So your school finally got the LED wall. The HDMI ports are sitting there, the install is done, and everyone's ready for a proper scoreboard. Then the software quote lands and the room goes quiet.
I'll be blunt: Daktronics and KeepTheScore aren't really the same kind of product. Daktronics builds physical LED hardware and has been doing it since 1968. KeepTheScore is a website that turns a screen you already own into a scoreboard. Picking between them isn't a feature fight. It's a question about whether you actually need dedicated hardware, or whether software running on something with an HDMI port will do the job.
For a lot of schools, the honest answer saves a pile of money.
Hardware vs software
Daktronics sells permanent installations. LED panels, controllers, wiring, mounting hardware, the works. You buy the display, pay someone to install it, and end up with a dedicated box that does one thing very well.
KeepTheScore goes the other direction. It's a web app. The "hardware" is whatever screen you already have: a TV, a projector, an LED wall, a laptop. Plug in HDMI, open the URL, hit fullscreen. That's it.
Neither approach is automatically better. They serve different needs, at very different price points.
Cost
This is where it gets uncomfortable.
A typical Daktronics setup adds up quickly. The display alone tends to start around $2,000. The controller is another $800 to $3,800. Then there's professional installation on top. A single-sport indoor setup usually lands somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 once everything is done. Multi-sport boards, video boards, or anything outdoor can push past $100,000.
KeepTheScore is in a different universe. The free tier covers most sports without payment. Paid plans (custom branding, advanced themes, ad-free display) run around $50/month. A $300-$500 TV from any electronics store finishes the kit.
When budgets are tight, that math is hard to argue with.
Installation and setup
Daktronics needs a real install. Someone has to mount hardware, run wiring, configure the controller, and test everything. Lead times are measured in weeks or months, depending on the product and the installer's calendar.
KeepTheScore takes under a minute. Open the site, pick a sport, name your teams. Plug a laptop into a TV. Hit F11. You can be up and running before this paragraph ends.
If you need a scoreboard for tonight's game, that's the whole story.
Durability and visibility
This is the part where Daktronics genuinely wins, and it's not close.
Their outdoor displays are built to take a beating. They're weather-rated, impact-resistant, readable from 200+ feet in direct sun, and they shrug off rain, snow, and the occasional foul ball. They also tend to last years with light maintenance.
A consumer TV running KeepTheScore can't touch any of that. It won't survive a downpour, you can't read it in bright sunlight, and one stray softball ends the night.
For permanent outdoor stadium installs, Daktronics or a similar manufacturer is the right call. For indoor gyms, multi-purpose rooms, and community centers, a TV or projector running KeepTheScore looks great and costs almost nothing.
Streaming
Daktronics has no native streaming integration. Their boards display in the venue. If you want the score on a livestream too, you're either pointing a camera at the physical board or building a separate overlay in OBS by hand.
KeepTheScore was built around streaming from day one. Every scoreboard URL drops into OBS, Streamlabs, or vMix as a browser source, with transparent backgrounds when you want them. Plenty of schools run KeepTheScore on the gym TV via HDMI and as a stream overlay at the same time. One scoreboard, two audiences, controlled from one phone.
If your families watch from home, that single feature is worth the switch on its own.
Multi-sport flexibility
Daktronics controllers are usually configured for a specific sport. Going from basketball to volleyball can mean reprogramming, or in some cases swapping controller hardware. Higher-end systems can handle multiple sports, but you pay for it.
KeepTheScore switches in seconds. Basketball Friday night, volleyball Saturday morning, wrestling Wednesday after school. Same account, same TV, no reconfiguration. If your gym hosts a different sport every night of the week, that's a real headache gone.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | KeepTheScore | Daktronics |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | Free ($0) | ~$2,000+ (hardware only) |
| Requires hardware purchase | ✗ | ✓ |
| Professional installation required | ✗ | ✓ |
| Setup time | < 60 seconds | Weeks to months |
| Outdoor daylight visibility | No (screen-dependent) | ✓ |
| Weather-rated / impact-resistant | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live streaming integration | Yes (native OBS) | ✗ |
| Switch sports instantly | ✓ | Requires reconfiguration |
| Remote score control from phone | ✓ | Bluetooth app (basic) |
| Sponsor panels / ad revenue | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video display / replays | ✗ | Yes (video board models) |
| Ongoing maintenance | None (cloud) | Hardware servicing |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Daktronics if...
- You need a permanent outdoor scoreboard visible in direct sunlight
- You need weather-rated, impact-resistant physical display
- You want built-in sponsor/ad panels for revenue
- Budget allows for professional-grade hardware investment
Choose KeepTheScore if...
- You need a scoreboard today, not weeks from now
- Budget doesn't allow for dedicated hardware
- You're live-streaming and need native OBS overlay
- You host multiple sports and need to switch quickly
- You're a school, rec league, or youth org looking for maximum value
Frequently Asked Questions
"Will KeepTheScore work with our existing LED wall?"
If your LED wall has HDMI input (which it almost certainly does), yes. KeepTheScore runs in any browser — just connect a laptop to the LED wall via HDMI and open the scoreboard URL fullscreen.
"What if our internet goes out during a game?"
Once the scoreboard page loads, it works offline for basic score updates. For best reliability, use a mobile hotspot as backup or ensure your gym has stable Wi-Fi.
"Can we use this for multiple gyms?"
Yes. Create different scoreboards for each gym, save the URLs, and use them whenever needed. There's no per-venue licensing fee.
"What about streaming games?"
KeepTheScore works perfectly as a browser source in OBS, Streamlabs, or vMix. Many schools use it for both in-gym display (LED wall) and live stream overlay simultaneously.
"Can parents see the score remotely?"
Yes. Every scoreboard has a shareable view-only URL. Parents, fans, or scouts can follow the game in real-time from anywhere with the link or QR code.
Try KeepTheScore Today
No hardware purchase. No installation. No waiting. Create your first scoreboard in under a minute and display it on any screen.
Information about Daktronics was accurate as of March 2026. Visit https://www.daktronics.com for latest details.