Every flight sim forum has the thread. "Should I get the A320 or the 737?" It starts polite, turns into a philosophical debate about fly-by-wire versus conventional controls, and ends with someone quoting a real-world captain who says it depends what you mean by "flying."
This guide isn't going to settle the argument. But it will give you enough context to make an informed choice based on what you actually enjoy, rather than what a YouTube thumbnail told you to buy.
Try before you buy. Our free browser-based trainers let you sample the two FMS philosophies side by side: the A320 MCDU Trainer (Airbus) and the 737 CDU Trainer (Boeing) — no sim or addon required.
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The Real Aircraft: Different Philosophies
Before we talk about sim addons, it helps to understand why this debate exists at all. The A320 and 737 are both narrow-body, single-aisle jets that do essentially the same job. The difference is in how they let the pilot do that job.
The 737 Approach
The 737 uses conventional control columns (yokes) connected through cables and hydraulics to the flight surfaces. When you pull back, you feel the aerodynamic forces pushing back. At low speed, the inputs are large. At cruise, fingertips will do. The aircraft changes character as speed changes, and you feel it.
This means more manual involvement. Engine start procedures require managing generators, bleed air, and the APU yourself. Pressurisation has a manual element. The autopilot is a tool you manage actively. One real-world captain with 5,000 hours on the 737 put it this way: "You can rest your hands and feet on the controls and close your eyes and have some idea of where the thrust is."
The 737 also inherits its narrow nose section from the 1960s fuselage design. The cockpit works, but nobody's going to call it spacious.
The A320 Approach
The A320 uses fly-by-wire with sidestick controllers. Your inputs go through computers that interpret what you're asking for and translate that into appropriate flight surface movements. The computers also enforce flight envelope protections — the aircraft won't let you exceed structural or aerodynamic limits in normal law.
This means the pilot manages systems and automation rather than directly controlling surfaces. It isn't easier, despite what the "bus driver" crowd will tell you. Knowing which flight director modes are active, what the autothrust is doing, and when to intervene requires solid understanding of the automation logic. A real pilot who transitioned from the 737 admitted: "Some of the satisfaction I felt flying the Boeing from TOD to touchdown has gone. While flying the bus manually is still enjoyable, it is less demanding."
The A320 cockpit, on the other hand, maintains full fuselage width right up to the flight deck. It's a noticeably more comfortable workspace. Pull-out chart tables, actual storage space, room to stretch. The 737 cockpit has you stowing bags under the jump seat cushion.
The Honest Summary
A frequently quoted line from real-world pilots captures it well: the Airbus is the nicer office to spend a long day in, but the Boeing is more rewarding to hand-fly.
Neither statement is controversial. They're talking about different things.
MSFS: Your Options
Microsoft Flight Simulator has the most actively debated airliner market right now. Here are the main options.
FlyByWire A32NX (Free)
Start here. Seriously. The FlyByWire A32NX is an open-source, community-developed A320neo for MSFS that has been updated almost continuously since 2020. It's free, it's on GitHub, and it has no business being as good as it is for zero cost.
The community's relationship with FBW is something close to disbelief. The project has attracted hundreds of contributors, and the systems depth rivals addons that cost real money. Custom FBW (fly-by-wire), working MCDU, SimBrief integration, accurate flight model, functional EFB — all of it, for free.
The near-universal advice in every "which airliner should I buy" thread is: start with the FBW A32NX. Fly it for a few weeks. Then decide if you want to spend money. This is good advice.
Where it falls short compared to paid options: failure simulation is limited, the flight model doesn't cover every edge case, and the EFB isn't as full-featured as what Fenix offers. But for learning Airbus procedures and deciding if you like the philosophy, it's hard to argue with the price.
Fenix A320 (Paid)
If FBW convinced you that you like the Airbus but you want more depth, Fenix is the current benchmark A320 in MSFS.
What you get for the money: over 200 failure modes, circuit breaker simulation, an EFB that's been called "the gold standard" (SimBrief integration, performance calculator, load management, ACARS-style company messages for immersion), and sounds that received genuine praise after their last update. A recent update also added the ability to walk from the ground through the passenger cabin to the flight deck, which is the kind of unnecessary-but-brilliant touch that sim developers understand matters.
The criticisms are real too. Fenix requires an external application running alongside MSFS. The EFB can require multiple clicks to respond, particularly in MSFS 2024. Frame rates have historically been heavier than the competition, though they've improved.
Fenix delivered MSFS 2024 compatibility ahead of PMDG, which earned noticeable goodwill in the community.
PMDG 737 (Paid)
PMDG has been making 737s since 2003. The PMDG 737 for MSFS is the gold standard for Boeing simulation and has been for years.
The selling points: smooth performance (the least FPS-hungry airliner in MSFS, by most accounts), deep systems simulation with manual generator management, pressurisation, and engine start procedures that make you feel like you're actually running an aircraft rather than watching one run itself. Multiple variants (737-600 through -900, plus BBJ and cargo configurations) give you genuine route flexibility.
The practical argument for buying it is straightforward. You can already fly a quality A320 for free with FBW. The PMDG 737 gives you a completely different experience. Spending money on Fenix when FBW exists is harder to justify than spending it on the PMDG, which fills a gap in your hangar that nothing free can match.
The criticisms: PMDG's MSFS 2024 release drew mixed reactions. A $30 upgrade fee generated pushback. Some long-time customers felt that the 2024 version didn't bring enough new features to justify paying again. Forum interactions between PMDG staff and unhappy customers were described, diplomatically, as "not great." The removal of GSX compatibility upset a vocal minority. Despite all that, the core product remains difficult to fault.
The Practical MSFS Recommendation
The most common advice across forums, and it's good advice: own the free FBW A32NX plus the paid PMDG 737, and you have both experiences without buying Fenix. You get a competent Airbus and a study-level Boeing for the price of one addon.
If you already know you want the deepest possible Airbus experience, get Fenix. If you want variety for your money, get PMDG.
X-Plane: Your Options
X-Plane's airliner ecosystem is smaller but has produced two addons that are widely regarded as among the best in any sim.
Zibo 737-800X (Free)
The Zibo mod is to X-Plane what FBW is to MSFS — a freeware aircraft that has no right being this good. Built with input from real-world 737 pilots, the Zibo has become the default airliner for most X-Plane users and the number one choice for home cockpit builders.
A real-world 737 pilot and streamer said after spending five days flying the actual aircraft that "it was hard to tell the difference." A B737 captain with 3,000 hours said he genuinely wished he'd tried it before spending money on PMDG for FSX.
The catch: as freeware maintained by a small team, updates can introduce bugs that take time to fix. Several users note spending more time updating and patching the Zibo than actually flying it. This is the trade-off for free. When it works, it's remarkable. When it breaks, you wait.
Toliss A321 (Paid)
The Toliss A321 is the premier Airbus in X-Plane and is regarded as one of the most complete airliner simulations on any platform.
The depth is serious: over 120 circuit breakers, 210+ failure modes, Normal/Alternate/Direct flight law simulation including control overrides, SimBrief integration directly into the FMGS. Users report stable six-hour flights with zero FPS degradation, no autopilot issues, and no crashes to desktop. That kind of reliability matters when you're three hours into a transatlantic.
The recurring community sentiment is telling: "The Toliss airbuses feel so much better." Compared to the Zibo, users describe the Toliss as something you can "just fly" — less fiddling, more actual flying.
Where it's weaker: the flare can float more than expected in XP12 (a physics engine change rather than a Toliss issue), ground handling is described as "slippery" during taxiing with a tendency to overshoot turns, and the EFB is more visual decoration than functional tool.
The Practical X-Plane Recommendation
The Zibo and Toliss aren't really competing — they're different aircraft types, and both are excellent in their lane. If you want to fly Boeing, the Zibo is outstanding and free. If you want Airbus, the Toliss is worth the money. Many X-Plane users own both without conflict.
Which Is More Fun to Fly?
This is where the argument gets tribal, and the honest answer depends on what "fun" means to you.
If You Want Hands-On Flying
The 737 wins here, and it's not particularly close. The conventional controls, the feel of aerodynamic forces changing through the yoke, the crosswind landings where you're wrestling the aircraft rather than watching a computer negotiate with the wind — this is what Boeing advocates mean when they say the 737 is "more fun."
Crosswind handling is where the difference is most visible. The 737 has rudder and aileron authority to spare in gusty conditions. The A320 in crosswinds is... well, type "A320 crosswind landing" into YouTube and set aside some time. This isn't entirely the aircraft's fault — poor technique is a factor — but the 737 is more forgiving of imprecise inputs when it's blowing 30 knots across the runway.
Smooth landings, though, favour the Airbus. The A320's ground spoilers deploy gradually, allowing a gentle weight transfer. The 737's spoilers snap to full deflection on touchdown and plant the aircraft firmly. One pilot described greasing a 737 landing as "rare as hen's teeth."
If You Want Systems Management
The A320 is more engaging here. Managing the automation — understanding what the flight directors are commanding, what mode the autothrust is in, when to disconnect and hand-fly — is a genuine skill. It's a different kind of engagement from the 737's hands-on approach, but it's no less demanding once you get past the basics.
The Airbus pre-flight workflow in particular has a certain satisfaction to it. Ten to fifteen minutes with the MCDU and EFB and you have a complete flight plan with performance data, weight and balance, and departure briefing sorted. The 737's CDU workflow is more manual and arguably more involved, but less... elegant.
If You Want to Learn Real Procedures
Either works. Both the PMDG/Zibo 737 and the Fenix/Toliss A320 family simulate real-world procedures closely enough that training value transfers. Pick the one that matches the type you're interested in.
If you have no preference, the 737 is arguably better for building fundamental piloting skills because it asks more of you during manual flight. The A320 is better for learning automation management, which is increasingly the skillset modern airline operations demand.
The Money Question
Here's what you're looking at:
MSFS:
- FlyByWire A32NX: Free
- Fenix A320: ~$65 (base A320 package)
- PMDG 737-800: ~$75 (the -600 is cheaper at ~$35; other variants vary)
X-Plane:
- Zibo 737-800X: Free
- Toliss A321: ~$90
The value proposition in both sims is similar: you can fly one aircraft type for free and pay for the other. In MSFS, the free option is the Airbus. In X-Plane, the free option is the Boeing. This isn't a coincidence — it shapes the buying decisions of the entire community.
So Which One?
If you're still reading and haven't decided, here's a simple framework:
Get the 737 if: you want to feel connected to the aircraft, you enjoy manual flying, crosswinds excite rather than terrify you, or you want something genuinely different from the default fly-by-wire experience most modern sims offer.
Get the A320 if: you're drawn to the systems management side of airline operations, you appreciate a well-designed cockpit workspace, you want the smoothest possible automation workflow, or you simply find sidestick flying more natural than yoke flying.
Get both if: you're a flight sim enthusiast and you know perfectly well you're going to end up with both anyway.
The community's standard answer to "which should I get?" has been the same for years: "Why torture yourself? Get both." They're not wrong. These are different enough that owning one doesn't diminish the other.
Pick whichever interests you more today. You'll get to the other one eventually.
A note on hardware: The control-philosophy difference extends to your desk. The 737 rewards a proper yoke — the Honeycomb Alpha gives you the push-pull and rotation that maps to Boeing's conventional controls, ideally paired with the Honeycomb Bravo throttle quadrant. The A320's fly-by-wire suits a sidestick — the Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition, or the Sidestick + Quadrant Officer Pack, matches the real layout. Either way, rudder pedals make taxi and crosswind landings far easier. For a full breakdown across price ranges, see the best hardware for airliners guide.
Whichever aircraft you choose, the learning curve is steep. If you want to skip the weeks of fumbling through the FMC or MCDU and learn the systems properly from the start, consider booking a session with one of our experienced flight sim tutors. A tutor who knows your aircraft inside out can get you comfortable in a single session.
