How Much Does Digital Signage Cost?

Mar 12, 2019 | Digital Signage

Alistair Cousins

Alistair Cousins

How much does digital signage actually cost?

Short answer: From £16 per screen/mo* and from £16 per additional screen + an upfront cost of £185 per media player.

*ex VAT How Much Does Digital Signage Cost? TrouDigital
There is a perception (a myth) that digital signage costs a fortune just because it’s digital. We visit a shopping centre and see high-end brands and luxury outlets like the Apple store decorated with screens and associate the two together. For this reason, many smaller companies or institutions have understandably never considered it. They either believe it is too expensive or perhaps too complicated to set up. This is no longer the case.

It is true that digital screens once used to be the reserve of large corporations with bottomless marketing budgets. It was just one of many advantages national retailers had over independent shops. But today? The playing field has been levelled. Screens are cheaper than ever. The PCs that power them are far more compact and affordable, known as “Micro PCs”, and software fees have dropped dramatically too.

How much do digital signage screens cost?

Let’s start with the screens. The largest cost associated with digital signage has always been the hardware itself. Fortunately, as you might know regarding the TV set in your living room, the cost of TV screens, in general, has plummeted in recent years. With continual developments in technology, you can now pick up a £250 screen that outperforms one that costs thousands of pounds last decade. (All the more reason for an upgrade in the living room!) When used with an external media player, any TV screen can be transformed into a dynamic digital sign.

That means a normal TV plus a media player (RRP £185) can be purchased for around £400 in total.

Alternatively, if your school or business already has a TV screen lying around (and many of us do), you can bring new life into your old hardware by connecting it to a media player and repurposing it. This is a great cost-saving exercise and a brilliant way to recycle your old tech.

What if I want to buy a commercial digital signage display?

While you are more than welcome to use a regular TV to save yourself some money, in some instances you might wish to invest in a commercial-grade digital signage display. There are two main differences worth noting over a standard TV unit:

  • Commercial-grade screens are designed to be used 24/7 or 16/7 which means they are more durable over time. You won’t ever have to worry about screen burn which might affect some older TV sets
  • Commercial-grade screens come in a range of brightness levels (often referred to as High Bright Displays). These can range between x2 and x10 as bright as a normal television – crucial in bright environments such as in windows exposed to sunlight

The good news is that even specialist signage displays are affordable. Our most popular 43″ High Brightness Display, for instance, currently retails at £499. Get in contact to ask us about our screen pricing and stocklist.

How Much Does Digital Signage Cost? TrouDigitalHow much does digital signage software cost?

Having discussed the hardware costs associated with digital signage, we are left to address the software costs and other intangibles such as support. While you might assume a specialist piece of software will cost you an arm and a leg, you will be pleasantly surprised to know the numbers.

The first thing to note about software pricing is that most signage companies operate on a per connected device model. Another way of describing this is a per license model (where one device requires one license). To avoid confusion, these are the same models.

The second thing to check is what this fee actually includes. You will find a wide range of license costs. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you will be paying for access to software and nothing else. Support, training, and importantly any future updates or upgrades might be excluded at additional costs. It’s important to ask for transparency. In particular, support and adequate training is something you shouldn’t skimp out on. If you end up investing in a solution that goes wrong or one that you struggle to operate, you are wasting your money. Any support calls you have to then pay for can quickly rack up and undo your initial savings.

At TrouDigital, we offer a range of digital signage pricing to suit organisations and projects of all shapes and sizes. Our software licenses start at £16 per screen/mo (additional licences are billed from £16 per month), and are discounted further as your network size grows. We also offer exclusive discounts for education, healthcare and charities.

Going digital doesn’t have to break the bank! You can find out more information on our pricing packages here. Or get in touch with a digital signage expert today and discuss your project by clicking the button below.

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