The smallest budget, or a phone
AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2
A small two-deck controller for rekordbox, Serato and djay with its own outputs; most DJs will outgrow it.
Photos: AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it if the budget is tight or you want to mix from a phone or tablet. It runs rekordbox, Serato DJ Lite and djay, and a USB-C phone or tablet powers it over the one cable, so there is nothing else to buy. It leaves out gain controls, meters, a browse knob and a mic input, and several reviewers say most DJs will outgrow it. If you are learning on a laptop, the Mixtrack Platinum FX is the full-size step up inside this band.
- Best for
- First-time DJs mixing from a phone, tablet or laptop on a small budget.
- Skip it if
- You want gain, meters, a mic input or track browsing on the hardware.
What people praise
- Runs rekordbox, Serato DJ Lite and djay on a phone, tablet or computer
- Easy to set up and learn on as a first controller
What to know first
- Most DJs will outgrow it; reviewers point to the DDJ-FLX4 for anyone more serious
- No gain controls or level meters on the unit
Video reviews
- BPM SupremeOct 2024Recommends
- Karl ThomasOct 2025Warns off
Learning on a laptop
Numark Mixtrack Platinum FX
A Serato starter controller with screens in its 6-inch jogs and FX paddles; Lite limits and a plastic body are the cost.
Photos: Numark
Choose it over the FLX2 if you are learning on a laptop. It runs Serato DJ Lite free, the screens in its 6-inch jog wheels show BPM, time, pitch and key, and its long pitch faders suit learning to beatmatch by hand; reviewers call the build solid for the money. Lite can't record your mixes or mix four decks, so plan on Serato DJ Pro once you outgrow it, and it has one RCA master output. If scratching is the goal, the DDJ-REV1 has the layout for it.
- Best for
- Serato beginners who want jog-wheel screens, FX paddles and long pitch faders.
- Skip it if
- You need a booth output, a mic on recordings, or a backpack-sized controller.
What people praise
- Screens in the jog wheels show BPM, time, pitch and key
- FX paddles make effects quick and fun to throw in or hold
What to know first
- Serato DJ Lite holds it back: no recording and no four-deck mixing without a paid Serato DJ Pro upgrade
- Basic performance pads: small, red-lit, dim or unresponsive, with four per deck doing most of the work
Video reviews
- DJ CarloMay 2020Recommends
- AlchemixSep 2022Recommends
Learning to scratch
Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV1
A battle-style Serato controller with big jogs and FX paddles; the pads are small and some modes need Serato DJ Pro.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it over the Mixtrack Platinum FX if scratching is why you want to DJ. Its mixer and jog wheels are laid out like a Pioneer DJ DJM-S scratch mixer between two turntables, and Serato DJ Lite comes free with it. Reviewers fault the small, single-colour pads, and Beat Jump, Roll and recording wait for the paid Serato DJ Pro upgrade. For club-style mixing, a conventional layout like the Mixtrack's is the closer match; when you outgrow it, the DDJ-REV7 is the step up.
- Best for
- Beginners learning to scratch on a DJM-S and turntable style layout.
- Skip it if
- You prefer a club-style layout or need more than one RCA output.
What people praise
- Easy to learn on as a first controller
- Battle layout copies a DJM-S mixer and turntables, a direct path to scratch gear
What to know first
- Small, single-colour performance pads, cramped for large fingers
- Beat Jump, Roll and recording need the paid Serato DJ Pro upgrade
Video reviews
- BPM SupremeJun 2023Recommends
- DJcityTVJan 2022Recommends
Growing into first gigs
Hercules DJControl Inpulse 500
A full-size two-deck Serato and DJUCED controller with mic and aux inputs; the effects section is its weak spot.
Photos: Hercules
Choose it over the Mixtrack Platinum FX if you expect to play small gigs soon. It is full size with a metal backing plate, adds aux inputs, a balanced mic input and jack master outputs, and its Beatmatch Guide lights show which way to move the tempo fader and jog wheel while you learn. It runs Serato DJ Lite and DJUCED free. Reviewers fault the effects section, where the filter and effects share controls, and find the pads and meters dim in daylight.
- Best for
- Beginners and budget mobile DJs who want room to grow and play small gigs.
- Skip it if
- You lean heavily on effects, or often play outdoors in daylight.
What people praise
- Easy to set up and learn on
- Features of dearer controllers at its price
What to know first
- Effects section is limited: filter and effects share controls, and one effect at a time
- Pads, cue buttons and meters are dim in bright rooms or daylight
Video reviews
- Passionate DJMar 2025Recommends
- DJ BarrJan 2021Recommends
Also considered
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4. The default first controller in the main guide, and all ten reviews recommend it, but at the time of writing it sits just over this band in the US. It is the pick in the best DJ controllers under $500.
- Hercules DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2. The same Beatmatch Guide lights in a smaller controller for a PC or Mac. Only three reviews exist and no owner reviews could be read, and the full-size Inpulse 500 is often close in price, so compare the two before buying.
- Reloop Buddy. A 1 kg djay controller with Neural Mix stem controls and a slot for a phone or tablet; six of eight reviews recommend it. It has a two-band EQ and three of seven Thomann owners report hum on the outputs. The best DJ controllers for iPad covers it and its rivals.
- Hercules DJControl Mix Ultra. A battery-powered Bluetooth controller for djay on a phone or tablet, which four of six reviews recommend for casual mixing on the move. It has no audio outputs, so cueing runs through a mono split cable, and reviewers point to the FLX2 for anyone who wants to learn to play out.
- Numark Party Mix Live. Built-in speakers and a light show, which four of six reviews recommend for a child or a casual first-timer. Three say the speakers sound thin and that serious learners should spend more.
- Reloop Ready. A Serato controller small enough to sit on a 13-inch laptop. Six of eight reviews recommend it, but as a travel or second controller; they call its price high for a first one.
- The Next Beat by Tiësto. Drives djay on an iPhone or iPad over Bluetooth. Only four reviews exist, two of them mixed, and all of them fault the hardware.
- Hercules DJControl Inpulse 200 MK3. Hercules' newest small controller, with Beatmatch Guide lights, Instrumental and Acapella stems buttons, and DJUCED and Serato DJ Lite. It has no product page or record yet.
- Roland DJ-202. A Serato controller with Roland's TR drum sounds and a step sequencer. It sits just above this band; the best DJ controllers under $500 covers it.
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-200, DDJ-400 and DDJ-SB3. All three are no longer made. The FLX2 replaced the DDJ-200 and added its own outputs, the FLX4 replaced the DDJ-400 with the same club layout and Serato DJ Lite added, and Pioneer DJ names the REV1 as the DDJ-SB3's next-generation model. A used DDJ-400 still teaches the same skills on rekordbox.
- Numark Party Mix and Mixtrack Pro 3. Both are filed under Numark's legacy products. The Party Mix II and Mixtrack Pro FX replace them; the Party Mix II has no product page here yet.
How to choose a DJ controller under $300
What the band buys
Up to about three hundred dollars buys a two-deck controller with a plastic body, a built-in sound card and the free version of its software. The extras that separate the picks are a mic input, aux inputs, jack outputs and guide lights on the Inpulse 500, jog-wheel screens on the Mixtrack Platinum FX, and the FLX2's phone power. What none of them has is a balanced XLR output, a booth output or four channels; the best DJ controllers under $500 explains what the next step up adds, and the guide to two and four channels covers why two are enough to learn on.
Choose the software path first
The software decides more than the hardware does. rekordbox is the library format Pioneer DJ's club players read, so it suits anyone heading for a DJ booth; see what rekordbox is. Serato DJ is widely used for scratching and open-format sets, and djay is built for phones and iPads. The FLX2 runs all three; the Mixtrack Platinum FX, REV1 and Inpulse 500 are Serato controllers. Serato DJ or rekordbox compares the two main paths.
What the free software leaves out
Serato DJ Lite comes free with every pick. It can't record your mixes, and some pad modes and features wait for the paid Serato DJ Pro. rekordbox is free to DJ with on the FLX2. Learn on the free version and upgrade when a missing feature gets in the way; Serato DJ Lite vs Pro lists the differences.
Laptop, phone or tablet
Three of the picks expect a laptop: the Mixtrack Platinum FX, REV1 and Inpulse 500 are built for a PC or Mac, and the Mixtrack also works with djay on an iPad. The FLX2 works with phones and tablets as well, and a USB-C phone powers it over its cable. The best DJ controllers for iPad covers the tablet route.
What else you'll need
Every pick needs a laptop, phone or tablet running the software, plus headphones and powered speakers; none of them comes with speakers. Three have RCA outputs and the FLX2 a 3.5 mm jack, which suit home speakers. See the best DJ headphones and best DJ speakers. The best DJ controllers for beginners covers first controllers without the price limit, and the full best DJ controllers guide covers the picks beyond it.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the controller with the strongest evidence for its situation inside the band. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked on its product page. No controller here was tested in a lab. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to, and the status beside each one compares today's price with the lowest recorded; the band is a round figure, so check the price beside each pick on the day. The methodology explains the whole process.
