HiFi Control’s pricing is changing. Essentials — Lifetime License becomes the entry-level offer for new users: €14.99, paid once. It replaces the Free edition for new installations and gives everyday hi-fi control a clear price, with no subscription.
Why a one-time purchase?
HiFi Control is a desktop utility for equipment you already own. You might use it every day to change the volume, choose an input, or start some music. I think buying that kind of software once is a better fit for what people expect than adding another monthly payment.
That should apply at the entry level too. The starting point used to be Free; the new starting point is an affordable purchase you can keep using. A small, one-time payment also helps support continued development without asking everyone to take out a subscription.
Essentials is now the main offer on the pricing page. The other plans remain available for people who need more devices or additional features.
What €14.99 includes
Essentials covers everyday control of one saved hi-fi device, with:
- Up to three presets for the actions you use regularly.
- BluOS, HEOS, MusicCast, and Spotify support.
- Basic hotkeys, Media Keys, the volume overlay, and Stream Deck core actions.
- Activation on two personal PCs.
- All HiFi Control v1.x updates.
It is a lifetime license for the purchased v1 edition. Activate online once on each licensed PC, then keep using it offline without recurring license checks. There is no renewal payment. A future major version may be a separate purchase; your purchased version keeps working.
Essentials does not include every feature. Multi-device control, Tidal, Dirac, and advanced hotkeys and Stream Deck actions belong to the higher editions. The feature comparison shows the differences.
What happens to existing Free users?
The first HiFi Control users helped shape the app by trying it with their equipment and sharing feedback. I appreciate that support. Keeping a free version for those early users is my way of saying thank you.
Existing eligible Free installations keep their current functionality as Legacy Free through normal in-place updates. This change does not require those users to buy Essentials to keep the features they already have.
Legacy Free belongs to that existing installation. A clean reinstall or a new PC follows the new trial and purchase flow; Legacy Free cannot be restored with a recovery key or a support request.
Essentials is a separate paid license, with its own activation allowance and three presets. Existing Free users can choose it if those benefits are useful to them.
Standard is now Advanced
The former Standard edition is now called Advanced. The name better describes its place between Essentials and Premium. Existing Standard customers keep their keys, activations, features, and subscription terms. There is no need to buy or activate a replacement license.
The other pricing options are:
- Advanced — Monthly Subscription: €4.99/month. Three saved devices, unlimited presets, and the additional integrations and controls.
- Premium — Monthly Subscription: €9.99/month. Unlimited saved devices, control of unsaved System Overview devices, and priority support.
- Advanced — Lifetime License: €199 once. The Advanced feature set as a one-time purchase, with three PC activations and v1.x updates included.
The two monthly plans remain subscriptions. Advanced Lifetime has no recurring charge and, like Essentials, works offline after initial activation. The existing Advanced and Premium prices are unchanged.
Try it with your own equipment
You can still try HiFi Control free for 14 days, without a card or an automatic charge. The trial starts only after supported equipment has been discovered and you choose to begin it. Installing or opening the app does not use up trial time.
If the trial ends without a paid license, control functions pause. Your devices, presets, and settings stay saved, and discovery and diagnostics remain available.
Download HiFi Control to try it with your system, or see the pricing page for the full comparison.