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Free digital signage software in 2026: what's actually free
Updated · Prices checked October 2026
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You can run one to three screens without paying for software. Each free plan has a catch, though, and the catch decides which one suits you: some free plans only work on certain devices, some put a logo on your screen, and one stops being free the moment you add a second screen.
The short answer
- One screen: Yodeck’s free plan. No credit card, all Basic features and unlimited storage, but only while you have exactly one screen.
- Two or three screens on a Windows PC, Linux box or Raspberry Pi: OptiSigns (shows its logo on screen) or DigitalSignage.com (no watermark, by its own account).
- Two or three screens on Android boxes or in a web browser: DigitalSignage.com. OptiSigns’ free plan doesn’t cover those devices.
- Up to ten screens and a watermark doesn’t bother you: PosterBooking, after checking its current terms (see below).
- You’re comfortable with a Raspberry Pi: piSignage (two players free) or the open-source Anthias.
- You have IT help and want no screen limit: self-host Xibo. The software is free; your time and the server are not.
Every free plan, side by side
| Software | Free screens | The catch | Paid from | Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yodeck | 1 screen | One screen free forever, no credit card. The moment an account has a second screen, every screen becomes paid. | $8 / screen / month | Yodeck player, Amazon Signage Stick and other devices (see vendor) |
| OptiSigns | 3 screens | Up to 3 screens free with 1 GB storage and the OptiSigns logo on screen. Free screens must be OptiSigns devices, Windows, Linux or Raspberry Pi, so a Fire TV or Android stick needs a paid plan. | $9 / screen / month | Free plan: OptiSigns devices, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi |
| DigitalSignage.com | 3 screens | Three screens free with 1 GB storage and, by its own account, no watermark. Screen four needs the Plus+ plan from $3 per screen, and its own cost table bills every screen once you pass three. | $3 / screen / month | Windows, Mac, Android, ChromeOS, Raspberry Pi, iPad, web browser |
| PosterBooking | 10 screens | Ten screens free with a watermark after a 3-month full-featured trial, according to its own October 2026 article. A 2025 reviewer says the free period was later described as 3 months only, so confirm the current terms. | Bundles (listed prices conflict) | Fire TV, Amazon Signage Stick and others (see vendor) |
| piSignage second-hand data | 2 screens | Two Raspberry Pi players free. After that, $35 per player for the first year and $20 a year from year two. | $35 / player / first year | Raspberry Pi only |
| EasySignage second-hand data | 1 screen | One screen free. Paid pricing is not published on the comparison we could check. | See vendor | Web player in a Chromium browser, Android TV and others |
| Xibo (open source) second-hand data | No cap (self-hosted) | Free to self-host with no screen cap, but you run, update and secure the server yourself. Windows and Linux players are free; Android, webOS, Tizen and ChromeOS players need paid licences. | Cloud hosting and some players are paid | Windows and Linux free; Android, webOS, Tizen, ChromeOS licensed |
| Anthias (Screenly OSE) second-hand data | No cap (self-hosted) | Free and open source for Raspberry Pi. There is no central cloud dashboard, so each Pi is set up and managed on its own. | Free | Raspberry Pi only |
Rows marked second-hand data use figures from a comparison published by DigitalSignage.com (a competitor of the others) or from the vendor’s blog, because we couldn’t read a current pricing page. Treat them as a starting point and confirm on the vendor’s site.
The catches to watch for
The second-screen cliff
Yodeck is free for one screen. Its pricing page says that once an account has more than one screen, every screen needs a paid plan, so adding a second screen takes you from $0 to at least $16 a month, not $8. If you expect to grow past one screen soon, compare the cost of two screens, not one.
Device restrictions
OptiSigns’ free plan covers up to three screens, but only on OptiSigns’ own devices, Windows, Linux or Raspberry Pi. If your plan was a cheap Fire TV or Android stick, the free plan won’t run on it. piSignage and Anthias are Raspberry Pi only.
Logos and watermarks
OptiSigns shows its logo on free screens, and PosterBooking’s free screens carry a watermark. That’s fine in a staff room, less so on a restaurant menu board.
Storage
DigitalSignage.com and OptiSigns include 1 GB of storage on their free plans. That’s plenty for images and slides, but a few minutes of HD video can fill it. Yodeck’s free plan lists unlimited storage.
Terms change
Free plans are marketing, and vendors change them:
- Some older “best free signage” lists still say Rise Vision has a free display. Its pricing page no longer shows one.
- PosterBooking’s own October 2026 article says the ten free screens continue, with a watermark, after a three-month full trial. A 2025 reviewer on Trustpilot says they were told the free period lasted only three months. Read the terms on the day you sign up.
When paying makes sense
Free plans are a good way to start. Paying usually makes sense when you need any of these:
- More screens than the free limit.
- Scheduling, for example a breakfast menu that switches to lunch at 11am. Check whether the free plan includes it before you rely on it.
- No vendor branding on screen.
- More storage for video.
- A media player the free plan doesn’t support.
What paid plans cost
These vendors have no permanent free plan but are popular with small businesses:
| Software | Free option | Paid from | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitcast | No permanent free plan listed. 14-day trial with Pro features and no credit card. | $7 / screen / month | Apple TV, Mac, Android, Fire TV Stick, BrightSign, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi, web browser |
| Rise Vision | No free plan on its pricing page (older roundups still list one). Free trial; discounts for schools and non-profits. | $11 / screen / month | Amazon Signage Stick and others (see vendor) |
| ScreenCloud second-hand data | No free plan. 14-day trial. | $20 (billed yearly) / screen / month | Amazon Signage Stick and others (see vendor) |
For four screens, the software alone works out roughly as follows. Prices are per month, and those marked “yearly” assume annual billing.
| Plan | Price per screen | Four screens |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalSignage.com Plus+ | $3 | $12 |
| Kitcast Starter (yearly) | $7 | $28 |
| Yodeck Basic | $8 | $32 |
| OptiSigns Standard (yearly) | $9 | $36 |
| Rise Vision Basic (monthly) | $11 | $44 |
| ScreenCloud Core (yearly) | $20 | $80 |
To add screens and media players, use the cost calculator.
How we checked
We read each vendor’s own pricing page in October 2026 where we could reach it: Yodeck, OptiSigns, Kitcast and Rise Vision. For the others we used:
- DigitalSignage.com’s free plan comparison (September 2026, written by a vendor)
- PosterBooking’s own article (October 2026)
- PosterBooking reviews on Trustpilot
- piSignage’s pricing guide
- Visora’s 2026 cost guide for ScreenCloud
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