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Aviation & Aerospace · head to head

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 vs Prepar3D Professional

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 logo

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Aviation & Aerospace

Hyper-realistic cloud-based flight simulation

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Aviation & Aerospace

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: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 standard Edition is limited to 70 aircraft and 150 airports, versus 95 aircraft and 160 airports in the Premium Deluxe Edition and 125 aircraft in the Aviator Edition; 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: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 covers Photogrammetry scenery, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Prepar3D Professional differ
AttributeMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2024Prepar3D Professional
Starting price$9.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, XboxWindows
Founded20202008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

  • Photogrammetry scenery
  • Realistic weather
  • Global coverage
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • Azure cloud
  • Third-party add-ons
  • VR support
  • Game Pass account

Only in Prepar3D Professional

  • Flight physics
  • Scenery
  • Training
  • Add-ons
  • VR
  • Training devices
  • APIs
  • License activation

Both cover

  • Aircraft systems
  • ATC
  • Hardware
  • Multiplayer
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

  • Flight trainingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Recreationnot Prepar3D Professional
  • VR flyingnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Network flyingnot Prepar3D Professional

Prepar3D Professional

  • Running procedural and flight training in a commercial or military simulation facilitynot Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
  • Building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displaysnot Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
  • Developing custom aircraft, scenery and scenarios against the Prepar3D SDKnot Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
  • Delivering STEM and K-12 classroom flight simulation on the Personal licencenot Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

  • Standard Edition is limited to 70 aircraft and 150 airports, versus 95 aircraft and 160 airports in the Premium Deluxe Edition and 125 aircraft in the Aviator Edition

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

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

$9.99/month
  • Game Pass$9.99/month
    • Full simulator
    • Game Pass included
    • Cloud saves
  • Standalone$89.99/lifetime
    • Full simulator
    • Lifetime license
    • All updates

Prepar3D Professional

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 if

  • You need photogrammetry scenery.
  • You work on Windows, Xbox.
  • You also want realistic weather.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 review

Choose Prepar3D Professional if

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

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or Prepar3D Professional better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 starts at $9.99/month and Prepar3D Professional at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or Prepar3D Professional?
Prepar3D Professional has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Free for Prepar3D Professional.
Does Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 runs on Windows, Xbox. 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. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 starts at $9.99/month.
What is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 best used for?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is most often used for flight training, recreation, vr flying, network flying. Of those, flight training and recreation are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 covers Photogrammetry scenery, Realistic weather, Global coverage, Xbox Game Pass. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Scenery, Training, Add-ons. Both handle Aircraft systems, ATC, Hardware, Multiplayer.
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