# Best Xibo Alternative (2026): ScreenTinker vs Xibo

Xibo is one of the oldest open-source digital signage projects. But its open-source edition ships only a Windows player - the Android, Samsung Tizen, and LG webOS players you probably want cost money. Here is an honest comparison with ScreenTinker.

## The short answer

Xibo is a mature, well-documented signage platform that has been around since roughly 2010, with a strong community forum. Its CMS is open source under the AGPLv3 licence - but only the CMS and the Windows player are free. The Android, Tizen, and webOS players require paid perpetual per-device licences, and there is no free plan (the homepage funnels you into a 14-day trial and a paid cloud CMS).

ScreenTinker is open source (MIT licensed), self-hostable, and every player is free - Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Amazon Vega OS, Raspberry Pi, and any web browser. No per-device player licence, and there is a genuine free plan. It is the better fit if you want the mainstream players without buying licences, or you want a straightforward MIT codebase you can fork.

## Quick comparison

Feature | ScreenTinker | Xibo
--- | --- | ---
Open source | Yes (MIT) | Yes (AGPLv3, CMS)
Self-host option | Yes | Yes
Free plan | 1 device, 500MB | No (14-day trial)
Windows player | Yes (web player) | Yes (free)
Android / Fire TV player | Free | Paid licence
Samsung Tizen player | Free | Paid licence
LG webOS player | Free | Paid licence
Raspberry Pi | Free setup script | Community/unofficial
Web browser player | Yes | No
Video walls (multi-screen sync) | Yes | Yes
Multi-zone layouts | Yes | Yes
Scheduling / dayparting | Yes | Yes
Live remote control* | Yes | No
Managed cloud option | Yes | Yes (paid)
Per-device player cost | Free (all players) | Paid on Android/Tizen/webOS
Self-host cost | Free (your server) | Free CMS + paid player licences

* Live remote control is Android only and requires granting the on-device accessibility permission.
Comparison as of July 2026, based on each vendor's publicly listed pricing and documentation. Spot an error? Open an issue on GitHub and we'll fix it.

## Where Xibo does well

- Maturity. Xibo has been developed since around 2010 and is battle-tested in large deployments.
- Community and docs. An active community forum and extensive documentation make it easy to find answers.
- Windows-first deployments. If your fleet is Windows players, the free Windows player plus the free AGPLv3 CMS is a genuinely capable open-source stack.

## Where ScreenTinker is the better choice

- Every player is free. The players most people actually deploy - Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS - all cost money on Xibo as paid perpetual per-device licences. On ScreenTinker they are free, with no per-device player fee.
- There is a real free plan. Xibo funnels you into a 14-day trial and a paid cloud CMS. ScreenTinker has a genuine free tier (1 device, 500MB) and free unlimited self-hosting.
- Broader player support out of the box. Amazon Vega OS, a first-class web player for any browser, and a free Raspberry Pi setup script - all included, no licence gate.
- Live remote control. ScreenTinker streams a live view of an Android display and forwards taps and key events back to the device.
- Simple MIT licence. ScreenTinker is MIT licensed on GitHub - audit it, extend it, or fork it without AGPL copyleft obligations.

## Pricing snapshot

Xibo's CMS is free and open source, but the Android, Tizen, and webOS players carry paid perpetual per-device licences, and Xibo explicitly frames self-hosting as "typically a higher total cost of ownership than a plan" to steer you toward its paid cloud CMS. ScreenTinker charges nothing per player on any platform: the managed cloud is a flat $99/mo for 15 devices on Pro, and self-hosting is free and unlimited on a $5 VPS.

## Related guides

- Compare: ScreenTinker vs Anthias
- Compare: ScreenTinker vs Yodeck
- Self-hosted digital signage: complete guide
- Open-source digital signage: complete guide
- How to set up digital signage on a Raspberry Pi

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