The platform of choice for implementing the most demanding digital signage projects.

OnSign TV is a professional CMS platform for creating, managing, and displaying content on signage screens. It has a comprehensive feature set, lengthy content library, and choice of plans with annual and volume discounts. However, the free trial is shorter at 14 days, and support is only available through a contact portal.

Pros

• +Free 14-day trial
• +Choice of tiered plans
• +Annual and volume discounts available

Cons

• -Shorter trial than some competitors
• -No free tier
• -No direct phone support

OnSign TV, is a digital signage software that allows you to create, manage, and display content on screens, tablets, or video walls. OnSign TV is incorporated in Hong Kong and has its main development team in South America. It embraces a global view, with a commitment to providing its customers with excellent service globally. Via its network of partners in over 50 countries, it is constantly seeking to expand its reach.

As it has been a developer of internet services since 1995, it has experience with reliability and scalability of cloud services. OnSign TV’s cloud-based platform allows users to easily manage  content, create and schedule playlists, and even track viewership data.

ONSIGN TV: FEATURES

OnSign TV, a digital signage platform that allows you to manage your screens and content from anywhere.

OnSign TV has many features that make it easy and reliable to use, such as:

Remote view: You can see what is playing on your screens in real time from your web browser.

Apps: You can choose from more than 100 free apps to create engaging and dynamic content for your screens.

Custom apps: You can also create your own apps using the free SDK and integrate them with OnSign TV.

Redundancy: You can set up backup players and content to ensure your screens never go blank.

User management: You can create and manage multiple users and organizations with different permissions and access levels.

Touch support: You can enable interactive content and gestures on your touch screens.

GPS-based triggers: You can trigger content based on the location of your screens, such as weather, traffic, or nearby events.

IoT-integration: You can connect your screens with sensors, cameras, and other devices to create smart and responsive signage.

Server integration: You can integrate OnSign TV with your own servers and databases to display custom data and information.

API: You can use the OnSign TV API to automate tasks and integrate with other platforms.

Offline HTML file support: You can upload and display HTML files that work offline, without internet connection.

Custom font upload: You can upload and use your own fonts on your screens.

Support for complex and nested playlists: You can create playlists with multiple levels and conditions to display your content.

Enterprise features: You can use audit log, single sign-on, and other features to enhance the security and efficiency of your signage network.

OnSign TV is compatible with a wide range of hardware devices, including Android, Windows, Linux, BrightSign, and Samsung SSSP. You can also use the OnSign TV app for Android to turn your smartphone or tablet into a signage player.

Overall, we would characterize it as a powerful feature set, which both novices and experts will find what they need.

ONSIGN TV: PRICING

OnSign TV offers a choice of two tiers of plans. We did not find a free tier of plan, but there is a free 14-day trial, which is shorter than many competitors in the space that offer a full 30-day trial.

The lower tier of plan is called Professional, and comes in at a cost of $19.99/month per player when paid monthly, with volume discounts of greater than 25 players coming in at $16.99/month/player, and over 100 players at $14.99/month/player. There are also annual discounts available which start at $215.88 for the year per player, which works out to $17.99/month/player, and also similar discounts at higher volumes. It has a long list of features included such as email notifications, on demand content triggering, custom font uploads, and animated content transitions.

The upper plan is designated as Enterprise, with a cost of $29.99/month/player on a monthly basis, or $323.90 annually/player, which works out to the significant discount of $26.99/month/player. There are also volume discounts as well for over 100 players at $269.90, and also for over 250 players at $215.90/player. This plan has all the features of the lower plan, and adds a single sign on, an audit log, account login tracking, the option to revoke active ongoing sessions, and even more.

ONSIGN TV: SUPPORT

The direct support for OnSign TV is somewhat limited, with the single option to get in touch as a support portal. We would like to see an option for a live chat, and of course, a phone number to call as sometime direct contact is needed to resolve a more complicated issue. We also find it useful that there is the option on the support portal to upload a screenshot, a useful tool to share what the issue is, and mark up the image to pinpoint the problem. We did technically find an email, but it starts with info@, which leads us to believe that it is more targeted for sales, than support of the user base.

On the self help side of support, there is more content. We found numerous Tutorials, in both text, and YouTube video format. We also like the option to download it in a PDF for easy printing when working on an issue. Under the Expert Tips section, there is a nice library of content all in video format. We also like the Blog that is more for novice users, and the Release Notes that is more detailed and targets more mature users of the platform.

ONSIGN TV: FINAL VERDICT

OnSign TV is a professional CMS platform that allows you to create, manage, and display content on various types of signage screens. Strong points include the comprehensive feature set, the lengthy amount of content, and the choice of plans with both annual and volume discounts. Some shortcomings include that the free trial is shorter at 14 days, that the direct support is only a contact portal, and that there is no direct phone support. Overall, Onsign TV is a strong entry into the competitive digital signage space.

The post OnSign TV Review appeared first on Review Products.

Transforming Screens Into Powerful Engagement.

TelemetryTV offers a long feature set to take your screen to the next level, and vastly increase its engagement. While we like that the pricing is upfront and the free trial, we do note the more limited support options on lower plans and that there is no free tier.

Pros

• +Annual discounts on some plans
• +Transparent pricing
• +Free trial
• +Detailed self help support info

Cons

• -No free tier
• -Limited support options on lower tiers
• -No discounts for larger numbers of screens

TelemetryTV is a powerful digital signage platform built for the modern organization who needs to engage audiences, generate awareness, and give their teams and communities a voice. It is used by top organizations, including Starbucks, the Stanford School of Medicine, Carvana and Amazon.

TelemetryTV allows users to broadcast dynamic content easily by streaming video, images, social feeds, turnkey apps, and data-driven dashboards to all of your displays wherever they are TelemetryTV is a powerful digital signage platform launched in 2013 that helps modern organizations engage audiences, raise awareness, and give their teams and communities a voice. It allows users to easily broadcast dynamic content by streaming video, images, social feeds, turnkey apps, and data-driven dashboards to all of their displays, wherever they are.

TELEMETRY TV: FEATURES

TelemetryTV is a cloud-based digital signage software, which operates a SaaS subscription model, with no availability for a perpetual license or on-premise hosting. It has a variety of features, including: content management to display schedules, events, and videos with customized layouts, along with device management that covers a wide range of hardware options, and scheduling to encompass a single page, multiple pages, or an entire playlist- your choice. There is also support for multiple content types, the ability to display a web application on any screen and support for social feeds that can broadcast streaming video, images, social feeds, turnkey apps, or even data driven dashboards. You can also rest assured that there is support for seamless integration with your current business architecture, along with SOC2-certified security.

Additional features round out the comprehensive approach of TelemetryTV, with support for remote use, auto updates, the ability to display schedules, videos and events via customized layouts, and a login process that can be automated.

TELEMETRY TV: PRICING

TelemetryTV is a subscription based model, with a choice of plans, three for business, and two for enterprise. There is no free tier, but there is an offer for a free trial, and some plans offer an annual discount when committing to pay a year at a time rather than monthly. We also would have liked to see a discount when taking the subscription for multiple devices on the business plans, but a shortcoming is that the additional devices are priced the same unless it is an enterprise plan, which in all fairness is how other products in the space do as well.

The bottom plan is Entry, which costs $9/month per device, with no minimum number of devices. It includes up to 5 user licenses, with a limit of 10 playlists, 10 GB of storage with bandwidth of 100 GB/month. There is also support for iOS, Mac, Windows and Android. It otherwise includes support for most of the features, such as the app library, image and video file storage, real time content management and Google Drive integration. Support is limited to only live chat.

Moving up a tier is the Core, which has a cost of $15 per month per device, with the option to pay annually at a rate of $13/month per device. It adds multiple features, including group permissions, user activity logs, automatic device provisioning, and playlist and device tag filters. It also increases to 100 user licenses, 50 GB of media storage, and bandwidth of 1000 GB/month.

The top business plan is Elite, at a slightly higher cost of $16 per month per device, but the lone option is to pay it upfront on an annual basis. The other issue with this plan is that it must be taken for a minimum of 10 devices, a likely significant barrier to admission for smaller businesses and organizations. It adds a handful of features to the lower plans, such as embeddable playlists, serial port commands, proof of play and device logs, and media auto expire. It also has a larger limit of 1,000 user licenses.

There are also two enterprise plans, starting at Network at a cost of $9/device/month, and a minimum of 500 devices (and includes the option for volume discounts with even more devices.

TELEMETRY TV: SUPPORT

There are a number of options for direct support, but some of the options are reserved for the higher tiers of plan. More specifically, TelemetryTV provides email and live chat support as standard. However, phone and video support gets reserved for the Plus, Network, and Enterprise Plans. Also be aware that support hours are 4AM – 5PM PST, with the days of operation not specified, along with an email for direct contact with the caveat that it is “For large opportunities in an unsupported time zone.”

There are also resources for self help information as well. These include a blog, a “Getting Started” guide which has helpful videos, an API Documentation, and a FAQ with answers to about two dozen questions.

TELEMETRYTV: FINAL VERDICT

TelemetryTV allows users to broadcast dynamic content easily by streaming video, images, social feeds, turnkey and custom apps, and data-driven dashboards to all of your displays wherever they are. TelemetryTV makes it easy for users to broadcast dynamic content by streaming video, images, social media feeds, turnkey and custom apps, and data-driven dashboards to any display, anywhere. We appreciate the upfront pricing with a choice of tiers, the integration with other platforms such as Google Docs, the support options, and the free trial. Some things to keep in mind are the less support options on the lower tiers, the shorter 24/7 phone support times, the lack of a free tier that some competitors do offer, and no options for local hosting. Overall, with a choice of so many tiers, we think that users would do well to choose TelemetryTV for their digital signage needs.

The post Telemetry TV Review appeared first on Review Products.

A social media management service that aims to reduce stress.

Loomly offers a really nice, simple service with clear tiers that are good value compared to some of its rivals. While some features, like custom branding, are reserved only for the top tiers, everything else is there. One of the big pluses is that all major social platforms are supported on all tiers.

Pros

• +Lots of features
• +Many features available on all plans
• +Lovely UI
• +Lots of online support documents

Cons

• -Custom branding reserved only for top tier
• -Some rivals cater more to power user

Loomly is one of the newer and snappier entries into TechRadar Pro’s list of the best social media management tools, and with good reason. Built for the social media era, Loomly tries to make life simple for its users – which could soon include you.

We’ve already thoroughly tested the likes of Hootsuite, HubSpot, and Circleboom, and while these might be more familiar names in the social media space, Loomly is definitely worth checking out.

Loomly themselves tout huge time savings of 30 hours per week for average users, who can make use of the built-in 300 or more content ideas, which can be especially helpful for smaller organizations with fewer people to bounce ideas off.

Sign up for Loomly

There’s a reason that the likes of Dior, Honda, BMW, The Salvation Army, Thomas Cook, and many more use Loomly’s services to manage their brand posts across every major social media channel, and some smaller ones too.

Given the world we live in has become dominated by social media platforms, making sure your business can stay ahead of the pack is vitally important. Just having a company blog no longer cuts it in 2024, sadly, as users discover services via social media and everyone is competing for attention.

In this review, we’re going to cover a lot of ground and make sure you can make an informed decision about whether Loomly is your pick for best social media manager in 2024. Let’s dive in.

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PLANS AND PRICING

First, the good stuff: pricing. If you’re a small business, or even a one-person operation, then cost is going to be very, very important and might weigh more on the decision than the respective features.

Loomly is priced very competitively and splits its service into four very easy to understand tiers: Basic, Standard, Advanced, and Premium. We’ll go through each.

Basic: as the name suggests, this is the lowest level tier that Loomly offers, with support for 10 accounts, two users, and access to interactions, analytics, a hashtag manager, post previews, and more, for $32 per month.

Standard: billed as the most popular option, a Standard subscription gives you everything in Basic plus 20 accounts, six users, advanced analytics, content exports, and Slack and Teams integration, for $60 per month.

Advanced: for larger clients, this tier supports up to 35 accounts and 14 users, plus the ability to set custom roles, create custom workflows, and enjoy scheduled reports, all for $131 per month.

Premium: finally, for the biggest companies, Loomly offers a tier that can handle everything, including up to 50 accounts, 30 users, and the ability to add custom branding, plus everything else in the other three plans, for $277 per month.

All of these subscription tiers include a discount when paying annually, which might be something your organisation wants to do anyway – a nice little addition.

Loomly also offers an Enterprise tier that comes upon request, and includes tailored support via an account manager and the ability to scale up beyond even the heights of Premium, while getting a nice little discount.

FEATURES

With pricing out of the way, let’s get into the actual features that Loomly has on offer. As standard, Loomly supports all of the major social networks – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Google, Snap, and so on – and that applies to all of the tiers, not just the more expensive ones, which is a nice touch.

All users can also access the ability to schedule unlimited posts, publish directly, manage hashtags, use link shorteners, and store unlimited assets on the platform. Compared to some of its rivals, that’s a decent list.

Loomly also lets every user access an approval workflow (which is very handy given the downsides to posting things before they’re ready) and the ability to set user roles. All but Basic get Slack and Teams integrations, too.

In terms of actual content creation, Loomly offers users Basic through Premium access to post previews, Google Drive, Canva, a post inspiration tool, the ability to reply to interactions, and an analytics dashboard.

Finally, Loomly’s iOS and Android apps are available to all and really help with jotting down ideas on the go or making tweaks while you’re out and about. Some rivals reserve the apps for higher tiers, so this is also a nice thought.

If you thought this section went on for a little it’s because, well, Loomly is very generous with the “basic” features on its service, making this ideal for any organization that doesn’t want to spend too much while being able to do a lot.

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Digging a little bit deeper, let’s take a look at some of the more advanced features that Loomly offers. While the company is generous, there are some features your business might want to take advantage of that require a higher plan.

Starting off with an obvious one, Loomly lets Standard tiers and upwards access its advanced analytics, which does go into a lot more detail, as well as the ability to export results. Advanced and Premium users can also schedule reports.

Exporting content, such as analytics, lists, calendars, and posts, is also not something the Basic tier can manage, meaning you’ll need to go for Standard or above if those workflows sound important.

Custom branding, something big organizations will surely want, is limited to only the most expensive Premium plan. Users can utilize a branded subdomain, custom favicon, and a custom logo as part of this feature set.

To close out this section, Loomly also offers access to over five million royalty-free images and videos, plus daily post inspiration to get the ideas flowing.

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ANALYTICS AND REPORTING

Given that keeping track is one of, if not the main reason to use social media management platforms, this section might be the most important, depending on your organization, of course.

Loomly tracks a lot. Post-performance can be measured in real time across every single major social network, labels are available to help measure campaigns, and users can schedule analytics reports at regular intervals to help keep things under control.

The main aim is to help users get a better understanding of what’s working and, importantly, what’s not: not every post will be a smash hit, but over time you’ll be able to build up a knowledge of what works.

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (or Twitter) all get the detailed analytics treatment, with granular insights into how posts are performing, and the ability to create new posts to “mimic” those. Having everything in one place makes life so much easier, too.

Finally, Loomly offers loom.ly domains for its clients, helping you get additional data on who is opening your links, when, where, and why. It’s a neat little addition.

USER INTERFACE

For our money, Loomly has one of the best UIs out there when it comes to social media managers: everything is in the right place and easy to use, even advanced features and settings.

The company recently redesigned many of its core features to make everything that much smoother based on customer feedback and it’s made a huge difference.

A great example is the rebuilt Post Builder, which, as you can imagine, is one of the main places you’ll be hanging out in the app. Loomly worked on reducing the number of steps to create content, such as by introducing collapsable post ideas, the ability to close content, and new ways to label different pieces of work.

Loomly’s ultimate goal is actually to automate much of your workflow – part of the reason there is a focus on mimicking older posts – and that bleeds into how you spend time actually using the app. Unlike some rivals, Loomly almost wants you to spend less time on there, or at least doing boring tasks.

As the company says of its website: organize away the chaos. By making Loomly your creative and organization hub for all things social media, life becomes a bit simpler.

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SUPPORT

As you might expect, support is handled very well, from the most basic to specific customer-by-customer help. Loomly publishes a blog, YouTube tutorials, and much more to answer many of the most basic questions.

On top of these, Loomly also publishes webinars and hosts specific courses to help users make the most of its powerful software. That’s the thing, ultimately: Loomly wants users to get the absolute best bang for their buck.

We found the Help Center to be super useful for answering some early questions, and in fact it helped point us towards some things we didn’t immediately know about before, which in turn helped improve our workflows.

As mentioned above, big enterprise clients are assigned a specific account manager to help them out in whatever way is necessary.

THE COMPETITION

As we said above, TechRadar has spent many hours assessing the best social media management tools and found that SEMrush actually ranks the highest because it also includes an SEO management platform, plus the usual features, making it an ideal one-stop shop for everything your business needs online.

Hootsuite works the best for tracking analytics, although there is an over-arching focus on Twitter (or X), while Sprout Social ranks the highest for actually creating and posting content to the platforms.

Buffer offers great post tracking tools, on top of a great all-round platform, and Hubspot is amazing for automating workflows. Meanwhile, Circleboom has an OpenAI integration that can suggest posts, which is very high tech.

Basically, Loomly has a lot of competition! But don’t let that dissuade you: if anything, the abundance of quality social media managers means that your organization is the winner, being able to choose exactly the software that fits the specific need of the business.

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FINAL VERDICT

The bit you’ve all been waiting for. Loomly offers a great all-round package of social media manager tools in one place, designed with the current landscape in mind and offering generous benefits across all of its tiers.

While some of its rivals might be more powerful in absolute terms (more features, and so on), what Loomly offers is a really friendly UI that takes only a moment to understand, underpinned by a powerful suite of tools that aids with every step of the process, from post creating to scheduling and managing your colleagues.

Campaign tracking is up there with the best, too, with the focus being on Loomly’s calendar feature, which helps you and your coworkers be on the same page.

Working in social media can sometimes feel repetitive, and so automation is key to fighting that and at least remove some of the most tedious parts of setting up posts.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s even a 15-day free trial on most plans.

So, to summarise, we recommend Loomly to a forward-looking business that wants the absolute best of social media management with all of the modern twists.

The post Loomly Review appeared first on Review Products.

Create AI social media posts across major platforms

Circleboom is fantastic for anyone who wants the very best social media management tools without breaking the bank. With a simple UI and tons of features, Circleboom stands alongside Hootsuite and its rivals. While the cheaper tiers are sometimes light on features, the medium and high tiers are reasonably priced, and Circleboom often has a deal on the go.

Pros

• +Simple to use and easy to get to grips with
• +Powerful features
• +Lots of pricing tiers
• +ChatGPT integration

Cons

• -Competitors offer more features for basic tiers
• -24 hour support is limited to higher tiers

Circleboom is one of the most exciting entrants into the best social media management tools since its 2019 launch. Alongside the likes of Hootsuite and Buffer, Circleboom stands up as one of the more complete and comprehensive platforms, especially for managing Twitter (or X) accounts.

Almost every modern company engages with social media in some form, whether to hear from customers, solicit new business, or tell users about something new, and that makes managing those channels a high priority task.

Gone are the days when companies had a blog, updated whenever there was a new announcement, replaced by an ability to have more insight into users and readership than ever before, across an array of platforms that reach more people than ever in human history.

For Circleboom, the goal is to make intuitive and easy-to-use products, mostly focused on managing Twitter accounts and publishing across social media. The service isn’t focused on adding tons of random features, just offering the best.

Sign up for a Circleboom plan

Circleboom boasts that it offers the “most intuitive” social media management tool and, after using the service, it’s hard to disagree. While some competitors offer a much wider variety of different dials and knobs, Circleboom delivers on the basics (with some advanced features sprinkled in).

Combine that with some really reasonable pricing – as little as $210 per month for large enterprise customers, and much less for smaller businesses – and you get a very compelling offering.

Let’s dive into our Circleboom social media management review.

CIRCLEBOOM: PLANS AND PRICING

Circleboom splits its offering into two sections: Twitter Management, focused on Twitter (or now X) as the name implies, and Publish, which lets users design, plan, and automate their posts across a ton of platforms.

Starting with the X-focused offering, there is a very limited free offering that mostly serves to promote the other offerings. We’ll break down each plan and what it offers.

Limited Plan: mostly for tweet and like deletion, costing $9.99 per month

Pro: offering the basic set of features, like Follower Insights, Tracking, and other analytics, with support for accounts up to 25,000 followers, costing $16.99 per month

Plus: the most popular plan, which has all of the benefits of Pro plus dedicated 24/7 support, two accounts, and up to 100,000 followers, costing $23.99 per month

Premium: everything above plus support for 1 million followers and 150 account/keyword searches per month, costing $29.99 per month

(On top of these tiers, users can also pay an extra $1.99 per month for X unfollower notifications.)

The more advanced Publish option follows a fairly similar pattern to the Twitter-focused tool, except for higher prices due to the expanded nature of its features.

Pro: up to five social accounts, 300 scheduled posts, standard support, and ChatGPT integration for $24.99 per month

Premium: up to 10 accounts, unlimited posts, and ChatGPT for $34.99 per month

Business: up to 30 social accounts, unlimited posts, ChatGPT, and 24/7 support for $79.99 per month

Enterprise: up to 100 accounts, unlimited posts, and more for $209.99 per month.

For more details on the pricing and to find the best tier for your organisation, head to Circleboom. Right now, the company is offering money off many of its plans when you pay annually, so keep that in mind, especially if you’re thinking about Circleboom for a larger business.

CIRCLEBOOM: FEATURES

Circleboom covers a lot of ground for many of the key tools of social media management. Creating, scheduling, and managing posts is really easy and comes as part of all of the tiers except the most basic Limited Plan.

Analytics, follower tracking, advanced search, deleting tweets or posts, and a lot more comes as standard on most of the plans, too. Twitter Management is also handily available via an iOS app, for on the go tweeting, although the Publish suite requires a web browser.

On top of that, the Publish tool offers OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI smarts to create social media posts – which can then be vetted by humans before reaching the real world. Circleboom includes AI integrations in the cheapest level of Publish, too.

According to the company, support for TikTok is on the horizon, meaning you can easily measure your audience and post to the it-platform of the moment. There is already support for LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms.

Because of the focus on a simple and understandable UI, Circleboom really excels on the basics and we had no trouble managing our accounts via the platform. Everything worked smoothly.

But what about when you needs get a bit more complicated?

If you’re a social media professional then deleting posts, checking analytics, and so on are things you can do in your sleep. You want more!

Luckily, Circleboom delivers when it comes to adding a ton of really technical features for managing the minutiae of the social media world. For this part, we’ll mostly focus on Publish, the more advanced of the two.

Let’s reel off some features: a Canva design tool, image and gif creation tools, advanced Instagram features (including Reels support, a hashtag generator, tagging, and AI content generation), a similar set of features for Facebook, X polls, LinkedIn document posts, advanced Pinterest posts, and “best time to post” features.

There’s a huge amount there and we recommend checking out Circleboom’s own list to see if your specific niche has been catered too. Suffice to say, whether you want to share insights on LinkedIn or corporate outtakes on TikTok, Circleboom has you covered.

One thing that’s worth repeating is the addition of OpenAI-powered smarts, which could make a big difference, especially if your social media department is small (or even a single person). Having a way to test ideas and concepts, and everything else we know AI can do, could prove to be an edge in 2024.

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CIRCLEBOOM: ANALYTICS AND REPORTING

The higher your tier goes the more choices of analytics tools there will be, but all of the plans come with the absolute basics of follower counts, suspected fake/spam followers, unfollower alerts, and similar insights for friends.

Users can also track follower growth, characteristics, language stats, gender stats, how each post is performing, and see the best time to tweet. Circleboom will also generate an interest cloud for your followers and create reports on rival accounts.

What you’re looking for will be different from company to company, but it’s highly like that Circleboom will have you covered on some level.

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CIRCLEBOOM: USER INTERFACE

This, really, is the big one for Circleboom: the website screams at every opportunity that their tool is an “intuitive and easy-to-use social media product”, created with a “keep it simple” mindset, a focus on intuitive design, and only adding features that are deemed essential.

Now, for the most hard-core user, that might not sound ideal, but for everyone else, especially those who want an easy way to just get on with social media without having to invest too much time, Circleboom is really, really good.

All of the various widgets and dials are well thought-out and, importantly, in obvious places around the user interface. I never found myself having to search for too long to find something specific, which is somewhat rare among its competitors.

CIRCLEBOOM: SUPPORT

Circleboom offers dedicated support but only for its more expensive plans, starting at the Premium plan for Publish and Plus for Twitter Management. What you get is high quality 24 hour phone and video support, helping solve most problems.

The company also publishes an extensive help section on its website, with a ton of different details from the very nooks and crannies of its app. Anything you’re unsure about will likely be covered there. You can, of course, also get in touch with Circleboom directly about any issues.

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CIRCLEBOOM: THE COMPETITION

While Hootsuite, for example, offers some of the most complex and detailed features for any of the apps, as do Buffer and Zoho Social, there is a beauty to the simplicity and ease with which you can use Circleboom.

We’ve taken an extensive look at the best social media management tools going right now, comparing them across a huge array of categories, so check that out if Circleboom didn’t quite scratch your itch.

CIRCLEBOOM: FINAL VERDICT

There’s a reason that NBC News, Netflix, BBC News, SoundCloud, the American Red Cross, L’Oreal, and a ton of other big-name companies use Circleboom: ease, efficiency, and integration across an array of apps.

The addition of AI-generated posting options via ChatGPT is really exciting and will give social media managers a new way to brainstorm ideas and concepts. All of the basics are there, too, from detailed analytics to support for all major services.

Big companies will definitely want to consider the more expensive, fully featured plans but we feel like there’s a level for everyone, and Circleboom is running some very exciting promo deals for many of its tiers, so don’t wait too long.

The post Circleboom Review appeared first on Review Products.

Edit PDFs at work, on the go, and elsewhere.

PDFgear is a highly versatile collection of apps capable of editing and manipulating PDFs, annotating them, converting them to other formats, or changing those formats into PDFs. Better still, it’s a powerful desktop app, a good mobile app, and an ok web service, so wherever you are, and on whichever device you’re on, you can make use of PDFgear to work on your PDF documents.

Pros

• +Multi-platform
• +Free
• +Powerful tools

Cons

• -Works best on the Desktop
• -Web service option feels slow
• -Potential privacy issue for the mobile version

PDFgear is a multi-platform app whose Singapore-based developers claim offers everything you need to do to a PDF, all under one roof, and all for free. We’ve tested plenty of the best free PDF editors, and when you consider some of these hide more advanced features behind a subscription, or lack specific tools altogether, this is certainly an attractive proposition.

With apps available on desktop, mobile, and the web, we took a look at each one to see what it can do.

PDFGEAR: PRICING & PLANS

No charge whether you use the service offline or online, no watermark, no need to create an account.

OK, the advertising says it’s free, but there’s got to be a catch, right? Apparently not. We’ve looked around and tried various features, but it looks like the developers are true to their word: not only is PDFgear totally free to use, it won’t watermark your work, nor will you need to create an online account.

We contacted the company about this, and their response hinted at the possibility this might not be the case in the future: “PDFgear is free to use at the current stage, and there are no other versions that contain more functions.” So for right now, everything is free, and that’s worth celebrating.

Pricing & plans: 5/5

PDFGEAR: DESKTOP APP

So many features and possibilities – PDFgear lets you edit, annotate, fill in and sign, as well as offering numerous conversion tools

We tested out version 2.1. And like all the best PDF editors we’ve tried, you’ll find the interface clean and simple. Most of the welcome page is dedicated to various shortcuts which will allow you to perform quick, one-step functions, such as rotating a PDF, taking a screenshot and using the OCR software. As you[‘d expect, there’s also conversion tools and a PDF merger.

You can display the ‘hottest’ tools, narrow down the results to merely ‘convert’ from or to PDFs, or simply focus on the ‘split & merge’ tools, or just display everything. Click on the tool you need, locate the file you wish to alter, use fields to input your instructions, and save the results. It’s simple, but it’s not drag-and-drop-simple.

For instance, when splitting a PDF, you need to state which pages you wish to split and put that information in a field. You don’t have a visual representation of the file, or thumbnails of the pages, so no way to just click on the ones you need. Most of the conversion tools don’t need much input, so when it comes to them, such a basic interface works great.

But these are just the appetisers. To the left is a simple sidebar with a single button: ‘Open File’. This enables you to load a PDF into PDFgear, and gain access to all of its tools. This is where editing the text contained within PDFs is possible. Highlighting text, adding shapes, overlaying images, inserting new URL links, notes, it’s all there for you to use.

You’ll find some tabs at the top of the page. This is from where you can access the signing and form filling options for instance. There’s even a way to set a password to access your document, or redact certain sensitive sections of it. PDFgear covers pretty much all the bases.

Desktop app: 4.5/5

PDFGEAR: MOBILE APP

A good number of options while you’re on the go, but the potential privacy issue when it comes to accessing your camera from within the app could be a concern for some.

On Android and iOS, PDFgear lacks the shortcut feature that is so prominently displayed in the desktop version. We also couldn’t find a way to edit the text already present in a PDF. However, the annotation options are vast. The interface works in either landscape or portrait orientation, you can highlight and underline text in multiple colours, draw, add shapes and notes, pretty much the same as what you can do with the Desktop version.

There’s a cool feature when adding a Text Box: you can turn on your phone’s camera and grab any text it sees. PDFgear will automatically OCR said text and insert it into your document as a moveable and resizable text box. The character recognition isn’t perfect, but thankfully, you’ll be able to edit the content, font size and colour.

There is however a privacy concern when using an iPhone (we couldn’t check this on an Android device). Usually, when you choose to access your camera for the first time from a new app, your iPhone asks you for permission for it to do so, but here, no such permission was requested. Maybe something Apple should look into?

Additional features include organising pages, creating new ones, and splitting pages from a PDF, as well as built-in eSignature software. It’s a great tool to have when you need to annotate a PDF on the go, and you get to import documents directly from your iPhone, iCloud Drive or Dropbox.

Mobile app: 3.5/5

PDFGEAR: WEB APP

If you need to annotate or fill in a PDF and you’re nowhere near your computer or phone, this would be a godsend.

If you don’t have your computer or mobile device handy, but still need to work on some documents, you can do this without having to download an app onto the machine you’re borrowing: just use PDFgear straight from the developers’ website under the ‘Products’ menu, then select the online tool you’d like to use.

When it comes to annotation, form building, conversation, splitting and merging, and more, the online tools are very similar to the Desktop version. The only drawback is an interface that isn’t ideally suited for the purpose: you constantly have to visit a dropdown menu to choose the tool you need, and doing so overwrites whatever document you might’ve had on the page at the time.

The service’s forte lies in its desktop app, so it isn’t too surprising the online version isn’t as polished. PDFgear even quietly urges you to download their app, with a prominent red button, top right of the page. Despite this, you can do everything you’d expect, aside from editing the text of a PDF. We weren’t able to find a tool that does that. The ‘Edit PDF’ option is actually the annotation tool.

The biggest drawback is of course having to be online to use the service, which isn’t surprising, but it’s worth noting that if your internet drops, so will your ability to work in PDFgear, and if you’re not comfortable uploading a document in order to work on it, then this version is a no-go for you.

PDFgear works best and is the most feature-rich on a desktop (or laptop), but it’s good to have options, as the mobile version can be fantastic when you’re on the go, while the online version could save your bacon if you’ve got no other option. The fact this app is free and so feature rich is most impressive, just as long as it remains that way.

SHOULD I BUY?

PDFgear free PDF editor as we test out each app.

The various manipulating and conversion tools are easy to access, but lack the visual element that would make them truly easy to use  (Image credit: PDFgear)

BUY IT IF…

You’re in the market for a powerful and versatile PDF editor, that works on any device you happen to be in front of when you need it.

DON’T BUY IT IF…

You don’t need to edit, annotate or fill in a PDF, or you view free services with deep suspicion.

PDFGEAR: ALTERNATIVES

If PDFgear doesn’t do what you need, check out Adobe Acrobat. Soda PDF Online, Nitro PDF Pro, and Foxit PDF Editor. If you’re on a Mac, give Apple Preview a look. It’s fairly basic, but contains many common features for free.

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Trustworthy HR Software.

Paycor is a cloud-based HCM platform offering payroll, HR, and other services to small and mid-sized businesses. Its features include payroll and tax automation, time tracking, HR and benefits management, and reporting and analytics. Paycor offers four pricing plans for smaller businesses, and custom quotes for larger businesses. Support is available via phone, email, chat, and an online support center. It is a trustworthy, and robust platform.

Pros

• +Choice of tiers
• +Available free trial
• +Available phone support

Cons

• -Limited hours of support
• -Confusing number of plans and options

Paycor, a human capital management (HCM) platform that is cloud based, offers payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses. Paycor was founded in 1990, is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has a worldwide customer base. Its notable customers include Wendy’s, Pure Dental Brands, and the Detroit Zoo.

PAYCOR: FEATURES

Paycor offers various features for payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses.

Some of the functions that Paycor provides are:

Payroll and tax: Paycor automates payroll processing, tax filing, direct deposit, check stuffing, employee self-service, and new hire filing. You can also set up the AutoRun feature to process payroll on a specific day and time- without the need to even log in.

Time management: Paycor allows you to track employee time and attendance, manage schedules, approve time-off requests, and sync data with payroll. You can also use geofencing, biometric clocks, and mobile apps for increased accuracy in time tracking.

HR and benefits: Paycor helps you with onboarding, benefits administration, performance management, compliance support, employee engagement, and more. You can also access an HR support center with templates, guides, and best practices. Paycor, a comprehensive HR and benefits solution, streamlines and simplifies various HR processes to empower businesses, while enhancing those increasingly important employee experiences.

Onboarding Made Easy: With Paycor’s onboarding feature, new hires are welcomed smoothly and efficiently. The platform offers customizable templates, automated workflows, and e-signature capabilities to streamline the onboarding process, ensuring a positive and organized start for new employees.

Seamless Benefits Administration: Paycor’s intuitive benefits administration module enables businesses to manage employee benefits effectively. From health insurance and retirement plans to commuter benefits and flexible spending accounts, Paycor allows employees to make informed choices while providing employers with real-time data and insights for strategic decision-making.

Performance Management Simplified: Foster a culture of continuous improvement and recognition with Paycor’s performance management tools. Set clear goals, conduct performance reviews, and provide feedback to employees to help them grow and excel. The platform’s intuitive interface allows for easy tracking and monitoring of employee performance, facilitating fair and accurate evaluations.

Compliance Support at Your Fingertips: Stay ahead of the curve and maintain compliance with Paycor’s extensive compliance support resources. Access a vast library of templates, guides, and best practices curated to help businesses navigate complex employment laws and regulations. Stay updated on the latest changes and mitigate risks with Paycor’s expert guidance and support.

Driving Employee Engagement: Enhance employee engagement and foster a positive work culture with Paycor’s employee engagement tools. Create and implement surveys, conduct pulse checks, and gather valuable feedback to identify areas for improvement. Paycor’s engagement platform provides actionable insights to drive initiatives that boost employee morale, motivation, and productivity.

HR Support Center for Guidance and Best Practices: Paycor offers an HR support center equipped with a wealth of resources to help businesses navigate HR complexities confidently. Access customizable templates, comprehensive guides, and industry-specific best practices to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and elevate HR practices.

Reporting and analytics: Paycor enables you to create custom reports and dashboards, analyze trends and insights, and export data to various formats. You can also use predictive analytics to forecast turnover, overtime, and labor costs.

By leveraging Paycor’s robust HR and benefits solution, organizations can streamline operations, empower employees, and create a positive and productive work environment.

PAYCOR: PRICING

The service is provided as a cloud based, subscription software offering.

Paycor has four pricing plans for small businesses with up to 49 employees: Basic, Essential, Core, and Complete. The Basic plan costs $99 per month plus $5 per employee and includes payroll and tax services. The Essential plan costs $149 per month plus $7 per employee and adds onboarding, time off manager, and HR support center. The Core plan costs $199 per month plus $10 per employee and adds analytics, expense management, and recruit and hire. The Complete plan costs $199 per month plus $14 per employee and adds engage, career management, compensation planning, and talent development. You can also customize your plan by adding any of the products or services listed on the website for an additional cost.

For those companies that have more than 50 employees, they will need to contact Paycor for a custom quote.

While there is no free tier, there is an available free trial, along with a demo. For flexibility, subscriptions can be canceled at any time.

PAYCOR: SUPPORT

Support is available for Paycor via a variety of methods.

On the direct support side, phone support is available via a toll free number (1-800-381-0053) with reasonably generous hours of Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, but it should be noted that this is not available on the weekend and overnight hours. There is also a direct email address (Support@Paycor.com), which we often prefer to a clunky to use support portal, but there is no turnaround time specified for an answer. There is also the option for chat on the website, which can provide a faster answer than email, and has the same hours of operation as the phone support. Unfortunately, there is no direct support available on the nights and weekends.

There is also a searchable database, which is an online support center. This database gets divided into sections- employees, and administrators, the latter requiring login with account credentials. On the employee side, there are the expected topics, such as setup and use of the mobile app, and we appreciate that some of this info is presented via short and easy to understand videos.

Finally, there is a news section of the support website, with regularly updated content including from this month.

PAYCOR: FINAL VERDICT

Paycor is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform specifically designed to meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses. Its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction sets it apart in the HCM software market. Its cloud-based platform provides secure and scalable access to HR and payroll data, ensuring businesses can operate efficiently and effectively. By leveraging Paycor’s HCM platform, small and mid-sized businesses can streamline their operations, reduce administrative burdens, and focus on growth.

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Digital engagement in physical spaces.

Nsign.tv is a CPaaS that integrates smart content with digitization projects through AI, Big Data and IoT. It offers a variety of features and has won awards. It has a 30-day free trial, but pricing is not clearly listed. Support is limited to phone and self-help, and its social media links are lacking.

Pros

• +30 day free trial
• +Direct phone support

Cons

• -Opaque pricing
• -No free tier
• -Limited support options

Nsign.tv is a communication platform as a service (CPaaS) that integrates smart content with digitization projects through AI, Big Data and IoT. It allows developers to create and customize digital signage solutions for various sectors and industries. In case you are wondering, the company does put its name in all lowercase letters for reasons unknown, perhaps to buck the trend of many other companies almost randomly capitalizing letters in their name just to look different, but we think it makes it a little bit difficult to read.

Founded in 2007, and located in Spain, nsign.tv has won several awards for its innovative projects, such as the digital signage circuit for the HLA International Clinic in Barcelona, the best DOOH project at the AV Integration Awards 20231. nsign.tv also offers a player application that is compatible with the main operating systems on the market, such as Windows, Android, Linux and WebOS. It counts among its users notable organizations including Electronic Arts, Domino’s and Nespresso.

NSIGN TV: FEATURES

Nsign.tv is a digital signage platform that offers a variety of features for creating and managing engaging content for different sectors and industries.

Some of the features of nsign.tv are:

System-on-chip (SoC): Nsign.tv can run on multiple multi-brand devices without the need for an external media player, reducing complexity and costs.

Layout Configurator: Nsign.tv allows the creation of more zones on a screen, directly from the platform, without the need for external graphics or video editors.

Menu board: Nsign.tv enables the digitalisation of menu boards for the foodservice sector, allowing dynamic and interactive content that can be updated in real time.

LED: Nsign.tv supports LED screens of different sizes and resolutions, and can integrate with other technologies such as IoT, AI and Big Data.

DOOH: Nsign.tv has won awards for its innovative digital out-of-home (DOOH) projects, such as the digital signage circuit for the HLA International Clinic in Barcelona.

Compatibility: Nsign.tv offers a player application that is compatible with the main operating systems on the market, such as Windows, Android, Linux and WebOS.

NSIGN TV: PRICING

Up and down the Nsign website, there is no upfront pricing, and rather they take the opaque route. This is frustrating as it is much easier to shop for a plan when the pricing and the features are all laid out, preferably with an informative chart. If this sounds like too much of a request, its competitors provide this, so it is unclear why Nsign goes this route.

 Alternatively, they go with the plan for a trial, and 30 days for free to decide if this is for your business, or not. Really though, Nsign should not get people just to try the service to have to then decide if the price works for them or not. Furthermore, there is no free tier. At least we do not see that a credit card is required in order to access the trial which makes going ahead to try it considerably more palatable than the fear of getting a recurring charge for a service that you did not end up wanting.

Without Nsign laying it out, it is unclear if there are tiers to choose from, or just the one subscription. All we could find is that there is a Basic plan for the cloud based subscription, and it has a cost of $20/month/screen. We also did not find any info on an annual discount.

NSIGN TV: SUPPORT

If you are looking for Nsign.tv support, there are a few options available for you.

Direct support options for Nsign appear to be somewhat limited. We appreciate that there is a direct phone number easily findable on the website, with for Spain, or also a US based phone number in Miami. However, there are no hours or days of operation indicating when we should call. Also, there are no other direct support options limited, such as email, a support portal, a fax or a chat so this is limiting in our modern time when many users appreciate the multiple options to get support.

Following somewhat analogously, there is some self help support, but overall just a few options. We did find a blog of articles, with three posts in the last month which is encouraging. We also found an Nsign Academy area which was over promised, as this academy has just six courses, including Introduction, Widgets and Pro Features. We needed a sign in to proceed further and actually see the course so we will reserve judgment on the quality and usability of the course. We did not find a FAQ, nor a user forum.

We also think that the links to social media are lacking as well, with just Instagram, Facebook (last post in September 2023), and LinkedIn.

NSIGN TV: FINAL VERDICT

Nsign.tv is a communication platform as a service (CPaaS) that integrates smart content with digitization projects through AI, Big Data and IoT. It allows developers to create and customize digital signage solutions for various sectors and industries. It has won several awards for its innovative projects, such as the digital signage circuit for the HLA International Clinic in Barcelona. It offers a variety of features, including System-on-chip (SoC), Layout Configurator, Menu board, LED, DOOH, and Compatibility. It has a 30-day free trial, but pricing is not clearly listed on its website. Support options are somewhat limited, with direct support available by phone only. Self-help support is available through a blog and an academy with six courses. Social media links are also lacking.

The post Nsign TV Review appeared first on Review Products.

Easy Digital Signage.

Yodeck is a digital signage software with four pricing plans: Free, Standard, Pro, and an Enterprise plan available for businesses with specific security requirements. Yodeck offers a variety of features, including content management, scheduling, and analytics. The help center has articles and user manuals, making this overall an attractive choice in the digital signage space.

Pros

• +Free tier
• +Player included with annual subscription
• +Free apps and templates

Cons

• -Single direct support option
• -No phone support

San Francisco based Yodeck is a powerful digital signage software that allows you to create, manage, and display content on screens, making it an excellent solution for various industries. The company’s mission is to help people build better relationships with their customers, students, employees, and community members. It started in 2015 with three people, and has grown to over 6,000 employees, serving the needs of over 5,000 clients worldwide, with their tens of thousands of screens. Yodeck serves many businesses and organizations, including IcelandAir, Domino’s, McDonald’s, and Ford.

Yodeck: FEATURES

Yodeck can literally turn any screen or TV into a digital sign via its powerful digital signage software, which makes this cloud-based solution an enhancement to your organization’s communication and engagement capability.

Like other players in the digital signage space, Yodeck’s has a suite of features.

These include:

Remote View: Yodeck allows you to monitor what’s currently playing on your screens in real time directly from your web browser.

Apps and Customization: Choose from over 100 free apps to create engaging and dynamic content for your screens. Additionally, you can create your own custom apps using the free SDK and seamlessly integrate them with Yodeck.

Redundancy: Set up backup players and content to ensure your screens never go blank, providing uninterrupted display.

User Management: Easily create and manage multiple users and organizations with different permissions and access levels.

Touch Support: Enable interactive content and gestures on your touch screens, enhancing user engagement.

GPS-Based Triggers: Trigger content based on the location of your screens, such as weather, traffic, or nearby events.

IoT Integration: Connect your screens with sensors, cameras, and other devices to create smart and responsive signage.

Server Integration: Integrate Yodeck with your own servers and databases to display custom data and information.

API Automation: Use the Yodeck API to automate tasks and integrate with other platforms.

Offline HTML File Support: Even when not connected to the internet, you can upload and display HTML files on your screens.

Yodeck: PRICING

Yodeck offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs. They range from a free starter tier, to the top tier Enterprise plan.

At the bottom is the Free Plan, which makes Yodeck completely free to use for a single screen. You can enjoy all the features such as the included apps and templates without any cost for your first screen. Also keep in mind that this free tier also serves as the trial as we did not see any mention of a free trial on the higher tiers, but that it is not time limited and can be used long term for a single screen.

Next up is the Standard Plan, which is targeted at multi-screen installations. The Standard Plan costs $7.99 per screen per month. It provides essential features for managing digital signage across multiple screens such as overlays, an interactive kiosk, free stock images and videos and live streams.

Moving up further takes us to the Pro Plan, recommended for managing large volumes of content, at a price of $9.99 per screen per month. It includes everything in the Standard Plan with additional features and capabilities beyond that include sub-playlists, volume schedules, media tag filtering by the screen, and advanced media scheduling.

At the top is the Enterprise Plan, which features pro-grade security and is available for $12.99 per screen per month. It includes the functions of the lower plans, and then offers advanced features and robust security measures that include login IP and password restrictions, custom user roles, security session policies and audit logs.

Additionally, Yodeck provides free hardware with all annual plans, making it an affordable choice for implementing digital signage projects. Also keep in mind that for 60 screens and over to call for a custom quote at that higher volume.

Yodeck: SUPPORT

Yodeck has but a single option to get in touch for assistance, a contact portal. There is no direct phone number, an option for chat, a fax number, or a to be found on the website; technically we did find a direct snail mail address, but we doubt anyone is sending a letter for technical support, and also an email, but it starts with “info@” which is usually more for sales than support. The contact portal also does not include an option to include an attachment, which can be useful to markup a screenshot of an image and explain the issue that you need help with. However, it does have a space to include both your email and your phone number, so we can take the leap that they call you back if a phone call makes more sense for the problem. We should also keep in mind that the support is included for no additional cost with each of the plans.

On the self help side of the support equation, we are pleased to report more options. There is a mature help Center, with articles written on a variety of topics, including General Questions, Pricing and Features. There is also a separate documentation area that includes more user manual style content. Users are also encouraged to input on new feature ideas. A shortcoming is that we did not find a user forum, or any ebooks or webinars on the Yodeck site. However, investigating further, Yodeck does have a YouTube channel with over 130 videos, and there are some random links to this content, but in this day and age an embedded video player would probably be an expectation for most users.

FINAL VERDICT

Yodeck is a digital signage software with four pricing plans: Free, Standard, and Pro. The Free plan is for single screen installations and the Standard and Pro plans are for multiple screens. The Enterprise plan is available for businesses with specific security requirements. Yodeck offers a variety of features, including content management, scheduling, and analytics. The help center has articles on a variety of topics and the documentation area includes user manuals. Yodeck also has a YouTube channel with over 130 videos. Overall, Yodeck is a good option for digital signage software. It offers a variety of features at a reasonable price. The free tier is a great way to try out the software before committing to a paid plan.

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