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Aviation & Aerospace · head to head

Jeppesen vs X-Plane 12

Jeppesen logo

Jeppesen

Aviation & Aerospace

Comprehensive aviation flight information services

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
X-Plane 12 logo

X-Plane 12

Aviation & Aerospace

Professional flight simulation software

From
$59.99/lifetime
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Jeppesen no pricing is published on the site; renewals and purchases are pushed to a separate shop at shop.jeppesen.com; X-Plane 12 commercial and professional use requires a separate licence at $1,000, against $59.99 for the personal digital download
  • They diverge on capability: Jeppesen covers Aeronautical charts, X-Plane 12 covers Flight physics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jeppesen and X-Plane 12 actually diverge.

Attributes where Jeppesen and X-Plane 12 differ
AttributeJeppesenX-Plane 12
Starting price$99/year$59.99/lifetime
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, WindowsWindows, Macos, Linux
Founded19341995

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

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 Jeppesen

  • Aeronautical charts
  • Flight planning
  • Airport data
  • Weather integration
  • Performance data
  • Flight systems
  • EFB solutions
  • Airline systems

Only in X-Plane 12

  • Flight physics
  • Global scenery
  • Realistic aircraft
  • Weather simulation
  • ATC system
  • Plugins
  • Add-ons
  • VR headsets

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Jeppesen

  • Subscribing to worldwide instrument approach charts and airport diagramsnot X-Plane 12
  • Airline flight planning and dispatchnot X-Plane 12
  • Crew pairing, rostering and tracking optimisationnot X-Plane 12
  • Supplying navigation database updates to avionicsnot X-Plane 12

X-Plane 12

  • Flight simulation for private pilots and enthusiastsnot Jeppesen
  • Procedure practice and aircraft familiarisationnot Jeppesen

Where each one falls short

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

Jeppesen

  • No pricing is published on the site; renewals and purchases are pushed to a separate shop at shop.jeppesen.com
  • Charts, navigation data, flight planning, crew optimisation, weather and training are sold as separate product lines rather than one subscription

X-Plane 12

  • Commercial and professional use requires a separate licence at $1,000, against $59.99 for the personal digital download
  • The personal edition therefore cannot be used for paid training or commercial simulation
  • The professional edition is a distinct product rather than an upgrade path

Pricing, plan by plan

Jeppesen

$99/year
  • Individual Subscription$99/year
    • Digital charts
    • Airport information
    • Flight planning
  • Airline SubscriptionFree
    • Fleet data
    • Performance
    • Charts

X-Plane 12

$59.99/lifetime
  • X-Plane 12$59.99/lifetime
    • Full simulator
    • Global scenery
    • Realistic physics

Which should you pick?

Choose Jeppesen if

  • You need aeronautical charts.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want flight planning.
Jeppesen review

Choose X-Plane 12 if

  • You need flight physics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want global scenery.
X-Plane 12 review

Questions people ask

Is Jeppesen or X-Plane 12 better?
Neither clearly leads. Jeppesen starts at $99/year and X-Plane 12 at $59.99/lifetime, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Jeppesen or X-Plane 12?
Jeppesen starts at $99/year and X-Plane 12 at $59.99/lifetime.
Does Jeppesen or X-Plane 12 run on more platforms?
Jeppesen runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows. X-Plane 12 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
What is Jeppesen best used for?
Jeppesen is most often used for subscribing to worldwide instrument approach charts and airport diagrams, airline flight planning and dispatch, crew pairing, rostering and tracking optimisation, supplying navigation database updates to avionics. Of those, subscribing to worldwide instrument approach charts and airport diagrams and airline flight planning and dispatch are not what X-Plane 12 is typically brought in for.
What can Jeppesen do that X-Plane 12 cannot?
Jeppesen covers Aeronautical charts, Flight planning, Airport data, Weather integration. X-Plane 12 covers Flight physics, Global scenery, Realistic aircraft, Weather simulation. Both handle Windows support.
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