Play Digital Signage gives you your first screen free, with no credit card required and every Pro feature included. It is free for 30 days and free forever once you leave a review on an approved site within that window. It is not a short trial, and it is not unlimited free screens. Screen two starts on a paid plan.
“Free” means very different things in digital signage. Sometimes it is a trial clock. Sometimes it is a logo on every screen. Sometimes it is a stripped-down plan built to push you toward a credit card. When review sites and competitor pages compare free tiers, those differences tend to get flattened into one checkbox. Here is exactly how Play’s free screen works, how it compares with Yodeck and OptiSigns, and what you pay for once you grow past one screen. Every term below comes from the vendors’ own live pricing pages. Checked in October 2026.
Is Play’s free screen really free?
Yes. Your first screen costs $0 per month, needs no credit card and includes every Pro feature. The one condition is a review within the first 30 days.
Play’s pricing page states the deal plainly: “Your free screen includes every Pro feature. All we ask is that you leave us a review within the first 30 days.” The pricing FAQ adds the detail:
- Sign up at login.playsignage.com/register. No card is needed.
- Your first screen is free for 30 days.
- Leave a review within those 30 days on one of the approved sites: Capterra, G2, Trustpilot, Google, Software Advice or GetApp.
- Open live chat and send a screenshot of the review along with the name you used.
- Once the review is published, the screen is free forever.
When people say Play is “not really free,” they usually mean one of three things. You have to do something, write a review, to keep the screen. If you miss the 30-day window, the free screen is removed. And some buyers expect unlimited free screens, when the offer covers one.
The second point has a safety net that most trials do not. Play’s FAQ says that if you leave the review later, “we’ll still honor it and reinstate your free screen.” A classic trial simply expires into a paywall. Play’s free screen can come back.
So the accurate description is not “fake free.” It is a free first screen for life, in exchange for one honest review.
What does the free screen include?
Every Pro feature, on one screen. You are not working in a sandbox with the useful parts switched off.
| What you get | Play free screen |
|---|---|
| Price | $0 per month |
| Screens | 1 |
| Features | Everything in Essential and Pro |
| Credit card | Not required |
| Time limit | Free for 30 days, free forever after an approved review |
| Support | Live human support 24/7, same as paid customers |
That means the free screen includes Essential’s templates, scheduling, cloud editor and media library, plus Pro’s Slide Conditions, TV on/off, Tags, Shuffle, Sync, Alerts, API, Locking Objects and Private Files. Only the Ultimate features (Analytics with proof of play, Audit Logs, Dashboard, Ad Cycle and AudienceAware) sit outside it.
Support is the same too. Play promises live human support for every customer, free or paid, with an average reply in under two minutes.
How does Play’s free screen compare with Yodeck and OptiSigns?
All three let you start without a credit card. They differ on how many free screens you get, which features come with them, and what the catch is.
| Play | Yodeck | OptiSigns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free screens | 1 | 1 | Up to 3 |
| Features on free | Every Pro feature | All Basic features | 25 basic apps, 1GB storage |
| Branding on screen | None | None stated | OptiSigns logo on screens |
| Device limits on free | Any supported player | Not stated | OptiSigns, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi |
| Condition to stay free | Review within 30 days | None | None |
| Credit card to start | No | No | No |
| Separate trial | Not needed | 30 days full access, up to 5 screens | None stated |
Yodeck’s pricing page lists a Free plan at $0 per screen forever, with a single screen license, all Basic features, unlimited file storage and unlimited users. Separately, it offers 30 days of full feature access on up to 5 screens with no credit card. Yodeck’s FAQ also says free accounts get support, but paid requests are answered first.
OptiSigns’ pricing page offers a free plan on up to 3 screens, with 25 basic apps and 1GB of storage. It shows the OptiSigns logo on screens, and the free plan only runs on OptiSigns devices, Windows, Linux and Raspberry Pi. Playlists on the free plan are limited to 30 items and 200MB.
The honest tradeoff: Yodeck and OptiSigns ask nothing in return for their free tiers, and OptiSigns gives you more free screens. Play asks for a review, and gives you a deeper feature set on that one screen, on any supported player, without a logo. Which matters more depends on whether you need several basic screens or one fully featured one. For a full side-by-side, see our comparisons of Play and Yodeck and Play and OptiSigns.
Why does “free” get confusing in signage reviews?
Because buyers hear “free” as “no conditions,” and any review request, timer or upgrade prompt then feels like a bait-and-switch, even when the terms are clear.
What usually causes the frustration:
- Expectation mismatch. “Free” heard as unlimited and unconditional, when Play means one screen, kept free with a review.
- Timing anxiety. A 30-day window reads like a trial clock, even though the screen has full Pro features the whole time.
- Tier confusion. Essential, Pro and Ultimate apply to paid screens, but get mixed into the free-screen story.
- Comparison shortcuts. Competitor tables often reduce Play’s free offer to a single outdated line.
The fix is simple. Read the pricing FAQ, set a reminder for your review at signup, and ask live chat if anything about your account status is unclear.
What do you pay for once you outgrow one screen?
Additional screens. Each screen after the first is billed on Essential, Pro or Ultimate, and every plan includes everything in the plan below it.
| Plan | Price per screen / month | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free screen | $0 | Your first screen, with every Pro feature |
| Essential | $8.00 | Templates, scheduling, the cloud editor, the media library and more |
| Pro | $12.00 | Slide Conditions, TV on/off, Tags, Shuffle, Sync, Alerts, API, Locking Objects and Private Files |
| Ultimate | $16.00 | Analytics (proof of play), Audit Logs, Dashboard, Ad Cycle and AudienceAware |
A few billing details matter here:
- Monthly or annual. Pay monthly for the hours you use, or pay a year ahead for 10% off. Annual plans are prepaid.
- Volume discounts. From the sixth screen, the price per screen drops as you add more. Running more than 10 screens? Ask for a personal quote.
- Non-profits. Play offers a 20% discount to non-profit organizations that can provide a government-issued non-profit certificate.
For how these prices compare with a competitor’s chart, read Play Pricing, Corrected.
What paid is not: a fee to unlock a free tier that never worked. Your first screen keeps its Pro features. Growth, not a hidden meter, is what turns the free screen into a subscription.
What are the honest tradeoffs of Play’s free screen?
You trade one review and a 30-day reminder for a lifetime free screen with Pro features. Competitors with no-strings free tiers ask for less, but give less on that screen.
Tradeoffs to know about:
- Review effort. Someone on your team writes an honest review. If your company policy forbids public reviews, plan on paid screens instead.
- Calendar risk. Miss the 30 days and the free screen is removed until you leave the review. Set a reminder when you sign up.
- One-screen ceiling. The second screen starts on a paid plan. If you need several free basic screens, OptiSigns’ free plan allows up to 3.
- Comparison narrative. Rivals with condition-free tiers will keep saying Play “isn’t really free.” The terms answer that better than any argument.
Tradeoffs in Play’s favor: no card to start, every Pro feature on the free screen, no logo on screen, any supported player, the same 24/7 live human support paid customers get, and a reinstatement path if you are late with the review.
How should you evaluate Play’s free screen without surprises?
Sign up without a card, run real content on one real player for a week, and post your review well before day 30.
- Sign up at login.playsignage.com/register. No card needed.
- Link one real player. Play supports more than 100 screen types, including Android, Windows, LG, Samsung, BrightSign and Raspberry Pi.
- Publish content you would actually show, not a test slide.
- Try a Pro feature such as Slide Conditions or Sync, since the free screen includes them.
- Open live chat once, so you know how fast support answers.
- Post an approved review inside 30 days, then send the screenshot and your name in chat.
- Before adding screen two, match Essential, Pro and Ultimate against your feature list.
Get your free screen: no card needed.
FAQ
Do I need a credit card to try Play Digital Signage?
No. Your first screen is free and no credit card is required to sign up.
Is the free screen a trial?
Not in the usual sense. It is free for 30 days with every Pro feature, and it stays free forever if you leave an approved review within those 30 days.
Which review sites count?
Capterra, G2, Trustpilot, Google, Software Advice and GetApp. After posting, send a screenshot and the name you used through live chat.
What happens if I don’t leave a review in time?
The free screen is removed. If you leave the review later, Play will still honor it and reinstate your free screen.
What features does the free screen include?
Every Pro feature, which includes everything in Essential. Only Ultimate’s features, such as Analytics, Audit Logs, Dashboard, Ad Cycle and AudienceAware, are not included.
How is this different from Yodeck or OptiSigns?
Yodeck’s free plan is one screen forever with Basic features and no review condition. OptiSigns’ free plan covers up to 3 screens with 25 basic apps, 1GB storage, the OptiSigns logo on screens and limited device types. Play’s free screen is one screen with Pro features, kept free with a review.
What do I pay when I add more screens?
Each additional screen is $8 on Essential, $12 on Pro or $16 on Ultimate per month. Paying annually saves 10%, the price per screen drops from the sixth screen, and non-profits get 20% off.
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