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Aviation · head to head

Prepar3D Professional vs simBrief

Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Aviation

Professional flight simulation platform

From
$9.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
simBrief logo

simBrief

Aviation

Free online flight planning for flight simulators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only simBrief has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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Professional licence at $350.00; simBrief the free version uses a navigation database the vendor describes as slightly outdated by default
  • They diverge on capability: Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, simBrief covers Flight planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Prepar3D Professional and simBrief differ
AttributePrepar3D ProfessionalsimBrief
Starting price$9.95/monthFree
Pricing modelone-timefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWeb
Founded20082009

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 Prepar3D Professional

  • Flight physics
  • Aircraft systems
  • Scenery
  • ATC
  • Training
  • Add-ons
  • VR
  • Hardware

Only in simBrief

  • Flight planning
  • Weather integration
  • NOTAM analysis
  • Fuel calculation
  • Briefing generation
  • Real weather
  • NOTAM data
  • Aircraft database

What people use each for

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

Prepar3D Professional

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

simBrief

  • Generating realistic flight plans and briefing packs for flight simulationnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Calculating fuel, routing and weight and balance for simulated flightsnot Prepar3D Professional

Where each one falls short

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

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

simBrief

  • The free version uses a navigation database the vendor describes as slightly outdated by default
  • Current navigation data updated every 28 days requires a separate Navigraph subscription
  • Jeppesen IFR and VFR charts require the higher Navigraph Unlimited subscription
  • Neither subscription price is stated on the SimBrief site, since both are sold by Navigraph

Pricing, plan by plan

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

simBrief

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Flight planning
    • Weather analysis
    • Fuel planning

Which should you pick?

Choose Prepar3D Professional if

  • You need flight physics.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want aircraft systems.
Prepar3D Professional review

Choose simBrief if

  • You need flight planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want weather integration.
simBrief review

Questions people ask

Is Prepar3D Professional or simBrief better?
Neither clearly leads. Prepar3D Professional starts at $9.95/month and simBrief at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prepar3D Professional or simBrief?
simBrief has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.95/month for Prepar3D Professional and Free for simBrief.
Does Prepar3D Professional or simBrief run on more platforms?
Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows. simBrief runs on Web.
Can I use simBrief for free?
Yes. simBrief has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Prepar3D Professional starts at $9.95/month.
What is Prepar3D Professional best used for?
Prepar3D Professional is most often used for running procedural and flight training in a commercial or military simulation facility, building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displays, developing custom aircraft, scenery and scenarios against the prepar3d sdk, delivering stem and k-12 classroom flight simulation on the personal licence. Of those, running procedural and flight training in a commercial or military simulation facility and building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displays are not what simBrief is typically brought in for.
What can Prepar3D Professional do that simBrief cannot?
Prepar3D Professional covers Flight physics, Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC. simBrief covers Flight planning, Weather integration, NOTAM analysis, Fuel calculation.

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
simBrief: Is SimBrief free to use?

Yes, SimBrief is free to use. It is a free flight planning service provided by Navigraph for Flight Simulation enthusiasts. Creating a Navigraph account is free, quick, and easy.

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
simBrief: What does SimBrief provide for flight planning?

SimBrief is a web-based dispatching system that generates in-depth flight plan packages featuring detailed fuel planning, weather forecasts, current NOTAMs, ETOPS calculations, and much more in seconds.

Source
simBrief: Can I upgrade SimBrief for better features?

SimBrief is free by default and uses a slightly outdated navigation database. You can purchase a Navigraph subscription after registering to access the latest navigation database and additional features.

Source
simBrief: How do I access SimBrief?

To access SimBrief, you need to sign in using a Navigraph account. You can create a free Navigraph account from the SimBrief website.

Source
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