Xibo vs Play: a fair comparison
Xibo
Xibo is open-source signage software you can host yourself for free, or rent as Xibo Cloud from $4.90 per display. It suits IT-led teams that want full control.
All the Power of Xibo — Without the Server
Xibo and Play Digital Signage serve different teams. Xibo is open source and built for IT-led teams that want control and self-hosting. Play is a cloud platform built for teams without IT staff. Here's how they compare on pricing, setup, support, content, hardware and teams.
Pricing
Xibo is cheaper per screen at list price. Xibo Cloud costs $4.90 (Professional), $7.70 (Business) or $12.60 (Enterprise) per display per month, with a 14-day free trial for 2 players. Self-hosting the Xibo software is free.
Go to Xibo pricingRead the comparisonShow less
Play costs $8 (Essential), $12 (Pro) or $16 (Ultimate) per screen per month, or 10% less when you pay annually, and your first screen is free.
The difference is in what's included. Xibo Cloud plans cap your media library at 1 GB, 1.5 GB or 2 GB and your bandwidth at 4, 6 or 8 GB a month; more can be bought. Play has no limit on storage or traffic.
When you host Xibo yourself, the players for Android ($28), ChromeOS ($49), LG webOS and Samsung Tizen ($85) need a one-time licence per display, with major upgrades sold separately; the Windows player is free. Play includes every player in the screen price.
Self-hosting
Self-hosting is Xibo's big strength: you run the software on your own server with Docker and keep full control of your data. You also run the web server, database, backups and upgrades yourself. Xibo's own pricing page says self-hosting is "typically a higher total cost of ownership than choosing a plan".
Go to Xibo Cloud hostingRead the comparisonShow less
Play is cloud only. There's no server to set up or patch, and new features arrive without upgrades.
Support
Xibo Cloud customers use a help desk, with priority support on Business and high-priority support on Enterprise. Self-hosted users mainly rely on the Xibo community; one Capterra reviewer writes that self-hosters are "mostly on your own".
Read the comparisonShow less
Play includes free live chat and email support 24/7/365 for every customer, also on the free screen, plus phone support on weekdays.
Content Development
Xibo's layout designer is powerful: layers, stencils, data sets with live data, interrupt and overlay layouts, and scheduling based on location or weather. On Capterra, Xibo scores 4.1 out of 5 for ease of use, and the learning curve is its most common complaint. Xibo says version 4.5 overhauls the interface.
Go to Xibo featuresRead the comparisonShow less
Play's editor works in the browser like PowerPoint: slides, layers, animations and custom fonts, with Canva, an AI image plugin and 40+ plugins such as weather, YouTube, Google Sheets, Power BI and Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Compatibility
Xibo's players run on Android, Windows, Linux, LG webOS, Samsung Tizen and ChromeOS.
Read the comparisonShow less
Play runs on Amazon Fire TV and Signage Stick, Android, Google TV, Chromecast, Raspberry Pi, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, BrightSign and any browser, with no licence fee per player. Both cover professional displays; Play also covers low-cost everyday devices and Macs.
Teams
Xibo offers roles and feature permissions, two-factor authentication and an audit trail. SAML single sign-on is included on Business or sold as an add-on, and Xibo sells white-labelling of its software and players.
Go to Xibo white labellingRead the comparisonShow less
Play includes unlimited users, teams and storage on every plan, with single sign-on (Microsoft Entra and Okta) and two-factor authentication for all users.
Xibo 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 Xibo Digital Signage and Play Digital Signage: pricing, terms, and what each can and can’t do.
| Feature | Play Digital Signage | Xibo |
|---|---|---|
| Free screens | ||
| Pricing (monthly) | Monthly $8 Annually $7.20 | Professional $4.90 Business $7.70 Enterprise $12.60 Self-hosted free |
| Supported OS |
|
|
| Country of origin |  USA |  UK |
| Headquarters | USA | UK |
| Established | 2013 | 2011 |
| 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 Comparing Xibo and Play
We compared Xibo and Play the way a buyer would: published prices, plan limits, supported hardware, support and reviews on Capterra, where Xibo has 4.6 out of 5 from 239 reviews and Play has 4.8 from 939 (October 2026).
What we liked about Xibo: a low price per screen, free self-hosting, open-source code, deep scheduling and data features, and hardware freedom.
What held us back compared with Play: storage and bandwidth caps on Xibo Cloud, a server to run when self-hosting, per-player licences, support that depends on your plan, and a learning curve that reviewers mention often.
Who should pick which: choose Xibo if you have IT staff, want to host the software yourself or need open-source code. Choose Play if you want no server to manage, unlimited storage, 24/7 human support and an editor your marketing team can use on day one.
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
Let's get you signed up.
Ready to see how easy it is to get content on your TVs? It's free to play around, and there is no credit card required, because we think our product speaks for itself!
