Auto-start your flight sim add-ons with one click
SimLauncher launches Microsoft Flight Simulator, DCS World or X-Plane together with your charts, ATC client, head-tracking, button-box software and VR runtime - in the right order, every time.
Windows SmartScreen may warn on first install (the installer isn't code-signed yet) - click More info, then Run anyway. The full source is public if you want to verify first.
On your phone? SimLauncher is a Windows app - get the download onto your PC:
Launches your flight gear software too
Launch your full flight sim setup with SimLauncher
Per-game profiles
Different app combos per sim, drag-to-reorder launch order
Launch sequencing
Custom order + configurable delays between apps
Custom apps
20 custom slots for any tool that isn't built-in
Supported sims and companion apps
Supported Sims
Companion Apps
Built for complex flight sim rigs
Engineered to manage high-end cockpits, VR setups, and head-tracking.
SimLauncher is for you if:
- You run multiple sims (MSFS, DCS, X-Plane, iRacing, etc.)
- You switch between different setups (VR vs triples, motion on/off, etc.)
- You use multiple add-ons (charts, ATC, head-tracking, overlays, button-box software...)
- You care about launch order, delays, and reliability
- You want a single click to go from desktop to fully ready rig
Probably not for you if:
- You run one sim and one or two apps
- You're fine with everything starting with Windows
- You don't need different setups
- You don't care about launch order or coordination between apps
One startup manager for your whole flight sim setup
SimLauncher is a free Windows app that auto-starts your flight sim add-ons - charts, ATC, head-tracking and VR tools - together with MSFS, DCS World or X-Plane in one click. A serious flight sim session isn't just the sim. Before you push back you open Microsoft Flight Simulator, DCS World or X-Plane, then your charts (Navigraph or Little Navmap), an online ATC client for VATSIM or IVAO, head-tracking like TrackIR or Opentrack, your button-box and HOTAS software, maybe SPAD.neXt, and a VR runtime on top. SimLauncher collapses that entire pre-flight ritual into one click.
Flight tools go in SimLauncher's 20 custom slots - point a slot at any Windows program (Navigraph, Little Navmap, vPilot, TrackIR, SPAD.neXt, your VR runtime) and it launches in sequence with the sim, after a delay you set so each one is ready before you load into the cockpit. Build one profile per sim, or several - an MSFS VR profile and a DCS triple-screen profile, say - each with its own stack of add-ons.
Already use SimLauncher for sim racing? Your flight sims live in the same app. Race iRacing on the weekend and fly MSFS in the evening from one launcher, with separate profiles for each - so if you do both, one tool starts your whole hangar and your whole garage.
How does it compare to the workarounds? Windows Task Scheduler can start apps on login but can't tie a launch to a specific sim or sequence your add-ons. Batch scripts can chain launches but can't insert reliable, configurable delays between them. SimLauncher does the whole stack from one profile: the sim first, then every add-on you use, in your order, with per-step delays - and one click closes them all again when you're done flying.
How to auto-launch your flight sim add-ons
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1
Add your flight sim in Settings
Open SimLauncher Settings, go to the Games tab, and point it at your flight sim's executable - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, DCS World, X-Plane 12, Prepar3D, Aerofly FS 4 or IL-2. Save, and it appears on the Launcher tab ready to configure.
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2
Add your add-ons as custom apps
In the profile, add each flight tool to a custom slot: charts (Navigraph, Little Navmap), an ATC client (vPilot, IVAO Altitude), head-tracking (TrackIR, Opentrack), button-box and HOTAS software (SPAD.neXt), and your VR runtime. SimLauncher launches any Windows executable, so anything in your kit fits.
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3
Set launch order and delays
Drag the add-ons into the order they should start after the sim, and set a delay before each one - a few seconds so charts and your ATC client connect cleanly once the sim is up, before you're at the gate.
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4
Hit Launch - your whole cockpit starts in one click
From then on, one button starts your flight sim and every add-on in sequence, every session. When you're done flying, close the running add-ons in one click from the running-apps strip.
Common Questions
Which flight sims does SimLauncher support?
SimLauncher supports Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, DCS World, X-Plane 12, Prepar3D, Aerofly FS 4 and IL-2 Sturmovik out of the box, alongside 20 racing sims. You add each one in Settings by pointing SimLauncher at its executable. Any other flight sim that runs as a Windows program can be added the same way, so the built-in list isn't a hard limit.
How do I auto-start Navigraph or my charts with MSFS?
Add your charts app - Navigraph, Little Navmap, or any chart tool - to a custom slot in your MSFS profile, and give it a short delay so it opens right after the sim. From then on, opening that profile starts MSFS and your charts together, every flight. The same works for an ATC client, head-tracking, or your VR runtime - each goes in its own custom slot, in the order you set.
Can I use SimLauncher for both flight sims and sim racing?
Yes - that's the point of having one launcher. SimLauncher keeps a separate profile for every sim, so your MSFS profile starts charts, ATC and head-tracking, while your iRacing profile starts SimHub, Crew Chief and your wheelbase software. If you both race and fly, one app handles your whole setup - switch profiles and the right stack launches with one click.
Do flight sims have built-in companion slots like SimHub?
The built-in companion slots (SimHub, Crew Chief, Trading Paints, Garage 61, Second Monitor) are sim racing tools. Flight add-ons go in the 20 custom slots instead - point a slot at any Windows program like Navigraph, vPilot, TrackIR or SPAD.neXt and SimLauncher launches it in sequence with your flight sim, exactly the same way. It's free and open-source under GPL v3.