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Aviation · head to head

AviaSIM Pro vs Prepar3D Professional

A

AviaSIM Pro

Aviation

Professional flight simulation and pilot training platform

From
$179/session
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Aviation

Professional flight simulation platform

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AviaSIM Pro limited to civilian flight simulation experience, not professional pilot certification training; 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: AviaSIM Pro covers High-fidelity flight models, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AviaSIM Pro and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.

Attributes where AviaSIM Pro and Prepar3D Professional differ
AttributeAviaSIM ProPrepar3D Professional
Starting price$179/session$9.95/month
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
PlatformsIn-person facilityWindows
Founded20122008

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Aviation).

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 AviaSIM Pro

  • High-fidelity flight models
  • Real-time weather simulation
  • Emergency procedure training
  • Multi-crew coordination
  • Performance analytics
  • Flight deck hardware
  • Motion platforms
  • LMS systems

Only in Prepar3D Professional

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

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

AviaSIM Pro

  • Initial type ratingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Recurrent trainingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Emergency proceduresnot Prepar3D Professional
  • CRM trainingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Proficiency checksnot Prepar3D Professional

Prepar3D Professional

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

Where each one falls short

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

AviaSIM Pro

  • Limited to civilian flight simulation experience, not professional pilot certification training
  • Locations concentrated in specific cities, limiting accessibility for most potential users
  • High session costs may be prohibitive for recreational learners ($179 minimum for 60 minutes)

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

AviaSIM Pro

$179/session
  • Discovery Package$179/60 min session
    • Full-size commercial cockpit
    • Professional instructor
    • 180-degree HD displays
  • Pilot Introductory Program$549/240 min session
    • Half-day immersion
    • Theory and hands-on practice
    • Experienced instructor pilots

Prepar3D Professional

$9.95/month
  • Professional License$350/one-time
    • Proven simulation framework application
    • Rich and interactive environment
  • Professional Developer License$9.95/month
    • Development, testing, and marketing activities

Which should you pick?

Choose AviaSIM Pro if

  • You need high-fidelity flight models.
  • You work on In-person facility.
  • You also want real-time weather simulation.
AviaSIM Pro review

Choose Prepar3D Professional if

  • You need flight physics.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want aircraft systems.
Prepar3D Professional review

Questions people ask

Is AviaSIM Pro or Prepar3D Professional better?
Neither clearly leads. AviaSIM Pro starts at $179/session and Prepar3D Professional at $9.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AviaSIM Pro or Prepar3D Professional?
AviaSIM Pro starts at $179/session and Prepar3D Professional at $9.95/month.
Does AviaSIM Pro or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
AviaSIM Pro runs on In-person facility. Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows.
What is AviaSIM Pro best used for?
AviaSIM Pro is most often used for initial type rating, recurrent training, emergency procedures, crm training. Of those, initial type rating and recurrent training are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
What can AviaSIM Pro do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
AviaSIM Pro covers High-fidelity flight models, Real-time weather simulation, Emergency procedure training, Multi-crew coordination. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AviaSIM Pro: What does an AviaSIM flight experience include?

An AviaSIM session puts you in a full-size commercial aircraft cockpit with 180-degree high-definition displays. You learn how airliners work, handle the controls, and experience takeoff, cruising, and landing under instructor guidance.

Source
Prepar3D Professional: How much does Prepar3D Professional cost?

Prepar3D Professional License costs $350.00 USD as a one-time purchase.

Source
AviaSIM Pro: How long are AviaSIM sessions and what are the pricing options?

AviaSIM offers sessions ranging from 60 minutes (Discovery Package at $179) to 240 minutes (Pilot Introductory Program at $549). A Fear of Flying Therapy program with 97% success rate costs $389.

Source
Prepar3D Professional: What is the cost of a Prepar3D developer license?

The Professional Developer License costs $9.95 USD per developer per month for development, testing, and marketing activities.

Source
AviaSIM Pro: Where are AviaSIM locations available?

As of 2026, AviaSIM operates in 30+ cities worldwide including Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Orlando, with new openings planned in Raleigh, Minneapolis, and San Antonio.

Source
AviaSIM Pro: Can multiple people participate in a single AviaSIM session?

Yes. The Duo Package ($219 for 60 minutes) allows two people to share the cockpit experience together, and up to three free observers can watch from the cockpit.

Source
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