8.8Great
Spitfire BBCSO is a full orchestra library family—free Discover (~240MB), Core (~28GB, £399), and Professional (~630GB, £899)—recorded with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Plugin comparison
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra vs Kontakt 8
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which sampler to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
8.7Great
Kontakt 8 is Native Instruments' software sampler platform for hosting and building virtual instruments, available as a plugin or standalone app.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra comes out ahead (8.8). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra | Kontakt 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free+ | $299 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | Standalone, VST3, AU (macOS), AAX |
| Library family | BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover / Core / Professional | — |
| Orchestra | BBC Symphony Orchestra (Maida Vale heritage recordings) | — |
| Player | Dedicated Spitfire Audio plugin (VST/VST3/AU/AAX); Spitfire Audio App required for install | — |
| Discover size | ~240MB package; ~34 instruments, ~47 techniques, 1 mix signal | — |
| Core size | ~28.2GB; ~44 instruments, ~344 techniques, curated mix signal, legatos for melodic instruments | — |
| Professional size | ~630GB class install; ~57 instruments, ~468 techniques, ~12 mics / 3 mixes, ~20 signals | — |
| Discover price | Free (Core/Pro owners also receive Discover) | — |
| Core list price | £399 (confirm regional pricing/sales) | — |
| Professional list price | £899 (confirm regional pricing/sales) | — |
| Discover extras | Now includes BBCSO Piano (per Spitfire product messaging) | — |
| Platforms | macOS & Windows 64-bit; Intel and Apple silicon supported; recommend multi-core CPU + 16GB RAM class systems | — |
| NKS | NKS ready / compatible (edition dependent) | — |
| macOS formats (64-bit) | — | Standalone, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Windows formats (64-bit) | — | Standalone, VST3, AAX |
| Factory Library 2 | — | 40 GB ready-to-use instrument toolset included |
| CPU / RAM | — | Intel Core i5 or equivalent / Apple Silicon; 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended) |
| Disk space | — | 2 GB free; 52 GB for complete installation |
| Free Player version | — | Kontakt 8 Player hosts NI and third-party Kontakt instruments at no cost |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.