Aviation · head to head
IBS iCargo vs Prepar3D Professional
Prepar3D Professional
Aviation
Professional flight simulation platform
- From
- $9.95/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IBS iCargo no pricing published on vendor website; potential customers must contact sales for quotes; 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: IBS iCargo covers Cargo booking, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IBS iCargo and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.
| Attribute | IBS iCargo | Prepar3D Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $100000/year | $9.95/month |
| Pricing model | subscription | one-time |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Ios, Android | Windows |
| Founded | 1997 | 2008 |
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 IBS iCargo
- Cargo booking
- Operations control
- Revenue management
- Customs handling
- ULD management
- Airline systems
- Customs authorities
- Ground handlers
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.
IBS iCargo
- Cargo operationsnot Prepar3D Professional
- Revenue optimizationnot Prepar3D Professional
- Customs clearancenot Prepar3D Professional
- Partner managementnot Prepar3D Professional
- Fleet utilizationnot Prepar3D Professional
Prepar3D Professional
- Running procedural and flight training in a commercial or military simulation facilitynot IBS iCargo
- Building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displaysnot IBS iCargo
- Developing custom aircraft, scenery and scenarios against the Prepar3D SDKnot IBS iCargo
- Delivering STEM and K-12 classroom flight simulation on the Personal licencenot IBS iCargo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IBS iCargo
- No pricing published on vendor website; potential customers must contact sales for quotes
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
IBS iCargo
$100000/year- iCargo$100000/year
- Cargo reservations
- Operations management
- Revenue accounting
- Enterprise$200000/year
- Everything included
- Multi-station
- Advanced analytics
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 IBS iCargo if
- You need cargo booking.
- You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
- You also want operations control.
Choose Prepar3D Professional if
- You need flight physics.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want aircraft systems.
Questions people ask
- Is IBS iCargo or Prepar3D Professional better?
- Neither clearly leads. IBS iCargo starts at $100000/year 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, IBS iCargo or Prepar3D Professional?
- IBS iCargo starts at $100000/year and Prepar3D Professional at $9.95/month.
- Does IBS iCargo or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
- IBS iCargo runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android. Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows.
- What is IBS iCargo best used for?
- IBS iCargo is most often used for cargo operations, revenue optimization, customs clearance, partner management. Of those, cargo operations and revenue optimization are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
- What can IBS iCargo do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
- IBS iCargo covers Cargo booking, Operations control, Revenue management, Customs handling. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC. Both handle Windows support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
IBS iCargo: How much does iCargo cost?
IBS Software does not publish pricing for iCargo on their website. The product uses a custom pricing model requiring direct contact with the sales team. Interested customers can submit inquiries through the company's contact form or reach out to their business team to request a pricing quote.
SourcePrepar3D Professional: How much does Prepar3D Professional cost?
Prepar3D Professional License costs $350.00 USD as a one-time purchase.
SourcePrepar3D 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Prepar3D Professional
Other head to heads
- IBS iCargo vs ForeFlight
- IBS iCargo vs Garmin Pilot
- IBS iCargo vs SkyDemon
- IBS iCargo vs AMOS
- IBS iCargo vs Sabre AirCentre
- IBS iCargo vs Amadeus Altea
- IBS iCargo vs Rocket Lab Mission Software
- IBS iCargo vs ARINC Flight Operations Services
- IBS iCargo vs DUATS
- IBS iCargo vs ARINC Direct
- IBS iCargo vs Boeing Aviator
- IBS iCargo vs Collins Aerospace Systems
- IBS iCargo vs Safelog Pilot Logbook
- IBS iCargo vs simBrief
- IBS iCargo vs SITA Airport Management
- IBS iCargo vs SkyVector
- IBS iCargo vs SpaceX Starlink Aviation
- IBS iCargo vs Lockheed Martin Prepar3D
- IBS iCargo vs X-Plane 12
- IBS iCargo vs AviaSIM Pro
- IBS iCargo vs Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- IBS iCargo vs CloudAhoy
- IBS iCargo vs NavLog
- IBS iCargo vs Honeywell Aerospace Systems
- IBS iCargo vs CAE Flight Training
- IBS iCargo vs NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning
- IBS iCargo vs PFPX Flight Planning
- IBS iCargo vs Ramco Aviation Suite
- Prepar3D Professional vs ForeFlight
- Prepar3D Professional vs Garmin Pilot
- Prepar3D Professional vs SkyDemon
- Prepar3D Professional vs AMOS
- Prepar3D Professional vs Sabre AirCentre
- Prepar3D Professional vs Amadeus Altea
- Prepar3D Professional vs Rocket Lab Mission Software
- Prepar3D Professional vs ARINC Flight Operations Services
- Prepar3D Professional vs DUATS
- Prepar3D Professional vs ARINC Direct
- Prepar3D Professional vs Boeing Aviator
- Prepar3D Professional vs Collins Aerospace Systems
- Prepar3D Professional vs Safelog Pilot Logbook
- Prepar3D Professional vs simBrief
- Prepar3D Professional vs SITA Airport Management
- Prepar3D Professional vs SkyVector
- Prepar3D Professional vs SpaceX Starlink Aviation
- Prepar3D Professional vs Lockheed Martin Prepar3D
- Prepar3D Professional vs X-Plane 12
- Prepar3D Professional vs AviaSIM Pro
- Prepar3D Professional vs Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- Prepar3D Professional vs CloudAhoy
- Prepar3D Professional vs NavLog
- Prepar3D Professional vs Honeywell Aerospace Systems
- Prepar3D Professional vs CAE Flight Training
- Prepar3D Professional vs NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning
- Prepar3D Professional vs PFPX Flight Planning
- Prepar3D Professional vs Ramco Aviation Suite