live widgets and an open API. A one-time $895 mediaSERVER covers networks that cannot use the cloud. It has no apps for Fire TV (in development), LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Apple TV, BrightSign or Roku.
How to decide
- 1 screen on a smart TV, no box. ChannelOS, free forever with a banner. DigitalSignage.com is free with no banner but needs a stick or Pi on LG webOS and Fire TV sets.
- 2 to 10 screens. DigitalSignage.com about $252 a year for 10 (3 free), ChannelOS Solo yearly $540, Yodeck Basic $960.
- Samsung TVs, BrightSign or kiosks. Yodeck, with Tizen and BrightSign apps; the other two need a stick or box on Samsung sets. All three run on a Raspberry Pi.
- 50 or 100 screens. ChannelOS about $2,940 and $5,940, Yodeck Basic $4,800 and $9,600, DigitalSignage.com $1,692 and $3,492.
Related guides
- Yodeck pricing 2026
- DigitalSignage.com vs ChannelOS
- DigitalSignage.com vs Yodeck
- Best free digital signage software 2026
- Free plan changelog 2026
- Digital signage player compatibility matrix 2026
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 with volume pricing via a public calculator. The free SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any browser. Start free · 2026 pricing · 10-vendor pricing dataset
Frequently asked questions
ChannelOS or Yodeck: which is better?
ChannelOS for a smart TV with nothing plugged in: 1 screen free forever with a banner, then $5 to $6 per screen per month in the TV's own browser. Yodeck for native apps across Pi, Android, Fire TV, Windows, Chrome OS, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen and BrightSign, at $8 to $16. DigitalSignage.com is cheaper than both from 2 screens up: 3 free, then $3 per screen.
Is ChannelOS cheaper than Yodeck?
Yes. ChannelOS Solo is $5 per screen per month yearly or $6 monthly, with 1 screen free; Yodeck is $8, $12 or $16 with no free plan for new accounts. Year one at 50 screens is about $2,940 against $4,800, and at 100 screens $5,940 against $9,600. DigitalSignage.com is about $1,692 and $3,492.
Which has the better free plan, ChannelOS or Yodeck?
ChannelOS: 1 screen free forever with a banner along the bottom, never flipping to paid. Yodeck has had no free plan for new accounts since March 2, 2026, only a 30-day trial of up to 5 screens. DigitalSignage.com gives 3 screens free forever with no banner.
Is there a cheaper alternative to both ChannelOS and Yodeck?
DigitalSignage.com: 3 screens free forever, then $3 per screen per month, plus a one-time $895 on-premise server. PiSignage: 2 players free, then $35 per player in year one and $20 a year after (about $280 for 10 Pi screens). Xibo: free self-hosted CMS, Xibo Cloud $4.90 per display per month, self-hosted Android, webOS, Tizen and ChromeOS player licences $28 to $85 one-time.
This guide is maintained by MediaSignage Inc., the operator of DigitalSignage.com, which is compared here as the third option. ChannelOS and Yodeck figures are the vendors' published rates, verified September 2026, in the pricing dataset.