Kontakt 8 by Native Instruments: what it does + free alternatives
The sampler most sample libraries are built for.
Opens Native Instruments's own site.
Put SCRAMBLE. on your keys and melodies
One button rolls a new FX chain: glitch, stutter, tape stop, chops, reverb, delay and vocal tune. There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible chains, the same count as the positions of a 3x3 cube. Save 10,000 presets a day and 1% of them would take 118 billion years, over 8x the age of the universe.
Not just loops: drum buses, 808s and bass, hats, vocals and the master bus. 3,000+ downloads so far.
Free alternatives to Kontakt 8
All free instruments →
FreeSpitfire LABS
Free sampled instruments: soft piano, strings, choirs, textures and more.
FreeKomplete Start
Native Instruments' free bundle of instruments, effects and the Kontakt Player.
FreeDecent Sampler
Free sample player with a big library of free instruments.
FreeAmple Guitar M Lite II
Free acoustic guitar instrument with strumming and riffs.
FreeAmple Bass P Lite II
Free precision-style bass instrument.
FreeSampleTank CS
Free version of SampleTank with a starter sound set.
FreePianobook
Thousands of free community-made sample instruments.
FreeGuitar Rig 7 Player
Free amp and effects rack from Native Instruments.
FreePiano One
Free concert grand piano with modeled resonance.
FreeSalamander Grand Piano
Free Yamaha C5 grand piano in SFZ format.
More paid instrument plugins
All best plugins →
Trilian
Acoustic, electric and synth bass instrument from the makers of Omnisphere.
Battery 4
Fast drum sampler for building and layering beat kits.
Komplete 15
Native Instruments' giant bundle of instruments and effects.
Arcade
Playable loop instrument with fresh content every week.
Kontakt 8 FAQ
Is Kontakt 8 free?
No. Kontakt 8 is a paid instrument plugin from Native Instruments. Free alternatives in the same lane include Spitfire LABS, Komplete Start and Decent Sampler.
What is Kontakt 8 used for?
The sampler most sample libraries are built for.
When does Kontakt 8 go on sale?
Many plugin makers run their biggest discounts around Black Friday (November 27, 2026) and Cyber Monday. Check Native Instruments's own page for the current price; we list confirmed sales on our Black Friday page.