Screenly Alternative
Keep the Raspberry Pi if you like it, and add any Android box or spare computer next to it.
Screenly grew out of the Raspberry Pi world. It sells its own players, a Raspberry Pi-based one and a more powerful Intel-based one, alongside tiered per-screen cloud plans, and maintains Anthias (formerly Screenly OSE), a free open-source version you host yourself. It is a solid, developer-friendly product. The trade-offs are buying its player hardware for the smoothest setup, or running the free version yourself one screen at a time.
How CastWize is different
CastWize is hosted for you and runs on devices you may already own: Android TV boxes, Windows and Mac computers, Linux machines and Raspberry Pi. Every screen is $5 per month with every feature included, and your first screen is free for 30 days with no credit card.
What to actually compare
| CastWize | Screenly | |
|---|---|---|
| Player hardware | Bring your own: Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi | Sells its own Raspberry Pi and Intel-based players |
| Pricing structure | One flat rate per screen, every feature included | Tiered per-screen plans |
| Free option | First screen free for 30 days, no card required | Anthias, the open-source version you install and maintain yourself |
| Hosting | Fully managed, nothing to install on a server | Managed cloud plans, or self-hosted with Anthias |
Screenly's plans and hardware prices change over time. Check their current site for the specifics rather than relying on a comparison page to have the latest numbers.
Who this fits
If you want to tinker with an open-source player on a Raspberry Pi, Anthias is a good free project. If you want screens that a non-technical person can manage from a browser, on a mix of cheap Android boxes and spare computers, CastWize does that at one price. The under-$200 setup guide lists the hardware.
Everything included at $5 per screen
No tier unlocks any of this — every screen gets all of it:
- Images, video, text, webpages, YouTube, live streams, and Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
- Live widgets: weather, clock, countdowns, news feeds, QR codes
- Multi-zone layouts and video walls
- Scheduling by day, time and date, plus ad cycles
- Queue management: a take-a-number kiosk and a live "Now serving" display
- Clients: separate workspaces for each business you run screens for, on one bill
- Media Library with folders and one-click Google Drive import
- Remote screenshot, refresh and reboot
- Alerts by email, Slack and webhook
- Analytics with CSV and PDF export
- Audit log, API keys, Google sign-in and two-factor authentication
How to switch from Screenly
Most single-location setups move over in an afternoon, without taking a screen dark:
- Download the images and videos you use from Screenly, or keep them in Google Drive.
- Create a CastWize account and add them to the Media Library — upload them, or import straight from Google Drive.
- Install the CastWize player on a device you already have — Android, Windows, macOS, Linux or Raspberry Pi. If your current player only runs Screenly's software, a budget Android TV box works.
- Pair the screen, then rebuild your playlists and schedules. Preview shows exactly what each screen will play.
- Run both side by side on one screen for a few days, then move the rest and cancel the old plan.
Your first screen is free for 30 days with no credit card, so you can do the whole trial run before paying anything.
See the full feature list
Pricing has the complete feature list at the one rate, and Product covers how the canvas, scheduling and player management work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Screenly?
If you want hosted software that runs on more than a Raspberry Pi, CastWize works on Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and Raspberry Pi devices for $5 per screen per month, every feature included, with your first screen free for 30 days.
Is there a free alternative to Screenly?
Anthias (formerly Screenly OSE) is Screenly's own free, open-source version: you install and maintain it yourself, one screen at a time. CastWize isn't free forever, but it's hosted for you and your first screen is free for 30 days.
Can I use my Raspberry Pi with CastWize?
Yes. Raspberry Pi is one of the five platforms the CastWize player runs on, alongside Android, Windows, macOS and Linux.
How long does it take to switch from Screenly?
Most single-location setups move over in an afternoon: move your media, install the CastWize player, pair the screen, rebuild playlists and schedules, and run both side by side before cancelling.
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Ready to put your first screen up?
First screen free for 30 days, no credit card required.