Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which bundle to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Dubspot may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects our scores or what we recommend — read our policy.
Contenders
Native Instruments' flagship production bundle. The headline is the return of Absynth 6. The rest of the upgrade is murkier, with the best new instruments locked behind Collector's Edition.
Komplete 26 Ultimate: 280+ instruments and effects, 100+ Expansions, Absynth 6, Kontakt 8 and NI's cinematic tools. $1,249 at Plugin Boutique; upgrades from $299.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Komplete 26 | Native Instruments Komplete 26 Ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 upgrade / $1,949 Collector's | $1,249 (updates from $299) |
| Dubspot Score | 6.8 | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, standalone, macOS, Windows |
| Type | Production bundle | — |
| Headline | Absynth 6 returns | — |
| Tiers | Standard / Ultimate / Collector's Edition | — |
| Released | 2026 | — |
| Instruments and effects | — | 280+ (Standard 180+, Collector's Edition 340+) |
| Expansions | — | 100+ |
| Sounds | — | 116,000+ |
| Download size | — | 950 GB compressed |
| Flagships | — | Kontakt 8, Absynth 6, Massive X, Guitar Rig 7 Pro |
| Formats | — | VST, VST3, AU (macOS), AAX; many titles also run standalone |
| Systems | — | macOS 14, 15 or 26; Windows 10 or 11; Intel Core i5 or Apple Silicon, 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended) |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.