Digital Signage Pricing & Plans
Understanding digital signage pricing is crucial for budgeting and selecting the right solution for your needs. This comprehensive guide covers all pricing models, typical costs, and how to evaluate total cost of ownership.
Pricing Model Overview
Digital signage software vendors use several pricing approaches:
Common Pricing Models
| Model | Description | Best For | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-Screen Monthly | Fixed monthly fee per connected display | Small-medium deployments | $3-30/screen/month |
| Tiered Subscription | Price tiers based on total screens | Growing networks | $19-299/month flat |
| Per-User | Based on number of admin users | Enterprise teams | $50-200/user/month |
| Freemium | Free basic tier, paid premium | Budget-conscious | Free + upgrades |
| Perpetual License | One-time purchase + maintenance | On-premise deployments | $200-1,000/player |
| Enterprise Custom | Negotiated pricing | 100+ screen deployments | Custom quotes |
Understanding Per-Screen Pricing
The most common model charges a monthly or annual fee per connected screen.
Typical Per-Screen Costs
| Tier | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $3-10 | Core playback, scheduling, remote management |
| Standard | $10-20 | Templates, data feeds, multi-zone layouts |
| Professional | $20-35 | Analytics, interactive, API access |
| Enterprise | $35-50+ | White-label, AD integration, SLA |
Volume Discounts
Most vendors offer tiered pricing that decreases per-screen cost as you add more screens:
1-10 screens: $25/screen/month
11-50 screens: $20/screen/month
51-100 screens: $15/screen/month
101-500 screens: $12/screen/month
500+ screens: Custom pricing
Annual vs. Monthly Billing
| Billing Cycle | Typical Discount | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | None | Cancel anytime |
| Annual | 10-20% | 12-month commitment |
| Multi-year | 20-40% | 2-3 year commitment |
Tiered Subscription Model
Some vendors offer flat-rate tiers that include a set number of screens.
Example Tier Structure
Free Tier
- Cost: $0/month
- Screens: 1-3 screens
- Storage: 1GB cloud storage
- Features:
- Basic scheduling
- Core templates
- Weather, RSS, clock widgets
- Remote management
- Community support
- Best For: Evaluation, single-location small businesses
Plus/Standard Tier
- Cost: $3-10/screen/month
- Screens: Unlimited (pay per screen)
- Storage: 3-5GB per account
- Features:
- All free features
- Advanced scheduling
- Touch/kiosk support
- QR code integration
- Priority support
- Scene animations
- Best For: Growing businesses, multi-location retail
Enterprise Tier
- Cost: Dynamic pricing or flat monthly fee
- Screens: Unlimited
- Storage: 25GB+ or unlimited
- Features:
- All Plus features
- White-label branding
- Custom domain
- Access control lists
- Multi-user dashboard
- Proof of play reports
- API access
- AD/LDAP integration
- Phone support
- Dedicated account manager
- Best For: Large organizations, franchises, resellers
Pricing Factors to Consider
What Affects Price?
1. Content Capabilities
| Feature | Impact on Price |
|---|---|
| Basic images/video | Included |
| Multi-zone layouts | Standard |
| Data integration (JSON, XML, RSS) | Standard-Pro |
| Interactive/touch | Pro-Enterprise |
| Video wall synchronization | Enterprise |
| 4K/8K support | Variable |
2. Management Features
| Feature | Impact on Price |
|---|---|
| Remote device control | Included |
| Scheduling | Included |
| User roles/permissions | Pro-Enterprise |
| Multi-tenant management | Enterprise |
| API access | Pro-Enterprise |
| Audit logs | Enterprise |
3. Support Levels
| Level | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Community/self-service | Free |
| Email support | Basic tiers |
| Priority email | Standard tiers |
| Phone support | Enterprise |
| Dedicated support | Enterprise+ |
| On-site training | Additional fee |
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Don't just compare software prices—calculate total deployment cost.
TCO Components
Total Cost of Ownership =
Hardware Cost (one-time)
+ Installation (one-time)
+ Software Licensing (recurring)
+ Content Creation (recurring)
+ Network/Bandwidth (recurring)
+ Maintenance (recurring)
+ Support (recurring)
Sample TCO Calculation: 10-Screen Deployment
| Component | Year 1 | Years 2-5 (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | ||
| Commercial displays (10 × $600) | $6,000 | $0 |
| Media players (10 × $200) | $2,000 | $0 |
| Mounts/cables | $500 | $0 |
| Installation | ||
| Professional installation | $2,000 | $0 |
| Software | ||
| CMS subscription ($15/screen) | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Content | ||
| Initial content creation | $1,500 | $0 |
| Monthly content updates | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Operations | ||
| Network costs | $600 | $600 |
| Maintenance reserve (5%) | $600 | $400 |
| TOTAL | $18,600 | $6,400/year |
5-Year TCO: $18,600 + (4 × $6,400) = $44,200 Per-Screen 5-Year: $4,420/screen or $73.67/screen/month
Hidden Costs to Watch For
Common Surprises
| Hidden Cost | Description | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Setup fees | One-time onboarding charge | Ask upfront |
| Overage charges | Extra fees for storage/bandwidth | Check limits |
| Support upgrades | Phone support as add-on | Clarify included support |
| Training fees | Per-session training costs | Negotiate inclusion |
| API access | Extra charge for integrations | Verify API tier |
| User licenses | Per-user fees beyond limit | Check user limits |
| White-label fees | Extra for branding removal | Confirm enterprise features |
| Player licensing | Per-player fees on top of per-screen | Read fine print |
Questions to Ask Vendors
- What's included in the base price?
- Are there setup or onboarding fees?
- What are the storage and bandwidth limits?
- How many users are included?
- Is API access included or extra?
- What support is included vs. paid add-ons?
- Are there volume discounts?
- What's the cancellation policy?
- Are price increases locked in for contract term?
- What happens to my content if I cancel?
Pricing by Deployment Type
Small Business (1-5 screens)
Recommended: Freemium or entry-level subscription
| Option | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0 | $0 |
| Basic subscription | $15-75 | $150-750 |
| Simple SoC solution | $0-25 | $0-250 |
Multi-Location Retail (10-50 screens)
Recommended: Per-screen subscription with volume pricing
| Option | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tier | $150-500 | $1,500-5,000 |
| Professional tier | $300-1,000 | $3,000-10,000 |
Enterprise (100+ screens)
Recommended: Enterprise agreement with negotiated pricing
| Option | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise tier | $1,500-5,000 | $15,000-50,000 |
| Custom enterprise | Negotiated | Negotiated |
Free vs. Paid: What Do You Get?
Typical Free Tier Limitations
| Feature | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Screens | 1-3 | Unlimited |
| Storage | 500MB-1GB | 3GB-Unlimited |
| Support | Community only | Email/Phone |
| Branding | Vendor watermark | Removable |
| Analytics | Basic | Advanced |
| API | No | Yes |
| Users | 1-2 | Multiple |
| Scheduling | Basic | Advanced |
When to Upgrade from Free
- Need more than 3 screens
- Require phone support
- Need to remove vendor branding
- Want proof of play reports
- Require API integrations
- Need multiple admin users
- Need advanced scheduling
ROI Justification
Calculating Digital Signage ROI
ROI = (Gain from Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment × 100
Measurable Benefits
| Benefit | Measurement | Typical Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Sales lift | Point-of-sale data | 3-30% increase |
| Reduced print costs | Print budget comparison | 50-90% reduction |
| Labor savings | Staff time for sign updates | 10-20 hours/month |
| Upsell/cross-sell | Average transaction value | 5-15% increase |
| Customer wait perception | Survey data | 35% improvement |
| Employee communication | Engagement metrics | 20-40% improvement |
Sample ROI Calculation
Retail QSR Digital Menu Board:
- Investment: $500/month (software + hardware amortized)
- Revenue increase: 5% on $50,000 monthly sales = $2,500
- Print savings: $200/month
- Monthly benefit: $2,700
- Monthly ROI: ($2,700 - $500) / $500 = 440%
Comparison Checklist
When comparing vendors, use this checklist:
Must-Have Features
- Core content types (image, video, HTML)
- Remote device management
- Scheduling system
- Offline playback capability
- Mobile-responsive CMS
Important Features
- Data feed integration
- Multi-zone layouts
- User roles/permissions
- Template library
- Proof of play reports
Nice-to-Have Features
- Interactive/touch support
- API access
- White-label branding
- Video wall support
- Advanced analytics
Pricing Details
- Per-screen or tiered pricing clear
- All fees disclosed
- Volume discounts available
- Contract flexibility
- Price lock guarantee
Negotiation Tips
For Larger Deployments (50+ screens)
- Request custom pricing: Never accept list price for large deployments
- Multi-year commitment: Trade commitment for discount
- Bundle services: Include training, support in deal
- Pilot pricing: Negotiate pilot-to-full pricing
- Reference discount: Offer to be case study for discount
- Timing: End of quarter/year often has better deals
What's Negotiable
| Item | Negotiability |
|---|---|
| Per-screen rate | High |
| Setup fees | Very high |
| Support tier | Medium |
| Training | High |
| Contract length | Medium |
| Payment terms | Medium |
| SLA terms | Low-Medium |
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
Understanding digital signage pricing requires looking beyond the per-screen rate:
- Compare total cost of ownership, not just software fees
- Identify hidden costs before signing contracts
- Match pricing model to your deployment size and growth plans
- Calculate ROI to justify the investment
- Negotiate for larger deployments—list prices aren't final
The right pricing model depends on your specific needs, growth trajectory, and budget constraints. Start with free trials to validate the platform before committing to annual contracts.