Serato DJ Pro is free only when you plug in DJ hardware that unlocks it. Otherwise it costs $11.99 a month or $299 once, while the simpler Serato DJ Lite is free for everyone. If you searched "is DJ Pro free" for another app: djay Pro, rekordbox and VirtualDJ have free versions with limits, Traktor Pro has none, and Engine DJ and Mixxx are free with nothing to unlock.
Serato DJ Lite: the free version
Serato DJ Lite is free to download and use, with no license, subscription or time limit. It works with more than 50 supported controllers, or with no hardware at all in Practice Mode, on keyboard and mouse. You get the core mixing and scratching tools, 6 FX presets, 2 channel FX, a 4-slot sampler, Serato Stems (live separation of vocals, melody, bass and drums) and streaming from Apple Music, Beatport, SoundCloud, Spotify and Tidal, each with its own paid subscription.
What Lite holds back: recording your set, quantize (cues and loops snap to the beat), up to 8 cue points, saved loops, beat jump, Stems FX and multiple waveform views. It also does not work with CDJs or club mixers. Our free DJ software guide compares it with the other free apps.
When Serato DJ Pro is free
Some controllers and mixers unlock Serato DJ Pro as soon as you connect them. In Serato's words: "If you have hardware that unlocks Serato DJ Pro when connected, you don't need a license or subscription." The Hercules DJControl T10, supported since version 4.0.10, is a recent example.
The free unlock only works with that piece of gear. Connect a Lite controller, or a mixer marked "Paid upgrade" on Serato's DJ Hardware page, and you need a paid Pro license or subscription.
With no hardware at all, Serato DJ Pro runs for free in Practice Mode, which Serato calls "a very basic version of Serato DJ Pro". Some hardware also unlocks DVS (digital vinyl system: control vinyl or CDs that steer the software) at no extra cost; the hardware page lists which.
What Serato DJ Pro costs without that hardware
Serato DJ Pro costs $11.99 a month or $299 once. Serato DJ Suite, which adds every Expansion and Serato Studio, costs $14.99 a month or $499 once. Buying once beats the subscription after about 25 months for Pro and about 34 months for Suite, so if you may switch apps within two years, start monthly.
Prices checked October 2026. Serato's pricing page shows US dollars and no yearly plan.
Before you pay, use the trial. First-time Serato DJ Pro users get a 14-day free trial of Pro and every Expansion, with no credit card. When it ends, you can keep using Lite or Practice Mode for free.
What the Expansions add
Expansions are add-ons for Serato DJ Pro. Serato's pricing pages no longer show a price for each one: they come together in Serato DJ Suite, which in May 2026 also took in Serato Studio, Serato's app for making edits and beats (our rekordbox Studio Plan post compares it with AlphaTheta's answer).
- DVS: control Serato from turntables or CDJs with control vinyl or CDs.
- Club Kit: Pro plus DVS for supported club mixers, no separate sound card needed.
- Video: video mixing and effects, video recording, MP3+G karaoke.
- Pitch 'n Time DJ: high-quality tempo and key changes, plus key sync.
- FX: more than 50 effects and unlimited saved presets.
- Flip: record and replay cue point moves as live edits.
- Play: full DJing on the laptop alone, with an on-screen mixer.
For club DJs: Serato says CDJs in HID mode (connected by USB) need a Pro license, but DVS mode needs Suite.
Does Serato DJ 5 change the price?
Not so far. The Serato DJ 5.0 beta, open since September 2026, is free to install for anyone with a Serato account, but Serato has announced no release date and no change to Lite, Pro or Suite prices. Its Lucid Beatgrids and Open Streaming come to Lite too; Cue Loops are Pro only. The stable version is 4.0.10, and Serato advises against using the beta for critical performances.
Is DJ Pro free in other apps?
"DJ Pro" can mean djay Pro by Algoriddim, or the paid level of any DJ app. Here is what each gives you for free.
| App | Free version | What paying adds | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serato DJ Pro | Serato DJ Lite, Practice Mode, or Pro itself with hardware that unlocks it | Pro features with Lite controllers and other supported gear; DVS, the other Expansions and Serato Studio in Suite | $11.99 a month or $299 once; Suite $14.99 a month or $499 once |
| djay Pro | Free app: 2-deck mixer with EQ, filters and essential effects, your own music and supported streaming services | Neural Mix stems, sampler and looper, recording, 4 decks, headphone pre-cueing, 100+ MIDI controllers, DVS | PRO $6.99 (€6.99) a month or $49.99 (€49.99) a year; 7-day trial |
| rekordbox | Free plan: library prep, USB export for CDJs, mixing on the laptop, Performance mode with Hardware Unlock gear | Core works with any supported DJ gear; Creative and Professional add creative features, cloud storage and sync | Core $12 (€12) a month or $120 (€120) a year; Creative $18 or $180; Professional $36 or $360; 30-day trial |
| Traktor Pro 4 | None | Traktor Play: 2 decks, 3 effects, stems, Beatport streaming. Pro 4: 4 decks, 43 effects | Play $49 once, Pro 4 $149 once; you pay the difference to upgrade |
| VirtualDJ | Free at home without pro gear; controllers, mixers and timecode run 10 minutes at a time | Home: entry-level controllers, branding stays, no paid gigs. Pro: every controller, no branding, paid gigs, AI stems | Home $4 a month, Pro $19, Business $99; one month free when paying yearly; 30-day Pro trial |
| Engine DJ | Everything: Engine DJ Desktop is a free download | Nothing to unlock; you pay for the Denon DJ, Numark or Rane hardware it prepares music for | Free |
| Mixxx | Everything, on Windows, Mac and Linux | Nothing: "There is no official paid or 'pro' version of Mixxx" | Free, donations welcome |
Prices checked October 2026. Euro prices where the official store shows them; every rekordbox plan costs the same figures in euros.
For platforms and streaming services, see DJ software compared.
How to decide before you pay
- Check what your gear unlocks. Look up your exact model on Serato's DJ Hardware page and on rekordbox's Hardware Unlock list, which includes the DDJ-FLX2, DDJ-FLX4, XDJ-AZ and OPUS-QUAD among others. The Native Instruments Traktor MX2 comes with the full Traktor Pro 4. Our beginner controller guide lists what popular models unlock.
- Time your trial. Trials usually run once per account: 14 days for Serato, 7 for djay PRO, 30 for rekordbox and VirtualDJ Pro. Start one when you can practice every day, and never let a gig depend on a trial that ends that week.
- Choose subscription or one-off. Serato DJ Pro, Serato DJ Suite and Traktor can be bought once, and VirtualDJ still sells a one-off Infinity license without some newer AI features. rekordbox, djay PRO and VirtualDJ cost less when you pay yearly.
- Think about moving later. Playlists move easily between apps; cue points and beatgrids often do not. The app you pay for tends to become the one you stay in.
Questions people ask
Is Serato DJ Pro free with a controller? Only if that controller unlocks Pro. A Serato DJ Lite controller runs Lite for free and needs a paid license for Pro.
Is djay Pro free? The app is free with a basic two-deck mixer. PRO costs $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial.
Can I use Serato DJ Pro without a controller? Yes, in Practice Mode for free, but it is basic. The Play expansion, part of Suite, adds full laptop-only mixing.
Is there a DJ app with no paid version at all? Yes, Mixxx, free and open source. Engine DJ Desktop is free too, but it prepares music for Engine DJ hardware rather than mixing on the laptop.
The music still matters more than the license. Open the style crates to hear what DJs in your style really play, save the ones you like with the crate icon, then use Send to my DJ app: choose your DJ app, and one button downloads a playlist file you bring into your DJ app with a playlist transfer service.