How to choose touchscreen exhibit software: 10 questions to ask
A plain buyer's guide for museums, schools, and trade show teams. The five kinds of options, the 10 questions that separate them, and a checklist to bring to every demo.
The right touchscreen exhibit software is the one your own team can keep current for years, on the hardware you have, with or without internet, at a cost you can predict. Everything else is detail. This guide covers the five kinds of options you’ll run into, the 10 questions that separate them, and a checklist to bring to every demo.
The five kinds of options
Most choices fall into one of these groups. Each can be the right fit, depending on your budget, your staff, and how often the content changes.
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Custom build by a developer or agency | You need something truly one of a kind, like a game or a 3D model | Every change goes back to the developer, and support can end when the contract does |
| One-time license software | You want to pay once and own a working setup | Ask what “updates” and “support” cover, and for how long |
| Subscription platform | You want ongoing updates, new templates, and cloud editing | Ask what happens to your kiosks if you cancel |
| Digital signage software | You need slides, menus, or announcements on a loop | Most signage tools play content but aren’t built for people to tap and explore |
| A web page in a kiosk browser | You have web skills in house and a simple need | You own every part of it: design, updates, offline behavior, and locking down the kiosk |
10 questions to ask before you buy
1. Who will update it, and how long does a change take?
This matters more than any feature. Exhibits change: a date is wrong, a donor wants their name spelled differently, a new class gets inducted. Ask the vendor to show a non-technical person fixing a typo and publishing it, live, during the demo. Then ask how long until that change reaches the kiosk.
2. Does it keep running without internet?
Museum galleries, school lobbies, and convention centers all have unreliable Wi-Fi. Ask two things: does a connected kiosk keep playing when the network drops, and can the interactive run fully offline from files copied over by USB stick? If the answer to either is no, plan for the day the screen goes blank. Our guide to running an interactive exhibit with no internet covers the options in detail.
3. What hardware does it need?
Some software runs on a standard Mac or Windows computer, some needs a specific media player, and some needs a particular brand of touchscreen. Ask for the minimum specs in writing. Software that runs on ordinary hardware is cheaper to replace when a computer fails. See what you need to run a touchscreen kiosk in a museum for screens, computers, mounts, and power.
4. What happens if you stop paying?
This is the question most buyers forget. With some products, kiosks keep playing forever. With others, they stop at the end of the plan or after a grace period. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you’re buying, and see it in the terms, before you sign.
5. What does it cost over five years?
Compare options on total cost, not the first invoice. For each one, add up the software, setup or installation, support, any yearly fee to keep editing or get updates, and hardware. Five years is a fair window, since that’s about how long a kiosk computer lasts.
6. Can you try it with your own content?
A polished demo with the vendor’s sample content tells you little. Ask for a trial or a sandbox, build one real interactive with your own photos and text, and run it on the screen you plan to use. You’ll learn more in an afternoon than in three sales calls.
7. Will it match your brand and your space?
Look for control over your logo, colors, and fonts, and for both landscape and portrait layouts, so the same software fits a wall screen, a touch table, and a standing kiosk. Check how text reads from a step back, not just up close.
8. Is it accessible?
Ask about alt text for images, larger text options, reduced motion for visitors sensitive to animation, and how the layout works for someone using a wheelchair, since controls placed high on a tall screen can be out of reach. Mounting height and screen angle matter as much as the software.
9. Who owns the content and the data?
Your photos, stories, and any leads you collect should be yours. Ask whether you can export your content and your lead lists as a spreadsheet, and what happens to your content if you leave. If the kiosk collects contact details, ask how visitors give permission and where that record is kept.
10. What happens when something breaks?
Ask who you call, how fast they answer, and what the kiosk does after a power outage. Good software comes back on its own when the power returns. Also ask whether the screen resets to a welcome screen when a visitor walks away, so the next person doesn’t start in the middle of someone else’s visit.
A checklist to bring to every demo
- A non-technical person fixes a typo and publishes it while I watch
- The kiosk keeps playing with the network unplugged
- It can run fully offline from a USB stick
- Minimum hardware specs are in writing
- I know what happens to my kiosks if I stop paying
- I have a five-year total cost, including hardware and support
- I built one interactive with my own content during a trial
- My logo, colors, and fonts carry through, in landscape and portrait
- Alt text, larger text, and reduced motion are available
- I can export my content and leads as a spreadsheet
- The kiosk comes back by itself after a power outage
How Tellcase answers these
We built Tellcase around these questions, so here are our answers, including where we fall short. Your own team updates interactives from a browser, even from a phone. Kiosks run on a Mac mini, a Windows PC, or a BrightSign player, keep playing when the network drops, and can run fully offline from a USB stick or microSD card. Pricing is public: Tellcase Lifetime is $7,000 once, and its kiosks never pause. Monthly plans start at $49, and on those, kiosks pause after the plan ends; our pricing page spells out exactly when. Leads download as a spreadsheet. There’s no direct CRM connection or visitor analytics yet.
Start with the eight templates, try one live, or compare plans. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Quick answers
What is touchscreen exhibit software?
It is the software that runs the interactive on a touchscreen kiosk, such as a timeline, a digital hall of fame, or a product showcase, plus the tool your team uses to build and update it. Some options are custom builds, some are one-time licenses, and some are subscriptions.
What is the most important question to ask before buying?
Who will update the content, and how. A touchscreen that only the vendor can change goes out of date fast. Ask the vendor to show a non-technical person fixing a typo and publishing it, live, during the demo.
Does a museum kiosk need internet?
It shouldn't have to. Look for software that keeps playing when the network drops, and that can run fully offline from files you copy over, for galleries and booths with no reliable Wi-Fi.
How do I compare a one-time price with a subscription?
Add up five years of each, including hardware, setup, support, and any fee to keep editing or receive updates. Then ask what happens to your kiosks if you stop paying, because some options pause and others keep playing.
Can I try touchscreen exhibit software before buying?
Many tools offer a free trial or a live demo. Use it to build one real interactive with your own photos and text, and run it on the actual screen you plan to use.