The difference in one sentence
DAKboard runs in the cloud, VistaBoard runs on your own device. With DAKboard your calendars, photos and settings live on their servers, and the board stops working without internet. With VistaBoard everything stays in your home — data only leaves your network if you connect an online source such as a Google calendar.
Side by side
| VistaBoard | DAKboard (free) | DAKboard (Essential) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €2.99/month or €29.49/year (about $3.20) |
$0 | $6/month ($5 billed annually) |
| Calendars | up to 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Runs | locally on your device | in the cloud | in the cloud |
| Solar output, battery, grid draw | yes (Fronius) | no | no |
| Electricity price over the day | yes (Tibber) | no | no |
| Car charge level | yes (Tesla) | no | no |
| Works offline | keeps showing last data | no | no |
| Free trial | 30 days, full features | free forever, limited | — |
DAKboard prices and limits from dakboard.com/pricing, retrieved 12 Aug 2026.
Two things to know upfront
- VistaBoard is not open source. If that is what you are after, look at MagicMirror — it is free and open, but expects you to configure modules yourself.
- There is no permanently free tier. You get 30 days with everything included; after that it costs €2.99 a month. DAKboard's free tier is genuinely free, just limited to two calendars and one fixed layout.
What speaks for VistaBoard
- Your data stays home. Calendars and photos do not land on someone else's servers. If your internet drops, the board keeps showing what it last loaded.
- Energy at a glance. Solar output, house consumption, grid draw, battery level, electricity price and car charge — DAKboard offers none of this, on any tier.
- Cheaper. About $3.20 versus $6 a month, with more calendars than the Essential tier.
- Runs on hardware you may already own. Raspberry Pi 2B and up, or any small Linux machine.
- No account with the vendor required. You install the software and that is it.
What DAKboard does better
- A genuinely free tier that does not expire.
- Ready-made hardware. They sell a plug-and-play unit for $80. With VistaBoard you source the Pi and screen yourself.
- Several screens from one account — better if you run multiple displays in a business.
- Touch operation and screen loops for shops and reception areas.
- A company behind it. VistaBoard is built by one person. That means short paths and fast replies — but also no corporation as backup.
Which one fits you?
| Your situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| You have solar panels and want to see generation and usage | VistaBoard |
| Your appointments and photos should not leave the house | VistaBoard |
| You already own a Raspberry Pi | VistaBoard |
| You want to pay nothing and two calendars are enough | DAKboard (free tier) |
| You want to unbox a finished device and plug it in | DAKboard |
| You run several screens in a company | DAKboard |
| You want open source and enjoy configuring things | MagicMirror |
Switching from DAKboard
If you already run DAKboard on a Raspberry Pi, you do not need new hardware — just different software on the same SD card. Setup takes 5 to 30 minutes depending on the model, either through three terminal commands or a ready-made card image.
Your calendars connect the same way as before: through the address of your Apple, Google or CalDAV calendar.
Try it free for 30 days
Full features, no payment details required. If it does not fit, it simply expires.