What does DJ software really cost?
Seven DJ programs, priced three ways: the cheapest way to start, the pro version bought outright, and paying monthly. Most have a free version, but "free" means something different for each one, so check what yours would need.
Last checked: 7 Nov 2026 · every price read off the vendor's own page, store or checkout, including VAT · no affiliate links
Jump to: the short answer: what's really free · every figure in one table
The short answer
Free with a controller: only Mixxx with no strings, and Serato DJ Lite if yours is supported. Mixxx has no paid version: the free download includes MIDI and HID controller support, recording and broadcasting. Serato DJ Lite is free with 50+ supported controllers, but can't record a set. The others' free versions stop short of that: rekordbox's Free plan can't be controlled from DJ equipment unless it's AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ "Hardware Unlock" gear, VirtualDJ is free only with no controller or mixer, Engine DJ's free Desktop app only prepares music for Denon DJ and Numark hardware, and djay is a free download but Algoriddim doesn't say which features need PRO. Traktor has no free version.
Buying outright: Traktor Pro 4 is £129 (Traktor Play £44, upgradeable later for the difference), VirtualDJ PRO Infinity £267.60 including VAT, and Serato DJ Pro $358.80 including 20% sales tax (about £268.06). rekordbox, djay and Engine DJ sell no one-off licence; Mixxx needs none.
Paying monthly: Serato DJ Pro is $14.39 including tax (about £10.75), VirtualDJ PRO £16.80 and rekordbox Core + Cloud Option £21. Traktor has no subscription any more: Native Instruments cancelled Traktor Pro Plus "for now". djay PRO's lowest UK App Store price is £6.99, but the listing doesn't say per month, so it isn't ranked.
Two headline prices leave out VAT. Serato's pricing page shows $299 and $11.99, and its checkout adds 20% sales tax; VirtualDJ's buy page rounds to £17 a month, and its checkout is £14.00 + £2.80 VAT. The figures here are the checkout totals.
rekordbox's plan page shows only plans bundled with Dropbox storage, from £21 a month. Plain Core (£12) and Creative (£18) plans are still in the page's code, but the switch that shows them is hidden, so a visitor can't choose them there.
Your hardware can matter more than the software. Many controllers unlock Serato DJ Pro at no cost, AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ Hardware Unlock gear runs rekordbox without a subscription, and Engine DJ runs only on Denon DJ and Numark hardware. Serato's DVS and Video need Serato DJ Suite: $17.99 a month or $598.80, including tax.
Streaming isn't the same as owning: djay can't record streamed songs or use Neural Mix stems with Apple Music or Spotify, and Serato can't record sets played from a streaming service.
When the cheapest is not the answer
- Check your controller first. Some controllers unlock a paid version at no cost: Serato DJ Pro with many controllers, rekordbox with AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ Hardware Unlock gear. Both vendors list which hardware does, so check yours before paying for the software.
- Club gear narrows the choice. Serato DJ Lite doesn't support CDJs or club mixers, and Serato's digital vinyl (DVS) needs its Suite. Traktor Play has no DVS; Traktor Pro 4 does.
- Streaming needs its own subscription. djay plays Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL and others only with a subscription to that service, and neither djay nor Serato can record streamed tracks.
- Subscriptions stop when you stop paying. rekordbox and djay PRO are subscription only; when djay PRO ends you keep only the free version's features. Serato and VirtualDJ also sell a licence you keep, and Traktor sells only licences.
- Prices are as the vendor's own page showed them. Serato and VirtualDJ add VAT at checkout, so their figures are the checkout totals; Native Instruments includes duties and taxes; rekordbox doesn't say.
Who made this page
An AI agent read each vendor's pricing, store and checkout pages in a real browser (checkouts were opened to see the tax, never submitted), picked Monthly where the page had a switch, and copied the sentence behind every figure; code checked each sentence was really on the page before it could be used. djay's prices come from the UK App Store, because Algoriddim's own site shows none.
This page replaces an older list of DJ software on this site. There are no affiliate links on this page and nothing on it earns a commission.
How the numbers are worked out
start = the cheapest way to DJ with no time limit, on the software alone (a free version counts, with its limits in the line under it); own = the pro version bought outright; monthly = the lowest monthly price that unlocks the pro version
| Program | Cheapest way to start | Pro version, bought outright | Pay monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixxxfree and open source for Windows, macOS and Linux; controller support, recording and broadcasting included | freeFree: the full version, open source (GPL) | freeFree: there is no paid or 'pro' version | no planNothing to pay monthly: there is no paid version |
| Serato DJmany controllers unlock DJ Pro for free; DVS and Video need Serato DJ Suite | freeSerato DJ Lite, free: laptop-only practice or 50+ supported controllers; can't record a set · $0.00 | £268.06Serato DJ Pro licence: $299 + 20% sales tax = $358.80 at checkout · $358.80 | £10.75Serato DJ Pro subscription: $11.99 + 20% sales tax = $14.39 a month at checkout · $14.39 |
| rekordboxplain Core (£12) and Creative (£18) plans are in the page's code, but their switch is hidden; Hardware Unlock gear needs no subscription | freeFree plan: mix on a computer alone; DJ equipment can control it only if it's AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ 'Hardware Unlock' gear | no planNo licence sold: subscription only | £21.00Core + Cloud Option, £21 a month: the cheapest paid plan the page shows |
| Traktorno free version; Native Instruments' cart says duties and taxes are included | £44.00Traktor Play, one-off (2 decks; no mix recording or DVS) | £129.00Traktor Pro 4, one-off (Play upgrades to it for the difference) | no planNo subscription: Native Instruments cancelled Traktor Pro Plus 'for now' |
| VirtualDJa controller needs a paid tier; the cheaper HOME tier is left out because its checkout total didn't match its shown price | freeFree for home use with no DJ controller or mixer (not for paid gigs) | £267.60PRO Infinity licence: £223.00 + £44.60 VAT = £267.60, priced only at checkout | £16.80VDJ PRO, monthly: £14.00 + £2.80 VAT = £16.80 at checkout (the buy page shows £17) |
| djay Propriced from the UK App Store; one PRO subscription covers up to five devices | freedjay, free download (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android); Algoriddim doesn't list which features need PRO | no planNo licence sold: PRO is a subscription | no plan£6.99 'Full Access to PRO' on the UK App Store; the listing doesn't say per month (it also lists £48.99 and £26.49, with no period either) |
| Engine DJruns on Denon DJ and Numark standalone hardware; stems are a $9.99 unlock except on the PRIME 4+ | no planEngine DJ Desktop is a free download, but it only prepares music: mixing happens on Denon DJ or Numark hardware | no planNot sold on its own: Engine DJ OS comes built into the hardware | no planNo subscription |
Exchange rates. ECB euro reference rates of 6 November 2026 (the latest; the ECB publishes none on Saturday 7 November): 1 EUR = 0.83415 GBP, 1 EUR = 1.1165 USD, so 1 USD = 0.74711 GBP.
Left out: DJ hardware — controllers, standalone units and mixers are out of scope for this page, though the plan lines say where hardware unlocks the software; Streaming and content subscriptions — Beatport, TIDAL, Spotify and VirtualDJ's iDJPool, VJ-Pro and Sunfly are music catalogues paid separately, not DJ software; Neural Mix Pro (Algoriddim) — a stem-separation player and editor, not DJ software.
There are no affiliate links on this page. Of these seven, only Native Instruments (Traktor) runs an affiliate programme, and it publishes no rate; this site hasn't joined it. The research is done by AI agents reading each vendor's own pages. Product names and logos are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify the products compared. No analytics cookies, no tracking scripts, no third-party requests. A personal project, separate from the author's day job.
Questions people ask
Which DJ software is free to use with a controller?
Of the seven compared, Mixxx is the only one free with no strings: there is no paid version, and it includes MIDI and HID controller support, recording and broadcasting. Serato DJ Lite is free with 50+ supported controllers but can't record a set. VirtualDJ is free only with no controller or mixer, and rekordbox's Free plan works with DJ equipment only if it is AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ Hardware Unlock gear.
How much does Serato DJ Pro cost in the UK?
Serato shows $299 for a licence or $11.99 a month, and its checkout adds 20% sales tax: $358.80 (about £268.06) or $14.39 a month (about £10.75). Many controllers unlock Serato DJ Pro at no cost, and its DVS and Video features need Serato DJ Suite.
Can you still buy rekordbox outright?
No. rekordbox is subscription only, and the cheapest paid plan its page shows is Core + Cloud Option at £21 a month. Plain Core (£12) and Creative (£18) plans are still in the page's code, but the switch that shows them is hidden. With AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ Hardware Unlock gear you can DJ without a subscription.
Does Traktor have a subscription?
Not any more: Native Instruments cancelled Traktor Pro Plus "for now". Traktor Pro 4 is a one-off £129, and Traktor Play is £44 and can be upgraded to Pro 4 later for the difference.
Answers use the figures on this page, last checked 7 Nov 2026.