Best Xibo Alternative (2026): ScreenBox 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 ScreenBox.
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).
ScreenBox is open source (MIT licensed), self-hostable, and every player is free - Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Raspberry Pi, and any web browser. No per-device player licence, and self-hosting is completely free. 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 | ScreenBox | Xibo |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | Yes (AGPLv3, CMS) |
| Self-host option | Yes | Yes |
| Free option | Free self-hosting; 14-day trial | 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 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 ScreenBox 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 ScreenBox they are free, with no per-device player fee.
- Self-hosting is genuinely free. Xibo funnels you into a 14-day trial and a paid cloud CMS. ScreenBox self-hosting is free and unlimited, and the hosted plan starts with a 14-day free trial.
- Broader player support out of the box. Native Android TV and Fire TV players, a first-class web player for any browser, and a free Raspberry Pi setup script - all included, no licence gate.
- Live remote control. ScreenBox streams a live view of an Android display and forwards taps and key events back to the device.
- Simple MIT licence. ScreenBox is MIT licensed on GitHub - 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. ScreenBox charges nothing per player on any platform: the managed cloud is $5/screen/month ($75/mo for 15 devices), and self-hosting is free and unlimited on a $5 VPS.
Try ScreenBox free
Start a 14-day free trial. No credit card required.
Start Free Trial View on GitHub