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Aviation · head to head

DUAT vs Prepar3D Professional

D

DUAT

Aviation

Flight briefing and weather information system

From
$9.95/month
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: DUAT no native mobile applications; web-only access; 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: DUAT covers Flight briefings, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DUAT and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.

Attributes where DUAT and Prepar3D Professional differ
AttributeDUATPrepar3D Professional
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWebWindows
Founded19922008

Identical on both: starting price ($9.95/month), 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 DUAT

  • Flight briefings
  • Weather data
  • NOTAM information
  • Flight planning
  • Briefing tools
  • 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.

DUAT

  • Flight briefingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Weather briefingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Flight planningnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Regulatory compliancenot Prepar3D Professional

Prepar3D Professional

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

Where each one falls short

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

DUAT

  • No native mobile applications; web-only access
  • Modern pilots prefer integrated EFB solutions with moving map displays

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

DUAT

$9.95/month
  • Standard$9.95/month
    • Flight briefings
    • Weather data
    • NOTAM information
  • Professional$24.95/month
    • All Standard features
    • Advanced weather
    • Unlimited briefings

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 DUAT if

  • You need flight briefings.
  • You also want weather data.
DUAT 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 DUAT or Prepar3D Professional better?
Neither clearly leads. DUAT starts at $9.95/month 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, DUAT or Prepar3D Professional?
DUAT starts at $9.95/month and Prepar3D Professional at $9.95/month.
Does DUAT or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
DUAT runs on Web. Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows.
What is DUAT best used for?
DUAT is most often used for flight briefing, weather briefing, flight planning, regulatory compliance. Of those, flight briefing and weather briefing are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
What can DUAT do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
DUAT covers Flight briefings, Weather data, NOTAM information, Flight planning. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DUAT: What services does DUAT provide?

DUAT provides weather briefings, NOTAM information, and flight plan filing through an online system accessible to registered pilots. Pilots can check weather, review alerts, and file flight plans within a 15-minute transaction window.

Source
Prepar3D Professional: How much does Prepar3D Professional cost?

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

Source
DUAT: Who can use DUAT?

DUAT services are available to registered U.S. pilots and student pilots who hold a current medical certificate, as well as flight instructors, ground instructors, and other members of the aviation community.

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
DUAT: How has DUAT changed over time?

DUAT has evolved as a service. The FAA discontinued DUATS (the competing service) on May 16, 2018, and most pilots have transitioned to modern electronic flight bag applications. DUAT.com, operated by Data Transformation Corp., continues to provide flight briefing services.

Source
DUAT: Is DUAT free to use?

Historically, DUAT was free to qualified U.S. pilots and student pilots holding a current medical certificate. Current pricing for DUAT.com services should be verified directly with the provider.

Source
DUAT: What are the recommended alternatives to DUAT?

The FAA recommends 1800wxbrief.com for free weather and aeronautical information, flight plan filing, and automated services. Modern pilots increasingly use electronic flight bag applications like ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot which integrate weather, charts, and flight planning.

Source
DUAT: Does DUAT offer mobile app access?

DUAT is primarily web-based without native mobile applications. Modern electronic flight bag alternatives like ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot offer full-featured mobile apps for on-the-go flight planning.

Source
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