We break down Starfield’s best ships for combat, cargo, and more
Looking for the best Starfield ship?Aquiring the best ship inStarfieldcan be a confusing search given the largenumber of shipsavailable throughout the game.
Below we’ve gathered the best ships inStarfieldaccording to important factors likeship storage,weaponsthegrav jumpmechanic, fuel capacity, cargo capacity, the ship’s shield strength, and hull, which is a numerical representation of the overall health of the ship. We’ve also listed the best ships for early to late game and the bestfree shipoverall.
With this, you should be able to conquer the starsin style, regardless of class, as long as you have room in your ten-ship maximum capacity. Here is a list of the best ships in Starfield for some inspiration, whether you’re a new player or returning in time for theShattered Space expansion!
In this guide:
Best Starfield ships
The best Starfield ships are the Abyss Trekker, Narwal, Razorleaf, Silent Runner, Star Eagle, Starborn Guardian, and Stronghold.
Below we’ve gone into more detail about each of these ships and what makes them the very best.
The Class C ship Abyss Trekker is great for moving quickly throughout space, rendering it a solid pick for speed and space combat. Although it has limited cargo capacity, it also has one of the game’s most balanced overall ship systems in terms of fuel, its 25 lightyear jump distance, and base 96 missile and 162 ballistics stats.
As the most expensive ship in the game, it’s no surprise that many players consider this class C ship the best due to its all-around solid stats, including 114 ballistics and 82 missiles. It is a beast of a ship with relatively high cargo and very hull stats, plus it holds seven crew, which is the most we’ve seen in the game to date.
The Razorleaf is one of the best Class A early-game options. And, as a reward for completing theMantis quest line, it’s completely free. The ship has powerful weapons and a shielded cargo capacity of 160 for smuggling contraband. It’s quickly grown to become a favorite ship among players, and with good reason.
The Silent Runner is the best ship for running cargo, with a staggering 6060 cargo space, over 1,000 more than the next-highest ship. It also has a 30-lightyear jump distance and a 34 reactor, making this thing a powerful beast of a machine that’s also not too shabby in its shield and hull stats.
The Star Eagle is a large, well-rounded ship with a high cargo capacity, making it a strong choice for resource gathering. As a balanced middle-ground ship, it’s an excellent pick for regular use as a middle-game ship option.
This powerful ship is a reward for Starfield’sNew Game+mode and has a high laser damage rating and a decent jump range. It can grav jump 30 lightyears away, and itsSolar Flare BeamandGravity Torpedomake it extremely powerful in combat. The game will continue to reward you with upgraded versions of this ship as you play through more New Game+ games. Note that while this is a good ship, you cannot customize it. Be sure to check out our guide to learn more abouthow to get the Starborn ship.
TheStronghold’s high fuel capacity, cargo capacity, 30 lightyear jump, and extremely strong defenses make it one of Starfield’s most powerful ships. It’s an ideal choice for quickly transporting large cargo amounts over long distances. The ship’s built-in defenses are strong enough to protect you from enemies as you travel. However, at more than 400,000, it will cost you a pretty penny.
We’ve cherry-picked some of the best ships you can get early on in Starfield, either for free or a few credits. Of course, there are better ships to choose from once you’ve established yourself, but these are solid options if you’ve found you have quickly outgrown The Frontier.
The fantastic thing about the Kepler R is that it is both free and has a cargo capacity of over 3,500. A substantial amount - especially for a free vessel that can be obtained fairly early in the game. To make the Kepler R yours, you must complete the quest ‘Overdesigned’ given to you by Walter atThe Lodge(most players get to this quest at around level ten). The ship is a Class C vessel, with a fuel capacity of 2,800 - not bad, especially for those first-time runs to the Settled Systems.
The Razorleaf is a fantastic ship for many of the reasons listed above. It can also be rewarded to the player for free early in the game if you’re lucky. To get your hands on the ship, you need to kill Spacer and Crimson Fleet Pirates. Each enemy will have a random chance to drop a quest item called the Secret Outpost Slate, which will trigger The Mantis questline.
The Wanderwell is another free ship that can be granted early in Starfield. However, you can only access the ship if you have chosen theKid Stuff Trait. If you have the trait, regularly visit your parents, and donate 2% of your credits to them, they will eventually gift the ship to you. The Wanderwell has a fantastic cargo capacity of 800, making it a great option for relatively little work.
If you’d rather save your credits, we’ve scoured around for the best ship you can get in Starfield for free. It will come as no surprise that most of the bestfree shipsare earned for completing faction missions or specificquestlines. Here is our top pick.
The Star Eagle is a great all-rounder with a substantial cargo capacity of 2,280 shield range of 760 and space for five crew members, as such it’s a great little freebie. The Star Eagle can be obtained after completing the ‘Hammer Falls’ quest for theFreestar Collectiveon Arcturus.
In new game plus experience points, skills, and powers carry over but you’ll lose your current Credits, inventory and crucially - any ships you have built or stolen. As such, you’ll need a cheap and powerful ship to get you through the first few hours until you have the resources for something special.
If you’ve completed Starfield and are looking for the perfect ship for New Game plus in time for the Shattered Space expansion, consider theStarborn Guardian.
As mentioned above, the Starborn Guardian is a class A ship you’ll getfor freeupon completing the main game. This allows you to explore and build up your funds without having to worry about ships right away.
Although lacking in some fundamentals like a bed, limited cargo space and onboard crafting stations, the Starborn Guardian offers unique dialogue interactions, two unique weapons (the Solar Flare Beam and Gravity Torpedo), and built-in shielded cargo. Think of it as a decent starter ship for a new game plus before you outgrow it and move onto something a bit punchier like the Razorleaf or Star Eagle.
That’s our round-up on the best ships in Starfield. Be sure also to check out our guide to the game’sfree shipsand our guide tothe best skills on the Starfield skill tree, too. We also have aStarfield character creationguide, and an overviewall Starfield traits and how they work.
