RC Plane Simulators: Free and Paid Picks, Plus Radio Setup

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Every RC pilot has heard some version of the same story: a brand-new trainer, a windy afternoon, and a plane that meets the field at full throttle on the third pass. A simulator is where you get the dull, repetitive stick time done, in a world where a mistake costs one mouse click instead of one foam wing.

The options split along lines that matter more than graphics: your operating system, whether you pay once, monthly or never, whether the sim really models airplanes (several are helicopter or drone sims first), and how a real transmitter plugs in.

This page is a researched buyer's guide. It is built from manufacturer specs, store listings and documentation, not from our own flying, so a developer's self-description is labelled as a claim. No prices are quoted; check the store before you buy.

Pick by your situation

Still choosing the plane itself? The best RC trainer planes and best RC planes for beginners pages come first.

Windows PC: where most of the fixed-wing choice lives

RealFlight Evolution

RealFlight Evolution is published by Horizon Hobby on Steam and is the most heavily marketed RC sim around. Horizon calls RealFlight the number one RC flight simulator in the world, which is a marketing claim. The concrete facts are more useful.

• Platform: Windows 10 or 11 only. Steam lists no Mac or Linux build.
• Content: Per Horizon, more than 300 aircraft (planes, helicopters and drones) at over 75 flying sites. Steam's bullet list says over 40 sites, so the count depends on the page.
• Extras: Online multiplayer, aircraft and airport editors, VR support with Meta and SteamVR headsets, and a New User Tutorial added in the update of 1 October 2026.
• Paying for it: The base game is a one-off purchase. New models and fields arrive in quarterly content packs, sold individually, in packs or through yearly passes.
• Controller required: It will not run without one. Steam lists three routes: the Spektrum InterLink DX (recommended), your own radio through an interface, or any 4-axis game controller.

It is sold with the InterLink DX controller or as software only (a Steam key card, or a Steam digital download), so check which one is in stock.

Check the RealFlight Evolution with InterLink DX bundle on Amazon.

Check the RealFlight Evolution software-only edition on Amazon.

Gift buyers, note that the bundle is not quite "everything in the box": you still need a Windows 10 or 11 computer and an internet connection, because the software downloads through Steam.

RealFlight Trainer Edition

Trainer Edition is the smaller sibling, also from Horizon Hobby, also Windows 10 or 11 only, also a one-off purchase through Steam. It was updated on 6 October 2026.

What you get at the start, per Steam: eight aircraft, which is six airplanes and two helicopters, and two flying fields (Eli Field and Carl Henson Field). The planes are the Horizon beginner line: Apprentice STS 1.5m, Habu STS 70mm EDF, AeroScout S, Apprentice STOL S 700mm, Carbon Cub S+ 1.3m and Sport Cub S. Steam names the AeroScout and Sport Cub without the "2", so whether the in-sim models match the current S 2 planes is not confirmed.

Flight time unlocks more. Steam lists two tiers, at 2 and 4 hours, that add 18 more aircraft and 4 airports between them, including "Next Step" models such as the T-28 Trojan 1.1m, Turbo Timber Evolution 1.5m, Slow Ultra Stick and Valiant 1.3m. Multiplayer is supported online and over a LAN, and a discounted upgrade to Evolution exists through Steam.

Two bundles pair Trainer Edition with a controller:

• With a Spektrum WS2000 wireless dongle (it needs a 6+ channel DSMX or DSM2 transmitter). Horizon has discontinued the WS2000 as a separate item, so buy this one for the bundle, not for the dongle.
• With a Spektrum SLT6 6-channel transmitter and a USB-C cable. Horizon listed it on backorder in October 2026, so availability may vary.

Check the RealFlight Trainer Edition with WS2000 bundle on Amazon.

Check the RealFlight Trainer Edition with SLT6 bundle on Amazon.

The software-only version is sold on Steam. We could not verify an Amazon listing for it, so there is no link here.

ClearView (desktop)

ClearView is a Windows program from rcflightsim.com. It is free to try, with free flight time in the download, and then moves to a one-off personal licence that, per the developer, includes upgrades and free support. The site lists 50 plane models, 50 helicopter models and 17 flying fields. It lists no VR. We could not confirm the current version number. The browser product is a separate service, covered below.

AccuRC 2

AccuRC 2 is a one-off purchase on Steam for Windows, with a free demo. Steam calls it mainly for helicopters, with drones, fixed wing and cars as extras, so it is a second choice for airplane work. Its last Steam news post is from 2020 and the developer's site news stops in 2022, so we cannot say whether it is still developed. Mac status is unclear: Steam lists Windows only, and an undated developer FAQ says a Mac build has no fixed-wing aircraft.

Mac or Linux: your choices narrow, but you are not stuck

Aerofly RC 10

Aerofly RC 10 from IPACS runs on Windows, macOS and Linux/SteamOS through Steam, and there is a separate Mac App Store edition too. Steam's minimum is Windows 10 (64-bit), macOS 11 or 64-bit Linux; the Mac App Store edition lists macOS 12.4.

It covers aerobatic and scale planes, gliders, jets, floatplanes, helicopters and multicopters. The model count is stated two different ways on Steam's own page (105 models and 22 sceneries in one paragraph, over 64 models and 15 sceneries in the feature list), so the safe reading is "dozens of models". It supports VR, multiplayer and split-screen, and two paid expansion packs exist. It is a one-off purchase with no demo on Steam.

Steam says a gamepad, joystick or dedicated R/C controller with 4 axes is required. Aerofly's own list of supported input devices is on its website, which we could not reach, so confirm your radio there.

neXt

neXt, from CGM, runs on Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS 10.12 or later and Ubuntu 22.04 or later. Its latest release note is dated 29 September 2026. It is mainly a helicopter simulator with fixed-wing models too; the site gives two different fixed-wing counts, so we quote none. It is a one-off download with online activation on up to two computers, and the demo works with a transmitter for two minutes before falling back to keyboard.

Its published compatibility list is the useful part here. It covers EdgeTX and OpenTX radios (the FrSky Taranis family, Horus, RadioMaster TX16S, Jumper models, BetaFPV LiteRadios, FlySky and others), Spektrum NX6, NX8 and NX10, and ExpressLRS radios that act as Bluetooth joysticks. It also states that the Phoenix, RealFlight and AccuRC dongles are not compatible.

Heli-X

Heli-X is a Java-based sim for Windows, macOS and Linux, covering helicopters, planes and multicopters, helicopters first. Version 11.0 came out on 20 April 2025. There is a fully functional free demo, then a one-off registration fee with free updates. For a plane-only pilot it is a backup option.

Absolute RC (browser)

This is the product that used to be described as "ClearView in a browser". It now runs under the Absolute RC name from Happy Bytes LLC, "powered by ClearView Physics", and it is a subscription service, not a free copy of the desktop program. It runs in a browser on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, iOS and Android, with email magic-link login. The developer claims 450+ models.

There is a free trial plan (the starter pack allows 10 free model loads a day) and monthly paid tiers that you can cancel at any time. You can plug in a transmitter by USB, pair a gamepad, or fly with touchscreen or keyboard, and a free iOS app also exists. For a Mac or Linux user who wants to try before committing, it is the lowest-friction start on this page.

Free options, honestly described

PicaSim is the one that is actually free, with no ads and an optional donation. It concentrates mainly on gliders, with a few powered planes and other aircraft, so it suits slope and thermal soaring best. Two cautions. Development is on hold: the Windows build is from September 2019, and the Android APK (updated November 2023) is no longer on Google Play. The site lists no macOS build. On Windows it accepts any joystick, including a transmitter through an interface, via its joystick settings. If gliders are your target, pair it with the thermal soaring and DLG guide and the best RC gliders.

Free trials and demos show whether a sim suits your computer and radio: ClearView, Absolute RC, AccuRC 2, neXt and Heli-X all offer one.

Free-to-play: RC Plane 3 on Steam (Windows and Mac) has paid add-ons, but its last Steam news is from 2017 and we could not verify how well it flies. A curiosity, not a recommendation.

How you pay: one-off, subscription or nothing

Fixed-wing focus: what to ignore

Not everything with "RC" in its name is a plane sim, which is how buyers end up with the wrong software.

• Helicopter-first: neXt, Heli-X and AccuRC 2 include some airplane content, but helicopters are their strength. Check for your specific plane before paying.
• FPV drones only: Liftoff (Windows, macOS and Linux per Steam), the Drone Racing League Simulator and FPV Freerider Recharged (both Windows and Mac per Steam), Uncrashed (Windows and Mac) and VelociDrone (Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a mobile app) simulate quadcopters. They will teach you stick discipline, but not how a wing stalls. If drones are your goal, our FPV plane guide is the better start.
• Arcade titles: RC Airplane Challenge is described on Steam as arcade styled, and RC-AirSim is a dated arcade-leaning airplane sim. Neither is recommended here.
• Phoenix RC: Officially discontinued, with its original website now a parked page, and the original install needed a hardware dongle. It is not a current buy, so we leave it out of the picks.

Connect your transmitter

A sim with the wrong controller is just a video game with extra steps. You have five routes. Whichever you choose, sims want a minimum of four axes (aileron, elevator, rudder, throttle), as Steam's listings say.

Route 1: a simulator controller

The Spektrum InterLink DX is a USB simulator controller made for exactly this job. Per Horizon, it is modelled after Spektrum transmitters with all the standard switch locations, plugs and plays over USB, and its spring-configurable gimbals let you pick Mode 1, 2, 3 or 4. It has a Reset/Rewind button and 15-channel capability. It is a controller only, with no RF module, so it will never fly a real model. The USB interface is listed as compatible with Windows PC platforms. An optional adapter cord (RFL1015) lets radios with a trainer port use the same route.

Check the Spektrum InterLink DX on Amazon.

Route 2: your EdgeTX or OpenTX radio over USB

If your radio runs EdgeTX or OpenTX (RadioMaster, Jumper and similar), it probably does this natively with a USB cable:

1. In Radio Setup, find the USB Mode setting. It decides what the radio does when you plug in a USB cable and power up. The options are Ask, Joystick, Storage and Serial on colour-screen radios, and Ask, Joyst, SDCard and Serial on black-and-white ones. Ask is the default on black-and-white radios.
2. Choose Joystick, or pick it from the prompt if the radio is set to Ask.
3. Turn off the internal and external RF modules. EdgeTX says both should be off while the radio is used as a USB joystick.

EdgeTX offers two USB Joystick modes, Classic and Advanced. In Classic, output channels go to preset axes in order: Ch1 to X, Ch2 to Y, Ch3 to Z, Ch4 to X rotation, Ch5 to Y rotation, Ch6 to Z rotation, Ch7 to a dial, Ch8 to a slider and Ch9 to Ch32 to buttons. That matches the default Windows mapping. Advanced adds interface modes (Joystick, Gamepad, MultiAxis) and per-channel settings, but note that Windows may detect the radio as a Joystick whatever mode you choose.

Sim makers back this up: neXt lists EdgeTX and OpenTX radios as working with a regular USB cable, Liftoff documents Taranis and RadioMaster setup, AccuRC lists a TX16S preset, and Steam's Trainer Edition page says a radio connected directly by USB needs additional user setup. RadioMaster's own product pages did not document simulator use, so lean on the EdgeTX documentation.

One warning from Heli-X's developer: some radios have a USB port that only does data exchange and cannot act as a simulator controller. Check your radio's manual before assuming the port will work. If you are shopping for a radio, the transmitter and receiver guide covers the choices.

Route 3: a Spektrum radio with a wireless dongle

The Spektrum WS3000T dongle connects a DSMX or DSM2 transmitter wirelessly to your computer. Per Horizon, you press the bind button, it supports up to 20 channels, and it works with most simulator software that accepts a standard USB joystick input. You need a 6+ channel Spektrum DSMX/DSM2 2.4 GHz transmitter. Horizon's description says it works with PC, Mac and Android, but its requirement list names only Windows 10 or 11, so Mac buyers should confirm before ordering.

The older WS2000 is now discontinued at Horizon, which is why the WS3000T is the one we point to. If your sim lists a "WS1000 or WS2000", check that developer's list for the WS3000T before buying. As noted above, neXt lists the WS-1000 and WS-2000 as supported but says the RealFlight dongle is not.

Check the Spektrum WS3000T on Amazon.

Route 4: Spektrum NX radios by direct USB

Horizon's RealFlight Evolution page says the sim works with direct USB connection to Spektrum NX6, NX8, NX10 and other transmitters, and the Trainer Edition bundle text says NX6 to NX20. The NX6 manual describes a Game Controller mode that puts the radio into USB HID mode, so it can be used by compatible simulators as a game controller. Horizon lists the NX6 as discontinued.

Route 5: the radio that came with your plane

Many Horizon RTF planes ship with a radio that already has a USB port:

• Sport Cub S 2 RTF: the MLP6DSM controller with a USB-C port.
• Apprentice STOL S 700 RTF (and the Trainer Edition SLT6 bundle): the SLT6, also with USB-C.
• AeroScout S 2 RTF Basic and Carbon Cub S 2 Cleetus McFarland SE RTF Basic: an updated and upgraded DXS controller that connects by USB-C.

Careful with the DXS: the standard one sold alone and shipped in the Apprentice STS and standard Carbon Cub S 2 boxes is listed with a USB serial adapter, and those plane pages say it needs a WS dongle for RealFlight. Do not assume every DXS has USB-C.

Keyboards and gamepads

They connect and they are fine for learning what the controls do. But sim makers note that regular gamepads self-centre the throttle, unlike a real transmitter. For stick habits you want to carry to the field, use real sticks, and set up dual rates and expo the way you will have them in the model.

Planes that come with a simulator

Several Horizon Hobby planes include RealFlight, which means a sim and a controller can arrive in the same box as the plane. Horizon's pages say:

For the AeroScout S 2, you connect the updated DXS to your computer with a USB-C cable. The battery and charger are not included with the RTF Basic. There is also a Trainer Success Program combo that pairs the AeroScout S 2 with Trainer Edition: Horizon says it makes you eligible for a replacement-part credit per crash for up to 3 crashes within 6 months, but only if you complete Virtual Flight Instructor lessons and sim hours, for US customers 14 and over.

Check the HobbyZone AeroScout S 2 on Amazon.

Check the HobbyZone Sport Cub S 2 on Amazon.

Check the HobbyZone Apprentice STOL S 700 on Amazon.

Check the HobbyZone Carbon Cub S 2 Cleetus McFarland SE on Amazon.

The Sport Cub S 2 manual says Trainer Edition is sold separately, so read the listing in front of you. If the term "RTF" is fuzzy, the ARF, RTF and PNP guide sorts it out.

What to practice once it works

A sim gives you endless repetitions, so spend them on what actually crashes planes. Fly toward yourself until reversed left and right stop making you flinch. Fly the full landing pattern again and again, then add a crosswind. The takeoff and landing guide and the wind flying guide cover the technique, and the beginner's flying guide covers what comes after. If a warbird is on the list, the best RC warbirds are not forgiving of rushed approaches, so rehearse first.

On VR: RealFlight Evolution and Aerofly RC 10 support it, and Steam shows no VR tag for Trainer Edition. We have no sourced hardware requirements, so we will not invent a graphics-card minimum.

FAQ