Daily Mantel vs Hearth Display
The Hearth alternative that costs $0 up front
Hearth Display is a lovely 27” touchscreen for the kitchen wall. It is also $699 at list — and the membership that makes it work is required, from $9 a month. Daily Mantel puts the same family command center — calendar, routines and chores, dinner planning, photos on the wall — on the screens your family already owns, and the free plan costs exactly nothing.
What each path costs
| What you buy | Up front | Per year | First year | Three years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearth Display (27") + annual membership | $699.00 | $86.40 | $785.40 | $906.36 |
| Daily Mantel Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Daily Mantel Plus | $0 | $69 | $69 | $207 |
| Daily Mantel Pro (with AI) | $0 | $199 | $199 | $597 |
Competitor prices read from the vendor’s own site, August 2026. Prices change — check theirs before you decide.
First year with Hearth at list price: about $785. First year of Daily Mantel Plus — calendar sync, meals, music, 2,000 photos — $69 on hardware you already own. See the full feature comparison and plans.
Fair questions
- Isn't Hearth's membership optional?
- No — Hearth's own store page says the Family Membership is required to set up the device, from $9/mo (less on multi-year plans). The $699 display does not work without it. Daily Mantel's free plan needs no card and no membership.
- What does Hearth do better?
- It's a beautiful, purpose-built 27" touchscreen with thoughtful routines features, and everything arrives in one box. If a premium dedicated device is what you want and a first-year cost of roughly $785 at list (they run sales) is fine, Hearth is a polished choice.
- How does the wall display work without special hardware?
- Open dailymantel.com on any tablet or spare screen with a browser and turn on wall mode: a full-screen, glanceable display with the family calendar, today's chores, and a photo screensaver when idle. The wall setup guide covers mounting and keeping the screen awake.
- What's actually free?
- The Free plan — forever, no ads: a shared color-coded calendar, chores with stars, streaks, and a reward store, shared grocery and to-do lists, 30 photos with the wall screensaver, and up to 6 family members.
Try the whole thing before you spend a cent
The Free plan works forever on the screens you already own — no card, no ads. If you end up wanting Hearth’s hardware instead, you’ve lost nothing but an afternoon.