2026 Comparison

Every KJ Software
Compared.

Honest, detailed comparison of every professional karaoke hosting option. Features, pricing, platforms, and real-world trade-offs — by a KJ who's used most of them.

Feature Auto-KJ CompuHost Karma PCDJ Karaoki KaraFun Pro OpenKJ
Price Free (desktop)
$14.99/mo Advanced		 $249+ ~$80 $75 $49/mo Free
Platform Win / Mac / Linux Windows only Windows only Windows only Win / Mac / iPad Win / Mac / Linux
Open Source ✅ GPL-3.0 ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ GPL-3.0
Rotation Fairness Engine ✅ Round-based, configurable Basic rotation Basic rotation Basic rotation Basic rotation Basic rotation
Duplicate Singer Detection ✅ Automatic ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Duet / Group Rules ✅ Configurable ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ Basic
Mobile Singer Requests ✅ PWA + QR ❌ ❌ Paid add-on ✅ Web server
Song Library Ownership ✅ Yours ✅ Yours ✅ Yours ✅ Yours ❌ Rented ✅ Yours
Active Development ✅ 2026 Slow Slow Slow Active ⚠️ Stalled
Remote Server (self-hosted) ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ Cloud-only Optional
The Details

What each software actually does.

Our pick

Auto-KJ

Free (desktop) · $14.99/mo (Advanced)

Built by a KJ with 25 years of show experience. The only software with a Rotation Fairness Engine that enforces round-based fairness, detects duplicate singers, and handles configurable duet rules. Open source, cross-platform, and actively developed. Desktop app is completely free with no feature limits. Server features (remote requests, singer PWA, KJ dashboard) available with paid plans.

✅ Rotation Fairness Engine ✅ Free & open source ✅ Cross-platform ✅ Mobile singer requests ✅ Self-hosted server
⚠️ Newer project, smaller community

CompuHost

$249+ (one-time)

The veteran Windows-only KJ software. Been around forever, has a loyal user base, and does the basics well. Users on Karaoke Scene forums report bugs with Intel video cards and feeling stuck on an aging platform. Development is slow.

✅ Mature and stable ✅ Large feature set ✅ Interleaving for new singers
❌ Windows only ❌ Expensive ($249+) ❌ Dated UI ❌ Slow development ❌ Intel video conflicts

Karma (Karaosoft)

~$80 (one-time)

Known for excellent pitch-shifting algorithms and a dedicated user base. However, the developer has a reputation for hostile customer support — forum threads document him telling paying customers they're "too lazy" and "only idiots have problems." MP4/codec setup is complex and poorly documented. Windows only.

✅ Best pitch-shifting ✅ Affordable ✅ Good for MP3+G
❌ Hostile developer support ❌ Windows only ❌ Complex codec setup ❌ No built-in normalizer

PCDJ Karaoki

$75 (one-time)

A solid Windows-only option that's been around for years. Does the basics well but feels dated. Mobile singer requests require a separate paid subscription to SongbookDB ($15-19/mo). No built-in cloud features.

✅ Reliable basics ✅ Affordable one-time price
❌ Windows only ❌ Dated interface ❌ Mobile requests cost extra ❌ No built-in cloud

KaraFun Professional

$49/mo (subscription)

The "Spotify of Karaoke" — a streaming library model with 68,000+ licensed tracks and a polished interface. Great for venues that want plug-and-play with no song library to manage. But you're renting, not owning: if you stop paying, you lose everything. Can't easily integrate your own MP3+G library. No rotation fairness features beyond basic queue.

✅ 68,000+ licensed songs ✅ Polished interface ✅ Mac, PC, iPad ✅ Mobile singer requests
❌ $49/mo rental model ❌ Walled garden — can't own your music ❌ Limited song library (68k) ❌ No rotation fairness ❌ No custom playlists or ads

OpenKJ

Free (open source)

The foundation that Auto-KJ is built on. A solid, lightweight, cross-platform karaoke hoster with a cult following. Unfortunately, the original creator (Isaac Lightburn) passed away and development has stalled. Version 2.1 has stability issues. Users on GitHub are actively seeking alternatives.

✅ Free & open source ✅ Cross-platform ✅ Lightweight and fast
❌ Development stalled (creator passed away) ❌ UI is utilitarian ❌ v2.1 stability issues ❌ No rotation fairness features

The bottom line?

If you want basic rotation management, any of these will work. If you want fair rotation that you don't have to think about, Auto-KJ is the only choice. And it's free.

Download Auto-KJ Free Learn About Fairness Engine