8.7Great
Kontakt 8 is Native Instruments' software sampler platform for hosting and building virtual instruments, available as a plugin or standalone app.
Plugin comparison
Kontakt 8 vs Soundpaint
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
Soundpaint is 8Dio's free sampler engine. Version 5.0 adds the Brush sample editor, a 2000-step arpeggiator, and new Racks, for macOS and Windows.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Kontakt 8 | Soundpaint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | Free |
| Dubspot Score | 8.7 | — |
| Formats | Standalone, VST3, AU (macOS), AAX | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone |
| 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 | — |
| Type | — | Sampler engine and instrument platform |
| Update | — | Soundpaint 5.0 (22 September 2026), free |
| Headline feature | — | Brush, a built-in sample editor and mapping system |
| Sample editing | — | Start, end, and loop points, keyboard mapping, tune, filter, ADSR |
| Time-stretching | — | Time Pro, automatic BPM detection, with Phrase Sync |
| Arpeggiator | — | Up to 2000 steps, per-step stutter and glue, swing and inversion |
| New Racks | — | Micro Tune, Round Robin, Vintage Drift, 505 |
| Formats | — | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, standalone |
| Platforms | — | macOS and Windows |
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