Resources
Glossary
Definitions of digital signage software, interactive kiosks, no-code platforms, wayfinding, digital interpretation, and related exhibit terms.
Platforms & software
What is a CMS for digital signage?
A CMS, or content management system, for [digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) is the content layer that feeds screens: collections, media, copy, and versions. A generic web CMS is built for pages and posts, not for physical displays, kiosk flows, or a player on hardware.
Platforms & softwareWhat is digital signage software?
Digital signage software is a system for creating, scheduling, and publishing content to screens in physical spaces—lobbies, galleries, stores, campuses—instead of treating each display as a one-off slideshow. It is built for always-on playback, remote updates, and, in interactive products, touch.
Platforms & softwareHow much does digital signage software cost?
[Digital signage software](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) typically runs from free tiers to hundreds of dollars per screen, per month, depending on the vendor. Custom interactive builds add tens of thousands up front plus retainers. Zibit uses a flat plan instead of a per-screen meter—see the FAQ for current Zibit prices.
Platforms & softwareWhat is interactive kiosk software?
Interactive kiosk software is the authoring and playback system behind a walk-up touchscreen—not a looping video. It handles layouts, navigation between screens, media, and deployment to physical hardware so visitors can tap, search, or explore on their own.
Platforms & softwareWhat is a no-code platform?
A no-code platform lets people build and publish software visually—with a drag-and-drop editor, templates, and shared styles—instead of writing code. Zibit is a no-code platform for [digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software), [interactive kiosks](/resources/glossary/interactive-kiosk-software), and [touchscreen exhibits](/resources/glossary/touchscreen-exhibit), so the people closest to the content can ship without a developer.
Platforms & softwareNo-code vs. low-code vs. custom development
[No-code](/resources/glossary/no-code-platform) means non-developers can build and publish. Low-code still needs technical staff for glue code and custom logic. Custom development is built from scratch and stays expensive to change. For most kiosk, exhibit, and signage work, no-code covers the job; custom is for one-off hardware or system integrations.
Players & multi-screen
What is a digital signage player?
A [digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) player is the app or appliance that runs published content on a physical screen. In Zibit, the Zibit player app installs on Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android, BrightSign, Raspberry Pi, tvOS, and Amazon sticks, keeps a local copy of the project, and continues playing if the network drops.
Players & multi-screenWhat is multi-screen sync in digital signage?
Multi-screen sync means one project drives several displays at the same time, in real time—including interactions that carry from a touchscreen to a companion wall. It is not copying the same file onto two USB sticks.
Experience types
What is a digital menu board?
A digital menu board is signage for food, retail, or attractions that shows offerings, prices, and promotions—often across several coordinated screens. Updates should not require a designer on site every time an item changes.
Experience typesDigital signage vs. interactive kiosk—what's the difference?
[Digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) is typically one-way: scheduled content on a screen people look at. An [interactive kiosk](/resources/glossary/interactive-kiosk-software) is two-way: a visitor touches, searches, or navigates. Many venues need both—a menu board beside a product explorer—which is why [multi-screen sync](/resources/glossary/multi-screen-sync) matters.
Experience typesWhat is a digital wayfinding system?
A digital wayfinding system helps people find destinations in a building or campus using directories, maps, and often a touchscreen. It is a kiosk and signage use case—not a separate product category—and it has to stay accurate when rooms, hours, or exhibits change.
Experience typesWhat is a self-service kiosk?
A self-service kiosk is a walk-up screen where a visitor completes a task without staff—wayfinding, catalog lookup, hours and tickets, donor information. It is distinct from a staff-operated checkout terminal, even when both use a touchscreen.
Experience typesWhat is a visitor center kiosk?
A visitor center kiosk orients people when they arrive: hours, maps, exhibits, events, and often a short story about the place. It usually mixes wayfinding and interpretation, and it has to work for first-time visitors without staff standing next to the screen.
Museums & cultural
What is digital interpretation?
Digital interpretation is the museum and cultural-institution term for using digital tools—kiosks, signage, interactive displays, and online experiences—to help visitors understand a collection, space, or story. For small institutions, it is how a small staff extends a finite gallery.
Museums & culturalWhat is a museum interactive exhibit?
A museum interactive exhibit is a digital experience in a gallery that visitors use to explore collections, stories, or data—kiosks, multi-screen stories, donor walls. Unlike a printed label, it can be updated after install day without a developer standing in the gallery.
Museums & culturalWhat is a touchscreen exhibit?
A touchscreen exhibit is an interactive installed on a touch display—visitors tap, swipe, or scroll through content in the gallery. It is a common form of museum interactive and a subset of [interactive kiosk software](/resources/glossary/interactive-kiosk-software), and it has to be tested on the real screen, not only on a laptop.
Accessibility
What does accessible digital signage mean?
Accessible [digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) is designed so more people can perceive and operate it: color and type contrast, captions, voiceover, and support for accessibility controllers. It is broader than a single ADA checklist—it is how the experience behaves for visitors who are not the “default” user.
AccessibilityWhat is ADA-compliant digital signage?
ADA-compliant [digital signage](/resources/glossary/digital-signage-software) means a public screen can reasonably be used by people with disabilities under U.S. ADA expectations—contrast, reach ranges, captions, and alternative input. “ADA-compliant” is a legal bar evaluated in context; it is not a sticker a vendor can grant once.