Unlocking superior versions of something that you already have in a game is a great feeling, and games like Starfield have plenty of the sort. It gives a sense of progression and rewards you for all the time and effort you have been putting into the game thus far. Sometimes, you will get one right at the start of a game and continuously need to progress in order to get better ones down the line.
In Starfield, you will receive several ships to explore the stars. Some of them will be very costly, some you may build yourself, and some of them will be completely free! There are various ways you will acquire these ships, with some of them a lot more worthwhile than others.
Updated by Chad Thesen on November 3, 2023: This list has been updated for the purpose of increasing the quality of the article by introducing new features and improved formatting.
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
7 UC Prison Shuttle
A Ship You Would Rather Just Sell
At the bottom of the barrel is this hunk of junk. Its stats are pitiful, it does not have any weapons to speak of, and it has no shield — it is free, though. You will get this ship while you make your way through the Crimson Fleet quest line.
You may think you can at least sell it, but you will be sadly disappointed with how little you will get for the thing. Once you unlock this ship, it is best to just sell it and forget about it.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
200 |
418 |
1,090 |
18 |
1 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
58,100 |
6 Wanderwell
The Kid Stuff Trait Comes With Perks
During the character creator portion of the game, you will have several traits to sort through. One of them is called Kid Stuff. If you chose this trait during character creation, you will get the Wanderwell ship.
It is a massive step up from the UC Prison Shuttle, however, it is still not as good as the ship you get at the start of the game. Both the UC Prison Shuttle and the Wanderwell are not worth using, and they aren’t worth going out of your way to acquire, so feel free to sell this one right away.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
200 |
502 |
800 |
20 |
2 |
27 |
455 |
62 |
85,475 |
5 Frontier
You Have To Start Somewhere
This is the ship every player will get by default and will be a gift to you from Barrett while at the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost. Its stats are not bad at all; in fact, it is very well-balanced. Building a better ship from the ground up will be a massive improvement in every area, but it will also cost you a significant amount more than just upgrading every aspect of this ship.
The best economic choice would be to get your hands on one of the other, much better, free ships and upgrade that one instead.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A |
50 |
366 |
450 |
14 |
2 |
16 |
310 |
67 |
7,375 |
4 Kepler R
High-Quality Tanky Cargo Ship
While playing through the game’s story, you will come across an NPC named Walter Stroud. This NPC will be the one to give you the side quest “Overdesigned.” You won’t need to be very far into the game before you meet this NPC. You can find Walter in The Lodge in New Atlantis. The quest will see you leading a Research and Development team to build a new ship. You will want to do your absolute best for this quest and not take the easy way at any point.
Doing so will reward you with the Kepler R. This is the Tank of ships. It has good shields surrounding an even better hull, plenty of cargo space, and it can make very long journeys thanks to how much fuel it can take. These stats and values are all some of the best on this list, but outside a high damage threshold and carting stuff around, the ship will not perform as well as the remaining entries on this list.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C |
2,800 |
999 |
3,550 |
24 |
6 |
28 |
805 |
82 |
481,750 |
3 Razorleaf
Well Rounded For Mid To Late Game Use
Just like Kepler R, this ship will be unlocked by completing a quest. This time it will be through completing the Mantis quest. You will want to pack some aid items for this quest as it can get quite harrowing if you are ill-prepared.
This ship is for players who don’t want a tanky ship and would rather have one that is all about speed. It has very well-rounded stats just like the Frontier ship you get at the start of the game, and with the right upgrades, this ship could easily be your number one throughout your entire playthrough.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A |
140 |
469 |
420 |
18 |
2 |
16 |
390 |
58 |
124,100 |
2 Starborn Guardian
Makes Flying Through New Game Plus A Real Treat
This is the ship for those worthy of calling themselves Starborn. You will get it when you start your first New Game Plus run, along with one of the Starborn Spacesuits. The stats may be solid, but you cannot upgrade this ship, meaning it is bottlenecked from the moment you get it. However, this is one of the best free ship you will acquire and use for the early part of your New Game Plus playthrough, taking you faster and farther into the galaxy than any other free ship in the game.
A shortcoming of this ship is its cargo space, which again cannot be upgraded as you find yourself collecting more loot from various missions and explorations. The biggest pros of this ship are that it has unique weapons that are very good in combat, and it comes with a great jump capacity, making it easy to get around to even the farthest reaches of the galaxy from the beginning of your playthrough.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starborn Guardian |
A |
1500 |
649 |
950 |
22 |
5 |
30 |
630 |
149 |
65, 625 |
1 Star Eagle
The Best Free A-CLass Ship Of The Bunch
Like previous entries, you will need to complete a quest line to get your hands on this ship, but it is very well worth it as it is not just the best free ship, it is an excellent ship all around. Head to the Cheyenne System and then go to Akila. Here you will meet the Freestar Rangers. You will join them after completing “Job Gone Wrong.”
Just keep doing quests for them, and you will be able to get your hands on the Star Eagle. The Star Eagle is one of the best ships in its class with above-average stats, good weapons, and a large cargo capacity. With thoughtful upgrades, this could easily be your go-to ship until you start New Game Plus.
Ship Name |
Ship Class |
Fuel |
Hull Capacity |
Cargo Capacity |
Reactor |
Crew Limit |
Jump |
Shield |
Damage |
Ship Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
140 |
948 |
2,280 |
29 |
5 |
16 |
760 |
144 |
398,375 |