A ScreenCloud alternative for $0 — that pays you back
ScreenCloud is polished, enterprise-focused, and priced like it. PiAds gives a local venue the parts that matter for $0 with approved ad slots — and then flips the economics entirely with local ad revenue, 70% to you.
ScreenCloud is genuinely well-made software aimed at employee comms and multi-site enterprises — with per-screen pricing north of $20 and features like dashboards-on-screens that matter to head offices, not counter-service venues. If you're paying ScreenCloud rates to run a menu and promos, you're funding features you'll never open. PiAds does the venue job for $0 with approved ad slots, sets you up in minutes on the Fire TV Stick you already own, and its ad marketplace can make the screen net-positive.
Being honest: ScreenCloud's product polish is real, its employee-comms features (dashboards, internal channels, SSO) are excellent for corporate deployments, and its support is well-reviewed. For a 200-office enterprise, it's a fine choice.
ScreenCloud vs PiAds at a glance
| ScreenCloud | PiAds | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Enterprise & employee communications | Local venues — customer-facing screens |
| Price per screen | ~$20+/mo | $0 with approved ad slots |
| Earn from your screens | No | Local ad marketplace — you keep 70% |
| Setup | Solid, IT-friendly | Pairing code from the TV, guided onboarding |
| Fire TV | Supported | Native app incl. new Vega devices |
What it costs as you grow
| Screens | ScreenCloud / month | PiAds / month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~$20–24 | $0 |
| 5 | ~$100–120 | $0 |
| 20 | ~$400–480 | $0 |
Software list prices only, billed monthly, as published on each vendor's pricing page. PiAds is $0 for partner screens that enable approved ad slots, and venues keep 70% of cleared local ad bookings on those screens. Pricing as of August 2026.
Where ScreenCloud falls short
- •Per-screen pricing around $20+ — while PiAds is $0 for partner screens
- •Product center of gravity is employee comms and enterprise, not customer-facing venues
- •Enterprise features you pay for either way
- •Screens are purely a cost — no earning mechanism
Where ScreenCloud beats PiAds — honestly
- •PiAds doesn't do secure internal dashboards or corporate comms channels
- •No SSO/SCIM today — PiAds targets venues, not IT departments
- •The ad marketplace is strongest for US local venues today
The comparison ScreenCloud can't enter
Every signage platform — ScreenCloud included — treats your screens as a cost. PiAds is the only one with a built-in local advertising marketplace: nearby businesses book slots on your screens, you approve every ad, and you keep 70% of the revenue. The software is $0 for partner screens, so the screen is an income line, not a cost.
The 30-minute switch
Most single-venue migrations from ScreenCloud finish inside an hour — here's the low-risk order.
Sign up free — no card. The guided setup creates your venue in a minute.
Pair ONE screen (or just the built-in web player — no hardware needed to test).
Re-upload your media and let onboarding build your first playlist and schedule.
Run both platforms side by side for a week.
Move your remaining screens — pairing each takes about a minute.
Cancel the old subscription. Optionally open ad slots and start earning.
Switching from ScreenCloud, answered
How is PiAds different from ScreenCloud?
Price and purpose. ScreenCloud is enterprise employee-comms software at $20+/screen; PiAds is venue signage at $0 with approved ad slots — and the only platform where your screens earn local ad revenue, with 70% going to you.
Is PiAds really free?
For partner screens, yes — enable approved ad slots and the software is $0 versus ~$20+ per screen monthly on ScreenCloud. Every ad still needs your approval, and you keep 70% of cleared bookings.
What am I giving up?
ScreenCloud's corporate features: secure internal dashboards, comms channels, SSO. If your screens face customers rather than employees, you won't miss them.
How fast can I switch?
Media re-uploads directly; the guided onboarding rebuilds your first playlist and schedule automatically. Most single-venue setups finish inside an hour.
Do ads have to run on my screens?
No — every ad requires your approval, and you can run 100% your own content. Screens without approved ad slots are billed at $10 per screen per month; enable slots and the fee drops to $0.
Try the alternative that pays you back
Free for partner screens, no card. Pair one screen — or just the web player — and run it next to ScreenCloud for a week.
Start Free