What are the best freeware aircraft for MSFS 2020?

The best freeware aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 are the FlyByWire A32NX for airline flying, the A380X or an A330-900neo for wide-body routes, the Mykrodian MX1 for sightseeing, and the Sopwith Triplane or Fokker Dr.I for vintage flying. The A32NX is our best overall choice.

Here, freeware means a no-cost third-party aircraft package, not a livery or an aeroplane supplied with a simulator update. These downloadable Community packages are primarily for PC; Xbox users cannot install them manually.

Best freeware aircraft for MSFS 2020 at a glance

The FlyByWire A32NX offers the best combination of systems depth, active development and everyday usability, but another aircraft may suit your preferred type of flying better.

FlyByWire A32NX: best overall freeware aircraft

The A32NX is our first recommendation for simmers who want realistic scheduled airline operations without buying an aircraft. It is a complete Airbus A320neo-family package rather than a repaint, with custom displays, autopilot and flight-management functions, an electronic flight bag and a substantially deeper cockpit workflow than the default aircraft.

Expect to learn the MCDU, managed and selected guidance modes, electrical power and cold-and-dark procedures. It remains approachable because there is ample room to begin with engines-running departures and add the deeper procedures later.

A mistake we see constantly is an obsolete manual installation being left beside an installer-managed build. Keep only one A32NX installation active; duplicates can cause repeated aircraft entries, blank displays, long loading times or inconsistent avionics.

A380X or A330-900neo: best free wide-body aircraft

Choose the A380X for the most ambitious freeware wide-body experience, or an A330-900neo when you want a more conventional twin-engine long-haul aircraft.

The A380X offers a far larger cockpit and more complex four-engine workflow than the A32NX. Its detailed model can also reduce performance on computers that run smaller aircraft comfortably, so begin at an uncomplicated airport and judge frame rate before adding heavy scenery or traffic. Our FlyByWire A380X package page and installation notes cover the complete aircraft.

A good A330-900neo package is an easier progression from the A32NX because many controls and operating concepts will be familiar. Some builds use systems derived from or related to A32NX work, but that does not make every function an exact A330 simulation. Check dependencies and compatibility notes for the specific package rather than assuming that all freeware A330s are interchangeable.

Readers concentrating on airline operations can use our detailed comparison of the leading free MSFS airliners to weigh the A32NX, A380X, A330-900neo and freeware 787 options.

Mykrodian MX1 and Van's RV-7: best for visual flying

The Mykrodian MX1 is the stronger choice for open-cockpit sightseeing, while a Van's RV-7 suits more conventional general-aviation flying.

The MX1's light weight and excellent visibility make scenery exploration feel immediate, particularly in VR. Those same qualities expose rough control inputs: use small pitch changes, anticipate gusts and avoid carrying excess speed into the circuit.

An RV-7 is better for paved-airfield circuits and VFR cross-country flights where you want familiar flight instruments and direct handling without airliner automation. Several packages may share the same aircraft name, so judge the actual developer, build and compatibility notes rather than downloading by type alone.

Sopwith Triplane and Fokker Dr.I: best vintage choices

The Sopwith Triplane and Fokker Dr.I are best when you want sparse instrumentation, visual navigation and constant manual control.

Both require active rudder use, measured power application and anticipation on the ground. Once a taildragger begins to swing during take-off or landing, a late correction can quickly make the situation worse. Choose the Sopwith for a British First World War type or the Fokker for its unmistakable three-wing profile.

The Antonov An-225 sits at the other extreme. It is worth choosing for the scale and challenge of heavy transport flying, but freeware versions should be treated as entertainment packages unless their documentation demonstrates the system depth you need.

Are these free planes included with MSFS 2020?

No. These recommendations are third-party freeware downloads for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, separate from aircraft included with a simulator edition or supplied through an official update.

• Complete aircraft: adds a selectable aeroplane with its own model, cockpit and configuration files.
• Livery: adds only a paint scheme and requires the named base aircraft.
• Enhancement mod: changes an aircraft you must already own or have installed.
• Official included aircraft: forms part of the simulator, an edition entitlement or an official content release rather than a Community freeware package.

Confirm that a download explicitly describes itself as a complete or standalone aircraft. A large archive and an aircraft screenshot do not prove that it contains a flyable plane.

Which free MSFS 2020 plane should you download first?

Download the A32NX first for realistic airline flying, or the MX1 if you want an aircraft that can be enjoyed immediately without studying an airliner cockpit.

• Choose the A32NX for short- and medium-haul routes, flight planning and Airbus procedures.
• Choose the A380X for a complex four-engine superjumbo and you have adequate computer performance.
• Choose an A330-900neo for long-haul routes with a more familiar twin-engine layout.
• Choose the MX1 for low-level sightseeing, open-canopy flying and VR.
• Choose an RV-7 for circuits and everyday VFR cross-country flying.
• Choose a triplane to practise rudder coordination, taildragger handling and visual navigation.
• Choose the An-225 when aircraft scale and unusual cargo flights matter more than deep systems.

How do you install freeware aircraft in MSFS 2020?

Most manually downloaded PC aircraft must be extracted into the active MSFS 2020 Community folder while the simulator is closed. Some larger projects provide their own installer, which should be used instead of making a second manual copy.

You can find complete aircraft in our Microsoft Flight Simulator freeware library. Our separate guide to recognising, downloading and installing complete aircraft packages explains the distinction between aircraft, liveries and dependency-based modifications.

1. Confirm the simulator and package type. It should explicitly support Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and identify itself as a complete aircraft, unless you already own its required base model.
2. Read the dependency notes. Install any required library, avionics component or base aircraft. Do not assume a similarly named package includes these files.
3. Choose one installation method. Use the supplied installer if the project documents one; otherwise extract the package manually into Community. Do not use both methods.
4. Check the folder depth. A manual package normally has files such as manifest.json and layout.json near the root of its folder. If they remain inside an extra archive directory, MSFS may not detect it.
5. Start the simulator and test the aircraft. Use a simple flight before adding optional liveries, modifications or complex scenery.
6. Replace old versions cleanly. Remove the existing package before installing its replacement unless the developer's instructions explicitly say otherwise. Merging versions can leave obsolete files behind.

Freeware does not mean a free copy of payware. Avoid cracked or “unlocked” aircraft, and do not run an unexpected executable merely because an archive instructs you to disable security software.

Why is a freeware aircraft missing, pink or showing blank screens?

A broken freeware aircraft is usually caused by the wrong folder depth, an obsolete duplicate, a missing dependency or a package built for another simulator version.

1. Check the active Community folder. MSFS installations can use different locations, especially after a custom installation or storage move.
2. Remove extra folder layers. The simulator cannot load a package correctly if its root files are still buried inside multiple identically named directories.
3. Search for duplicate versions. Remove old copies, including folders with slightly different names, before reinstalling the aircraft.
4. Verify dependencies. Pink textures, missing cockpit parts and inoperative avionics commonly point to absent or incompatible supporting content.
5. Check the start state. A dark cockpit may simply be cold and dark. Verify the battery, external power, generators and avionics controls before reinstalling anything.
6. Confirm MSFS 2020 support. A package labelled only for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 should not be assumed to work in MSFS 2020.
7. Test for conflicts. Temporarily move unrelated Community packages elsewhere, leaving only the aircraft and its declared dependencies. Restore other add-ons in small groups until the fault returns.

If the problem began after an aircraft update, reinstall that package cleanly rather than copying it over the previous version. If it began after a simulator update, check the aircraft's compatibility information before changing unrelated settings.

Can Xbox users install free aircraft for MSFS 2020?

Xbox users cannot manually install the PC freeware packages listed here because Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on Xbox has no user-accessible Community folder.

Copying an aircraft by USB or cloud storage will not make it available. Xbox users are limited to aircraft distributed through the simulator's official in-sim channels, including any free products made available there. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation.