The best digital signage software is the platform that fits your screens, content, team, and support requirements. In our experience, five things matter most: ease of use, reliability, feature range, a mobile-friendly interface, and knowledgeable support. Price matters too, but the cheapest licence is only good value if it delivers what your business needs.
At Imagine Digital Signage, our approach comes from 18 years of running digital signage networks and responding to real client requests. We have built the platform around the work involved in keeping screens useful, current, and manageable. This guide shares our perspective as both a software provider and a team with hands-on network experience.
Start With Your Requirements
Before comparing platforms, write down what your screens need to do. A reception display with a simple playlist has different requirements from a retailer managing hundreds of screens with different promotions at different branches.
- How many screens do you manage now, and how might that change?
- Will every screen show the same content, or will it vary by branch, department, or time of day?
- Who will create content, publish updates, and respond when a screen goes offline?
- Which screens, media players, and operating systems do you already own?
These answers give you a useful brief for a supplier. They also help you avoid choosing software because its demonstration looks impressive while overlooking a task you need to perform every day.
Ease of Use Should Be Tested with Your Own Content
A platform should make routine work straightforward. During a trial, upload your own images and videos, arrange a playlist, change its order, and publish it to a screen. Watch a complete loop to assess playback and transitions on the hardware you intend to use. Then ask the person who will actually manage the screens to repeat those tasks. A demonstration led by an expert does not tell you how comfortable your own team will feel using the system.
Content creation matters too. For a small business without a dedicated designer, an integration such as Canva within Imagine can make it easier to create and update promotional content. Look at the whole process, from making a design to seeing it on screen.
Reliability Includes What Happens When the Internet Drops
Reliability is not entirely down to software. Power interruptions, unreliable internet connections, and unsuitable hardware can all affect a digital signage installation. A good platform should help you manage those conditions, but it cannot make an unpowered screen work.
Our recommendation is to choose software that downloads content to the player and continues playing it without an internet connection. Check that downloaded schedules also continue to work offline. We would avoid relying entirely on streaming for everyday signage, particularly at sites with inconsistent connectivity.
Cloud-based management and streaming are different things. A cloud-managed system can still store content locally for offline playback. New uploads, remote commands, and live online information will need connectivity; do not assume that a live website or feed behaves like a downloaded video.
Test this before committing: let the content and schedule download, disconnect the internet, and check what plays. Reconnect afterwards and confirm that updates resume. Also test how the installation recovers after a restart.
Remote recovery tools are useful when a site needs attention. Imagine can restart its app remotely on supported devices, provided the device is reachable. Email alerts are another capability worth checking when comparing suppliers: they can help teams spot problems sooner. Ask what triggers an alert and who receives it.
Choose Features That Solve Everyday Problems
For a small business with one or two screens, we would prioritise helpful support, a reliable scheduler, and playback of the content formats the business actually uses. Canva integration is a valuable bonus when quick content creation is part of the job.
For example, a coffee shop might need a breakfast menu to switch to a lunch menu at a set time, or a retailer might need a promotion to start on Monday and stop on Friday. These are practical tests for a digital signage scheduler, rather than simply checking whether scheduling appears on a feature list.
Larger networks need more control over how screens are organised and how their activity is reviewed. Groups, tags, and reporting become central to the daily workflow. Look for the features that remove repetitive work and help your team understand what is happening across the network.
A Real Example from Usave
Usave operates 550 licences with Imagine, with branches around the country and more than 100 different content playlists across its screens. For a network of this size, grouping, tagging, and reporting are critical requirements.
The challenge is not simply uploading a video, but rather organising a large network with different content requirements and keeping an overview of screen activity. This is where a platform’s management tools matter as much as its playback.
As a general example, a retail network could group screens by region and tag them by department, making it easier to target relevant content. That illustrates the purpose of these tools; each client’s structure should reflect how its business operates. You can explore Imagine’s screen management capabilities to see how screens can be organised and monitored.
Mobile Access Should Let You Take Action
The best digital signage software should not tie you to your desk. A useful mobile interface should let you update content, monitor screens, and remove material while you are on the move.
Imagine a promotion needing to come down while you are visiting a branch. Being able to make that change from your phone is a practical advantage. During your assessment, use your own phone to complete an update instead of only checking whether the dashboard looks good on a smaller screen.
The Team Behind the Software Matters
When you first set up a network, you are likely to have questions. A good supplier should help you make decisions, understand the system, and resolve problems. Ask how you contact support, when the team is available, and what help is included.
At Imagine, you can WhatsApp us with a question or arrange a video call. You do not need to navigate a bot or raise a ticket to start a conversation. Our team has spent years running networks, and we encourage clients to ask for advice and build a relationship with us.
A bigger software company is not automatically a better fit. Building software and operating a real screen network are different kinds of experience. We believe the people behind the product deserve as much attention as the feature list. Speak to support during your assessment and ask for relevant customer references.
Check Compatibility Before Buying Hardware
Not every platform works on every screen or media player. Older devices, restricted operating systems, and hardware limitations can affect which features are available and how smoothly content plays.
Give the supplier your exact device models and operating system versions. Ask what will run directly on the screen, whether an external player is required, and whether any functions will be limited. Test your actual content on the proposed setup before rolling it out across multiple sites.
Imagine supports compatible Android and LG webOS devices. Review the supported digital signage hardware and discuss your existing equipment with the team before deciding what to keep or replace.
Compare the Full Cost of the Software
Buyers often focus on the advertised licence price. Our view is that paying less can mean getting less, but a higher price does not automatically guarantee better software either. Compare what is included and what your team needs to achieve.
Check whether storage, additional users, reporting, or other important functions cost extra. Ask which features are available in the plan being quoted, and whether the demonstration uses a more expensive package. Include any required hardware, installation, or managed services in your overall project budget.
Imagine’s full-feature licence is R150 per screen per month, excluding VAT, with no further paid feature tiers or feature add-ons. We also offer one free licence with limited functionality, allowing you to assess basic operation and playback on your own screen. Larger projects can contact us about a trial or showcase of the full feature set. See our digital signage pricing for plan details.
How to Test Digital Signage Software Before Committing
Use the same practical checklist for every supplier you assess:
- Run your own content on the screen and player you plan to use.
- Build a playlist and test scheduled start and end times.
- Disconnect the internet after downloading content and check offline playback.
- Make an update from your phone and confirm it reaches the screen.
- If you manage multiple sites, test groups, tags, and the reports you need.
- Contact support with a real question and confirm the full cost of your required features.
A free plan can help you assess the basics, but it may not include everything needed for a large deployment. Ask for a full-feature demonstration or trial when advanced scheduling, reporting, or network management is part of your buying decision.
Our View on the Best Digital Signage Software
For us, the best digital signage software combines dependable playback, straightforward management, useful features, mobile access, and a team that understands the realities of running screens. The right choice should prove itself on your hardware and with your content.
That is what we have built Imagine to deliver. We own it, we built it, and we want businesses to use it. Start with one screen, ask questions, and see how it fits your operation. For a larger project, get in touch with the Imagine team to arrange a trial or showcase around your requirements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is cloud-based software the same as streaming?
No. A cloud-managed system can still store content locally on the player, so screens keep playing downloaded content when the connection drops. New uploads, remote commands, and live online information still need connectivity, so a live website or feed does not behave like a downloaded video. The Knowledge Centre explains what keeps playing when a screen is offline.
How do you test offline playback before you buy?
Let the content and schedule download, disconnect the internet, and check what plays, then reconnect and confirm that updates resume. Also test how the installation recovers after a restart. It is worth confirming that downloaded schedules, not only the media, keep working offline, which you can check with Imagine's scheduling tools.
What can you test on a free digital signage plan?
A free plan, such as Imagine's one free licence with limited functionality, lets you assess basic operation and playback on your own screen. It may not include everything needed for a large deployment, so ask for a full-feature demonstration or trial when advanced scheduling, reporting, or network management matters to your decision. See the Imagine pricing plans for details.
How do you test a supplier's support before you sign up?
Ask how you contact support, when the team is available, and what help is included, then contact them with a real question during your assessment and ask for relevant customer references. At Imagine you can WhatsApp the team or arrange a video call without navigating a bot or raising a ticket, and you can contact the Imagine team to try it.
What device details should you give a software supplier?
Give the supplier your exact device models and operating system versions, and ask what will run directly on the screen, whether an external player is required, and whether any functions will be limited. Then test your actual content on the proposed setup before rolling it out. Imagine supports compatible Android and LG webOS devices, and the supported hardware page lists the requirements.