Softwr

Software · head to head

1800wxbrief vs Prepar3D Professional

1800wxbrief logo

1800wxbrief

Software

Automated flight briefing and weather service

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Software

Professional flight simulation platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Prepar3D Professional has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 1800wxbrief website technical issues including SSL certificate problems and login errors; Prepar3D Professional the Personal licence at $59.95 is restricted to home use, personal training and K-12 classrooms, so any business, military or university use requires the Professional licence at $350.00
  • They diverge on capability: 1800wxbrief covers Flight briefings, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 1800wxbrief and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.

Attributes where 1800wxbrief and Prepar3D Professional differ
Attribute1800wxbriefPrepar3D Professional
Starting price$5/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows
Founded20012008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 1800wxbrief

  • Flight briefings
  • Weather data
  • NOTAM information
  • Phone service
  • Web access
  • FAA systems
  • Weather services
  • ATC databases

Only in Prepar3D Professional

  • Flight physics
  • Aircraft systems
  • Scenery
  • ATC
  • Training
  • Add-ons
  • VR
  • Hardware

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

1800wxbrief

  • Flight briefingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Weather briefingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Pre-flight informationnot Prepar3D Professional

Prepar3D Professional

  • Running procedural and flight training in a commercial or military simulation facilitynot 1800wxbrief
  • Building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displaysnot 1800wxbrief
  • Developing custom aircraft, scenery and scenarios against the Prepar3D SDKnot 1800wxbrief
  • Delivering STEM and K-12 classroom flight simulation on the Personal licencenot 1800wxbrief

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

1800wxbrief

  • Website technical issues including SSL certificate problems and login errors
  • Wind information display occasionally unavailable on flight plan optimization screens
  • Navlog formatting not optimized for kneeboard use
  • User interface considered less attractive than competing options

Prepar3D Professional

  • The Personal licence at $59.95 is restricted to home use, personal training and K-12 classrooms, so any business, military or university use requires the Professional licence at $350.00
  • Weapons and sensors, AI behaviors in scenarios, DIS and CIGI packet support, the SimOperator instructor station and multi-channel concurrent operation are confined to Professional Plus at $2,750.00
  • The Personal licence requires an internet connection during use, while only Professional and above run in disconnected environments
  • Developer subscriptions at $9.95 and $50.00 per month watermark the image and are forbidden from delivering training

Pricing, plan by plan

1800wxbrief

$5/month
  • Casual$5/month
    • Flight briefings
    • Weather data
    • Phone access
  • Professional$15/month
    • All Casual features
    • Unlimited briefings
    • Priority support

Prepar3D Professional

Free
  • EnthusiastFree
    • Basic simulator
    • Limited aircraft
    • Scenery
  • Professional$199/month
    • Full platform
    • All aircraft
    • Training tools

Which should you pick?

Choose 1800wxbrief if

  • You need flight briefings.
  • You also want weather data.
1800wxbrief review

Choose Prepar3D Professional if

  • You need flight physics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want aircraft systems.
Prepar3D Professional review

Questions people ask

Is 1800wxbrief or Prepar3D Professional better?
Neither clearly leads. 1800wxbrief starts at $5/month and Prepar3D Professional at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 1800wxbrief or Prepar3D Professional?
Prepar3D Professional has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for 1800wxbrief and Free for Prepar3D Professional.
Does 1800wxbrief or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
1800wxbrief runs on Web. Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows.
Can I use Prepar3D Professional for free?
Yes. Prepar3D Professional has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 1800wxbrief starts at $5/month.
What is 1800wxbrief best used for?
1800wxbrief is most often used for flight briefing, weather briefing, pre-flight information. Of those, flight briefing and weather briefing are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
What can 1800wxbrief do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
1800wxbrief covers Flight briefings, Weather data, NOTAM information, Phone service. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

1800wxbrief: Is 1800wxbrief free to use?

Yes, 1800wxbrief is a free government service operated by Leidos for the FAA. Pilots can access weather briefings and flight planning services at no cost.

Source
1800wxbrief: What weather briefing services does 1800wxbrief provide?

1800wxbrief provides standard, abbreviated, and outlook weather briefings. Standard briefings are used for flights within 6 hours and include all weather and NOTAM information. Outlook briefings are for flights planned more than 6 hours in advance.

Source
1800wxbrief: How can pilots access 1800wxbrief?

Pilots can access the service via the website at 1800wxbrief.com or by phone at 1-800-WX-BRIEF. The web portal allows online preflight briefings, flight plan filing, and automatic flight plan closure reminders.

Source
1800wxbrief: What additional features does the web portal offer?

The Flight Service Pilot Web Portal at 1800wxbrief.com provides weather graphics and charts, interactive mapping tools, preflight summaries and checklists, automated voice service, text message alerts, and search and rescue support.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on 1800wxbrief

More on Prepar3D Professional

Keep looking

Other head to heads