What are the best add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator?
The best add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator are usually one high-quality aircraft, scenery for the airports or regions you fly most, and a small set of utilities. For many simmers, that means starting with the FlyByWire A32NX, then adding scenery and cockpit tools you will use on every flight.
Which MSFS add-ons are worth installing first?
The best first MSFS add-ons are the ones you notice every session: a better aircraft, better scenery in familiar places, and one or two tools that remove cockpit friction.
| Add-on type | Best when... | Biggest gain | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | You fly one type often | Systems depth and handling | Higher learning curve and some performance cost |
| Scenery | You revisit the same airports or fly VFR | Visual immersion | Storage use and possible airport conflicts |
| Utilities | You want a smoother cockpit workflow | Convenience on every flight | Some tools need updates after sim patches |
| Traffic and world-life | You want a busier world | Atmosphere and low-level immersion | Can reduce frame rate |
Liveries, missions and novelty packs can be excellent, but they rarely change the core experience as much as those three main categories.
The best Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons by category
The best Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons are usually aircraft, scenery and utilities rather than cosmetic packs alone.
Aircraft add-ons
Aircraft add-ons are the best pick if you fly the same type repeatedly and care about handling, systems logic and normal procedures. A standout starting point is the FlyByWire A32NX Airbus upgrade, which gives airliner flying far more depth than a simple livery or cabin mod.
If you mainly fly airliners, one well-supported aircraft is better than a hangar full of shallow ones. Long-haul fans often get more value from adding a capable wide-body, such as the Native Airbus A330-900neo Mega Pack, than from stacking smaller visual-only downloads.
Scenery add-ons
Scenery add-ons usually deliver the biggest visual improvement per download. Detailed airports, city packs, landmarks and regional fixes change departure, arrival and low-level VFR flying far more than menu-side extras ever will.
Our MSFS scenery collection is the right place to start if you want an immediate visual upgrade. Prioritise your home airport, your training area and any route you fly repeatedly; random destination scenery is usually poor value unless you genuinely use it.
Utilities and cockpit helpers
Utilities are the best add-ons when you already like the aeroplanes you fly but dislike the workflow around them. Good tools can improve checklist use, cockpit management, planning and other routine jobs that you repeat on every flight.
Our MSFS utilities and tools section is where we would look after choosing an aircraft and a scenery package. One utility you use every session is more valuable than five novelty mods you forget about a week later.
Traffic and world-life add-ons
Traffic and world-life add-ons are best when the sim feels empty rather than inaccurate. Packages such as AI Ships, Boats and Global Traffic can make coastlines and harbours feel far more alive, especially for VFR and bush flying.
These are usually a third-step upgrade. If your system is already working hard at dense airports or in glass-cockpit airliners, traffic packs can be the first thing that tips performance the wrong way.
Are aircraft or scenery add-ons the best first upgrade?
Aircraft add-ons are the best first upgrade if you fly procedures, practise checklists or keep returning to one aeroplane. Scenery add-ons are the better first upgrade if you fly VFR, enjoy sight-seeing, or spend most of your time around the same few airports.
- Choose aircraft first when you want better systems depth, more believable autopilot behaviour and a stronger reason to learn one cockpit properly.
- Choose scenery first when outside visuals matter more to you than internal systems, or when you mostly fly local circuits and short hops.
- Choose utilities first only if the default flying is fine and your real frustration is workload, organisation or cockpit reference material.
A mistake we see constantly is treating quantity as quality. Ten average add-ons do not beat one aircraft or one airport you actually use every week.
Why do some MSFS add-ons cause problems?
Most MSFS add-on problems come from version mismatch, duplicate packages, or a Community folder that has become too crowded to troubleshoot easily.
- Version compatibility: not every package works across both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, and older mods may need updates after core sim patches.
- Duplicate airports: two sceneries for the same airfield can cause floating buildings, doubled jetways, missing stands or broken terrain.
- Nested folders: a package placed one folder level too deep often will not load at all, which makes good add-ons look broken.
- Performance cost: complex aircraft, dense airports and heavy traffic packs can all reduce frame rate or increase stutters, especially if you install several at once.
- Abandoned packages: an add-on that looks impressive but no longer receives updates can turn into a maintenance problem after sim updates.
What should I install first if I am new to MSFS add-ons?
If you are new to MSFS add-ons, install them in a strict order and test after each one.
- Pick one aircraft you really plan to fly. Learn that aircraft before adding five more.
- Add scenery for one airport or one region you know well. You will notice the upgrade immediately and spot any problems quickly.
- Add one utility that solves a real annoyance. If it does not save time or reduce workload, it is probably not a priority.
- Run a short test flight after every install. That makes it obvious which package caused missing objects, long loading times or crashes.
- Expand slowly. The best MSFS setup is not the biggest one; it is the one you can keep updated and troubleshoot without guesswork.
If you keep that order, you will usually end up with a smaller, better set of add-ons and a much more reliable simulator.