The Best Free Ships To Get Early In Starfield

Embarking on your journey in Starfield can be made more thrilling by acquiring the right spacecraft. While premium ships are enticing, early-game budget constraints might make free ships a preferable choice. In this guide, we explore some of the best free ships available early in the game, offering a blend of functionality and performance.

Frontier

The frontier is your first early game ship in Starfield as it is granted to you at the very beginning of the game shortly after character creation. As a tutorial ship, it provides a well-balanced amount of cargo capacity, maneuverability, and defenses and serves us well for starting our adventure through the settled systems. As the first ship you unlock, the Frontier is definitely NOT the best ship in the game, but it can be upgraded easily. Expanding on the Frontier’s weapons, defensive options, and mobility is recommended until you can pick up one of the better ships on this list.

Razorleaf

For those inclined towards a more combat-oriented playstyle, the Razorleaf emerges as one of the best early ships in the game. Armed with robust weaponry, this ship excels in fending off hostile enemy ships in space combat, but also has excellent speed for when you need to escape. Its sleek design and agility make it a popular choice for players eager to dive into space skirmishes without breaking the bank, plus the lore and history behind this ship makes it an especially fun choice.

In order to unlock the Razorleaf you will need to complete the Mantis side quest by collecting the “Secret Outpost!” data slate off of random dead spacers. Any Spacer can drop this quest item, but the best early location to farm it is definitely the Nova Galactic Staryard during the second mission in the main story. You can also come here earlier if you prefer.

Read the data slate and you’ll start the Mantis quest and thus be able to travel to Denebola-I-b to the secret outpost. Make sure you have some good weapons and lots of ammunition as the enemies are level 30-40 but are quite manageable even at level 2 for a skilled player to blast through.

Once you’ve cleared your way through the secret outpost you’ll have access to one of the best spacesuits in the game as well with the Mantis Suit, Space Helmet, and Boost Pack, and the Razorleaf Shipp completely for free as your mission rewards. The Razorleaf is a good ship for the early game that also sports a shielded cargo bay and a unique ability that triggers against low-level spacers and pirate vessels that causes them to Grav Jump away in fear at the mere sight of you. 

Datura

Navigating the vastness of space requires a reliable and agile ship, and the Datura fits the bill perfectly. This free ship is known for its exceptional speed and maneuverability, making it an ideal choice for traders looking to evade potential threats or explorers aiming to swiftly traverse star systems. This more elevated version of the frontier can easily be missed by most players as it is obtained through an optional side quest within the Ryujin faction storyline.

During the mission titled “Top Secret” simply inquire about the side job from the information broker on Cydonia. Do the side quest and persuade the owner of the ship to give you her gun as proof of her death. After doing this hop in her pilot chair and fly it to, then register it in your name.

The Datura is a good option if you start off the game doing the Ryujin questline early. The Datura is also a Class A ship making it very easy to fly and it can be quickly upgraded to become one of the best ships you can access for free at the start of the game.

Star Eagle

Another powerful ship that combines both form and function, the Star Eagle provides quite the offensive arsenal, maneuverability, fuel economy, and storage space. Not to mention its sleek fighter design and unique interior provide any bounty hunter or space law enforcer character the perfect visual roleplaying experience as well.

This ship is given as a reward for completing the Freestar Rangers questline, The Hammer Falls, in Akila City. This might sound like quite the undertaking at first but given the fact that this questline has only 8 missions and can be comfortably completed in 3-5 hours depending on your playstyle, it is well worth the time to obtain as it will serve most players well into late mid to late game content. But the best benefit is that the Star Eagle is completely free, so you don’t need to waste your hard earned credits.

Wander Well

As the name suggests, the Wander Well is designed for explorers and wanderers seeking to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. With an emphasis on long-range travel and equipped with advanced scanning and grav jump technology, this ship facilitates extensive exploration. Its generous fuel capacity also makes it suitable for those looking to venture into uncharted territories. This ship is given to players who possess the kids stuff trait. Your father will eventually contact you to come over to their apartment to tell you great news. Similar to a renowned space cowboy, your father apparently won this ship in a poker game and gleefully gives it to you to use. To receive it as quickly as possible be sure to fast travel between the Lodge and other location on New Atlantis and promptly answer all the messages and requests from your parents that are given to Noel at the lodge. After about an hour worth of running around and a quick visit to Neon’s Astral Lounge to find your parents participating in the revelry, your dad will finally give you the keys to this cozy cosmic ride!

UC Prison Shuttle

During the Crimson fleet questline with the UC Vanguard you’ll come across the UC Prison Shuttle. While this ship is not much to look at it does come with plenty of cargo space, which you can upgrade even further. While it’s certainly not the best ship in Starfield, it can easily be used as a transport carrier for mission board quests.

The Final Word

In the vast expanse of Starfield, selecting the right ship can significantly impact your gaming experience. While these free ships may lack some of the bells and whistles of premium options, they provide a solid foundation for any spacefarer. Consider your preferred playstyle—be it trading, combat, or exploration—when choosing among the Frontier, Razorleaf, Datura, Star Eagle, and Wander Well. May your journeys be prosperous and your encounters among the stars be unforgettable. Safe travels, Captain. Hope you found this article useful to your Starfield journey and be sure to check out our website for more tips, tricks, guides and builds for Starfield. 

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