No, not in the sense of a permanent official free copy. To play Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC or Xbox, you normally need to buy the sim outright or access it through an active subscription when it is included. Short free trials or promotional periods can appear, but they are temporary.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator free or paid?
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a paid simulator. That applies to the modern releases most people mean by the name, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
There is no official, permanently free full version that we would treat as a normal way to play. If you see claims that the full sim is "free download" from an unofficial source, that is usually misleading at best and unsafe at worst.
What counts as playing it "for free"?
People usually mean one of four things when they ask this:
| Option | Is it really free? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Buy the sim outright | No | You pay once for the base simulator edition you choose. |
| Play through a subscription | No | You may avoid the full upfront purchase, but you are still paying a subscription fee. |
| Free trial or free-play weekend | Yes, temporarily | These are limited-time promotions and may not always be available. |
| Free add-ons for an owned copy | Partly | The add-ons can be free, but the base simulator still is not. |
Can you play Microsoft Flight Simulator without buying it outright?
Yes, sometimes. The main legitimate alternative to buying the simulator outright is playing it through a game subscription when the title is included in that service.
That can be cheaper in the short term if you only want to try the sim, but it is not the same as getting it for free. Once the subscription ends, or if the title leaves the service, your access can change.
What about cloud gaming?
Cloud gaming can let you run Microsoft Flight Simulator on devices that are not powerful enough to run it locally, but it still usually depends on a paid subscription and supported regions. So it may lower the hardware barrier, but it does not make the simulator free.
Are there free trials or demo versions?
Sometimes there are limited promotions, trial periods or free access weekends. These can be useful if you just want to test performance, controls or whether the sim suits you.
We would not count those as a standard, always-available way to play for free. Availability changes, and promotions come and go. There is also no long-standing public demo version that functions as a complete substitute for the full simulator.
What is the cheapest legitimate way to try Microsoft Flight Simulator?
If you only want to sample the simulator, the lowest-cost legal route is usually:
- Check subscription access if the simulator is currently included in a supported gaming subscription.
- Look for a temporary trial or promotional free-play period.
- Test with basic controls first rather than buying extra hardware immediately.
- Buy outright later if you know you will keep flying regularly.
That keeps your initial spend down, but again, it is not the same as a permanently free copy.
Can you use free aircraft and scenery without paying for the base sim?
No. Freeware aircraft, liveries, airports and scenery still require the base simulator. They expand what you can do after you already have access to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
If you already own the sim and want free content, our downloads library is a good place to look: https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/.
Should you trust websites offering Microsoft Flight Simulator as a free download?
We would not. Unofficial "free full version" downloads are a major red flag.
- They are often illegal copies.
- They may contain malware, unwanted software or tampered installers.
- They can break updates, online services and add-on compatibility.
- They may not work properly with streaming content, account-based ownership checks or multiplayer features.
If you want a stable simulator, official updates and proper support for add-ons, stick to legitimate access methods.
Does this answer differ between Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024?
Not much. For both versions, the basic rule is the same: the simulator is paid software, though subscription access and temporary promotions may sometimes let you play without buying it outright on day one.
What can change is the exact storefront availability, subscription inclusion, edition structure and install method. Those details shift over time, but none of them turn the sim into permanent freeware.
So, can you play Microsoft Flight Simulator for free?
Only temporarily, and only when Microsoft offers a trial or promotion. In normal day-to-day terms, no: Microsoft Flight Simulator is not free. You either buy it outright or pay for access through a subscription if it is available there.