Android vs Windows for kiosks and digital signage

Short answer: Choose Android for most new kiosks and signage: it costs less, uses less power, needs no OS license and is easy to lock down and manage remotely. Choose Windows when you must run existing PC software, need full desktop browsers or drivers that only exist for Windows, or want heavy multitasking.

Side-by-side

	Android (RK3288)	Android (RK3399)	Windows (Intel Core)
CPU	Quad-core Cortex-A17, 1.8 GHz	Hexa-core 2× A72 + 4× A53, 2.0 GHz	Core i3 / i5 / i7
Typical memory	2 GB + 8–16 GB	2–4 GB + 16–64 GB	4 GB + 128 GB SSD
OS license	None	None	Windows license per unit
Power draw	Lowest	Low	Higher
Best for	Signage playback, class boards, POS	Kiosks, face recognition, 4K content	Legacy PC software, complex apps

Cost

An Android build uses an ARM mainboard instead of a PC module and needs no Windows license, so the bill of materials is lower. It also draws less power, which matters for screens running 18–24 hours a day.

Software

If you are writing a new kiosk app, Android is usually faster to deploy: a single APK, kiosk-mode launcher and over-the-air updates. If your business already runs on Windows software — a POS suite, a hospital system, a government application — moving it to Android may cost more than the hardware savings. In that case choose Windows.

Security and lock-down

Both can be locked down. On Android we ship a custom launcher that opens only your app and hides system settings. On Windows, kiosk mode or a shell replacement does the same, but needs regular patching.

Remote management

Our B/S and C/S publishing systems manage Android signage fleets — content, schedules, play logs and remote power on/off. For Windows units, the same content system runs as a client.

Quick rule

• Playback and simple touch: Android RK3288.
• Kiosk with printer, scanner, camera or face recognition: Android RK3399.
• Existing Windows software or heavy desktop workloads: Windows on Intel Core.

Frequently asked questions