Digital signage with no monthly fee exists, and there is more of it than you might think. This is a quick look at each option, vendor by vendor. For the full answer, with five-year costs and what is and is not included, read digital signage with no monthly fee.
We are one of the options, so we stick to each vendor’s own published prices.
Three ways to stop paying monthly
A free plan
One to three screens at no cost, for good. Real and useful, but capped: it stops being an option the moment you add screens.
A one-time licence
Pay once and keep running it. Check what “once” leaves out: updates, hosting, storage and support.
Open source you host yourself
The software is free. The server, the updates, the backups and your own hours are not.
Vendor by vendor
All prices are from each vendor’s own price page, checked September 2026, in the currency they publish.
| Vendor | What you can get without a monthly fee | Their paid plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yodeck | Free plan: 1 screen, forever, unlimited storage | Basic, $8 / 8€ per screen per month | Exactly one screen |
| OptiSigns | Free plan: up to 3 screens, OptiSigns logo on screen, community support only | Standard, 7.50€ per screen per month (annual price) | Staff rooms, stockrooms, back offices |
| digitalsignage.com | Free up to 3 screens; mediaSERVER on your own server, $895 once plus $135 to $195 per player licence | mediaCLOUD+, $3.00 per screen per month | Organisations that need everything on their own network |
| Xibo, self-hosted | Open source: no software fee, you run the server | Xibo Cloud Professional, 4,40€ per display per month | Teams with a systems administrator |
| easyCMS | 49€ once with 1 screen; 99€ per extra screen, 66€ in the same order; PRO 299€ once for up to 25 | Enterprise, 1,290€ a year, above 25 screens | 2 to 25 screens that should look professional |
Two more names come up: Mvix sells perpetual licences bundled with its players, and FrontFace a perpetual licence for Windows players. Neither publishes a price we could check, so ask them directly.
What each one means for you
One screen
Take Yodeck’s free plan. It costs nothing and has more storage than our 1GB. We cannot beat free.
Up to three screens staff see
OptiSigns’ free plan works well. A logo in the staff canteen bothers nobody; above a shop counter it is someone else’s brand on your wall.
Nothing may leave your network
You need on-premise software such as mediaSERVER. It costs more than any subscription for a small network, but it meets the rule.
You have a systems administrator
Self-hosted Xibo is excellent value. Android, webOS and Tizen players still need a paid licence. See Xibo hosting cost compared.
Five, ten or twenty-five screens
A one-time licence is the cheaper structure. With easyCMS it pays for itself in under a year when you buy the screens in one order.
Questions to ask any “lifetime” vendor
A one-time licence is only worth what it still lets you do in year four. Ask everyone on your shortlist, including us:
- Are updates included for the life of the account?
- Is hosting included, or is there a monthly hosting bill?
- What is the storage limit, and what does more cost?
- Can I move a licence to a new player when one dies?
- Can I export my content if you disappear?
Our answers: updates are free, EU hosting is included, storage is 1GB, 5GB or 20GB by plan, licences move as described in display licences, and your content can be exported. There is no free plan or trial.
The full answer
Five-year costs for 1, 5 and 25 screens, and what is and is not included, are on digital signage with no monthly fee. Already on a subscription? Read switching to a lifetime licence.
Related: digital signage cost per screen, OptiSigns vs Yodeck vs easyCMS and free digital signage software.