Best Serato DJ Controllers For 2024

We’ve put these roughly in price order, from highest to lowest – that doesn’t necessarily indicate “best to worst” though, so read the reviews to decide what suits your purposes the best – we recommend them all. Also note that we’ve not included “all-in-one” units that can work with or without a laptop – these are strictly controllers, ie units that need a laptop attached to work properly.

Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV7

Pioneer DJ’s DDJ-REV7 is a first for the company, in that Pioneer DJ has never released a motorised platter DJ controller before. And they’ve done a great job – this is a scratch DJ’s dream, giving the closest thing in a controller to two turntables and a DJM-S series mixer.

✅ Decks and mixer designed to give the classic “scratch layout”
✅ Innovative motorised jogwheels offer central displays
❌ Bigger than the Rane One, its closest competitor

Price: $1999 / £1849 / €2042
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV7 Review
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website

Rane Four

Rane and Serato have knocked it out of the park with this controller, it’s got so many firsts: It’s the first Rane controller with four channels, the first Rane controller that doesn’t have motorised jogwheels… and the first controller with built-in full control for Serato Stems. One for performance-focused DJs.

✅ First controller with full Serato Stems support
✅ Innovative “Stems Split” offers mind-boggling live remixing potential
✅ Packed with features, including hardware FX and four channels
❌ Some will miss the motorised jogwheels of the Rane One

Price: $1699 / £1499 / €1529
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Rane Four Controller Review
Find out more: Rane website

Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10

Although primarily designed for the Rekordbox platform, this is an excellent Serato DJ controller too, with just a few changes to the way the controls work for you to get used to as a Serato user. It replaces both the Rekordbox DDJ-1000 and the Serato DDJ-1000SRT controllers in Pioneer DJ’s range, hence the FLX – or “flex” – moniker.

✅ Standard club-style layout that will be instantly familiar to most DJs
✅ Excellent jogwheels that feel similar to those of pro CDJs
❌ Some of the labelling of controls is incorrect for Serato
❌ Stems controls better suited to Rekordbox than Serato

Price: $1599 / £1469 / €1649
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10 Review
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website

Rane One

Another dream controller for scratch DJs, this is a heavyweight option that is too bulky to tuck under your arm and move easily – but again, it is the closest you’ll ever get to the feel of using turntables in a DJ controller.

✅ Unique motorised platter Serato DJ controller, that feels just like using mini turntables
✅ Exceptional Rane build quality
❌ Only two channels – great for scratch DJs, but some may want four

Price: $1599 / £1299 / €1345
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Rane One Review
Find out more: Rane website

Reloop Mixon 8 Pro

This unit has a USP in it that also works with Algoriddim’s djay Pro software, and has a slot at the back to stand an iPad in, giving you an extra use option. That said, for Serato users it has a definite advantage that will appeal to many, in that it offers deep control over Serato’s effects, something missing in most Serato controllers nowadays.

✅ A dual-use unit that may appeal if you are also a djay Pro or iPad DJ
✅ An unusual “mirror image” deck layout, that some DJs prefer in a controller
❌ Relatively small jogs for its size
❌ iPad slot irrelevant if bought for Serato use

Price: $1250 / £1099 / €1299
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Reloop Mixon 8 Pro Review
Find out more: Reloop website

Other ways to DJ with Serato

While a full 75% of our students here at Digital DJ Tips use controllers, it’s by no means the only way to DJ, and by no means the only way you can DJ with Serato.

Pro DJs who use Serato in clubs often plug into those club set-ups (invariably made by Pioneer DJ), and use the club gear to control Serato on their laptops, which essentially turns the club equipment into a huge DJ controller.

But it is also possible to DJ with Serato on any gear – any old CD players or turntables – using a DVS (“Digital Vinyl System”), for which you would typically use special records or CDs to feed computer code to the software to control your music, and an interface box or special mixer to plug the computer in.

Learn to DJ with ANY gear: The Complete DJ Course

And finally, you can DJ with just your laptop, using keyboard shortcuts, with a paid-for Expansion Pack for Serato called “Serato Play” – good if you want to be able to practise DJ sets with just your laptop perched on your knees, for instance.

Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV5

A slightly cut-down version of the DDJ-REV7, this unit nonetheless is similar, offering the same two-channel “battle” layout of its mixer and the same battle deck layout with the pitch control horizontally at the top of each deck. The jogs are no longer motorised, and the unit is therefore cheaper and lighter.

✅ A great choice for open-format and scratch DJs who don’t need motorised jogs
✅ Innovative features like Piano Play and Auto Beat Transition
❌ No external inputs for decks etc
❌ You may miss four channels

Price: $1099 / £939 / €1099
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV5 Review
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website

Roland DJ-707M

In many ways, this is the controller for DJs who really know – it may not look flashy, but it is the best specified device on this whole list, and as such, would particularly suit the working DJ looking for something easy to transport.

✅ Utterly professional DJ controller, with all the inputs, outputs and advanced features you could possibly want
✅ Lots of unique functions, including EQ and compression over the master out, and a “zone” to play a playlist to one room while DJing in another
❌ Relatively small size may make using it fiddly for some

Price: $999 / £929 / €979
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Roland DJ-707M Review
Find out more: Roland website

Reloop Ready

Designed by our very own DJ Angelo, the Reloop Ready is the controller Angelo wished he could have to throw in his bag when on club tours, offering unprecedented control over Serato for such a device.

✅ A controller no bigger than a 13” laptop, but with pretty much every pro software control on it
✅ A unique tool for set preparation for touring DJs, and also ultra-lightweight DJ set-ups (eg for livestreaming on the road)
❌ Only has two-band EQ
❌ Expensive for what it is

Price: $349 / £249 / €319
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Reloop Ready Review
Find out more: Reloop website

Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4

Pioneer’s replacement for its popular Rekordbox-only DDJ-400, the DDJ-FLX4 works with both platforms, and it’s good to see controllers that don’t tie beginners to one platform, when they may be unsure about the right route for them.

✅ A proven design, based upon pro Pioneer DJ club gear
✅ Innovative USB-C connectivity, meaning you can use it easily with mobile devices as well as laptop software (although Serato is laptop only)
❌ It is a Rekordbox controller first, and a Serato one second, meaning the Serato mapping is a bit limited

Price: $299 / £279 / €319
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 Review
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website

Serato DJ Pro vs Serato DJ Lite

The cheaper controllers in this roundup come with Serato DJ Lite, a stripped-down version of Serato’s software. Serato wants you to upgrade to Serato DJ Pro, and if you get serious about your DJing, you will indeed want to – just trust us on that.

It’ll cost you a considerable amount to upgrade (although they have occasional offers), so do bear in mind that “hidden” cost when pricing up and comparing the various systems here – we’ve marked every controller that comes with Serato DJ Lite clearly in this round-up.

Read this next: Is DJ Software Becoming Too Expensive?

Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV1

Released at the same time as the DDJ-REV7, the DDJ-REV1 takes the same concept (a “scratch” controller), but delivers it in a controller aimed at the exact opposite end of the market: Entry-level DJs.

✅ Something different at what can be a very “copycat” end of the market
✅ Will have immediate appeal for aspiring scratch DJs who one day want to use turntables
❌ Performance pads feel cramped due to where they are in the design

Price: $249 / £279 / €309
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV1 Review
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website

Pro vs Consumer?

We’ve listed every type of device here, from the lowliest to the best money can buy.

The truth is you could DJ in a club on any of these and get away with it – some may raise eyebrows, but technically it’s possible. However, pro controllers (and you can tell by the cost), tend to have features that make them better suited for those making a living from DJing.

These include better build quality, better sound quality, pro inputs (decent mic channels, inputs for turntables and CDJs), extra laptop inputs (for easy DJ switchovers), pro audio outputs (so you can run high quality audio to a PA system as well as your own speakers), and more.

Want more help choosing gear? Grab your free PDF: The Digital DJ Gear Buyer’s Guide

If you’re just starting out, you should get a consumer controller. All pro DJs should carry a back-up device; that’s what your first purchase will become if and when you get more “pro” yourself, and upgrade to something better.

Hercules DJControl Starlight

The tiniest controller on this list, and a fantastic portable device to let you DJ where normal controllers can’t go.

✅ Impossibly tiny, cute controller
✅ You can actually scratch on its tiny jogwheels
✅ Bass EQ and filter controls – making transitions sound surprisingly good
❌ Only good as a secondary / backup device – too small to use as an “only” controller
❌ Comes with Serato DJ Lite – you’d need to pay for an upgrade if you want the full software

Price: $99 / £69 / €84
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Hercules DJControl Starlight Review
Find out more: Hercules website

Finally…

In this article, we’ve looked at pretty much all the current Serato DJ controllers we recommend to our students. There’s no such thing as a “best” controller, because as you’ve seen, they are often very different from each other.

The best thing to do is list your needs, be honest about where you’re at in your DJing and what you really need (against what you vaguely want), and choose accordingly.

You’ll also, of course, need to see what’s available where you live and at what price, which will probably narrow your choice down even further.

Learn to DJ with ANY gear: The Complete DJ Course

Click through to our reviews and review videos from the links above, and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. Happy hunting!

Phil Morse

Phil Morse is the founder of Digital DJ Tips. His DJ career has taken him from a 15-year residency in Manchester, England, to the main room at Privilege in Ibiza - the world's biggest club. He is also an award-winning club promoter, and has taught music tech and DJing since 2010. He regularly speaks at DJ seminars and events worldwide. His book, “Rock The Dancefloor!”, is a global best-seller on how to DJ.

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