DAKboard vs Hearth Display (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DAKboard grades higher than Hearth Display: 2.0 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
DAKboard grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. Hearth Display grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DAKboard
Wall display for calendars, photos and weather on any screen
Hearth Display
Wall-mounted family touchscreen for calendars, routines and meals
Which one is for you
Pick DAKboard if
- Fits if you want the family schedule on a wall screen
- Works for an office that wants meeting rooms and photos on a display
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to plan or book anything, since it only displays
- Tight if you stay on Free: 1 predefined screen, 2 calendars and DAKboard branding
- Watch out: calendars refresh every 60 minutes on Free and every 30 on Essential
- Watch out: extra screens cost $4 to $6 a month, and screens and hardware are sold separately
Pick Hearth Display if
- Fits if a family wants one screen in the hall showing everyone's week
- Works for households with kids and chore routines
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add it up: $699 for the screen, then a membership of $5.76 to $9 a month
- Watch out: the display does not run without a Family Membership
- Skip it if you want software only, as there is no cheaper app version
- Watch out: the lowest rate needs a three-year commitment
- Watch out: companion app platforms are not stated on the pages read
How we grade them
| 2.0GPADAKboardFair | 1.4GPAHearth DisplayWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssential is $5 a month billed annually and Plus $8, around the category's $4.99 to $6.99 range. Hardware is sold separately. | D$699 for the display plus $5.76 a month on a 3-year plan, far above the $5.99 middle one-time price of calendar tools, though it includes hardware. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree plan: 1 predefined screen, up to 2 calendars and DAKboard branding. A 30-day Essential trial is for new users only. | FNo free tier: the first membership month is free and the display has a 120-day return window, which is not a trial. |
| Features | DIt displays calendars, photos and weather but needs a calendar elsewhere to show anything useful. It is not a calendar you plan in. | CShared calendar, a helper, routines and rewards, lists and meal planning. It needs the paid membership to run. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You lay out screens and connect each calendar account. | CNo store rating on record. You mount the screen and connect your calendars. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and an Android app, on any display, with Google Calendar, iCloud, Microsoft 365, Home Assistant, SmartThings and Todoist. | COne device plus a companion app, and the platforms for the app are not stated. |
| Best for | a calendar and photo screen for a wall | a wall-mounted family calendar screen |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DAKboard and Hearth Display. How we grade
Price against what you get
DAKboard starts at $5 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hearth Display starts at $5.76 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and DAKboard starts $0.76 a month lower. Of the other calendar and scheduling apps on the chart, 32 score higher than DAKboard for less, and 37 score higher than Hearth Display for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- DAKboard also covers templates and dashboards.
- Hearth Display also covers tasks and habit tracking.
At a glance
| DAKboard | Hearth Display | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $5.76 per month on a 3-year membership, plus a $699 display |
| Free plan | 1 predefined screen, up to 2 calendars, photos, weather, news and RSS, with DAKboard branding. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Essential for users who have not tried Essential or Plus. | First membership month free; the display has a 120-day return window |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DAKboard | Hearth |
| Price read from | dakboard.com | hearthdisplay.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DAKboard
- The free plan is limited to 1 predefined screen and 2 calendars, and keeps DAKboard branding.
- Calendars refresh only every 60 minutes on Free and every 30 on Essential.
- Extra screens cost $4 to $6 a month depending on plan and billing, and the trial is only for users who have not tried Essential or Plus.
- DAKboard also sells its own displays and hardware separately, which these plans do not include.
Hearth Display
- It needs the $699 display, which is sold at list price; the display alone does not run without a membership.
- The software is a Family Membership with no free tier; the cheapest rate needs a three-year commitment.
- A Black Friday discount code was advertised at 20% off the display; codes are not counted in the listed prices.
- Platform support for the companion app is not stated on the pages read.
Key features
DAKboard
- Drag-and-drop screens
- Arrange blocks for calendars, photos, weather, news and more on a custom screen. The free plan offers predefined layouts only.
- Calendar sources
- Add Google, Apple iCloud and Microsoft Office 365 calendars, Facebook Events, or any ICS feed, and show them as monthly, weekly, agenda or up-next views.
- Any display
- Runs in a browser on smart TVs, tablets and monitors, as a native app on Fire TV and Android, or on a Raspberry Pi with DAKboard's downloadable OS.
- Screen loops and scheduling
- Plus can chain screens into a loop and schedule when blocks or whole screens show or hide. Both are listed against the Plus plan.
- Refresh speed by plan
- Calendars refresh every 60 minutes on Free, 30 on Essential and 15 on Plus; Plus also has an instant display refresh.
- Integrations
- Essential and Plus open every integration, including Home Assistant, SmartThings, Todoist, stock quotes and external JSON data.
Hearth Display
- Shared family calendar
- Daily, weekly and monthly views, with Google, iCal, Outlook and URL-based calendars (such as TeamSnap or school calendars) connected for free.
- Hearth Helper
- Turns invitations and uploaded school menus into events or meal plans that a parent approves.
- Routines, stars and rewards
- Kid-friendly routines with streaks, stars and custom rewards.
- Lists, to-dos and meal planning
- Shared lists, assignable recurring to-dos and a meal schedule that can be assigned per family member.
- Companion app
- Parents add events, meals and to-dos from a phone; private lists live in the app.
Plans
DAKboard
Free$0
1 predefined screen layout, up to 2 calendars, TouchHub, photos, weather and news.
Essential$5
per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
2 custom screens (extra $4 a month), up to 5 calendars, all integrations, templates and custom CSS.
Plus$8
per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
3 custom screens (extra $5 a month), unlimited calendars, 500 MB media library, screen loops and scheduling.
Hearth Display
Hearth Display$699
one-time
The 27-inch touchscreen with mount and power cord; a Family Membership is needed to run the software. Open-box units appear at $499.
3-Year Membership$5.76
per month, billed $207.36 every 3 years
Hearth Helper, routines, meal planning, lists, rewards, companion app and future updates.
2-Year Membership$6.48
per month, billed $155.52 every 2 years
Same membership, billed for two years.
Annual Membership$7.20
per month, billed $86.40 a year ($9 billed monthly)
Same membership, billed yearly.
Monthly Membership$9
per month
Same membership, billed monthly.
Ways to pay less
DAKboard
- Annual discount
Cheaper per month on yearly billing
DAKboard's pricing page lists Essential at $5 a month and Plus at $8 when billed annually, against $6 and $10 billed monthly.
Hearth Display
- Annual discount
Longer membership terms cost less per month
The product page lists $9 monthly, $7.20 a month on annual billing, $6.48 on 2 years and $5.76 on 3 years.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DAKboard or Hearth Display?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DAKboard is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $5.76 a month for Hearth Display. DAKboard starts at $5 per month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Hearth Display starts at $5.76 per month on a 3-year membership, plus a $699 display.
Which has a free plan, DAKboard or Hearth Display?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only DAKboard has a free plan. Hearth Display does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do DAKboard and Hearth Display run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only DAKboard lists a web app and only Hearth Display lists an iOS app. Both list an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.