You can start DJing today for zero money, on a Windows PC or a Mac. Mixxx is completely free with nothing held back, and every big paid app except Traktor has a free tier that is enough to learn on. What the free tiers keep back is predictable: pro hardware, recording, streaming inside the app and live stems. Here is what each one gives you, what it holds back, and the point where paying starts to make sense.
Three words first. A controller is the box with jog wheels and faders that plugs into your laptop. Stems means the app splits a track live into vocals, drums, bass and melody. DVS (digital vinyl system) lets timecode records on real turntables control the software.
| App | What is free | What is held back | Pay to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixxx 2.5.6 | Everything: Windows, Mac and Linux, controller mappings, DVS, effects, recording | No streaming services, no live stems (the 2.6 beta plays stem files made with other tools) | Nothing. There is no paid version; donations are welcome |
| VirtualDJ 2026 | The full app at home with keyboard and mouse, as long as you earn nothing with it | Controllers, mixers and timecode run 10 minutes at a time, audio branding stays, no paid gigs | Home $4/month (entry-level controllers, still branded, no paid gigs), Pro $19/month (everything), Business $99/month |
| rekordbox 7 Free | Library, USB export for CDJs, recording, mixing with keyboard and mouse, full Performance mode with Hardware Unlock gear | Controlling the app with gear that is not on the Hardware Unlock list, most cloud sync | Core $12/month (€12), Creative $18 (€18), Professional $36 (€36); yearly billing is cheaper |
| Serato DJ Lite | Free for good with 50+ Lite controllers or in Practice Mode on the laptop; Stems and streaming included | Recording, quantize, 8 cue points, saved loops, beat jump, Stems FX, DVS, CDJs and club mixers | Serato DJ Pro $11.99/month or $299 once; DJ Suite $14.99/month or $499 once |
| djay (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android) | Free download with the basic mixer and your own files | Neural Mix stems, Automix AI, sampler and looper, recording, 4 decks, headphone cueing, MIDI controller support | PRO $6.99/month or $49.99/year (€6.99, €49.99) |
| Traktor | Nothing: Traktor has no free tier | Everything | Traktor Play $49 once (two decks), Traktor Pro 4 $149 once |
| Engine DJ Desktop 5.1 | All of it: library prep, stems rendering, Sync Manager export to drives | It is a prep tool, so you do not perform on the laptop | Nothing, but it only makes sense with Engine OS hardware from Denon DJ, Numark or Rane |
Checked October 2026.
The free path for a total beginner
No hardware yet? Pick Mixxx or djay and mix with the keyboard and mouse. Mixxx gives you the whole app with no catch and runs on Linux too; djay is the gentler first screen. Serato DJ Lite's Practice Mode and rekordbox Free do the same job if you already know where you will end up. Learn to beatmatch by ear and set cue points before you spend a cent on gear.
With a cheap controller, use the app the controller unlocks. The AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX4 and DDJ-FLX2 are on both the rekordbox Hardware Unlock list (gear that switches on Performance mode without a subscription) and the Serato DJ Lite list; Hercules Inpulse and Numark Party Mix and Mixtrack models unlock Serato DJ Lite; some boxes ship a VirtualDJ LE version with no time limit for that one unit. Our pick of controllers for beginners lists what each one unlocks.
The free path for club prep
Most club booths are Pioneer DJ and AlphaTheta players, and the free plan of rekordbox is enough to prepare for them. Export mode needs no subscription: you analyze tracks, set cues and loops, build playlists and export to a USB stick that the CDJs read.
If the venue runs Denon DJ, Numark or Rane players, Engine DJ Desktop (5.1.0, Mac and Windows) is the free equivalent. It imports your rekordbox, Serato, Traktor or Apple Music library, renders stems on the computer, and Sync Manager writes the drive the players want. It will not let you perform on the laptop, and it does not pretend to.
The fine print
- VirtualDJ is free "for non-professional use". The official FAQ says advanced features such as USB controllers, DJ mixers, timecode and advanced video "can be tried for 10 minutes at a time", with a restart for another 10. The free and Home tiers keep the audio drops and the video logo; only Pro removes them, and if you earn money with it, you need Pro.
- Serato DJ Lite has no time limit and no watermark, but it cannot record, and it does not support CDJs or club mixers. Four-deck Lite controllers work, with two decks visible at a time. Every Lite controller can be upgraded to Pro with a paid license.
- rekordbox Free lets you mix on the laptop, but "you can't control rekordbox via connected DJ equipment" unless it is a Hardware Unlock device. The video output shows a caution message on the Free and Core plans.
- Mixxx 2.6 is still a beta in October 2026, and the project says beta snapshots "are not intended for live use". Play out on 2.5.6.
- Traktor has no free version at all. Traktor Play is a $49 one-off with two decks, a streamlined stems feature, Beatport streaming and 3 effects instead of 43, and you pay the difference to move up to Pro 4 later.
Where to download free DJ software for PC and Mac
Every free app above runs on Windows and on a Mac, and Mixxx runs on Linux too. Download it from the maker's own page, or from the Microsoft Store or Mac App Store when the maker sends you there. Never use a "free full version" site: cracked DJ software is a common way to catch malware, it never gets updates, and it can crash in the middle of a set.
| App | Windows | Mac | Official download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixxx 2.5.6 | Windows 10 (build 1809) or later | macOS 11 or later (Linux too) | mixxx.org |
| VirtualDJ 2026 | Windows 10, 64-bit, or later | macOS 10.14 or later | virtualdj.com |
| rekordbox 7 | Windows 10 or 11 | Recent versions, up to macOS 26 Tahoe | rekordbox.com |
| Serato DJ Lite 4.0 | Yes | macOS 14 Sonoma to 26 Tahoe | serato.com |
| djay | Windows 10 (21H1) or 11 | macOS 10.15 or later | algoriddim.com |
| Engine DJ Desktop 5.1 | Windows 10 or 11 | Yes, Apple silicon and Intel | enginedj.com |
System requirements from the official download pages, checked October 2026.
Two habits keep a free setup safe. Check the supported systems before you update your computer: in October 2026 Serato's download page still said macOS 27 was not supported yet. And never update the app or the system in the week of a gig; do it after, when you have time to test.
Free trials, and what they are for
A trial is for testing paid features with the gear you own, not for learning. Serato: 14 days of Serato DJ Suite (Pro plus all expansions) for first-time Pro users, no credit card needed. rekordbox 7: 30 days of the paid features, once per Free plan account, some cloud functions excluded. VirtualDJ: a one-time 30-day Pro trial when you log in with a controller connected. djay: a free trial of PRO through the app stores. Load the ten tracks you know best, try the one feature you would pay for, then decide.
Practice on your phone
Four apps are free to install on iOS and Android, with paid extras inside: djay, edjing Mix by MWM, Cross DJ by Mixvibes, and rekordbox, whose basic DJ features are free. edjing Mix and Cross DJ show ads on Android. None replaces a laptop at a gig, but they are a fine way to practice phrasing and EQ on the bus.
When paying makes sense
- Streaming inside the app. Serato DJ Lite includes Apple Music, Beatport, SoundCloud, Spotify and TIDAL for free (you still pay the service); elsewhere check the plan page, since each app puts streaming on a different tier. Streaming in a DJ app is for personal use under most service terms; rules for public play differ by country, so ask your local collecting society.
- Stems. Serato DJ Lite has Stems free; rekordbox lists stems on every plan; djay PRO, VirtualDJ Pro and Traktor put them on the paid side.
- Four decks. djay PRO, Serato DJ Pro with four-deck hardware, Traktor Pro 4.
- Your own hardware beyond the free list. A club mixer, a DVS setup or a controller that is not on anyone's free list is the most common reason to pay.
- Paid gigs and support. VirtualDJ's $19 Pro plan is the cheapest subscription that explicitly allows paid gigs, and its $99 Business plan adds call-back support. To pay once: Traktor Play $49, Traktor Pro 4 $149, Serato DJ Pro $299.
Prices checked October 2026.
Quick answers
Is there DJ software that is completely free? Yes: Mixxx, with every feature, no paid version, on Windows, Mac and Linux. Engine DJ Desktop is free too, but it prepares music for Denon DJ, Numark and Rane hardware rather than for playing on the laptop.
Can I DJ on a PC without a controller? Yes. Mixxx, VirtualDJ, rekordbox Free, djay and Serato DJ Lite's Practice Mode all mix with the keyboard and mouse. A controller makes it easier and more fun, not possible.
Is Serato DJ Pro free? Only with hardware that unlocks it. Otherwise it costs $11.99 a month or $299 once, and Serato DJ Lite is the free version. Is Serato DJ Pro free? answers the same question for the Pro version of every other app.
Is there free video DJ software? Yes. VirtualDJ mixes music videos for free at home, with its logo on the screen, and rekordbox Free plays video with a caution message on the external screen. Free video DJ software compares every app.
Free software plus bought music beats the opposite
A paid app will not make a ripped MP3 sound good on a club system, and a free app will not make a bought WAV sound bad. If your budget is small, keep the software free and put the money into music. The official free downloads on Digger Digger are tracks labels and artists give away on purpose, and Free downloads, the legit way explains how to find more without touching a rip site.
Once you know how you like to play, Best DJ software compared shows which app fits your gear and budget, and the style crates show what the DJs in your style are actually playing, with a preview and links to buy each track.