# 10 Best Anthias (Screenly OSE) Alternatives for 2026

> Looking for an Anthias alternative? Compare 10 open-source and cloud-based digital signage platforms that beat Anthias on templates, scheduling, and setup.

Source: https://signagespace.com/blog/anthias-alternatives/

By SignageSpace · 2026-04-20

Anthias (formerly Screenly OSE) is the go-to open-source digital signage option for many Raspberry Pi tinkerers — free, self-hosted, and lightweight. But once you try to run it in production, the rough edges show up fast: slow scheduling, bare-bones templates, manual player pairing, and no real cloud dashboard.

If you've hit those walls, here are the **10 best Anthias alternatives** that go further — some open source like Anthias, some cloud-hosted, all easier to scale beyond a single screen.

💡 **Quick pick:** If you want Anthias' free Raspberry Pi support *plus* a proper cloud dashboard and drag-and-drop templates, [SignageSpace has a free plan](https://app.signagespace.com/cms/#/login) that works on any Pi.

## Why look for an Anthias alternative?

Anthias is great for a single Raspberry Pi showing a slideshow in a back office. The problems start when you need anything more:

- **No multi-screen dashboard** — you pair and manage each Pi one by one.
- **Scheduling is primitive** — basic time slots, no recurring rules, no day-parting.
- **Templates are DIY** — upload your own HTML or images; no editor.
- **Reliability on consumer Pis** — playback stutters and reboots are common.
- **Minimal community support** since the Screenly OSS fork stalled.

All of the alternatives below fix at least one of these. The right one depends on whether you value *open source self-hosting*, *cloud convenience*, or *power features* like videowall splits and API access.

## 1. SignageSpace

[SignageSpace](https://signagespace.com/) is a free cloud digital signage platform that runs on any Raspberry Pi, Android TV, Windows, Mac, or browser. Unlike Anthias it's managed through a single dashboard — pair a screen, build a playlist with drag-and-drop, and publish.

**Best for:** anyone who likes Anthias' "works on a Pi" story but wants a proper dashboard, scheduling, and layout templates without running their own server.

**Pros:** Free plan with no credit card, works on any device, canvas layout editor, playlist + channel scheduling, live remote updates.

**Cons:** Content lives in the cloud (offline-first is planned, not there yet).

**Price:** Free; premium from $1/month per screen.

## 2. Xibo

Xibo is an established open-source signage CMS with both self-hosted and cloud (Xibo Cloud) options. More features than Anthias — including videowall splits, datasets, and event triggers — but also a heavier install.

**Best for:** teams comfortable running a LAMP stack or paying for Xibo Cloud.

**Pros:** Mature, huge feature set, active community.

**Cons:** Steeper learning curve; the Pi player is Android-based, not native Raspberry Pi OS.

## 3. piSignage

piSignage is purpose-built for Raspberry Pi, with a free open-source player and an optional cloud CMS. Closer to Anthias in philosophy but with a richer dashboard.

**Best for:** Pi-only deployments where you want stable playback and a clean CMS.

**Pros:** Polished Pi player, affordable cloud plan, HDMI-CEC TV control.

**Cons:** Limited to Pi hardware; template editor is basic.

## 4. Info-beamer

Info-beamer runs a custom real-time graphics engine on Raspberry Pi — smooth, pixel-perfect, with a `.lua`-based layout system. It's the closest thing to professional signage hardware that still runs on a $40 Pi.

**Best for:** retail and events where visual quality matters more than dashboard ergonomics.

**Pros:** Gorgeous rendering, lowest latency, hardware watchdog.

**Cons:** Writing layouts is code-first; pricing per device adds up.

## 5. Yodeck

[Yodeck](https://signagespace.com/yodeck-alternatives/) is a cloud CMS that ships preconfigured Raspberry Pi players. Drop-in hardware, no Linux required.

**Best for:** non-technical users who want the plug-and-play experience.

**Pros:** Beginner-friendly, good templates, solid support.

**Cons:** Pricing scales per screen; limited customization.

## 6. ScreenCloud

[ScreenCloud](https://signagespace.com/screencloud-alternatives/) is an enterprise-grade cloud CMS. Not Pi-native but has a ScreenCloud OS image for Pi and Intel boxes.

**Best for:** mid-to-large deployments with integrations (Google Sheets, Slack, etc.) in mind.

**Pros:** Polished product, enterprise integrations.

**Cons:** Expensive; overkill for a few screens.

## 7. Concerto

Open-source signage software originally built at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Self-hosted Ruby on Rails app with a web-based CMS.

**Best for:** universities and nonprofits with a Rails sysadmin.

**Pros:** Truly free, MIT-licensed, good for campus-scale deployments.

**Cons:** Small community, requires Rails knowledge, Pi playback is via a browser — not always stable.

## 8. FlutterPi (DIY)

Not a signage app — a Flutter engine for Pi. You write your own signage app in Dart. For teams with engineering bandwidth who want total control.

**Best for:** product teams embedding signage into a larger app.

**Pros:** Any UI, any integration.

**Cons:** Not a product — you're the product.

## 9. OptiSigns

[OptiSigns](https://signagespace.com/optisigns-alternatives/) is a cloud signage platform that supports Pi via their Android image or their ProPlayer hardware. More apps and integrations than most alternatives here.

**Best for:** teams needing Google Slides, social feeds, and a huge app library.

**Pros:** Broad app catalog, strong templates.

**Cons:** Priced per-screen, can get expensive.

## 10. Rise Vision

Aimed at schools and classrooms. Cloud CMS, free tier for education, template library focused on announcements.

**Best for:** K–12 and higher ed deployments.

**Pros:** Free for schools, strong education templates.

**Cons:** Feature set is narrower outside education use cases.

## How to choose

Three quick filters:

- **Self-host vs cloud?** Anthias, Xibo (self-host), Concerto are self-hosted. Everything else is cloud.
- **How many screens?** 1–3 screens: free tier of a cloud CMS beats running Anthias. 10+ screens: dashboard + APIs matter more than hardware cost.
- **Who's managing it?** Non-technical users want Yodeck or SignageSpace. Tinkerers love Info-beamer.

If you came from Anthias because "free on a Pi" was the draw, [SignageSpace's free plan](https://app.signagespace.com/cms/#/login) keeps that without the manual pairing, plus gives you a real dashboard and templates.

## FAQ

**Is Anthias still maintained?** Sort of — it's the community fork of Screenly OSE. Development has slowed significantly since Screenly pivoted to Screenly Pro.

**What replaced Screenly OSE?** Anthias is the direct fork. Screenly Pro is the commercial successor.

**Can I switch from Anthias without changing my Pi hardware?** Yes — SignageSpace, piSignage, Yodeck, OptiSigns, and ScreenCloud all run on the same Raspberry Pi 3/4/5 hardware Anthias supports.

**Which alternative has the easiest free tier?** SignageSpace (no credit card) and Yodeck (1 screen free) are the lowest-friction.

### Put content on any screen in minutes SignageSpace is a no-code digital signage platform. Create playlists, schedule content, and manage any number of screens from one dashboard — on any TV, Android device, or Raspberry Pi. [Start free — no credit card](https://app.signagespace.com/cms/#/login) Works with Windows, Mac, Android TV, Raspberry Pi, and web browsers