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Prepar3D Professional vs X-Plane 12

Prepar3D Professional logo

Prepar3D Professional

Software

Professional flight simulation platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
X-Plane 12 logo

X-Plane 12

Software

Professional flight simulation software

From
$59.99/lifetime
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: 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; 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: Prepar3D Professional covers Aircraft systems, X-Plane 12 covers Global scenery.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prepar3D Professional and X-Plane 12 actually diverge.

Attributes where Prepar3D Professional and X-Plane 12 differ
AttributePrepar3D ProfessionalX-Plane 12
Starting priceFree$59.99/lifetime
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Macos, Linux
Founded20081995

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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

  • Aircraft systems
  • Scenery
  • ATC
  • Training
  • VR
  • Training devices
  • APIs
  • Account protection

Only in X-Plane 12

  • Global scenery
  • Realistic aircraft
  • Weather simulation
  • ATC system
  • Plugins
  • VR headsets
  • Controllers
  • Online flying

Both cover

  • Flight physics
  • Add-ons
  • Hardware
  • License activation
  • Multiplayer
  • Windows support

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 X-Plane 12
  • Building multi-channel visual systems across several synchronised displaysnot X-Plane 12
  • Developing custom aircraft, scenery and scenarios against the Prepar3D SDKnot X-Plane 12
  • Delivering STEM and K-12 classroom flight simulation on the Personal licencenot X-Plane 12

X-Plane 12

  • Flight simulation for private pilots and enthusiastsnot Prepar3D Professional
  • Procedure practice and aircraft familiarisationnot 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

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

Prepar3D Professional

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

X-Plane 12

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Prepar3D Professional if

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

Choose X-Plane 12 if

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

Questions people ask

Is Prepar3D Professional or X-Plane 12 better?
Neither clearly leads. Prepar3D Professional starts at Free 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, Prepar3D Professional or X-Plane 12?
Prepar3D Professional has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Prepar3D Professional and $59.99/lifetime for X-Plane 12.
Does Prepar3D Professional or X-Plane 12 run on more platforms?
Prepar3D Professional runs on Windows. X-Plane 12 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
Can I use Prepar3D Professional for free?
Yes. Prepar3D Professional has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. X-Plane 12 starts at $59.99/lifetime.
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 X-Plane 12 is typically brought in for.
What can Prepar3D Professional do that X-Plane 12 cannot?
Prepar3D Professional covers Aircraft systems, Scenery, ATC, Training. X-Plane 12 covers Global scenery, Realistic aircraft, Weather simulation, ATC system. Both handle Flight physics, Add-ons, Hardware, License activation.
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