Last updated: October 2026
Do you need to pay for rekordbox? Many DJs don’t. rekordbox, AlphaTheta’s DJ software (currently ver. 7.2.19, released 24 September 2026), has four plans: Free, Core, Creative and Professional. The Free plan includes EXPORT mode for preparing USBs, and plugging in a Hardware Unlock device opens PERFORMANCE mode without a subscription.
You need Core (around $12 a month) when you want to perform with DJ equipment that isn’t on the Hardware Unlock list. Creative (around $18 a month) adds rendering of edited tracks and is the step up for DJs who make their own edits. Professional (around $36 a month) mainly adds more synced devices and bigger cloud storage. The trade-off is simple: match the plan to the hardware you already own, not the feature list.
Quick takeaways
- rekordbox Free covers EXPORT mode, so CDJ and XDJ players who only build USBs pay nothing.
- Hardware Unlock gear (DDJ-FLX4, DDJ-FLX6, XDJ-AZ, CDJ-3000X and more) unlocks PERFORMANCE mode on the Free plan.
- Core ($12/month or $120/year) is the minimum paid plan for controlling PERFORMANCE mode from non-unlock equipment.
- Creative ($18/month or $180/year) is where rendering edited tracks to audio files starts.
- Professional ($36/month or $360/year) includes 5TB of Dropbox storage and up to 8 synced devices.
- The Cloud Option (1TB Dropbox, Cloud Library Sync) is an add-on for Free, Core and Creative.
- Every Free account gets one 30-day trial of the paid ver. 7 features.
What this guide adds: AlphaTheta spreads the plan rules across a pricing page, a Hardware Unlock compatibility page and several FAQ categories. We’ve pulled them into one table and mapped each plan to a real setup: club DJ on CDJs, bedroom DJ with a controller, mobile DJ running video, and a DJ juggling two laptops.
What are the rekordbox plans?
rekordbox has four subscription tiers: Free, Core, Creative and Professional, plus a Cloud Option that can be added to Free, Core and Creative. According to the rekordbox plans FAQ, Core lets you control PERFORMANCE mode from DJ equipment, Creative builds on Core, and Professional builds on Creative.
Two terms come up again and again. EXPORT mode is the rekordbox mode for managing your collection and preparing USB drives or SD cards for standalone players. PERFORMANCE mode is the mode for DJing from the laptop itself, with up to four decks, samplers and effects.
How much does each rekordbox plan cost in 2026?
rekordbox Core costs around $12 a month, Creative around $18 and Professional around $36, with annual billing working out at two months free on each. These are the list prices on the official rekordbox plans and pricing page at time of writing; the “save” figures AlphaTheta shows on annual plans compare against 12 monthly payments, not a temporary sale.
| Plan | Monthly (USD) | Annual (USD) | Synced devices | Cloud storage | Best match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 | None (up to 1,000 tracks cloud-synced with owner registration or Hardware Unlock) | USB prep for CDJs/XDJs; Hardware Unlock owners |
| Free + Cloud Option | $11 | $108 | 3 | 1TB Dropbox | Hardware Unlock owners working across laptops |
| Core | $12 | $120 | 3 | None | Performing with non-unlock equipment |
| Core + Cloud Option | $23 | $228 | 3 | 1TB Dropbox | Core users who sync between machines |
| Creative | $18 | $180 | 4 | None | DJs rendering their own edits |
| Creative + Cloud Option | $28 | $276 | 4 | 1TB Dropbox | Edit-heavy DJs with a studio and a gig laptop |
| Professional | $36 | $360 | 8 | 5TB Dropbox | Large libraries, several machines |
Prices, device counts and storage from rekordbox.com/en/plan, checked October 2026. “Best match” is our mapping, not AlphaTheta’s.
Chart: The DJ Mixtape, from rekordbox.com/en/plan, October 2026.
What can you do on the rekordbox Free plan?
The rekordbox Free plan includes EXPORT mode and selected PERFORMANCE mode features, according to the official plans FAQ. EXPORT mode needs no subscription and covers track management, USB import, LINK Export and recording, so a DJ who prepares USBs at home and plugs them into club players has everything they need for free.
Registering a supported device also helps. The rekordbox ver. 7 FAQ says connecting a supported device on the Free plan registers you as the owner and changes your status to “Free Plus”, which adds Collection Filter, Column View, DUAL PLAYER and Playlist search.
What is Hardware Unlock in rekordbox?
Hardware Unlock is AlphaTheta’s term for DJ equipment that lets you use rekordbox PERFORMANCE mode without a paid plan. The ver. 7 FAQ states that connecting a supported device lets you control PERFORMANCE mode without subscribing. The Hardware Unlock page currently lists:
- Players and turntables: CDJ-3000X, CDJ-1500X, CDJ-3000, PLX-CRSS12
- All-in-one systems: OPUS-QUAD, OMNIS-DUO, XDJ-AZ, XDJ-AN, XDJ-XZ, XDJ-RX3, XDJ-RX2, XDJ-RR
- Mixers: DJM-V10, DJM-V10-LF, DJM-V5, DJM-A9, DJM-S11, DJM-S7, DJM-750MK2, DJM-450, DJM-250MK2, euphonia
- Interfaces: INTERFACE 2, RB-DMX1
- Controllers: DDJ-1000, DDJ-800, DDJ-400, DDJ-200, DDJ-GRV6, DDJ-FLX10, DDJ-FLX6, DDJ-FLX6-GT, DDJ-FLX4, DDJ-FLX2, DDJ-REV7, DDJ-REV5, DDJ-WeGO4, DDJ-XP2
Not every feature applies to every unit: the same page breaks support down into PERFORMANCE mode, DVS control, lighting control, video output and sequencer saving per model. Check your exact unit on that page before you rely on a specific feature at a gig.
When do you need rekordbox Core?
You need rekordbox Core when you want to DJ in PERFORMANCE mode with equipment that isn’t on the Hardware Unlock list. The official plans FAQ says a paid plan is needed to control PERFORMANCE mode via DJ equipment, and the pricing page describes the Free plan as working with Hardware Unlock-eligible equipment only.
Core also lets you edit tracks in EDIT mode, but only edit them. The EDIT / DVS FAQ states that on Free or Core you can only use the track edit function, and rendering edited tracks as audio files needs Creative or Professional.
Is rekordbox Creative worth it over Core?
rekordbox Creative is worth the extra $6 a month mainly if you render your own edits or want a clean video feed. Rendering edited tracks to audio files starts at Creative, per the EDIT FAQ. Creative also raises the synced-device count from 3 to 4.
Video is the other split. The Hardware Unlock page notes that on the Free and Core plans a caution message is displayed on the video output window. For a mobile DJ sending visuals to a projector or LED screen at a wedding, that on-screen note is the practical reason to look at Creative or Professional.
What does rekordbox Professional add?
rekordbox Professional adds scale: 5TB of Dropbox storage, Cloud Library Sync and up to 8 synced devices, according to the pricing page. It’s the only plan with cloud storage built in rather than bought as an add-on.
At $36 a month, Professional only makes sense on paper if you run a large library across several machines. If you only need cloud sync between two laptops, Creative + Cloud Option ($28 a month) or Core + Cloud Option ($23 a month) gets you 1TB of Dropbox storage and cloud sync for less.
Which rekordbox plan fits your gig setup?
The right rekordbox plan depends on where you play and what hardware you own. Here’s how the official rules map to four common setups.
Chart: The DJ Mixtape, from AlphaTheta’s rekordbox plans FAQ, pricing page and Hardware Unlock list, October 2026.
Club DJ on house CDJs
You prep playlists at home and play from USB on the club’s players. EXPORT mode is free, so pay nothing. If you’re upgrading the booth at home, see our best DJ media players guide.
Bedroom DJ with a DDJ-FLX4
The DDJ-FLX4 is on the Hardware Unlock list, so PERFORMANCE mode works on the Free plan. Spend the money on speakers instead. Shopping for a first controller? Our budget DJ controllers roundup covers the options.
DJ with a non-unlock controller
If your controller isn’t on the Hardware Unlock list, Core ($12/month) is the minimum to perform in rekordbox. Weigh that against a rekordbox-ready unit or a different platform via our DJ software comparison.
Mobile DJ running video
Free and Core show a caution message on the video output window. A clean projector feed points to Creative ($18/month), which also renders your own edits for those first-dance requests.
All-in-one owners are a special case. The XDJ-AZ, OMNIS-DUO and OPUS-QUAD are Hardware Unlock units, and the pricing page currently runs a Professional plan 3-month free trial for owners who register one of those three. Our all-in-one DJ systems guide compares them.
Who should skip paying for rekordbox?
Most DJs who own Hardware Unlock gear or only play from USB can skip a paid rekordbox plan entirely.
- You only prepare USBs or SD cards for CDJs and XDJs: EXPORT mode is free.
- Your controller or all-in-one is on the Hardware Unlock list and you don’t need rendered edits or clean video.
- You use one laptop and back up manually, so cloud sync adds nothing.
- You’re mid-trial: the 30-day ver. 7 trial is available once per Free account, so time it for when you’ll actually test the paid features.
On the other hand, if your controller isn’t on the list and you’d pay Core every month, run the numbers: two years of Core at the annual rate is $240.
rekordbox plans FAQ
Is rekordbox free to use with a DDJ-FLX4?
Yes. The DDJ-FLX4 is on AlphaTheta’s Hardware Unlock list, which means PERFORMANCE mode works on the rekordbox Free plan without a subscription.
Can I export to USB for CDJs without paying for rekordbox?
Yes. EXPORT mode, which covers track management, USB import and LINK Export, needs no subscription according to the rekordbox plans FAQ.
What’s the cheapest rekordbox plan for a controller that isn’t Hardware Unlock?
Core, at around $12 a month or $120 a year. The Free plan only connects to Hardware Unlock-eligible equipment for PERFORMANCE mode.
Which rekordbox plan lets me save my edits as audio files?
Creative or Professional. On Free and Core, EDIT mode is limited to editing; rendering edited tracks as audio files needs Creative or above, per the official EDIT FAQ.
How many computers can I use with one rekordbox subscription?
Core allows 3 synced devices, Creative 4 and Professional 8. The Free plan with the Cloud Option allows 3. You have to sign in with the account that holds the subscription.
Is there a free trial of rekordbox’s paid plans?
Yes. The ver. 7 FAQ says a 30-day trial of the paid features is available once per Free plan account.
Verdict: which rekordbox plan to buy
- Free: USB-only club DJs and anyone with Hardware Unlock gear.
- Core: DJs performing with equipment that isn’t on the Hardware Unlock list.
- Creative: DJs who render their own edits or need a video feed without the caution message.
- Professional: large libraries spread across more than four machines, or DJs who want 5TB of cloud storage.
- Skip the upgrade if a free Hardware Unlock route already covers how you play. Put the money towards gear from our media player or controller guides instead.
How we research: plan prices, device limits and feature rules were checked against AlphaTheta’s official rekordbox pages in October 2026. Prices can change, so confirm on rekordbox.com before subscribing. Charts and diagrams are our own, built from AlphaTheta’s published plan details. By Dan, DJing since 1994.