Software
Digital menu board software: Samsung VXT vs CrownTV Dashboard vs free
The screen is the easy part. The software decides who can change a price at 6 a.m., whether breakfast swaps to lunch by itself, and what happens when a screen goes blank on a Saturday. Here are the three routes we see, with real prices.
Prices checked October 22, 2026. Questions: (201) 834-6412.
Menu board software compared
| Samsung VXT / MagicINFO | CrownTV Dashboard | Xibo (open source) | Anthias (open source) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | VXT $150/screen/yr (CDW list) | $20/screen/mo, billed yearly | CMS free if you host it | Free |
| 4 screens, per year | $600 | $960 | Your server and your time | Your Raspberry Pis and your time |
| Extra hardware | None on Samsung QBC/QMC | CrownTV player (in its all-in package) | Depends on the player you pick | A Raspberry Pi per screen |
| Menu templates | Some included; you adapt them | Yes, editable layouts | Build your own | None, you upload finished images |
| Change prices from a phone | Yes | Yes | Yes, through your server | On the same network, per device |
| Who to call when it breaks | Samsung support / your reseller | CrownTV's New York team | Community forum or paid Xibo support | Community |
CrownTV Dashboard price from crowntv-us.com/pricing. VXT price is CDW's list for VXT CMS Standard, 1 year, 1 display. CrownTV is our install and software side.
Samsung VXT and MagicINFO
Every Samsung QBC and QMC screen has Samsung's Tizen player inside, so VXT needs nothing but a login. You pair each screen with a code, build playlists in the browser and schedule them. For a single restaurant that already bought Samsung screens, it's the lowest-friction paid option: four screens run $600 a year at CDW's list price.
The trade-off is design. VXT gives you tools, not finished menus, so someone has to lay out the board and keep it current. MagicINFO Server is the older, self-hosted version, and it rarely makes sense for a restaurant without an IT person. Our sister site covers MagicINFO and VXT licensing in detail.
CrownTV Dashboard
$20 per screen per month, billed yearly. It comes with menu templates you edit instead of designing from scratch, day-part scheduling, and a New York support team that answers tickets. It's built for chains: Pressed Juicery runs its menu boards across stores on it, with each screen showing its own zone and updates pushed to every store at once.
It costs more than VXT over time. For four screens that's $960 a year against $600. What you're paying for is not doing the layout work yourself and having someone to call.
The free options, honestly
Xibo is an open-source signage CMS. You install the server yourself (or pay Xibo for hosting), build layouts, and schedule them to players. It's capable, and it's real work: someone has to patch the server, and not every Xibo player is free, so check the licence for the player platform you pick before you count on $0.
Anthias, the project formerly called Screenly OSE, turns a Raspberry Pi into a player that loops images, videos and web pages. Each Pi has its own web page for managing content, so four screens means four places to update. That's fine for a menu that changes twice a year and painful for daily specials.
Our view: free tools suit an owner who enjoys this stuff. If the person changing prices is a shift manager at 6 a.m., pay for VXT or a managed system.
What to ask any menu board software vendor
- Can breakfast switch to lunch at 11:00 by itself, and on weekends at a different time?
- Can I mark one item sold out from my phone without redesigning the board?
- If the internet drops, does the screen keep playing? Unplug the cable during the demo and watch.
- Does it run on the Samsung screen's built-in player, or do I need a box behind every screen?
- If you claim POS sync, show it working with my Toast or Square account, not a demo account.
Still need the screens? A QB43C is $696 today (as of October 25, 2026), and the kits page prices full rows.
Menu board software: questions
What is the best digital menu board software?
For one store with an owner who will edit menus, Samsung VXT is the simplest because it runs on the screen's own player, while for several stores, or if nobody wants to design menus, a managed platform with templates like CrownTV Dashboard saves time. Free tools fit owners who are comfortable running a small server.
Can I change menu prices from my phone?
Yes with any cloud system, including VXT and CrownTV Dashboard. Both run in a phone browser. USB playback and some self-hosted setups can't be changed remotely.
Does menu board software connect to Toast or Square?
Not in the setups we price on this site. Prices are edited in the signage software. Some signage vendors advertise POS menu sync; ask for a demo using your own POS account before you rely on it.
Do I need a separate media player?
Not with a Samsung QBC or QMC screen running VXT or MagicINFO, because the player is built into the screen. Raspberry Pi-based free tools and some third-party platforms need their own box plugged into HDMI.
Is there free digital menu board software?
Yes: Xibo is open-source signage software you host yourself, Anthias (formerly Screenly OSE) turns a Raspberry Pi into a free player that loops images, video and web pages, and on a Samsung QBC a USB stick in the built-in player costs nothing at all. All three cost time instead of money, because someone has to patch the server, update each Pi or swap the stick.
Can I run menu board software on a regular TV?
Yes, if you add a player, because a regular TV has no signage player built in: a Raspberry Pi running Anthias, or a third-party box, plugs into HDMI and drives it, though the TV itself has no duty rating for long business days and its warranty usually excludes commercial use. A Samsung QBC or QMC runs VXT or MagicINFO on its own player.
What happens if the internet goes down?
Most cloud systems keep playing the last content they downloaded. Ask any vendor to show you this by unplugging the network cable during the demo.
How much does menu board software cost per month?
From $0 (USB or open source) to $20 per screen per month for CrownTV Dashboard billed yearly. Samsung VXT was listed at $150 per screen per year at CDW on October 22, 2026, about $12.5 a month.