SayIntentions vs BeyondATC: AI ATC for Flight Simulators (2026)

Microsoft Flight Simulator's built-in ATC is a menu: you click a line and a canned voice answers. AI ATC add-ons let you talk to a controller out loud and get an answer that fits your flight. Two names dominate the conversation, SayIntentions.AI and BeyondATC, and a few newer options are worth knowing. Here is how they compare, using each vendor's own site in October 2026.

The short answer

• Want the most features and fly more than one sim? SayIntentions.AI: unscripted ATC for IFR and VFR, an AI co-pilot, traffic, cabin crew and CPDLC, on MSFS 2020/2024 and X-Plane 11/12. It is a subscription, about $190 a year billed annually, with a 24-hour free trial and no card needed.
• Want to pay once and mostly fly IFR in MSFS? BeyondATC: $29.99 one-time base package, AI voices and traffic, SimBrief-based IFR worldwide. VFR is still experimental, and there is no trial.
• Want to build up to flying on VATSIM? inFlight ATC: a one-time purchase for MSFS ($19.99 during its launch sale, normally $39.99) with beginner modes that show you the exact words to say, plus a 30-minute free demo.
• Fly X-Plane 12 and like to tinker? OpenATC AI: free and open source, running local AI models on your own hardware. It is an early alpha, so expect bugs.

Side by side

Prices and features come from each vendor's site in October 2026 and change often. Check before you buy.

SayIntentions.AI: the everything subscription

SayIntentions sells one Premium plan, listed at $15.83 a month billed annually, or about $190 a year. That covers unscripted AI ATC for IFR and VFR, Living World traffic injection (MSFS 2020/2024 and X-Plane 11/12), premium voices in 15 languages, an AI co-pilot that can handle radio calls and checklists, cabin crew, AI tour guides and mentors, ground ops and pushback, CPDLC and ACARS, and Stream Deck support. It runs on Windows only.

The 24-hour free trial gives you every Premium feature with no card, so the sensible move is to plan two or three flights you care about, such as a VFR hop through busy airspace and a full IFR flight with an approach, and fly them in one day.

BeyondATC: pay once, IFR first

BeyondATC's base package is $29.99 once, with lifetime access, all future updates, unlimited local voices, unlimited push-to-talk and 50,000 premium voice characters. Premium AI voices are optional and billed by the character: $9.99 buys 250,000 characters, which BeyondATC estimates at 15 to 20 flights with premium controller voices. A $59.99 Supporter package adds the experimental branch, which is where X-Plane 12 support lives for now.

Two honest caveats from its own FAQ. First, it is Early Access software, so expect bugs. Second, BeyondATC says its core logic runs on a traditional game-engine stack, using AI for voice recognition, realistic voices and handling requests it doesn't quite understand. Some pilots will see that as more predictable than a fully generative controller. IFR flights need a SimBrief plan, and the voices need an internet connection.

inFlight ATC: a training ramp to VATSIM

inFlight ATC is built for simmers who are nervous about live networks. Beginner mode shows a transcript and clickable cards with the exact words, Intermediate floats cards over the sim only when it's your turn, and Advanced is just a push-to-talk key. Clearance Delivery reads your IFR clearance once at normal speed, so you practice copying it. Speech recognition runs locally on your PC. It is $19.99 during its launch sale (normally $39.99) for MSFS 2020/2024 on Windows, with a 30-flight-minute demo. Its own terms say it is for the simulator only, not real-world training.

OpenATC AI: free and open source for X-Plane 12

OpenATC AI is a free, MIT-licensed X-Plane 12 plugin that runs local models (Qwen2.5 for language, Whisper for speech recognition and Kokoro for voices) on your simulator PC or another machine on your network. You can speak, type or use request buttons, and its developer has flown a full IFR flight from clearance to parking with it. The first alpha builds came out in mid-October 2026, so treat it as a project to test, not a finished product. You need hardware that can run the models.

What about human ATC networks?

VATSIM is free and staffed by volunteer human controllers, and PilotEdge is a paid service with human controllers. Neither is AI. The catch is coverage: when no controller is online, you fly alone. Many simmers use an AI ATC add-on to build confidence and fill the gaps, and the human networks for the real-people experience.

If you're a real-world student pilot

A home sim with AI ATC is good for rhythm: hearing your callsign, copying a clearance, reading back hold-short instructions and flying a full IFR flight with handoffs. It does not count toward FAA certificate requirements; only FAA-approved or qualified simulators, flight training devices and aviation training devices can, as the regulations allow. Check phraseology against AIM chapter 4 and the Pilot/Controller Glossary, because sim controllers can be wrong or regional.

If you don't own a sim, phone and browser apps such as TowerTalk, ATCpal and WilcoAI let you practice calls at real airports in a few minutes. See How to practice ATC radio calls with AI and, for IFR, How to use AI to study for the instrument rating.

Cockpit Index is independent and has no affiliate deals with these vendors. Safety: AI ATC is for simulation and practice only, never a source of real clearances.

Compare every radio practice tool on our ATC and radio practice page.

Frequently asked questions

Is SayIntentions or BeyondATC better?

It depends on what you want to pay for. BeyondATC is a $29.99 one-time purchase focused on ATC and traffic for Microsoft Flight Simulator. SayIntentions.AI is a subscription (about $190 a year, billed annually) that adds unscripted ATC for IFR and VFR, an AI co-pilot, cabin crew, CPDLC and support for X-Plane 11 and 12. Try SayIntentions with its 24-hour free trial before deciding.

Does SayIntentions.AI have a free trial?

Yes. SayIntentions offers 24 hours of full access to every Premium feature with no credit card required, according to its pricing page.

Is BeyondATC a subscription?

No. The base package is a $29.99 one-time purchase with all core features and future updates, unlimited local voices and 50,000 premium voice characters. Premium voice top-ups ($9.99 for 250,000 characters) are optional. BeyondATC does not offer a free trial.

Do AI ATC add-ons work on Mac or Xbox?

Mostly no. SayIntentions.AI is Windows only, BeyondATC runs on Windows PC, and inFlight ATC is for Windows 10/11 PC and does not support Xbox. OpenATC AI, a free open-source X-Plane 12 plugin, is building for Linux, Windows and macOS, but it is an early alpha.

Does AI ATC in a home flight simulator count toward my pilot certificate?

No. Time in a home flight simulator does not count toward FAA certificate requirements; only FAA-approved or qualified simulators, flight training devices and aviation training devices can, as the regulations allow. AI ATC in a sim is still useful practice for radio rhythm, readbacks and copying clearances.

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