For most businesses running 2 to 50 screens, Look DS gives the best value of the three: from $6 per screen per month on yearly volume billing, a free player app on 8 platforms and offline playback. OptiSigns starts at $9 to $10 per screen and has a free 3-screen plan. ScreenCloud costs $20 to $36 per screen and targets corporate internal comms.
Key takeaways
- Look DS is the pick for small and mid-size networks that want a low per-screen cost, cloud or on-premise hosting and their own 4K players, at $15 per screen monthly or $6 with yearly volume billing.
- OptiSigns suits teams that want a free plan for up to 3 screens and a very wide device list, with paid plans from $10 per screen per month ($9 billed annually).
- ScreenCloud suits corporate IT and internal comms teams that need employee-app integrations and audit logs, at $20 to $30 per screen per month on annual billing.
- At 10 screens, the lowest published rates put yearly software cost at about $720 on Look DS, $1080 on OptiSigns Standard and $2400 on ScreenCloud Core.
- Neither ScreenCloud nor OptiSigns runs on Amazon’s new Vega OS sticks, so check the operating system before you buy cheap players.
How do ScreenCloud, OptiSigns and Look DS compare at a glance?
Look DS is the cheapest per screen and the only one of the three with an on-premise option, OptiSigns has the only permanent free plan, and ScreenCloud is the premium corporate choice. All three are cloud CMS platforms. A CMS (content management system) is the web dashboard where you upload content, build playlists and push them to screens.
| Platform | Price per screen per month | Free plan or trial | Player platforms | Own hardware | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Look DS | $15 monthly, $6 yearly volume | 14-day free trial | Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Raspberry Pi, Fire OS | Verde PRO $149, HD-2222 $189, HD-2222 Lite $139 | SMBs, chains, resellers |
| OptiSigns | $10 monthly, $9 annual (Standard) | Free for 3 screens, 14-day trial | Android, Amazon, Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, ChromeOS, BrightSign, LG, Samsung, Roku, Apple TV | OptiStick $99.99, Pro $349, ProMax $799 | Budget teams, kiosks |
| ScreenCloud | $24 monthly, $20 annual (Core) | 14-day trial, no free plan | Android, ChromeOS, Windows, iPadOS, BrightSign, Amazon Fire, Tizen, webOS | PIXI $95, ScreenCloud OS $199 | Corporate internal comms |
OptiSigns prices come from its pricing page as checked on October 1, 2026. ScreenCloud’s player prices are listed in Brix’s ScreenCloud alternatives review.
How much does each platform cost per screen?
ScreenCloud costs two to four times more per screen than Look DS or OptiSigns. ScreenCloud Core is $20 per screen per month on an annual plan or $24 month to month, and Pro is $30 or $36. Pro adds premium apps, dashboards, QR code metrics, audit logs and proof of play logs.
OptiSigns price per screen per month by plan, monthly billing, USD (October 2026)
Source: Visora: OptiSigns Pricing 2026
OptiSigns has five paid tiers. The jump matters: scheduling needs a paid plan, and the free plan has 1 GB of storage and no scheduling. Enterprise on both OptiSigns and ScreenCloud requires a 25-screen minimum.
| Platform and plan | 10 screens per year, lowest published rate | 10 screens per year, monthly billing |
|---|---|---|
| Look DS | $720 ($6 yearly volume) | $1800 ($15) |
| OptiSigns Standard | $1080 ($9 annual) | $1200 ($10) |
| OptiSigns Pro Plus | $1620 ($13.50 annual) | $1800 ($15) |
| ScreenCloud Core | $2400 ($20 annual) | $2880 ($24) |
| ScreenCloud Pro | $3600 ($30 annual) | $4320 ($36) |
Look’s $6 rate is for yearly volume billing, so confirm your screen count qualifies on Look’s pricing page. Players are extra on all three, although ScreenCloud lets you choose a free device or a discount on Core and Pro annual plans. For the full budget, including mounts and installation, see our digital signage cost breakdown for 2026.
A real case: a restaurant with 2 menu boards that switch from breakfast to lunch at 11:00 needs scheduling. That rules out the OptiSigns free plan. On monthly billing, it pays $20 a month on OptiSigns Standard, $30 on Look DS and $48 on ScreenCloud Core.
Which devices and platforms does each one run on?
All three run on the screens most businesses already own, but the details decide your hardware bill. OptiSigns has the longest list: its supported hardware page includes Roku, Apple TV, BrightSign, Raspberry Pi and Samsung and LG TVs. Look Player is free on Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Raspberry Pi and Fire OS, so a Tizen or webOS commercial display needs no extra box.
Watch the cheap Amazon sticks. OptiSigns states that any Vega OS Amazon device will not run its app, and ScreenCloud is not currently compatible with Vega OS either. Our guide to Fire TV Vega OS and digital signage lists which sticks still work.
| Platform | Stick player | Box player | Remote TV on/off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look DS | Verde PRO $149 (4K HDR, Wi-Fi 6) | HD-2222 $189, Lite $139 | HDMI CEC on schedule on Verde PRO |
| OptiSigns | OptiStick $99.99 | Pro $349, ProMax $799 | Own players on Pro Plus plan |
| ScreenCloud | PIXI $95 | ScreenCloud OS $199 | Power schedules on ScreenCloud OS |
The TV power column saves real money. On OptiSigns, HDMI-CEC TV on/off and remote reboot need an OptiSigns player and Pro Plus, and on Free or Standard a closing-time schedule shows black while the TV stays on. A panel that burns 14 extra hours a night ages faster and adds to the power bill. Our guide on turning signage screens on and off automatically covers the setup.
Look DS: best value for most screen networks
Look DS is a cloud digital signage CMS with an optional on-premise deployment and its own 4K media players, priced from $15 per screen per month or $6 per screen with yearly volume billing. The free Look Player app runs on 8 platforms: Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Raspberry Pi and Fire OS. It suits small and mid-size businesses, multi-location chains and AV resellers who want low running costs without giving up scheduling, layouts or analytics.
What you get on the platform:
- Offline playback, so a Wi-Fi drop at 8 pm on a Friday does not leave a black screen.
- Cloud hosting by default, or on-premise for hospitals, banks and government sites that keep data inside their own network.
- Smart scheduling, multi-zone layouts, user roles and permissions, and playback analytics.
- CRM, POS and inventory integrations, plus a Content Creator with ready-made templates.
- A white-label and reseller program for integrators who want to sell signage under their own brand.
- New AI tools rolling out in the content editors since late September 2026: image generation, background removal, edit with AI and text rewriting, with video generation on paid plans.
The hardware is the part integrators notice. The Look Verde PRO is a $149 HDMI stick with a 4 nm quad-core chip, 4 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit Ethernet. It runs off the TV’s USB port, so you need no power brick and no free socket behind a wall-mounted screen. A hardware watchdog restarts it if it hangs, and HDMI CEC turns the TV on and off and switches the input on schedule.
Look DS holds 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra from 116 reviews and 5 out of 5 on G2. It runs on 7000+ active screens in 80+ countries.
Pros:
- Lowest per-screen price of the three on yearly volume billing.
- On-premise option, which neither competitor in this comparison offers.
- Own 4K players from $139, with TV power control on the Verde PRO.
Cons:
- Smaller brand than ScreenCloud or OptiSigns, with fewer third-party apps in the marketplace.
- Players ship from Look’s own shop, not from big retailers.
If you are moving off ScreenCloud, Look’s ScreenCloud comparison page maps features plan by plan.
OptiSigns: free plan and the widest device list
OptiSigns is a mid-priced cloud CMS with a permanent free plan for 3 screens and paid tiers from $10 to $45 per screen per month. It is the most reviewed of the three, with 4.8 out of 5 from about 4500 Capterra reviews, and its Engage plan adds an interactive kiosk designer. A gym with 6 screens on Standard pays $60 a month, but if it wants the TVs off at closing, it needs OptiSigns players and Pro Plus at $90 a month.
Pros:
- Free plan for up to 3 screens.
- Very wide device support, including Roku and Apple TV.
- Kiosk and touch features on the Engage plan.
Cons:
- Remote reboot and TV power control are tied to its own players and Pro Plus.
- Video walls are a $25 per wall per month add-on.
ScreenCloud: built for corporate internal comms
ScreenCloud is a premium cloud CMS aimed at internal communications in larger companies, from $20 per screen per month. It holds a SOC 2 Type 2 report and connects to employee apps such as Firstup, Staffbase and Simpplr. A 40-screen office network on Core annual billing runs $9600 a year, which IT teams accept when security reviews and Microsoft or employee-app workflows matter more than price.
Pros:
- Strong fit for corporate IT, with audit logs and proof of play on Pro.
- Polished admin interface, a point even some reviewers who left for OptiSigns concede on Capterra.
Cons:
- Highest price here, with a 5-screen minimum on Pro.
- No free plan: the 14-day trial ends, and the account and its data are deleted unless you upgrade.
How do support and reviews compare?
All three score 4.8 or higher on Capterra, so support quality will not separate them as much as price and hardware will. Capterra lists email, phone, chat and 24/7 live reps for both ScreenCloud and OptiSigns. Some ScreenCloud reviewers report unresolved technical problems or inconsistent follow-up after implementation, so ask about onboarding before you sign an annual plan.
| Platform | Capterra rating | Reviews | Higher-tier support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look DS | 4.9 | 116 | Knowledge base, setup video tutorials, reseller program |
| OptiSigns | 4.8 | about 4500 | Zoom support on Engage, account manager on Enterprise |
| ScreenCloud | 4.8 | 289 | Premium support and success manager on Enterprise |
Which one should you pick?
Pick by screen count, budget and who owns the screens. In most rollouts I have seen, the bigger cost is not the license but a screen nobody updates because only one person knew the login, so user roles and simple scheduling matter more than app count.
| Platform | Pick it if | Skip it if |
|---|---|---|
| Look DS | You run 2 to 200 screens, want low per-screen cost, own players or on-premise hosting | You need a large third-party app marketplace |
| OptiSigns | You have 1 to 3 screens and no budget, or need kiosks | You want TV power control on non-OptiSigns hardware |
| ScreenCloud | You are a corporate IT team with employee-app workflows | You run a restaurant or shop on a tight budget |
With 1 to 3 screens and TVs you already own, start on the Look DS trial and compare it with the OptiSigns free plan. For 10 to 200 screens across locations, Look DS saves the most money per year. For more options, see our top digital signage software compared.
Disclosure: Digital Signage Trends is published by Look Digital Signage.
FAQ
Is ScreenCloud more expensive than OptiSigns?
Yes. ScreenCloud Core starts at $20 per screen per month on annual billing, while OptiSigns Standard is $9 annually or $10 monthly. At 10 screens that is $2400 against $1080 a year. Look DS is lower again at $6 per screen on yearly volume billing.
Does OptiSigns have a free plan?
Yes, OptiSigns is free for up to 3 screens with 1 GB of storage. The free plan has no scheduling, so dayparted menus or opening-hours content need a paid plan. It also has a separate 14-day trial with all features.
Does ScreenCloud have a free trial?
ScreenCloud offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. There is no permanent free plan. If you do not upgrade, you lose access to the account and its data is deleted.
Which platform works with Samsung and LG commercial displays?
All three have apps for Samsung Tizen and LG webOS, so you can skip a separate player on supported commercial screens. Look Player is free on both. Check the exact model and OS version before you buy, since consumer TVs often lack the signage app.
Can these platforms play content offline?
Look DS supports offline playback and keeps screens running when Wi-Fi drops. OptiSigns lists offline playback on its players. ScreenCloud caches library media, so test live apps and dashboards with the network unplugged before go-live.
Which is best for an AV reseller?
Look DS has a white-label and reseller program, so you can sell the CMS under your own brand and bundle its 4K players. Neither ScreenCloud nor OptiSigns is positioned around white label in the sources reviewed here. Ask each vendor about margins and billing control before you commit.
Sources
- Rise Vision: ScreenCloud Review 2026
- Visora: OptiSigns Pricing 2026
- Visora: OptiSigns Review 2026
- OptiSigns: What hardware and devices are supported?
- Brix: Best ScreenCloud Alternatives
- Brix: Best OptiSigns Alternatives
- Capterra: OptiSigns
- Capterra: ScreenCloud
- ScreenCloud: Free trial terms
- Decker: Top Digital Signage System 2026
- Rise Vision: OptiSigns Pricing 2026
