Kontakt vs Standalone: What Do I Actually Need?

<h2>Kontakt vs Standalone: What Do I Actually Need?</h2><h3>Why this trips people up</h3><p>You find a piano plugin you love. The demos sound great, the reviews are positive — and then you see one of these lines:</p><blockquote><em>Requires Kontakt</em><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>Standalone included</em></blockquote><p>Suddenly it feels like there’s a hidden technical requirement nobody explained. Do you need extra software? A specific version? Something else entirely?</p><p>This guide explains what those labels actually mean, in plain language, so you know what you’re buying before you spend money.</p><h3 style="padding-top: 1.5rem;">What “Kontakt” really means</h3><p>Kontakt is a <strong>host program</strong> made by Native Instruments.</p><p>Some piano libraries aren’t complete applications. They don’t run on their own. Instead, they load <strong>inside Kontakt</strong>, and Kontakt itself runs inside your DAW (Logic, Cubase, Reaper, etc.).</p><p>A simple way to think about it:</p><p><strong>The piano is the instrument. Kontakt is the stage it sits on.</strong></p><p>Kontakt handles playback, scripting, microphone routing, effects, and articulation logic. The piano library provides the sounds and musical behavior.</p><p><strong>Why people choose Kontakt-based pianos:</strong></p><ul><li>Huge ecosystem with thousands of supported libraries</li><li>Often efficient on CPU for large sampled instruments</li><li>Deep control over tone, mic positions, effects, and articulation</li></ul><p style="padding-top: 1rem;"><strong>The trade-offs:</strong></p><ul><li>There’s a learning curve if you’re new to DAWs and samplers</li><li>Some libraries require the <em>paid</em> version of Kontakt, not the free Player</li><li>It adds another layer to manage in your setup</li></ul><h3 style="padding-top: 1.5rem;">What “Standalone” means</h3><p>A standalone piano is its <strong>own application</strong>.</p><p>You open it and play. No DAW. No Kontakt. No plugin chain to manage.</p><p>This approach is ideal if you mainly want to sit down and play without technical friction.</p><p><strong>Standalone pianos are a great fit if you:</strong></p><ul><li>Practice regularly</li><li>Want instant access without setting up a project</li><li>Don’t need recording tools most of the time</li></ul><p>Some standalone instruments also include a plugin version for DAW use, which is a nice bonus — but that isn’t guaranteed, so it’s always worth checking.</p><h3 style="padding-top: 1.5rem;">So… which one is right for you?</h3><p><strong>Choose a standalone piano if:</strong></p><ul><li>You mainly practice or perform</li><li>You dislike technical setup and configuration</li><li>Simplicity matters more than deep customization</li></ul><p><strong>Choose a Kontakt-based piano if:</strong></p><ul><li>You compose or record regularly</li><li>You want access to a wide range of piano libraries</li><li>You’re comfortable learning one extra tool</li></ul><p>Neither option is “better.” They’re designed for different workflows.</p><h3 style="padding-top: 1.5rem;">How PianoVST helps you avoid nasty surprises</h3><p>Every product page on PianoVST clearly shows:</p><ul><li><strong>Required Player</strong> (Kontakt, Kontakt Player, proprietary engine, etc.)</li><li><strong>Standalone Support</strong> (yes or no)</li><li><strong>System Requirements</strong></li><li><strong>Extra Costs</strong> (such as needing full Kontakt)</li></ul><p style="padding-top: 1rem;">That way, you don’t buy something only to discover you can’t actually use it yet.</p><blockquote><strong>Pick the option that fits how you work — not the marketing buzzwords on the box.</strong><br></blockquote>