The best DJ controllers 2021: top mixing devices from Traktor, Serato, rekordbox and more

 This is the DJ equipment you need to create the perfect standalone or laptop-based setup

Modern software applications such as Ableton Live mean you can now technically DJ with pretty much any MIDI controller, or even just a mouse and keyboard. Nevertheless, there are several very good reasons to use DJ controller hardware designed specifically for mixing. 

Whether you’re after something to replicate the feel of traditional turntables, mixers and CDJs, or a modern pad device designed for sample triggering and effects manipulation, the best DJ controllers in this guide offer skin-tight integration with your preferred mixing software of your choice, so you can properly get hands-on and expressive with your library or tracks.

In this roundup we're only concerned with those controllers aimed at digital DJs with laptops or mobile devices, so there’ll be no CDJs and other timecode systems. 

Whatever your skill, we’ve got options to meet your needs and budget...

The best DJ controllers you can buy today

While Pioneer DJ’s rekordbox DJ mixing application remains, arguably, slightly in the shadow of the ‘bigger guns’ Serato and Traktor, used with Pioneer’s new flagship DJ controller, thePioneer DJ DDJ-1000 it’s the perfect pairing. In fact, the 1000 is the closest thing we’ve found to condensing a club CDJ setup down into controller form. 

Its meaty, pressure-sensitive jogwheels have the heft of mixing on one of the brand’s industry-standard CDJs, and the mixer section is effectively a trimmed-down DJM-900. All tracks prepared in rekordbox are ready to be loaded onto a USB and taken out to a club too – meaning this is probably the closest compatibility you’ll find between home controller setup and DJ booth.

It’s also worth giving a nod to the recent third generation version of Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 controller too though. 

How to choose the best DJ controller for you

There are several things to consider when shopping for a DJ controller. The first, and possibly biggest consideration is your choice of software. If you favour Serato DJ, it’s important to note that the software is only compatible with certain controllers, built in collaboration with Serato

In fact, the majority of DJ controllers will be designed with one or two specific bits of software in mind, and many come with a certain application included in the price – so your choice of controller is likely to be very much influenced by your DJ app preference, or vice versa.

It’s also worth considering whether you’ll need any audio inputs built in - i.e, the capability to connect turntables, CDJs or an instrument to your setup - and if you might want to expand with timecoded vinyl or CDs in the future. Some controllers included here also work as a standalone mixer, without the need to connect to a computer, which could be another consideration.

Then there’s size, looks, build quality, price... the list goes on. In short, it’s difficult to crown any one bit of kit the absolute ‘best’ controller, but what we can do is present you with a round-up of our favorites' among the options currently available.

These are the best DJ controllers available right now

1. Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000

Pro-level rekordbox control with a CDJ feel

Launch price: $1,199 | Connectivity: 2x USB 2.0 | Channels: 4 | Deck control: 4 | Audio resolution: 24-bit/96kHz | Analogue inputs: 6 | Analogue outputs: 3 | Software: rekordbox DJ (full license included)

Pioneer DJ’s latest four-channel controller for rekordbox DJ benefits from taking a number of design cues from the company’s CDJ and mixer range. For one thing, the jog wheels are full-sized and pressure-sensitive, for a pro mixing feel, while the central mixer section is essentially a slightly shrunken version of the brand’s popular DJM-900, complete with its effects section.

On the software side of things, rekordbox DJ doesn’t have the history and reputation of either Serato DJ or Traktor, but paired with this controller it’s still an excellent mixing application. Its track collection is fully compatible with Pioneer DJ’s industry-standard CDJs too.

2. Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3

Flagship Traktor controller with ‘haptic’ jogwheels

Launch price: $899 | Connectivity: USB 2.0 | Channels: 4 | Deck control: 4 | Audio resolution: 24-bit/96kHz | Analogue inputs: 6 | Analogue outputs: 3 | Software: Traktor Pro 3 (full license included)

The third generation update to NI’s four deck Traktor controller is a significant one. The main elements to receive an overhaul here are the jog wheels; these are now motorised and make use of the company’s new ‘haptic’ technology that offers tactile feedback of cue points and more.

The design as a whole has been shaken up too though. For one thing, the pitch faders have been moved to a CDJ-style ‘both on the same side’ correlation, as opposed to sitting along the outside edges, as on the Mk2. There’s a new Mixer FX section too, as well as small displays sitting below each jog wheel.

The downside to these changes is that users upgrading from version two to three might feel a little lost, and will need to relearn some of their mixing moves to adjust to the new control positions. This remains the top of the Traktor pile though.

3. Pioneer DJ DDJ-SX3

The best Serato DJ controller under £/$1,200

Launch price: $1,199 | Connectivity: USB 2.0 x2 | Channels: 4 | Deck control: 4 | Audio resolution: 24-bit/44.1 kHz | Analogue inputs: 5 | Analogue outputs: 4 | Digital connectivity: None

Pioneer DJ’s DDJ-SX line debuted back in 2012, and has arguably retained the crown of being the highest-quality, and most powerful Serato DJ controller available for under a grand. Version 3 arrived earlier this year, further refining the already winning formula. The DDJ-SX3 looks very similar to its predecessors. Again, the controller is small enough to transport pretty easily, but with its sturdy chassis and aluminum top it’s also rugged feeling, and you’d expect it to tolerate regular club use without issue.

The jog wheels are small, but responsive and sturdy, with a feel not dissimilar to those on Pioneer’s CDJ line. The DDJ-SX3 is four-channel. Each channel of its central mixer can be switched between digital inputs from Serato DJ or analogue RCA, and the control decks can be flipped to control up to four Serato decks simultaneously. As a result, the SX3 can act as a hub/mixer for four digital decks, four external players or any combination of the above.

4. Roland DJ-505

A Serato controller with classic drum sounds onboard

Launch price: $599/£570/€539 | Connectivity: USB 2.0 x1 | Channels: 2 | Deck control: 4 | Audio resolution: 24-bit/48 kHz | Analogue inputs: 3 | Analogue outputs: 4 | Software: Serato DJ Pro (full license included)

Roland moved into the DJ controller market for the first time in recent years, releasing a range of Aira branded controllers for use with Serato DJ Pro. The real selling point here is the inclusion of the ‘TR-S’ drum machine, and the DJ-505 delivers well in this regard. The sounds are the same as those in the first gen TR-8, offering digital recreations of Roland’s 909, 808 and 707 beatmakers – some of the best emulations you’ll find in modern hardware.

The 505 isn’t the top of Roland’s controller range, but we like the affordability and convenience of this model. While the 505 is a little visually garish, given its compact size and affordable price, it’d make a good studio addition for bedroom producers who are looking for both a DJ scratch pad and a hardware drum machine.

5. Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S8

The best high-end Traktor controller

Launch price: $1499 | Connectivity: USB 2.0 | Channels: 4 | Deck control: 4 | Audio resolution: 24-bit/48kHz | Analogue inputs: 5 | Analogue outputs: 2 | MIDI: In and Out

NI’s top-of-the-range Traktor controller shifts away from the conventional ‘two platters and a mixer’ layout of most DJ gear, in favour of a design focused around Traktor’s Stems and Remix Deck capabilities.

Removing one of the most obvious controls from a DJ controller is a bold move, but NI claims that the new touchstrips can be used in place of jog wheels and there's some truth in this. With a track stopped, these can be used to 'scratch' the current track, while holding down Shift puts them into Seek mode, allowing the user to jump to any part of the track. With the track playing, these become Pitchbend controls, which – to be fair – are surprisingly well implemented and can be used for basic, 'nudge'-style beat-matching. The absence of pitch faders rules out any serious beat-matching though.

Jog wheels aside, though, this is a very slick, well equipped Traktor controller. If live remixing with Stems and getting creative with samples, loops and effects is your main focus, then this could be the controller for you.