What are the best free Microsoft Flight Simulator mods?
The best free Microsoft Flight Simulator mods are the FlyByWire A32NX for airliner systems, Van’s RV-7/RV-7A for general-aviation flying, AI Ships for maritime traffic, and well-made local airport scenery. PC users should favour native, maintained packages that explicitly support their simulator version rather than installing every popular download at once.
Which free MSFS mods are worth installing first?
Choose mods that improve the type of flying you actually do. A complex airliner is wasted on a bush pilot, while a huge scenery collection offers little value if you repeatedly fly from the same handful of airports.
| Mod or category | Best for | Why we recommend it | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlyByWire A32NX | Airliner operations | The FlyByWire A32NX freeware package adds deeper Airbus systems, custom avionics, an electronic flight bag and flight-planning integration. | It rewards proper procedures and is more demanding than the default aircraft. |
| Van’s RV-7/RV-7A | VFR and aerobatic flying | This light-aircraft pack offers two variants, a detailed virtual cockpit and a useful balance of touring and aerobatic performance. | Confirm that the download supports your edition of MSFS before installing it. |
| AI Ships | Coastal and ocean routes | The global AI Ships package introduces more than 1,000 ship models and extensive maritime routes, making coastlines and harbours feel less empty. | Extra traffic can affect performance in already busy areas. |
| Hand-crafted airports | Regional and general aviation | A detailed upgrade for an airport you use regularly often provides more value than a large collection of places you never visit. | Do not run two scenery packages that alter the same airport. |
| Liveries | Airline and aircraft variety | They add visual choice without changing flight dynamics or aircraft systems. | The livery must match the exact aircraft model and variant; high-resolution textures can consume substantial video memory. |
For more aircraft, scenery and environmental options, our curated selection of 40-plus MSFS freeware mods is a practical place to shortlist packages rather than filling the Community folder indiscriminately.
How should you choose an MSFS freeware mod?
The best mod is one that matches your simulator version, flying habits and available performance headroom. Before installing, check these points:
- Simulator support: Look for an explicit reference to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or both. Do not treat “MSFS” as proof of compatibility with every release.
- Aircraft variant: Liveries, sound packs and system enhancements may work with only one aircraft model. An A320neo package, for example, is not automatically compatible with every third-party A320.
- Dependencies: Read the included instructions for required libraries, base aircraft or supporting packages. A missing dependency commonly produces invisible objects or blank cockpit displays.
- Overlap: Avoid two packages that replace the same airport, avionics system or default aircraft files. Duplicate scenery can cause flickering surfaces, doubled buildings and conflicting parking positions.
- Scope: Install a detailed regional package when you fly there often. Choose a lightweight enhancement when you need broad coverage without a large storage or performance cost.
A mistake we see constantly is installing a large bundle, discovering a fault and having no idea which package caused it. Add one mod at a time, launch the simulator and verify it before installing the next.
Do MSFS 2020 mods work in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
MSFS 2020 mods are not automatically compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Some simple liveries and scenery packages may work, but aircraft systems, avionics, animations and packages that modify default content are more likely to require a dedicated update.
Keep each simulator’s add-ons separate and follow the compatibility statement supplied with the mod. If the developer or file description does not mention MSFS 2024, treat compatibility as unconfirmed rather than assuming that a successful installation means every feature works.
External Community-folder mods are a PC feature. Xbox players cannot install arbitrary downloaded PC packages, and neither can PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro players using Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024; console add-ons must be supplied through the simulator’s supported in-sim distribution channels and be available for that platform. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released on PlayStation.
Will free Microsoft Flight Simulator mods reduce performance?
Free mods reduce performance only when they add enough systems, traffic, models or high-resolution textures to create a new bottleneck. Price has no bearing on performance: a sophisticated freeware aircraft can demand more resources than a simple paid livery.
- Complex aircraft can increase CPU load through custom avionics and system simulation.
- Large airports can add draw calls, lighting, ground objects and detailed textures.
- Traffic packages add moving objects and may hurt frame-rate around busy ports or airports.
- High-resolution liveries and cockpit textures consume video memory and can cause stutters when memory is exhausted.
Test before and after at the same airport, in the same aircraft and under comparable weather. If performance falls, reduce the relevant traffic or detail setting first; if that does not help, remove the newest package and retest.
Why is an installed MSFS mod not showing up?
A missing mod usually means it is in the wrong Community folder, still compressed, nested one folder too deeply or incompatible with the simulator build. Work through these checks in order:
- Extract the archive. Do not place the ZIP, RAR or 7z file itself in the Community folder.
- Check the folder depth. The package folder containing files such as
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonshould normally sit directly inside the Community folder, not inside an extra wrapper folder. - Confirm the active location. Microsoft Store, Steam and custom installations can use different package paths. The folder you found may not be the one used by the running simulator.
- Check dependencies and compatibility. Install any required libraries and verify support for MSFS 2020 or 2024.
- Remove conflicts. Temporarily move other add-ons out, restart the simulator and test the suspect package by itself.
Our step-by-step MSFS mod installation instructions cover Community-folder placement and the common archive-layout mistakes in more detail. Never overwrite files in the simulator’s Official folder unless a package’s verified documentation specifically requires a different installation method.