Digital Signage Software Comparison Guide

There are many factors to take into account when beginning your search for a digital signage software provider. Just like no two business’ digital signage needs are the same, no two digital signage companies offer the same packages and pricing structures vary. Overall, you’ll need to consider what companies are out there for you to choose from, what each of them offers, and at what price. This Digital Signage Software Comparison Guide will help you sort out the options!

If you’re still curious about how digital signage software can help your business, check out the rest of our how-to guide to learn more about getting started.

To help guide you through the digital signage decision making process, in this chapter we’ll take a look at the following:

1. Digital signage pricing considerations
2. Digital signage comparison chart
3. Digital signage companies

Digital Signage Pricing Considerations

Purchasing a digital signage software from a reputable provider is not typically a quick one-time purchase. Many providers don’t even advertise a price—they make you fill out a contact form for access to pricing. With that in mind, here is what you’ll most likely see and need to consider when weighing your options:

Monthly Pricing

A large benefit of digital signage software pricing is the low up-front investment. Most providers charge for their software on a monthly basis. We highly recommend choosing a monthly service provider, preferably one that includes free software updates and consistent technical support.

Contract

Unfortunately, some providers will require you to sign two-year contracts, which lock you in and often require minimum buys. We recommend choosing a software that is both monthly and doesn’t require you to sign away. With Enplug for example, you can cancel at any time, at your convenience.

Hardware Cost

If you’re unfamiliar with a digital signage player, refer back to chapter 1 of our guide. Depending on your provider, they may not sell their software preconfigured onto a player (we call them “player consultation providers”). This will create added up-front costs from your provider to get a player setup.

Installation & Setup Cost

Very rarely will a digital signage software provider perform an installation themselves, however some will recommend using one of their installation partners to get your player setup on your display. This is another example of a potential added up-front cost.

Training Costs

Lastly, some providers will require you to undergo training for using their content management system (don’t know what this is? check out the previous chapter!). Not only can this training take up to twenty hours in some cases, it will also be an added up-front cost, not to mention a huge investment of your time.

Digital Signage Companies

Of course, what would a digital signage software guide be without giving you some alternatives to check out? Obviously, we’ll highly recommend using Enplug because of our easy-to-use dashboard, engaging content, and inexpensive/easy setup, however here are some of the other digital signage software providers available to you:

Paid:

• Enplug
• BroadSign
• X2O Media
• Fourwinds Interactive
• Scala

There are also free digital signage software options available on the market for you to download and implement. While some free solutions offer similar features as the paid options above, others may lack standard tools such as free software updates and network monitoring. Also, many free providers may require you to install their software onto your own player, which is not provided. Some free providers include:

Free:

• Rise Vision
• Digitalsignage.com
• Xibo
• Concerto

Hopefully, this guide will have provided you with an in-depth look at how digital signage software works, what to look for when choosing the best digital signage software, and what options are available for you to get started.

Enplug offers the only truly app-based digital signage solution, offering a more modern take on digital signage.

Interested in learning more about how digital signage software can help you better engage your audience? Request more information about Enplug’s digital signage software.

***

Enplug digital signage software was co-founded by CEO Nanxi Liu and CTO Tina Denuit-Wojcik in 2012 to enable organizations to use customized real-time streaming content to create engaging external and internal communications.