Safely download free aircraft for MSFS 2020 and 2024, avoid cracked add-ons, check compatibility, install packages and fix missing aircraft.
Download free aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator from an established, moderated add-on library that states whether each package supports MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 and identifies dependencies. Use freeware—not cracked payware—scan the archive, and on PC install the extracted package in the active Community folder. Consoles cannot sideload these files.
Where can I safely download free aircraft for MSFS?
Use a library that identifies the developer, package type, supported simulator, dependencies and installation method rather than sending you to an anonymous file host. You can browse our moderated MSFS freeware library for complete aircraft, modifications, liveries and other add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024.
A legitimate freeware listing should explain what the package contains and who permits its free distribution. If an aircraft normally sold as payware appears as a free anonymous re-upload, it is not freeware. Our package-safety checklist for free MSFS aircraft covers the source, archive and compatibility checks to make before installing anything.
Moderation and file scanning reduce risk, but no download source or antivirus result can guarantee that a file is harmless. Keep your operating system and security software enabled, and inspect the extracted contents before running an installer.
Is an MSFS 2024 crack or MSFS 2020 crack safe?
No MSFS 2024 crack, MSFS 2020 crack or Microsoft Flight Simulator cracked download is a safe or legitimate substitute for a licensed copy.
A page advertising a “flight simulator 2024 crack” or “Microsoft Flight Simulator crack” is offering an unauthorised modification intended to bypass licensing. These downloads may contain altered executables, credential-stealing malware, bundled advertising software or instructions to disable security protection. A clean scan does not make a crack legitimate or prove that delayed or concealed malicious behaviour is absent.
- Modified simulator files cannot be trusted: You cannot reliably verify what was changed alongside the licensing code.
- Updates and online services may fail: Authentication, streaming scenery, multiplayer, cloud features and Marketplace content depend on supported simulator files and account access.
- Support is unavailable: Microsoft, aircraft developers and community support teams cannot diagnose a modified installation reliably.
- Cracks quickly become incompatible: Simulator and add-on updates can leave altered files broken, incomplete or stuck on an unsupported build.
If you downloaded a crack but did not open it, delete or quarantine it and run a security scan. If you executed it, installed bundled software or entered account details, perform a full scan and change affected passwords from a clean device; also review the account for unfamiliar sign-ins.
Does “MSFS free download” mean the simulator is free?
No. Freeware aircraft are free add-ons, not free copies of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and they require a compatible licensed installation of the base simulator.
Authorised access through a purchase, subscription or official promotion is different from a cracked copy. Install the simulator and official content only through the platform account or content system attached to that licence.
Are MSFS cracked add-ons the same as freeware?
No. MSFS cracked add-ons are unauthorised copies of payware, while freeware is deliberately released without a purchase charge under the developer’s chosen licence.
| Package label | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Freeware aircraft | The developer permits free use and distribution under stated terms | Verify the source, version support and dependencies before installing |
| Cracked payware | A commercial add-on has been copied, altered or redistributed without permission | Do not download or install it |
| Livery or enhancement | A legitimate free package that depends on another aircraft | Confirm that you own or have installed the exact required base model |
Cracked aircraft may also lack the developer’s updater, licence data, external applications or required components. Even if the package loads, systems can be incomplete and later simulator updates may break it.
How do you check whether an aircraft download is safe?
Treat every downloaded archive as untrusted until its source, contents, compatibility and dependencies have been checked.
- Identify the developer and source: Look for a proper description, screenshots, usage terms, support information and an explanation of what the download contains.
- Confirm the simulator version: An MSFS 2020 aircraft is not automatically compatible with MSFS 2024. Use it in both only when the listing explicitly documents cross-version support.
- Check the package type: Determine whether it is a complete aircraft, a modification or merely a repaint requiring another model.
- Read the dependencies: Some add-ons require a default aircraft, a particular simulator edition or another freeware package.
- Inspect the extracted files: A conventional manual package commonly contains
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. These files indicate an MSFS package structure, but their presence alone does not prove safety. - Question unexpected executable files: Files such as
.exe,.bat,.cmdor.ps1are not normally required for a manually copied aircraft. A documented installer may be legitimate, but its publisher and purpose should be clear. - Scan both archive and extracted contents: Do this before opening an installer or copying files into the simulator.
- Reject suspicious conditions: Do not disable antivirus protection, install an unrelated download manager or browser extension, or enter Microsoft account credentials into a freeware installer.
Version-specific details differ, particularly around compatibility and package locations. We provide separate PC checks specific to MSFS 2020 and compatibility and installation notes for MSFS 2024.
Is the download a complete aircraft or only a repaint?
A complete aircraft includes a selectable flyable model, while a repaint or enhancement depends on an exact base aircraft that must already be installed.
| Package type | What it provides | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Complete aircraft | A flyable aircraft with the base model included | Supported MSFS version and any documented external dependencies |
| Aircraft enhancement | Changes to systems, cockpit features, sounds or flight behaviour | The exact default or third-party aircraft it modifies |
| Repaint or livery | Alternative colours and markings | The precise developer and variant of the required base model |
A mistake we see constantly is installing a livery and then searching for an entirely new aircraft. A repaint may appear as a selectable variation under its base model, and it will not work at all if made for a different developer’s aircraft with the same real-world name.
How do you install a downloaded MSFS aircraft on PC?
Most manually installed aircraft belong in the active Community folder, although a package with a documented installer may use its own supported installation process.
- Read the listing: Confirm support for MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024, identify the package type and install every stated dependency.
- Scan and extract the archive: Extract the ZIP or RAR to a temporary folder. Do not put the unopened archive in
Community. - Find the actual package folder: For a conventional package, locate the folder containing
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. Avoid copying an unnecessary outer wrapper folder. - Copy it to the active Community folder: The location varies by simulator version, installation source and any custom Packages path. Do not assume an old or similarly named folder is the one your active installation uses.
- Leave official packages alone: Do not mix manually downloaded files into the simulator’s protected or official-content directory.
- Restart the simulator: Test the aircraft in Free Flight before adding several more packages or diagnosing mode-specific availability.
Why does the downloaded aircraft not appear in MSFS?
A missing aircraft is usually caused by a compressed archive, an extra folder level, the wrong Community directory, a missing base model or incompatible simulator version.
| Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| The archive is still compressed | Extract it fully before copying the package |
| An extra wrapper folder was copied | Place the folder containing manifest.json directly inside Community |
| The wrong Community folder was used | Check the Packages location used by the active simulator installation |
| The download is only a livery | Install the exact required base aircraft and look for the livery beneath that model |
| A dependency is missing | Read the listing again and install the required aircraft, library or component |
| The package targets another MSFS version | Use a package explicitly supporting MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 as appropriate |
| Another add-on conflicts with it | Temporarily test with only the affected aircraft and its required dependencies in Community |
| It is absent from MSFS 2024 Career mode | Test it in Free Flight; Career availability has separate requirements and is not proof of installation |
If an aircraft stops working after a simulator update, check for a developer-approved update rather than replacing files with an unofficial patch. Remove the old package before installing its replacement when the instructions call for a clean installation.
Can Xbox and PlayStation install free aircraft downloads?
No. Xbox and PlayStation consoles cannot install external aircraft ZIP files because they do not expose the PC Community folder.
Console users must obtain compatible content through Microsoft Flight Simulator’s in-simulator Marketplace or official content system. There is no supported USB method for transferring a PC freeware aircraft package to a console.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro as well as PC. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 remains a PC and Xbox release and was never released for PlayStation. The availability of MSFS 2024 on PlayStation does not add support for PC-style external aircraft downloads.