Safely download free MSFS add-ons for 2020 and 2024, check files, install PC packages, and understand Xbox and PlayStation limits.
You can download free Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons more safely from our established MSFS freeware library, then verify each package’s simulator version, author, contents and installation instructions before adding it to your PC. Ordinary third-party downloads do not work on Xbox or PlayStation; console users must obtain add-ons through the simulator’s built-in channels.
Having catalogued freeware since the early Flight Simulator era, we regard source reputation as the first filter, not a guarantee. Every downloaded package still deserves a compatibility check and security scan.
Where can I get free MSFS add-ons?
Our organised freeware library provides free aircraft, scenery, liveries and utilities for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with separate descriptions and installation notes.
| Add-on type | What to check before downloading |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Confirm whether it is a complete aircraft or an enhancement requiring another model. Check the supported simulator generation and required content. |
| Liveries | Match the exact aircraft and variant. A livery for a default aircraft may not work with a similarly named third-party model. |
| Scenery | Check the airport or region, required object libraries and possible conflicts with other scenery covering the same location. |
| Utilities | Read how the program connects to MSFS and whether it runs outside the simulator. Executable utilities require more trust than ordinary data packages. |
Choose listings that identify the author, target MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 or both, explain dependencies and include usable installation instructions. “Compatible with MSFS” on its own is too vague: packages made for FSX, Prepar3D or X-Plane cannot simply be placed in an MSFS Community folder.
Can I download MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 free?
There is no legitimate permanent free download of the full Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 base simulator.
Both are commercial products. You need a purchased licence or an official platform subscription that explicitly includes the simulator, and the base game should be installed through that platform’s authorised client. Free MSFS add-ons are separate files; they do not contain the simulator or bypass its licence.
A download claiming to provide the complete simulator for free, a crack, key generator or modified authentication files should be rejected. It is both a security risk and unauthorised software. Some freeware also requires a separately licensed aircraft, scenery package or edition-specific item even though the add-on itself costs nothing.
How do I check whether an MSFS add-on is safe?
Treat every download as untrusted until you have checked its source, description, archive contents and security scan.
- Read the whole listing: identify the author, supported simulator, dependencies and installation method. An old package is not automatically malicious, but it may no longer work after simulator changes.
- Avoid pirated or unexplained files: reject re-uploaded payware, cracks, key generators, unrelated browser extensions and anything instructing you to disable security protection.
- Scan before installation: scan the downloaded archive and its extracted contents with maintained security software. Password-protected archives prevent normal inspection and need a clear, credible explanation.
- Inspect the package structure: a conventional Community-folder package commonly contains
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. Their presence does not prove safety, but their absence may show that you have the wrong folder or a different type of product. - Give executables extra scrutiny: an installer, external utility or module is not automatically unsafe, but it can make system changes that a data-only package cannot. Check its stated purpose and requested permissions.
- Protect the simulator installation: ordinary freeware should not require you to overwrite files in the Official folder or replace core Windows components.
Our detailed archive and installer safety checklist explains how to assess warnings without assuming that every alert is harmless or that every clean scan is conclusive.
Are free MSFS scenery add-ons safe?
Free MSFS scenery add-ons can be safe, but the words “scenery add-ons” in a file or site name are not evidence that a package has been checked.
A conventional scenery package copied to Community is generally easier to inspect and remove than an unexplained executable installer. It should still be scanned. If you are looking for airports, cities or regional enhancements, use our free MSFS scenery collection and compatibility guidance to check dependencies and simulator support.
Safety also includes simulator stability. Two packages modifying the same airport can produce duplicated buildings, broken taxiways or conflicting elevation data. Missing object libraries may cause absent models or placeholder textures, while outdated scenery can increase loading time or trigger errors after a simulator update.
Test only one version of an airport at a time. Do not merge scenery folders during an update unless the author explicitly tells you to do so; remove the old package first so obsolete files are not left behind.
Will downloaded add-ons work on PC, Xbox and PlayStation?
External MSFS freeware downloads can be installed on PC, but Xbox and PlayStation do not permit ordinary Community-folder packages to be sideloaded.
| Simulator and platform | External downloads | Installation route |
|---|---|---|
| MSFS 2020 on PC | Yes | Use packages made for MSFS 2020, normally placed in its active Community folder. |
| MSFS 2024 on PC | Yes | Prefer packages explicitly marked for MSFS 2024. Compatibility with MSFS 2020 does not guarantee compatibility with 2024. |
| MSFS 2020 or 2024 on Xbox Series X|S | No | Use content distributed through the simulator’s built-in Marketplace or content system. |
| MSFS 2024 on PS5 or PS5 Pro | No | Use the simulator’s built-in content channels. PC archives cannot be installed manually. |
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro on 8 December 2025, making it the first Flight Simulator released on PlayStation. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation. The arrival of MSFS 2024 on that console did not add access to the PC Community folder.
PC users moving from 2020 should check our MSFS 2024 freeware compatibility and installation notes rather than assuming an older aircraft or scenery package will transfer unchanged.
How do I install a downloaded MSFS add-on?
Most conventional PC add-ons are extracted into the active Community folder, while external utilities and installer-managed products must follow their own supplied instructions.
- Confirm compatibility: verify MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 support, the required aircraft or base content, and any additional libraries.
- Scan the download: check the archive before opening it, then scan the extracted files as well.
- Extract the archive: do not place a ZIP, RAR or 7Z archive directly in Community. The simulator needs the extracted package.
- Find the active Community folder: use the packages location configured for that simulator installation rather than copying a path from an unrelated guide. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 can use different locations.
- Check the folder depth: the result should normally resemble
Community/package-name/manifest.json, withlayout.jsonbeside it. Avoid an extra wrapper level such asCommunity/download-name/package-name/manifest.json. - Replace updates cleanly: unless the instructions say otherwise, move the previous version out before installing the replacement. Merging folders can leave obsolete files behind.
- Restart MSFS: content added while the simulator is running may not be detected until the next launch.
An archive may contain several separate package folders plus documentation. Copy the actual package folders into Community, not necessarily the outer folder created when the archive was extracted. Do not put an external utility in Community merely because it is an MSFS add-on.
Why does a downloaded add-on not appear or make MSFS crash?
An add-on usually fails because it is still compressed, nested one folder too deep, installed in the wrong Community folder, missing a dependency or incompatible with that simulator generation.
- Nothing appears: verify the active Community path and package folder depth. If MSFS started in Safe Mode, third-party content is disabled for that session.
- A livery is missing: confirm that the exact required aircraft and variant are installed and available.
- Scenery looks broken: remove other packages affecting the same airport or region, then check for required object libraries.
- The simulator crashes or loads slowly: move third-party packages to a temporary folder outside Community and test the new add-on alone. Restore the others in small groups until the conflict returns.
- An updated package still misbehaves: remove it completely and install a clean copy rather than merging it over the old version.
Keep the isolated files outside Community instead of deleting them during diagnosis. A full simulator reinstall is rarely the first useful step; proving whether the problem disappears with an empty Community folder is faster and preserves your existing downloads.