# ScreenCloud Alternative: Free & Open Source

> ScreenCloud is great but expensive at scale. ScreenTinker is open source, MIT licensed, self-hostable, and a fraction of the price.

Source: https://screentinker.com/compare/screencloud-alternative

## Best ScreenCloud Alternative (2026): ScreenTinker vs ScreenCloud

ScreenCloud is a polished enterprise digital signage platform - but pricing scales fast. Here is an honest comparison covering features, pricing, and where each fits best.

### The short answer

**ScreenCloud** is a mature, well-designed cloud signage product targeted at mid-market and enterprise customers. It has strong app integrations (Slack, Power BI, Google Drive) and excellent support. It is also one of the most expensive options on the market.

**ScreenTinker** is open source (MIT licensed), self-hostable, and dramatically cheaper at scale. It is a better fit if you want to keep data on your own infrastructure, you have budget pressure, or your screen count makes ScreenCloud's per-screen pricing untenable.

### Quick comparison

| Feature | ScreenTinker | ScreenCloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No |
| Self-host option | Yes | No (cloud only) |
| Free plan | 1 device, 500MB | 14-day trial only |
| Android TV / Fire TV | Yes | Yes |
| Raspberry Pi | Free setup script | ScreenCloud OS |
| Web browser player | Yes | Yes |
| Video walls | Yes (with sync) | Yes |
| Multi-zone layouts | Yes | Yes |
| App integrations | Custom widgets | Built-in (Slack, Power BI, etc.) |
| Live remote control* | Yes | Limited |
| White-label / reseller | Yes | Enterprise only |
| Pricing for 5 devices | $39/mo Starter | ~$108/mo |
| Pricing for 15 devices | $99/mo Pro | ~$300+/mo |
| Self-host cost | Free (your server) | Not available |

* Live remote control is Android only and requires granting the on-device accessibility permission.

Comparison as of June 2026, based on each vendor's publicly listed pricing and documentation. Spot an error? [Open an issue on GitHub](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker/issues) and we'll fix it.

### Where ScreenCloud does well

- **Native app integrations.** Slack channels, Power BI dashboards, Google Drive, OneDrive, and dozens of others ship as built-in apps. If your displays show live business dashboards, this matters.

- **Enterprise polish.** SOC 2 audited, dedicated account management, mature SAML/SSO support.

- **Studio (their content designer).** Best-in-class WYSIWYG editor for non-designers.

### Where ScreenTinker is the better choice

- **Cost.** At 15 screens ScreenCloud runs roughly $300/mo and up depending on plan; ScreenTinker Pro is $99/mo. Over a year that is more than $2,000 in savings on a single deployment.

- **Self-hosting.** ScreenCloud is cloud-only with no on-prem path. If your security team or compliance posture won't allow a third-party cloud, ScreenTinker is one of the few real options.

- **Source access.** MIT licensed on [GitHub](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker). Audit, extend, fork - all permitted.

- **No hardware lock-in.** ScreenCloud sells "ScreenCloud OS" hardware; ScreenTinker runs on whatever you have - Pi, Android TV, Fire Stick, kiosk PC, browser.

- **Live remote control.** Stream a live view of any display and inject taps or key events from the dashboard. Useful for remote troubleshooting without a site visit.

### Pricing example: 15 devices over 12 months

- **ScreenCloud (Pro plan):** ~$3,600/year

- **ScreenTinker (Pro plan):** $1,188/year

- **ScreenTinker (self-hosted):** Server cost only, typically $5-50/month for a small VPS

### Related guides

- [Self-hosted digital signage: complete guide](https://screentinker.com/guides/self-hosted-digital-signage.html)

- [How to set up digital signage on a Raspberry Pi](https://screentinker.com/guides/raspberry-pi-digital-signage.html)

- [Free digital signage for Android TV and Fire TV](https://screentinker.com/guides/digital-signage-android-tv.html)

- [Compare: ScreenTinker vs Yodeck](https://screentinker.com/compare/yodeck-alternative.html)

- [Compare: ScreenTinker vs OptiSigns](https://screentinker.com/compare/optisigns-alternative.html)

### Try ScreenTinker free

Start a 14-day Pro trial. No credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://screentinker.com/app#/login)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker)