When trying to determine compatibility with your system or when discussing with our support team an issue you're having with a library, you may be asked the question, "What version of Kontakt are you using?". If you're not sure how to determine this information, please read below.
The different versions of Kontakt
Kontakt currently has 3 commonly used versions (5, 6, 7), with a slightly hard to understand naming scheme. The table below will breakdown the current options.
| Plugin Name (in DAW) | Version | Version Numbers |
| Kontakt 7 | Kontakt 7, Kontakt 7 Player | 7.0 and higher |
| Kontakt | Kontakt 6 |
6.0 and higher |
| Kontakt Player | Kontakt 6 Player |
6.0 and higher |
| Kontakt 5 | Kontakt 5 |
5.8 and higher |
| Kontakt 5 Player | Kontakt 5 Player |
5.8 and higher |
Full vs Player
Kontakt Player:
This version of Kontakt is available to download for free here. It works with libraries that the developer has paid a license fee for. It will not load sample libraries which have no serial number. You can tell that you're running this version because it will say "Kontakt Player" in the top left corner, and on the banner that appears when you click the logo.
Kontakt Player gives you full access to all the sounds in the library that you have purchased, and all the editable parameters on the front panel. You will not be able to open the instrument editor to make changes on a patch.
When authorised with the licence, these libraries will also be available to load from the Kontakt Libraries pane, as well as the Browser View.
Kontakt (Full):
If you want to go deeper into editing individuals samples in a patch you’ll need a full paid version of Kontakt which you can purchase from Native Instrument's website here.
If the library you want to use is NOT a 'Player' library, then you need to buy the full retail version of Kontakt. You can find a list of our libraries that require Kontakt Full here: Spitfire Website - Kontakt Full
Non-Player library instruments will not appear in the Kontakt libraries pane and will not need to be authorized in Native Access as Player libraries need to be. Instead, these libraries will need to be loaded via the Kontakt files browser as shown in this video; you can also add the library as a favourite to the Kontakt Quick Load window. Instruction on how to set up Quick Load can be found here.
Within Kontakt 7 you can also add libraries to the new Browser View following the guide here.
If you already own the free Kontakt player and have bought one of our 'player' libraries you will be eligible for a discount upgrade to Kontakt via the NI website. See NI's info here for more details.
Which Version Number?
If you need to know exactly which version number you're using, follow the animations below. You'll find the version number on the left hand side of this banner.
Kontakt 7:
Kontakt 5/6:
Checking in Native Access
You can also use Native Access to check your installed Kontakt version. In the list view you can see it directly, whereas in the grid view you need to click the plugin name to open the right panel first.