Screenly vs Play: a fair comparison
Screenly
Screenly is known for security and reliable playback. Plans run about $15 to $38 per screen, Business needs 5 screens, and its players cost extra.
Play vs Screenly
Every project is different, so Screenly may win for some teams while Play wins for others. Screenly is known for security posture and dependable playlists. This page is a fairer read on Starter / Business / Enterprise stickers (about $15 / $24 / $38), screen minimums, player CAPEX, M-F ticket SLAs versus Play's 24/7 chat, and how those stack against Play's Essential / Pro / Ultimate plans (about $8 / $12 / $16)—so you can decide with the same checklist on both sides.
Pricing
Both platforms are per-screen SaaS. Compare apples-to-apples tiers—and read Screenly's minimums.
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On Screenly's pricing page, annual stickers are about: Starter ~$15/screen/mo (up to 5 screens, 1080p, up to 2 users); Business ~$24/screen/mo (billed from 5 screens, 4K, unlimited users); Enterprise ~$38/screen/mo (billed from 25 screens, SSO/SAML, audit logs, priority SLA).
Play: Essential / Pro / Ultimate roughly $8 / $12 / $16—with no "pay for 5 if you only run 2" floor on Business-class features. Annual about 10% off.
Screenly's own FAQ: if you have fewer screens than a plan's minimum, you are still billed for the minimum. Example: Business with 2 active screens is still billed for 5. Enterprise starts at 25. That is a real TCO trap for small multi-location teams that need unlimited users or 4K but only have three screens.
Trials: Screenly 14-day free trial, no credit card; Play first screen free forever after approved review within 30 days. Both market generous / unlimited content storage on paid plans (Screenly subject to fair-use language).
Hardware folded into Pricing: Screenly Player about $219 (1080p-class); Player Max Mk3 about $699 (4K / heavier web apps)—software sold separately. Screenly Anywhere runs on third-party devices with brand-specific footnotes. Play is license-only BYO without requiring a Screenly-branded box to start.
Support
Screenly: support is plan-gated. Starter/Business list self-serve docs plus support tickets with a standard 24-hour SLA (Monday through Friday). Enterprise adds priority SLA, dedicated account manager, and training hours.
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Play: live chat 24/7/365, with phone support during business hours (Play pricing FAQ).
Screenly's learning materials are a real plus for self-serve teams. If a lobby screen dies Saturday night, compare Screenly's M-F ticket window to Play's 24/7 chat before you buy.
Content Development
Screenly strengths: upload images, video, streams, web pages, and apps; dayparting; offline caching; Edge/Apps path for custom experiences. Reviewers often praise simplicity and reliability for "designed elsewhere, play on screen" workflows.
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Where reviewers push back: third-party comparisons and G2 themes call out limited presentation templates and a weaker built-in media/editor experience versus layout-first competitors—teams often export PowerPoint/Canva to images and schedule those. Treat review quotes as opinions, not SLAs.
Play: includes a cloud slide/page content editor so non-designers can build layouts with text, media, zones, and plugins without leaving the product.
Fair claim: Screenly emphasizes secure playback plus playlist CMS; Play emphasizes an all-in-one content editor plus playlists.
Compatibility
Screenly: strong proprietary Player / Player Max path plus Anywhere on Android / Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung commercial Tizen/SSSP, browser playback (Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPadOS), LG consumer webOS browser, ChromeOS Flex, Amazon Signage Stick, and more—with footnotes (e.g. Samsung commercial yes / consumer TVs no; LG consumer webOS browser yes / webOS Signage not the same path).
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Play: broad BYO matrix including first-class Mac player/editor paths alongside Windows, Linux, Android, Fire/Signage Stick, BrightSign, Tizen, webOS, and more.
If IT standardized on ScreenlyOS players, switching later can mean retiring hardware bought for that stack. If you want mix-and-match SoC TVs and sticks, compare Anywhere's footnotes to Play's compatibility list side by side. Screenly players cost about $219–$699.
Teams
Screenly: Starter allows up to 2 users. Unlimited users and custom permissions sit on Business-plus—which also means the 5-screen billing floor. SSO/SAML and linked workspaces sit on Enterprise (25-screen floor).
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Play: multi-user access, roles, sub-teams, and sharing are core to multi-location accounts; SSO is on every plan and analytics and audit logs come with Ultimate, without a five- or twenty-five-screen seat tax.
If three people will publish to four screens, do the Screenly Business minimum math before assuming Screenly is "simple SMB pricing."
Screenly Digital Signage vs. Play Digital Signage: What are the Differences?
In the list below, we’ve made it easy to see the main differences between Screenly Digital Signage and Play Digital Signage: pricing, terms, and what each can and can’t do.
| Feature | Play Digital Signage | Screenly |
|---|---|---|
| Free screens | ||
| Pricing (monthly) | Monthly $8 Annually $7.20 | Starter $15 Business $24 Enterprise $38 |
| Supported OS |
|
|
| Country of origin |  USA |  UK |
| Headquarters | USA | USA |
| Established | 2013 | 2012 |
| Live chat 24/7 | ||
| Unlimited storage and traffic | ||
| Unlimited users and teams | ||
| Cloud-based editor (like PowerPoint) | ||
| Templates | ||
| Multi-zone playlists | ||
| YouTube | ||
| Social media | ||
| RSS | ||
| Streaming | ||
| HDMI (video) input | ||
| Works offline | ||
| Emergency strategy setup | ||
| API | ||
| Analytics | ||
| Audit logs | ||
| SSO | ||
| Touch interactive content |
What We Learned Testing Screenly's Plan Minimums Against Play
Here at Play Digital Signage, we know every digital signage company feels different until you try it. We evaluate Screenly the same way buyers do: read the live plan matrix, player shop, Anywhere platform notes, and public reviews.
What we liked: clear security and reliability positioning (SOC 2 Type II called out on pricing); simple playlist/scheduling mental model; real 14-day no-card trial; Anywhere expands beyond proprietary boxes when you read the platform footnotes.
What held us back relative to Play: entry software sticker (~$15) sits above Play Essential (~$8); Business/Enterprise screen minimums can dominate TCO for small fleets that need multi-user or SSO; content creation leans upload-first; support ticket windows are M-F on lower plans, not 24/7 chat; branded players add meaningful CAPEX if you buy Screenly hardware.
Who should pick which: Choose Screenly if security certifications, a hardened player story, and a simple media/playlist CMS matter more than an in-product design editor—and you're fine with Screenly's plan minimums and hardware options. Choose Play if non-designers need to build slides themselves, you want Mac and wide BYO players without buying a Screenly box per screen, you need more than two users without jumping to Business's five-screen floor, or you want 24/7/365 live chat.
Run both trials with the same checklist: two editors, four screens, a weekend outage hypothetical, and whether you would hit Screenly's Business minimum. Decide from that—not from a single sticker.
Our customers love us!
- Organizations use Play to manage their screens.
- 2,500+
- Screens connected across businesses worldwide.
- 25,000+
- Average rating from 939 reviews on Capterra.
- 4.8 / 5
- Average rating from 273 reviews on G2.
- 4.7 / 5
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