The Amazon Signage Stick is a $99.99 Android box, the box behind the TV, that runs any of several signage apps, including Brix. The OptiSigns Player is OptiSigns' own hardware line: the OptiStick, Pro Player and ProMax. OptiSigns sells them for its own software and names no other CMS for them. The names look alike, but the lock-in sits on opposite sides. The Amazon stick is the open box. OptiSigns' own stick is the closed one, but it is the hardware OptiSigns names for its remote commands.
Try Brix free on an Amazon Signage Stick for 7 days, no card needed: start a free trial.
What the little box behind the TV actually does
Both are media players: the box behind the TV that holds the signage app and sends content to the screen. Neither one is the content management system (CMS), the dashboard where you build playlists and schedules.
- The Amazon Signage Stick ships blank. During setup you pick a CMS from Amazon's own provider directory, among them Brix, OptiSigns, Yodeck, AbleSign, Rise Vision and ScreenCloud. Amazon's listing for the Stick says: "Just choose your favorite CMS and start displaying on any screen."
- The OptiSigns Player line ships with the OptiSigns Player app already installed. OptiSigns' own hardware page lists its players as "Compatible with all OptiSigns apps & features," with no other CMS named.
OptiSigns also supports its software on the Amazon Signage Stick. Its support site walks through pairing the Stick in Amazon's own Signage Manager, then selecting OptiSigns from the CMS dropdown there. So OptiSigns itself runs on both boxes.
See every CMS the Stick supports, compared on price and offline playback.
Amazon Signage Stick vs OptiSigns Player: the comparison
| Amazon Signage Stick | OptiStick | Pro Player | ProMax Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | $99.99 | $349 | $799 |
| CMS it runs | Any of the 80+ on Amazon's partner list, Brix included | OptiSigns (the only CMS its page names) | OptiSigns | OptiSigns |
| Storage | 16 GB listed, about 12 GB usable | 16 GB eMMC | 128 GB industrial SSD | 256 GB industrial SSD |
| Video out | 4K, 1 HDMI | 4K, 1 HDMI | 4K, 3 HDMI 2.0b | 8K, DisplayPort + 3 HDMI 2.1 |
| Ethernet | Needs a $14.99 adapter | Built in, 100 Mbps | Built in, 1 Gbps | Built in, 1 Gbps |
Prices and specs: Amazon's own product listing and OptiSigns' hardware page. The Signage Stick's listing advertises 16 GB; Brix's own fleet sees about 12 GB usable once the operating system takes its share.
What one screen costs in the first year
Hardware is a one-time cost. The CMS plan runs every month on top of it.
- Amazon Signage Stick + Brix: $99.99 for the stick, plus $72 a year for Brix ($6 a month, billed annually). First-year total: about $172.
- Amazon Signage Stick + OptiSigns Standard: $99.99 for the stick, plus $108 a year ($9 a month, billed annually). First-year total: about $208. Remote commands need Pro Plus, and OptiSigns' remote-commands article does not name the Amazon Signage Stick.
- OptiStick + OptiSigns Pro Plus: $99.99 for the stick, plus $162 a year ($13.50 a month, billed annually, needed for remote commands). First-year total: about $262.
- Pro Player + OptiSigns Pro Plus: $349 for the player, plus $162 a year. First-year total: about $511.
OptiSigns plan prices come from its pricing page.
Which one to buy
Amazon Signage Stick
- Price: $99.99, one time.
- Best for: a fleet that wants to pick the CMS now, or switch later.
- CMS choice: any provider in Amazon's directory, Brix included.
- Strengths: tied with the OptiStick as the cheapest box here, and the only one not tied to one CMS.
- Watch out for: no built-in Ethernet. Budget the $14.99 adapter for wired network.
OptiSigns Player (OptiStick, Pro, ProMax)
- Price: $99.99 / $349 / $799, one time, plus an OptiSigns plan.
- Best for: a network already on OptiSigns that wants its full remote toolkit.
- CMS choice: OptiSigns, the only CMS its page names.
- Strengths: built-in Ethernet on every model. Pro and ProMax add a serial port and extra HDMI outputs.
- Watch out for: full remote control needs this hardware AND a higher plan. See the next section.
Remote control: the second lock-in
Buying a box that can run OptiSigns is not the same as getting OptiSigns' remote toolkit on it. OptiSigns' own support article on remote commands names only the OptiStick, Pro and ProMax. It covers reboot, screenshot, Wi-Fi changes and HDMI-CEC TV control. It does not name the Amazon Signage Stick. Sending these commands needs an OptiSigns Pro Plus plan or higher: $13.50 per screen per month billed annually, or $15 billed monthly.
Brix uses Amazon's own Remote Management API on the Signage Stick, on any Brix plan:
- Reboot the stick from the CMS.
- Pull a live screenshot of what the screen shows right now.
- Turn the screen off outside opening hours over HDMI-CEC (Screen hours).
- Change the stick's Wi-Fi network without a site visit.
Pairing a Signage Stick with Brix takes a median of 2.6 minutes, measured across Brix's own fleet. That is from the code on the TV to the screen showing up in Brix. Setup end to end, including picking Brix as the CMS, takes about 10 minutes.
Setting up either box
Amazon Signage Stick, with Brix:
- Plug the stick into the screen's HDMI port and power it on.
- In the stick's own on-screen setup, pick "Brix Signage" as the CMS.
- In the Brix CMS, go to Screens, then select Add screen.
- Select Pair a hardware device, then enter the code shown on the TV.
OptiSigns Player:
- Plug the OptiStick, Pro or ProMax into the screen. The OptiSigns Player app starts on boot.
- Pair it in the OptiSigns portal with the code shown on the screen.
- For remote commands, confirm the workspace is on an OptiSigns Pro Plus plan or higher.
Where Brix fits
Brix runs on the Amazon Signage Stick, Fire TV and Android boxes such as the Walmart Onn. It also runs on Google TV and Android TV sets, and on Windows. The price is $6 per screen per month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly. The trial is 7 days, no card needed. For a fleet of 30 or more screens, Amazon provides the Sticks free and Brix arranges it.
Brix does not sell its own branded hardware the way OptiSigns does. A network that wants a serial port, or several HDMI outputs from one box, should look at the Pro or ProMax Player instead.
Comparing OptiSigns as software, not hardware? See the best OptiSigns alternatives for its plans and app library judged against other CMS options.
FAQ
Can you run OptiSigns on the Amazon Signage Stick?
Yes. OptiSigns' own support site walks through pairing the Stick and selecting OptiSigns as the CMS in Amazon's Signage Manager.
Does OptiSigns' remote reboot and screenshot work on the Amazon Signage Stick?
No. OptiSigns' remote-commands article covers reboot and screenshot only on its own OptiStick, Pro and ProMax players, on Pro Plus or higher. Its Amazon Signage Stick guide covers setup and pairing only, and Amazon's CMS directory does not give OptiSigns the Remote Management label. You can still reboot a Stick by hand from Amazon's own Signage Manager portal.
Does the OptiSigns Player run a CMS other than OptiSigns?
OptiSigns names none. It describes the OptiStick, Pro and ProMax as compatible with OptiSigns apps and features, with no other CMS named.
What does the Amazon Signage Stick cost compared with the OptiSigns Player line?
The Amazon Signage Stick and the entry OptiStick are both $99.99. The Pro Player is $349. The ProMax is $799. A CMS subscription is separate from every price above.
Which CMS providers can you choose on the Amazon Signage Stick?
More than 80, per Amazon's CMS partner list. They include Brix, OptiSigns, Yodeck, AbleSign, Rise Vision and ScreenCloud.
Try Brix free on an Amazon Signage Stick for 7 days, no card needed: start a free trial.