What are the best MSFS 2024 mods?

The best MSFS 2024 mods include FlyByWire’s A32NX for aircraft, We Love VFR for scenery, FSLTL for traffic, Little Navmap for planning and GSX Pro for ground services. These Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 add-ons improve different parts of the sim, so the right first install depends on how and where you fly.

PC supports Marketplace products, manually installed Community-folder packages and external companion applications. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro cannot use manual downloads or PC utilities; console add-ons must be supplied through the in-sim Marketplace and listed for that platform.

An aircraft add-on changes the aeroplane, cockpit or systems. Scenery modifies airports, terrain or world objects; traffic packages supply models or inject flights; utilities handle tasks such as planning and moving maps; ground-service add-ons control pushback, passengers, jetways and service vehicles. Installing one package from every category is rarely the best starting point.

Our best Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 mod picks

A strong starter set contains one aircraft you will learn, scenery for places you use and only the utilities that solve a specific need.

FSLTL should not run alongside another active traffic injector or unrestricted built-in AI traffic. Likewise, GSX is best added only after the aircraft and airport work properly on their own. Two packages trying to control the same traffic, jetways or service vehicles are a common source of erratic behaviour.

Best MSFS 2024 aircraft mods by aircraft type

The best MSFS 2024 plane mod is the one that matches the systems depth, performance and type of flying you actually want.

In the table below, Marketplace-available means an edition is distributed through the in-sim store; it does not guarantee availability on every console. Check that the product page names Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and your exact platform before buying.

Complex aircraft can require an installer, background application or additional content package. Our detailed comparison of MSFS 2024 aircraft choices explains the trade-offs between the A32NX, A380X, RV-7 and premium alternatives.

Free MSFS 2024 plane mods worth installing

Freeware aircraft should be divided into confirmed MSFS 2024 builds and older MSFS 2020 packages that happen to load.

Freeware with a confirmed MSFS 2024 build

A confirmed aircraft is one whose developer, installer or download listing explicitly offers Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 support.

• FlyByWire A32NX: the best free starting point for Airbus procedures and scheduled short- or medium-haul flying. Install the 2024 target offered by its installer rather than copying an old package.
• FlyByWire A380X: a free long-haul alternative with a larger cockpit workload and greater hardware demands. Use the build specifically marked for MSFS 2024.
• Van’s RV-7: a lighter freeware option for VFR, circuits and homebuilt-aircraft flying. Confirm that the individual listing identifies a 2024 build because older RV-7 downloads may still circulate.

Our curated freeware aircraft and add-on shortlist covers more zero-cost choices, while the MSFS aircraft, scenery and utilities library lets you inspect the simulator version and installation notes on each listing.

MSFS 2020 aircraft that may be compatible

An aircraft labelled only for MSFS 2020 is unconfirmed for MSFS 2024 even if another simmer reports that it loads.

• Simple liveries may work when the base aircraft and its internal identifiers have not changed.
• Basic aircraft may appear in the selection screen but still have broken gauges, sounds, animations or flight-model behaviour.
• Aircraft that depend on custom avionics, WASM modules or companion software need a developer-approved update.
• A working cockpit on one simulator update does not establish compatibility with later updates.

Do not copy an entire MSFS 2020 Community folder into MSFS 2024. Install a fresh 2024 build where one exists, and treat every 2020-only download as an individual compatibility test.

Which MSFS 2024 mods should I install first?

Install the add-on that fixes a specific weakness in your flying, test it, and only then add another.

1. Choose one aircraft. The default fleet already covers casual flying, so add a complex aircraft only when you intend to learn its procedures.
2. Add scenery for a regular destination. One favourite airport or the relevant VFR region is more useful than hundreds of airports you never visit.
3. Introduce traffic at low density. Disable competing traffic and test at a large airport in demanding weather before increasing the number of aircraft.
4. Add ground services afterwards. Confirm the aircraft and airport operate correctly before introducing profiles, replacement jetways or service vehicles.
5. Keep external utilities outside the first fault test. Planning tools are useful, but traffic injectors and aircraft companion apps can still affect performance or connectivity.

Do Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 mods work in MSFS 2024?

Some MSFS 2020 mods work in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but backward compatibility does not guarantee correct behaviour.

• Liveries have the best chance when they target an unchanged base aircraft, although thumbnail and configuration changes can still matter.
• Traditional scenery may load but create duplicated buildings, conflicting exclusions or elevation faults around revised terrain and airports.
• Complex aircraft should have a dedicated 2024 update because gauges, flight models, avionics, sounds and external processes are more sensitive to simulator changes.
• Traffic and ground-service tools need explicit support for the interfaces they use. Copying their Community component alone is not enough.

MSFS 2024 aircraft compatibility checklist

Check all six points before placing an aircraft package in the simulator.

• Simulator build: confirm that the listing or installer explicitly names MSFS 2024 rather than relying on a generic Microsoft Flight Simulator label.
• Platform: distinguish a PC Community download from a Marketplace edition approved for Xbox or PlayStation.
• Dependencies: check for required base aircraft, avionics packages, object libraries or separate model files.
• External applications: determine whether the aircraft needs a launcher, licence manager, injector or background process that consoles cannot run.
• Known issues: read the developer’s notes for broken features, simulator-update conflicts and unsupported configurations.
• Clean test: install one package at a time and test it before restoring unrelated aircraft, scenery, traffic or ground-service add-ons.

Where to download safe MSFS 2024 aircraft mods

The safest sources are the official Marketplace, the aircraft developer’s own distribution channel and an established library that clearly identifies the publisher and simulator version.

• Prefer the Marketplace on console. It is the only supported route for Xbox and PlayStation add-ons and keeps purchases associated with the platform account.
• Use the developer’s official installer when required. Products such as complex aircraft may rely on it to select the correct simulator, install dependencies and deliver updates.
• Read the complete listing. Verify MSFS 2024 support, platform, publisher, package version, dependencies and installation instructions before downloading.
• Scan the download. Check archives and executable installers with your normal security software before running or extracting them. A clean scan does not prove simulator compatibility, but it can expose an unsafe file.
• Avoid repackaged files. Reuploads can be outdated, altered or stripped of documentation. Do not install cracked paid products, packages with an unclear publisher or files that instruct you to disable security protection.

Community comments can expose a problem, but they do not replace a clear compatibility statement from the publisher. Also check that screenshots and descriptions refer to the same edition being downloaded rather than an older MSFS 2020 release.

Installing and updating MSFS 2024 plane mods

Marketplace products are managed inside the simulator, while manual PC packages belong in the active MSFS 2024 Community folder.

Installing a Marketplace aircraft

Marketplace installation should be handled entirely through the simulator’s store and content-library controls.

1. Sign in with the correct account. Purchases and entitlements are tied to the account and platform used for the simulator.
2. Check the product page. Confirm that it names Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and the platform on which you are playing.
3. Acquire and enable the aircraft. Use the download, stream or enable control presented by the Marketplace or content library.
4. Allow installation to finish. Do not close the simulator while the content manager is still processing the package.
5. Check for Marketplace updates. Review the aircraft in the content library after simulator updates or when the developer announces a new build.

Do not copy, rename or unpack Marketplace-managed files into the Community folder. If a Marketplace aircraft misbehaves, disable or remove it through the content library and reinstall it from the same account.

Installing a PC Community-folder aircraft

A manual aircraft works only when its actual package folder is placed in the Community folder used by MSFS 2024.

1. Close the simulator. Installing or replacing files while MSFS is running can leave the package partially loaded.
2. Find the active Community folder. Use Developer Mode’s package or virtual-file-system tools to open it where available. Alternatively, locate the active UserCfg.opt and use its InstalledPackagesPath entry to identify the associated package location. Do not assume that MSFS 2024 shares the MSFS 2020 folder.
3. Extract to a temporary location. Inspect the archive before copying anything into Community. If the developer supplies a dedicated installer, follow its instructions instead.
4. Check the package root. A conventional manual package should contain manifest.json and layout.json directly inside its package folder.
5. Remove the extra folder layer. The correct structure resembles Community\developer-aircraft\manifest.json, not Community\download-name\developer-aircraft\manifest.json. The latter wrapper can stop the aircraft appearing.
6. Remove superseded versions. Delete or move the old package before installing its replacement. Do not merge new files over an old build unless the developer specifically requires it.
7. Copy the complete package. Some archives contain several required package folders, so follow the included instructions and preserve each folder’s internal structure.
8. Test before adding anything else. Start MSFS 2024, load the aircraft at a default airport and check the cockpit, avionics, controls, sounds and external view.
9. Record the installation. Keep a simple inventory containing the package name, source, installed build or date, dependencies and any external application. This makes updates and fault isolation much faster.

For screenshots and additional folder-location help, use our detailed PC installation instructions for MSFS 2024 add-ons.

Can you install MSFS 2024 mods on Xbox or PS5?

Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro cannot use manually downloaded Community-folder mods or PC-only companion applications.

Console users must obtain compatible products through the in-sim Marketplace. That rules out PC-only external tools such as FSLTL, GSX Pro and Little Navmap integration, as well as freeware aircraft distributed only as Community packages.

Before buying, check the product page for your platform and MSFS 2024 compatibility. A product available on the PC Marketplace or Xbox is not automatically available on PlayStation, and an MSFS 2020 Marketplace edition is not automatically a supported 2024 product.

Why do MSFS 2024 mods cause crashes or disappear?

Most failures come from an obsolete build, wrong folder, extra wrapper directory, missing dependency, duplicate package or two add-ons controlling the same system.

1. Start with third-party content disabled. Use Safe Mode when offered after a failed launch, or temporarily remove Community packages and disable Marketplace add-ons.
2. Check the symptom. A missing aircraft usually points to the wrong Community folder or extra folder layer; pink or absent textures often indicate a missing base aircraft or dependency.
3. Inspect the package root. Confirm that manifest.json and layout.json are in the actual aircraft package folder rather than buried inside another directory.
4. Remove duplicate editions. Do not keep stable, development and previous-version copies installed together unless the developer explicitly supports that arrangement.
5. Stop competing systems. Disable duplicate airports, multiple traffic injectors and overlapping jetway or ground-service replacements.
6. Check companion software. Emptying Community does not stop an external aircraft application, traffic injector or utility from running.
7. Restore packages gradually. Add one package at a time. If the fault returns after a group is restored, divide that group until the conflicting package is identified.

A mistake we see constantly is reinstalling the simulator before testing an empty add-on setup. Isolation is faster, preserves working packages and usually reveals whether the real cause is a mod, dependency, Marketplace product or external process.