Marketplace vs Simarket vs Developer vs Orbx purchases?

[newtie 533]

Hi all-

I've been looking at these four sources for some purchases I'm considering.
Is there a preference/advantage to one or the other?

Being new to MSFS I have only one right now, the Carenado PC12, that I was flying regularly in P3D. Looks and flys great except for the dark cockpit which still seems dark after I turn all the lights on including the dome light. Might be an adjustment somewhere in the sim I'm not familiar with.

Anyway, I'm leaning towards purchasing from the developer if nothing else from a support aspect.

Let me know what the pifalls and upside are. I'm interested in your experiences.

Mark

[edpatino 1,964]

I would say SimMarket was the ideal site for flightsim purchases in the past. Now, for different reasons, maybe the high cost of transactions for the developers, they're facing a lot more competition. They're also facing piracy, as the whole hobby is everywhere. As an intend to combat piracy and modernize a bit, they introduced a new App months ago with automatic installers that are actually not solving any of the piracy issues, in my opinion. Moreover, for some reason, the download speeds trough the new App are extremely slow most of the time (1990s internet download speeds type).

I personally use ORBX (and the ORBX App) very often, as it offers addons from a lot of different developers, not only ORBX by itself. Another App I use often is the Contrail App, which I can only recommend very much.

Buying through the Marketplace is not an option for me. It requires you to turn on your sim just to process each purchase, and that's a killer for me, why? just remember that the many and heavy resources our computers draw on every time the simulator runs are taxing our machines, so if possible, it's best to try to do everything from outside the sim, except the simulation by itself, of course.

 

  

Edited May 26, 2023 by edpatino

[micstatic 4,319]

I won’t use the marketplace unless it’s the only way.  I’m not a fan of the sim market app. So I’d say orbx.  

[qqwertz 781]

1. Developer: my favorite option. Your money supports them in full, upgrades are quickly available. I am talking of "good" developers. There are some that just try to take advantage of you, so be diligent in your market research.

2. Simmarket: another good option. They deal with developers reasonably (some other distributors do not, I have first-hand information about that), have a huge selection, and a professional web page. I never had bad experiences with them, but some others here may differ. I don't use their app, I go through their web page.

3. Marketplace: I like that I can support the makers of MSFS, but that is about it. The worst aspect is that many files are encrypted, which means a lot of third-party product cannot interact with the product. For instance, a tool like GSX or FSCaptain, which needs information about airport details, may not be able to obtain that information. If you buy the product from another source, these limitations do not apply.

4. ORBX. Limited product selection, and an awful Orbs loyalty system. That system alone keeps me from buying anything there. Pity, they used to be my favorite scenery developers for P3D, but now they are a shadow of their former self.

Edited May 26, 2023 by qqwertzde

[newtie 533]

I was one of Orbx best customers in P3D.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by newtie
..

[Krakin 5,758]

Consider using the marketplace to help keep the sim alive and kicking.

[Twenty6 693]

Developer first, especially if the product will have numerous updates or bug fixes. The Devs always have the updates first whereas the Marketplace takes weeks for an update to show.

Then price. My loyalty lies with the vendor having the lowest price. Why pay more when you're getting the exact same 1s and 0s?

[blueshark747 1,843]

I'm using Marketplace, Simmarket, Contrail and ORBX apps.

They all work great including download speeds in my experience.

Only technical issues I have are from Marketplace via Steam Store Credit purchases.

[Alvega 2,124]

If you live in a country with a low value currency Marketplace is a good option because they have regional prices (just like Steam) and the addons will be much cheaper. If not, I recommend buying from the developer as you will get the updates faster than from other vendors.

[newtie 533]

Thanks for the great info.

I think my next ac is going to be the Kodiak.

Had some hours in the Milviz Beaver and miss those bush flights. 🙃

[ryanbatc 12,845]

1 hour ago, newtie said:

I was one of Orbx best customers in P3D.

 

 

Me too but they are not so great for scenery anymore.  At least for their USA airports - they are very much ported from p3d.

[newtie 533]

I was just over there. I have a lot, if not most, of their NA airports. Look basically the same.

[pete_auau 1,158]

i always  buy  from the  dev

[FrankSalo 272]

Since I purchased a lot of these addons a few years back for P3D, I purchase the MSFS version from the same store to get the upgrade discount (which is how I built up my MSFS library over time).  Simmarket is my default setting unless there is better pricing/bundle/exclusive offer from Orbx or iniBuilds. FSDT always direct. Built in Sim Marketplace is only for first party birds like the ATR or third parties like Carenado or LHsimulations who ONLY use the Marketplace. 

[virtuali 4,421]

3 hours ago, qqwertzde said:

For instance, a tool like GSX or FSCaptain, which needs information about airport details, may not be able to obtain that information.

Not anymore in GSX, since the SU10 (later improved with SU12 with data about jetways), the SDK provides add-ons with Simconnect calls that can provide most of the information required directly from the sim, without having to read any .BGL files directly, which came with its own issues as well.