Rent or buy an LED screen? How to decide

Whether to rent or buy an LED screen comes down to how long you'll use it, how often, and what you'd rather do with your cash. Here's a simple way to think it through.

When renting makes sense

Short campaigns. A sale, a launch or a season. When it ends, the screen goes back.
Events. A festival, a show or a club day that happens once or twice a year.
Testing a spot. See whether a location earns its keep before you commit to a fixed sign.
Cash flow. No big upfront spend. The cost is spread across the plan.
Nothing to store. When the plan ends, the screen goes back, so you're not finding room for it between uses.

When buying makes sense

Year-round use. If a screen will be working most days of the year for several years, owning it usually costs less in the long run.
A fixed location. Permanent signs on a building or pylon are almost always bought.
Full control. Your screen is there whenever you need it, with no booking dates to work around.
An asset on your books. Ask your accountant how a purchase is treated for tax. That's their call, not ours.

A simple way to compare

Estimate how many days a year you'll use the screen, and for how many years.
Price the rental for that use, on the plan that fits.
Price the purchase, plus delivery, installation, any approvals, storage, insurance and upkeep over the same years.
Compare the totals, then weigh up what doesn't show on a spreadsheet: flexibility, cash flow and effort.

If you'd be renting for most of the year, every year, buying usually comes out ahead. If you need a screen for a few weeks here and there, renting usually wins.

How our rental plans work

Every rental screen has five plans: 10 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. The longer the plan, the lower the day rate. Plans are priced per day plus GST, and a month counts as 30 days. The rental plans on our home page show the day rate for each.

Browse rental screens to see what's available, including LED trailers, an LED ute and a portable LCD sign stand.

Questions to ask before you rent

How is the screen delivered and set up, and who does it?
Does the site have power and flat ground?
Who loads the content, and how?
What happens if the screen has a fault during the hire?
What happens at the end of the plan?

Questions to ask before you buy

What's the warranty, and who does repairs?
Are spare modules included?
What will installation, power and approvals cost?
If it's a trailer, where will you keep it?

Common questions

How much does it cost to rent an LED screen?

It depends on the plan. Rates are per day plus GST, and the day rate drops the longer you commit, from 10 days up to 12 months. See rental screens for what's available.

Can I rent an LED screen for a weekend?

Our shortest plan is 10 days. For a single weekend event, it's still worth asking, and we'll tell you what we can do.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy an LED screen?

For a few weeks a year, renting usually is. For use most of the year over several years, buying usually is.

Still not sure?

Plenty of businesses start by renting to prove the idea, then buy once they know the screen pays its way. Tell us how you plan to use it and we'll help you weigh it up. You can also compare screens for sale with our rental screens.