What is digital signage in simple terms?

Digital signage is any screen used to show information to people in a public or shared space, such as a menu board, a lobby directory, or a promotion screen in a store. The content is managed from software instead of being printed, so it can be changed at any time.

What is an example of digital signage?

Common examples are restaurant menu boards, building directories in office lobbies, sale screens in retail stores, wait-time displays in clinics, and schedule boards at airports, schools and event venues.

What do you need for digital signage?

Three things: a screen (a TV or commercial display), a media player that plugs into the screen (or app software) and plays the content, and content management software where you upload, schedule and publish what each screen shows.

What is the difference between digital signage and a regular TV?

A TV on its own plays whatever is plugged into it. Digital signage adds a player and software so the content can be scheduled, updated remotely, and managed across many screens from one account, without anyone touching the screen.

How much does digital signage cost?

With E Display, software is $8 per screen per month billed yearly, and new yearly licences include a free media player. The screen itself is usually the largest cost; a 43-inch commercial display typically runs about $495 to $600.

What Is Digital Signage?

Digital signage is a screen that shows menus, messages, directions or promotions to people in a shared space, with the content managed remotely from software instead of printed on paper.

See how it works See pricing

Digital signage menu board screen mounted above a cafe counter

Digital signage, defined

Digital signage (sometimes called electronic signage or e-signage) replaces printed posters, notice boards, chalkboards and static signs with screens. A restaurant uses it for menu boards, a hospital for wayfinding, an office for announcements, a school for event schedules, and a factory for safety alerts. The same idea applies everywhere: a screen showing content that software controls. Because the content lives in software, anyone can update a message, swap a promotion, or push an emergency alert, and every screen changes in seconds. One person can run screens in one building or across hundreds of locations from a laptop.

Laptop running digital signage software next to an HDMI media player and a lobby display

How digital signage works

Every digital signage setup has the same three parts:

The screen

A TV or commercial display in a spot people look at: above a counter, in a lobby, beside an entrance.

The media player

A small device behind the screen that downloads content and plays it on schedule, even through short internet outages.

The software (CMS)

A browser dashboard where you build content, set schedules, and publish to one screen or hundreds at once.

Learn more about each part: media players and digital signage software.

Where digital signage is used

Menu boards

Change prices and dayparts without reprinting.

Building directories

Tenant lists and wayfinding in lobbies.

Retail promotions

Sales and new arrivals at the point of decision.

Healthcare

Wait times, wayfinding and patient information.

Schools and campuses

Announcements, events and emergency alerts.

Manufacturing

Safety messages and production dashboards.

For a deeper breakdown of formats such as video walls, kiosks and outdoor screens, read the types of digital signage.

Digital signage vs printed signs

	Printed signs	Digital signage
Updating content	Reprint and replace by hand	Publish from a browser in seconds
Time of day	Same message all day	Schedule breakfast, lunch and evening content
Video and motion	Not possible	Video, animation and live feeds
Many locations	Ship prints to every site	Update every screen at once

What it costs to start

E Display software is $8 per screen per month billed yearly, and each new yearly licence includes a free media player, shipped free in the US and Canada. Add a screen and you have a working sign. Use the digital signage budget calculator for a full estimate, or see free digital signage options if you are comparing no-cost tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is digital signage in simple terms?: Digital signage is any screen used to show information to people in a public or shared space, such as a menu board, a lobby directory, or a promotion screen in a store. The content is managed from software instead of being printed, so it can be changed at any time.
What is an example of digital signage?: Common examples are restaurant menu boards, building directories in office lobbies, sale screens in retail stores, wait-time displays in clinics, and schedule boards at airports, schools and event venues.
What do you need for digital signage?: Three things: a screen (a TV or commercial display), a media player that plugs into the screen (or app software) and plays the content, and content management software where you upload, schedule and publish what each screen shows.
What is the difference between digital signage and a regular TV?: A TV on its own plays whatever is plugged into it. Digital signage adds a player and software so the content can be scheduled, updated remotely, and managed across many screens from one account, without anyone touching the screen.
How much does digital signage cost?: With E Display, software is $8 per screen per month billed yearly, and new yearly licences include a free media player. The screen itself is usually the largest cost; a 43-inch commercial display typically runs about $495 to $600.

Keep learning about digital signage

Free digital signage

Free and open-source options and their real costs.

Digital signage software

The E Display cloud platform and pricing.

Digital signage players

Hardware, 4K playback, and device compatibility.

E-signage guide

Electronic signage terms, display types, and uses.