Best Of
10 Best Microsoft Flight Simulator Mods and Add-Ons for PC
Explore ten Microsoft Flight Simulator PC mods and add-ons for airliners, traffic, planning, sightseeing, ground services, and ATC, with version guidance.
Add Gaming.net to your preferred sources on Google
Microsoft Flight Simulator's PC add-on scene reaches well beyond replacement scenery. These ten picks cover airliners, traffic, sightseeing, flight planning, organization, ground services, and air traffic control. Some are free projects and others are paid products or services. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 need the right packages: check the creator's current simulator-specific instructions, back up your settings, and add one item at a time. This is a set of individual recommendations, not a promise that all ten form a compatible bundle.
10. BeyondATC
BeyondATC is a paid ATC companion for MSFS 2020 and 2024. It aims to make spoken exchanges and the flow of a flight a more substantial part of the experience. Choose it if managing communication is something you want to engage with, not simply remove from the cockpit routine.
The base purchase includes unlimited basic voices, while premium voice usage can require optional paid top-ups; a mandatory subscription isn't the model. The product remains in development, and traffic functionality needs separately supplied aircraft models. Read the current setup guide and distinguish a stable build from an experimental branch before planning a flight around it.
Creator information and requirements: BeyondATC.
9. GSX Pro
GSX Pro adds airport ground-service activity, including boarding-related operations, pushback, and other services around the aircraft. It is a paid add-on for players who enjoy the sequence before departure and after arrival, rather than wanting every session to begin already airborne.
The product supports MSFS 2020 and 2024, but feature parity has limits: the default-airport jetway replacement feature is documented for 2020, with 2024 support still pending. Aircraft and airport profiles also affect positioning and behavior. Read the current requirements and use appropriate profiles instead of assuming every parking stand will work perfectly without adjustment.
Creator information and requirements: GSX Pro.
8. Flow Essentials
Flow Essentials replaces some trips through ordinary menus with a configurable interaction wheel. Parallel 42's tool is useful when frequently used actions interrupt a flight, particularly if you want a more compact way to reach controls without searching through several interface panels.
Choose the paid Essentials edition for your simulator; MSFS 2020 and the native MSFS 2024 PC release are separate products. Flow Free's availability doesn't mean there is an equivalent free 2024 edition. Also compare Essentials and Pro before buying, since the more advanced customization and widget features shouldn't be assumed to come with the lower-priced version.
Creator information and requirements: Flow Essentials.
7. MSFS Addons Linker
MSFS Addons Linker helps organize an expanding collection of Community-folder content. Profiles and links let you control what is active for a particular session, which is helpful when one flight needs a different group of airports or aircraft from another. The improvement is in managing the collection.
Use the creator's instructions and the correct executable: the current download includes a separate MSFS 2024 version. Keep an organized source folder and understand what a link points to before changing profiles. This utility doesn't make an old add-on compatible with a new simulator, and it isn't a substitute for reading each individual project's requirements.
Creator information and requirements: MSFS Addons Linker.
6. Little Navmap
Little Navmap is a free, open-source flight-planning and moving-map companion. It is especially useful when you want a separate place to inspect a route, airports, and your position while keeping the simulator's main view focused on flying. Its value extends beyond one particular aircraft.
The MSFS connection supports 2020 and 2024, but scenery loading differs. For MSFS 2024, the simulator must be running when the relevant loaded scenery is scanned through SimConnect. Follow the manual rather than copying an older indexing routine. Optional Navigraph data updates have their own cost; that doesn't make a subscription a prerequisite for every basic mapping function.
Creator information and requirements: Little Navmap.
5. Bushtalk Radio
Bushtalk Radio gives sightseeing flights another layer by connecting nearby places to audio information. Instead of treating the landscape only as something to cross, it encourages you to notice what is underneath the aircraft and choose a route around places you'd like to understand.
A free registered account is required, and the creator provides different client arrangements, including an MSFS 2024 EFB client. Match the instructions to your simulator. Choose it for discovery and local context rather than ATC or aircraft control; it complements a flight you plan instead of automatically turning every departure into a fully guided tour.
Creator information and requirements: Bushtalk Radio.
4. FSLTL
FSLTL adds traffic models and an injector workflow intended to make airports and skies feel more populated. It is useful when recognizable airline liveries and moving traffic contribute to the flight you want, especially during departures and arrivals at busy locations.
The current installation documentation covers MSFS 2020 and 2024 with the appropriate Community folder. The software and assets are free, but a current live-data option uses Navigraph Unlimited, which is a paid subscription. Read the requirements for the data mode you choose. The simulator still controls important aspects of AI behavior, so this isn't a guarantee that every aircraft will taxi or sequence perfectly.
Creator information and requirements: FSLTL.
3. Headwind A339X
Headwind's A339X brings the Airbus A330-900neo into the freeware airliner conversation. It is a good option when you want a wide-body aircraft and are prepared to learn the procedures and limitations documented by its creators. The official installer is the place to begin.
Treat this as an MSFS 2020 recommendation unless Headwind's current release notes explicitly confirm the MSFS 2024 package you intend to use. The project targets Windows PC, not every platform that runs Flight Simulator. Avoid downloading a planned aircraft or an unofficial repack simply because a similar Airbus name appears in a search result.
Creator information and requirements: Headwind A339X.
2. FlyByWire A380X
FlyByWire's A380X offers a free, open-source route into operating a much larger Airbus. Its scale makes cockpit preparation and understanding the aircraft's systems a substantial part of the attraction. Choose it when you want to spend time learning one airliner rather than simply adding another exterior model.
FlyByWire has announced its native MSFS 2024 A380X, so older launch-era compatibility advice is no longer a reliable guide by itself. Follow the current simulator-specific installer and documentation. Expect a learning project as well as an aircraft download, and check system requirements rather than assuming a large, detailed cockpit has the same demands as every default plane.
Creator information and requirements: FlyByWire A380X.
1. FlyByWire A32NX
FlyByWire's A32NX is a free, open-source Airbus A320neo project for players who want more depth in an airliner workflow. Learning its systems makes preparation, cockpit organization, and the relationship between an input and the aircraft's response a larger part of the flight.
Use the FlyByWire installer and select the package intended for your simulator. The project now uses simulator-specific releases for MSFS 2020 and 2024; that doesn't mean every feature or native-aircraft status is identical between them. Read the installation and aircraft documentation before importing an old setup. This is a systems-focused aircraft recommendation, not a general performance fix.
Creator information and requirements: FlyByWire A32NX.
Start with the part of flying you want to deepen: an aircraft for cockpit work, Little Navmap for planning, or Bushtalk Radio for sightseeing. Add traffic and airport services once the basic setup is stable. Matching versions and understanding each project's limits will do more for a dependable setup than installing everything at once.
