# Xibo Alternative: ScreenTinker vs Xibo

> Looking for a Xibo alternative? ScreenTinker is open source, MIT licensed, self-hostable, and every player is free on every platform.

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

## 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](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker/issues) 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](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker) - 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](https://screentinker.com/compare/anthias-alternative.html)

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

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

- [Open-source digital signage: complete guide](https://screentinker.com/guides/open-source-digital-signage.html)

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

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