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Aviation · head to head

AGI STK vs Prepar3D Professional

AGI STK logo

AGI STK

Aviation

Systems Tool Kit for space and aerospace analysis

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Aviation

Professional flight simulation platform

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AGI STK has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AGI STK sTK is sold as a ladder of separate licences, STK Pro, STK Premium Air, STK Premium Space and STK Enterprise, so mission areas are gated behind different products; 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: AGI STK covers Orbit analysis, Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AGI STK and Prepar3D Professional actually diverge.

Attributes where AGI STK and Prepar3D Professional differ
AttributeAGI STKPrepar3D Professional
Starting priceFree$9.95/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, LinuxWindows
Founded19892008

Identical on both: 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 AGI STK

  • Orbit analysis
  • 4D visualization
  • Mission planning
  • Communication analysis
  • Conjunction assessment
  • MATLAB
  • Python
  • C++/.NET API

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.

AGI STK

  • Modelling satellite orbits, coverage and conjunction risknot Prepar3D Professional
  • Mission analysis and visualization for air, space and defence systemsnot Prepar3D Professional

Prepar3D Professional

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

Where each one falls short

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

AGI STK

  • STK is sold as a ladder of separate licences, STK Pro, STK Premium Air, STK Premium Space and STK Enterprise, so mission areas are gated behind different products
  • Further capability is sold as separate add-on toolkits including TETK, the RF Channel Modeler and the STK Missile Toolkit
  • Distributing an application built on STK Engine to end users requires each of them to hold an Ansys STK Engine Runtime License
  • Free access is limited to students at accredited institutions and to time-limited trials
  • No price, minimum or cost driver is published for any STK tier

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

AGI STK

Free
  • STK FreeFree
    • Basic analysis
    • 2D/3D visualization
    • Orbit analysis
  • STK Professional$15000/year
    • Advanced analysis
    • Premium modules
    • API access
  • STK Enterprise$50000/year
    • All modules
    • Multi-user
    • Custom solutions

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 AGI STK if

  • You need orbit analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want 4d visualization.
AGI STK 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 AGI STK or Prepar3D Professional better?
Neither clearly leads. AGI STK starts at Free 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, AGI STK or Prepar3D Professional?
AGI STK has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AGI STK and $9.95/month for Prepar3D Professional.
Does AGI STK or Prepar3D Professional run on more platforms?
AGI STK runs on Windows, Linux. Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows.
Can I use AGI STK for free?
Yes. AGI STK has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Prepar3D Professional starts at $9.95/month.
What is AGI STK best used for?
AGI STK is most often used for modelling satellite orbits, coverage and conjunction risk, mission analysis and visualization for air, space and defence systems. Of those, modelling satellite orbits, coverage and conjunction risk and mission analysis and visualization for air, space and defence systems are not what Prepar3D Professional is typically brought in for.
What can AGI STK do that Prepar3D Professional cannot?
AGI STK covers Orbit analysis, 4D visualization, Mission planning, Communication analysis. Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prepar3D Professional: How much does Prepar3D Professional cost?

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

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
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