A Trillboards alternative where you approve every ad — and the split is published
Trillboards and PiAds both make signage free by selling your screen time. Trillboards fills it from a programmatic exchange with category controls; PiAds sells it to local businesses you approve campaign by campaign, and pays a fixed 70%.
Trillboards is the most direct comparison to PiAds: free CMS, free device management, ad revenue instead of a subscription. Where it differs is the ad supply. Trillboards plugs your screen into an open programmatic exchange — hundreds of demand partners bidding for impressions — and your control is category-level: block alcohol, block gambling, allow-list verticals. You don't see or approve the individual creative before it airs, and the venue's share of each dollar isn't published. PiAds sells your slots to businesses near you, each campaign waits for your approval, and the split is a fixed 70% on every cleared booking. If you want your screen to feel like part of the neighborhood rather than a programmatic endpoint, that's the line.
Credit where due: Trillboards' 'triple-free' bundle (CMS, device management, curated content) is generous, programmatic demand can fill slots in places local advertisers haven't discovered yet, and their earnings claims for high-traffic venues are attractive if they hold. For an airport lounge or a chain with real programmatic scale, it may out-earn a local marketplace.
Trillboards vs PiAds at a glance
| Trillboards | PiAds | |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost | $0, ad-funded | $0 for partner screens with approved ad slots; $10/mo if ad-free |
| Who advertises | Programmatic exchange — hundreds of demand partners | Local businesses near your venue |
| Your control | Category blocking and allow-lists | Approve or decline every campaign, plus category controls |
| Revenue share | Not published | 70% of every cleared booking, published |
| Hardware | Android TV incl. Fire TV Stick, smart TVs, Chromecast | Native Fire TV app, Android TV, Raspberry Pi, browser — plus a free iOS app |
| Screen health | Device management included | Live online/offline, last-seen, last frame |
What it costs as you grow
| Screens | Trillboards / month | PiAds / month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 (ad-funded) | $0 |
| 5 | $0 (ad-funded) | $0 |
| 20 | $0 (ad-funded) | $0 |
Both platforms are free to run on partner screens; the comparison is what plays and what you keep. Trillboards does not publish the venue's share of ad revenue; its site cites typical earnings of $100–$300 per screen per month for medium-traffic venues and $400–$600 for high-traffic ones (their figures, September 2026). PiAds pays 70% of each cleared booking. Pricing as of September 2026.
Where Trillboards falls short
- •Programmatic fill — you block categories, you don't approve the specific ads your customers will see
- •The venue's revenue share isn't published; earnings depend on exchange CPMs and fill rate
- •Advertisers are whoever bids on the exchange, not businesses in your neighborhood
- •Launched March 2026; the ad-funded free model has a mixed track record (Framen pivoted to paid)
Where Trillboards beats PiAds — honestly
- •PiAds has no programmatic demand — if no local business books your screen, it earns nothing that month
- •Trillboards' curated content library is bigger; PiAds expects you to bring your own menus, promos, and media
- •The PiAds marketplace is strongest in the US metros where we have advertisers today
The difference is who's on your screen
Both platforms pay you. On Trillboards the buyer is an exchange bidding on impressions; on PiAds it's the gym, dentist, or shop down the street booking a daypart you priced and approved. Your content plays first, every campaign needs your sign-off, and 70% of each cleared booking is yours. The software is $0 for partner screens on both — so choose on control, not price.
The 30-minute switch
Most single-venue migrations from Trillboards 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 Trillboards, answered
How is PiAds different from Trillboards?
Both are free, ad-funded signage. Trillboards sells your screen time on a programmatic exchange and gives you category-level controls. PiAds sells it to local businesses, every campaign needs your approval before it plays, and the split is a published 70% to the venue.
Which earns more?
It depends on your venue. Programmatic demand can fill a screen anywhere; local demand depends on businesses near you booking. PiAds doesn't promise a monthly figure — you set slot prices, approve bookings, and keep 70% of what clears.
Can I see the ads before they run?
On PiAds, yes — every creative waits for your approval. On Trillboards you control which categories can run, not the individual ads.
Do I need new hardware?
No. Both run on a Fire TV Stick or Android TV device you own. PiAds also runs on Raspberry Pi and in any browser, and has a native iOS app for managing screens from your phone.
Can I use PiAds without ads?
Yes — ad-free screens are $10 per screen per month or $100 per year. Enable approved ad slots and the screen becomes free.
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 Trillboards for a week.
Start Free