---
title: "Digital Signage Software Features: A Buyer's Checklist"
description: A buyer's checklist of digital signage software features — device support, scheduling, remote monitoring, offline playback, security and pricing.
type: blog
date: 2026-07-31
authors:
  - Loopvew Team
category: Strategy
cover:
  src: /images/blog/digital-signage-software-features.webp
  alt: Digital signage screens in a mall beside a buyer's checklist of signage software features
tags: [software, buying guide, features, CMS, evaluation]
keyTakeaways:
  - Evaluate signage software on five pillars - device support, content and scheduling, remote management, reliability and security, and pricing.
  - Offline playback, remote screenshots and automatic recovery after power loss matter more day to day than any visual effect.
  - Test every shortlisted platform on your own hardware with your own content before you sign.
faq:
  - question: What features should digital signage software have?
    answer: Look for broad device support, a browser-based CMS, playlists and time-based scheduling, screen groups, live widgets, remote monitoring with screenshots and reboot, offline playback and clear per-screen pricing without per-user fees.
  - question: Which digital signage platforms should software support?
    answer: At minimum Android and Windows players; ideally also Linux and the commercial smart-display platforms Samsung Tizen and LG webOS, so you can reuse existing screens and avoid hardware lock-in.
  - question: How do I compare digital signage software vendors?
    answer: Score each vendor against the same checklist, run a pilot on your own screens with your real content, and compare the total three-year cost at the fleet size you expect to reach.
---

Digital signage software is the CMS you use to upload content, build playlists, schedule them and push them to screens. When you compare vendors, the features that matter most are rarely the flashiest — they're the ones that keep screens running without anyone visiting them.

Use this checklist to score each platform you evaluate.

## 1. Device and platform support

- [ ] Runs on **Android** players and Android TV devices
- [ ] Runs on **Windows** PCs
- [ ] Runs on **Linux** devices
- [ ] Runs natively on **Samsung Tizen** and **LG webOS** commercial displays
- [ ] Supports portrait and landscape orientations
- [ ] Supports 4K output on supported devices

Broad support means you can reuse screens you already own and avoid being locked to one hardware vendor. Loopvew runs on all five, plus Amazon Fire TV — see [platforms](/platforms).

## 2. Content and scheduling

- [ ] Upload images and videos to a shared media library
- [ ] Build playlists with per-item durations
- [ ] Schedule playlists by time of day, day of week and date range
- [ ] Multi-zone layouts (for example, main content plus a ticker)
- [ ] Live widgets — weather, clock, RSS news, YouTube, web pages, dashboards, calendars, social feeds

## 3. Remote management

- [ ] Pair screens with an on-screen code — no technician visit
- [ ] Group screens by location or purpose and publish to a whole group
- [ ] See online/offline status for every screen
- [ ] Take remote screenshots to confirm what's playing
- [ ] Reboot remotely and schedule screen on/off times
- [ ] Over-the-air player updates

## 4. Reliability and security

- [ ] **Offline playback** — cached content keeps playing when the network drops
- [ ] Auto-start and kiosk mode after power loss
- [ ] Touch lock for screens in public spaces
- [ ] An **on-premise** option if your policy forbids external hosting
- [ ] Clear data and account practices you can take to your IT team

Read the [security guide](/guides/digital-signage-security) for what to ask.

## 5. Pricing and support

- [ ] Transparent per-screen pricing
- [ ] No per-user fees
- [ ] Volume discounts as the fleet grows
- [ ] A free tier or free screens to pilot with
- [ ] Documentation and human support

Loopvew is free for the first three screens, then $4.49 per screen per month ($4.04 billed yearly), with up to 10 users on Pro. See [pricing](/pricing).

## How to run the evaluation

1. **Shortlist three vendors** that meet your non-negotiables — usually platform support and deployment model.
2. **Pilot on your own screens** with your real content. Demos run on perfect hardware; your screens are not perfect hardware.
3. **Pull the network cable.** Watch what happens, then plug it back in and check the screen recovers.
4. **Cut the power.** Confirm the screen comes back to content by itself.
5. **Price the fleet you'll have in a year,** not the one you have today.

Want a head start? Compare Loopvew with [Yodeck](/compare/yodeck-alternative) or browse all [comparisons](/compare), or [start free](https://app.loopvew.com/sign-up) and run your pilot this week.