Spaceships can cost a pretty penny in Starfield, so getting your hands on this expensive tech is not easy. Luckily, you can get some amazing ships for free by simplifying playing through the game. While most of them are locked behind quests, some require additional requirements for example unlocking a specific trait.
This doesn’t mean they lack in any aspect but quite the contrary can compete head-to-head with the best ships in the game. You can customize your fleet to your liking, add more storage and crew space, or turn them into combat machines. If they still don’t fit your liking, you can use them to farm Credits by selling their parts.
There are a total of 10 free spaceships that you can get hold of in Starfield. Here’s how to find them all.
Frontier
Frontier is the first ship you get by default in Starfield. This starter ship only serves to get you through some beginner missions due to its limited functionality. It lacks firepower, and storage space, and is slower compared to others. Once you get a hold of the controls, it is best to look for something with a bit more utility.
| Stats | Frontier |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 50 |
| Cargo Capacity | 450 |
| Shield | 310 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Jump | 16 LY |
Dagger
There is an enemy base in the Vulture’s Roost on Jaffa IV in the Jaffa system where the Dagger will land at the end. You need to clear out the enemies till you reach it and then simply get on the ship and get it registered as your own.
It is not by no means a great ship but can prove useful if you’re a beginner or looking to earn some easy money.
| Stats | Dagger |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 50 |
| Cargo Capacity | 200 |
| Shield | 340 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Jump | 20 LY |
Kepler R
Kepler R is one of the most valuable Class C ships that you can get for free after completing the Overdesigned quest in Starfield. You will need to make a series of specific choices like going for a bigger budget, collecting more market data, and communicating positively with the team to not end up with the Class B alternative.
The Kepler R has the biggest fuel and cargo capacity among all the ships on this list. Being a high-class ship, you can expect bigger grav jumps, better weapon systems, and overall exploration.
| Stats | Kepler R |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 2800 |
| Cargo Capacity | 3550 |
| Shield | 805 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Jump | 28 LY |
Kepler S
Kepler S is the other ship you can get from Walter Stroud for free after the Overdesigned quest. It is a Class B variant and is slightly weaker than its counterpart.
To get your hands on it, go for the opposite choices you made for Kepler R, a smaller budget, collecting limited data, criticizing the team’s ideas, and making them compromise on their designs.
Kepler S has a sleek and smaller design with a focus on efficiency. It delivers about 80% of what Kepler R has to offer and can be a good choice for players not having invested too heavily in piloting skills.
| Stats | Kepler S |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 400 |
| Cargo Capacity | 3200 |
| Shield | 570 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Jump | 27 LY |
Razorleaf
Razorleaf is a stat stick of a ship that you earn as a free reward for completing the Mantis side mission in Starfield.
Getting Razorleaf is a bit dependent on luck as you will first have to locate a Data Slate first. We came across it during The Old Neighborhood and Back to Vectera main missions, and Deputized side quest.
Mantis is a feared name among fleet captains which makes them avoid shooting you first. This perk comes in pretty handy while fighting crowds or moving through enemy territory.
Mantis has no pilot skill requirements and can be obtained pretty early on in the game. This can allow you to invest your points somewhere else if you don’t plan on switching it out soon.
| Stats | Razorleaf |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 140 |
| Cargo Capacity | 420 |
| Shield | 390 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Jump | 16 LY |
Star Eagle
Completing Hammer Falls, the final mission from the Freestar Collective questline will get you the Star Eagle ship for free in Starfield. You can become part of the faction at Akila City if you haven’t already.
Star Eagle has a lot to offer despite being a Class A ship only. It provides good jump range, storage capacity, and weapon slots, even more than some higher-range ones. It’s a good option if you need a good ship in the early game.
| Stats | Star Eagle |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 140 |
| Cargo Capacity | 2280 |
| Shield | 760 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Jump | 16 LY |
UC Prison Shuttle
After you make your grandiose escape from prison during the Echos of the Past mission, you will be rewarded with the UC Prison Shuttle ship in Starfield. It is the third mission of the Crimson Fleet questline so you can access it fairly early.
The UC Prison Shuttle is not a great ship at all. It has no weapons and shields installed and offers nothing of value. Its parts don’t even catch a good price at the market so even selling is not worth much. You will be better off with any other ship so we recommend not upgrading it at all.
| Stats | UC Prison Shuttle |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 200 |
| Cargo Capacity | 1635 |
| Shield | 0 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Jump | 20 LY |
Wanderwell
The Wanderwell is a Class A ship you can get for free by choosing the Kid Stuff Trait during character creation at the start of Starfield. The trait charges you 2% of your earned Credits in exchange for visiting your parents. Just keep checking up on them occasionally and they will gift it to you eventually.
It is an average ship that will serve you well during the early game if you get it. Unfortunately, it cannot compete with the other ones once you progress so the investment is not worth it.
However, Wanderwell will sell for more than you paid for and some of the parts can be repurposed as well. If you want to keep it as a token from your parents and know you will not be losing out on too much.
| Stats | Wanderwell |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 200 |
| Cargo Capacity | 800 |
| Shield | 455 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Jump | 27 LY |
Datura
During the Top Secrets mission from the Ryujin Industries questline, you have to take up the hitman side job from Simon in Cydonia. Choosing to persuade or pay him off will not lock you out from getting the ship so avoid them at all costs.
The job requires you to kill Malai who you can find on her ship, Datura, in the rings of Saturn. Board her ship, convince her to hand you the weapon called the Ember, and then kill her. Now you can simply, take and keep the Datura.
This Class A ship has good crew capacity, decent grav jump range, and can do what you expect a ship in this range can do. However, it adds nothing new to your experience despite being a unique ship.
| Stats | Datura |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 280 |
| Cargo Capacity | 220 |
| Shield | 455 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Jump | 17 LY |
Starborn Guardian
Starting the NG+ mode in Starfield will grant you the Starborn Guardian ship for free. The ship is not customizable but can be upgraded by completing an NG+ playthrough. The maximum one is the sixth variant which is indisputably one of the best ships the game has to offer.
The lack of customizability can be a deal breaker despite its cool looks and power for some. It also requires a lot of playthroughs to be able to rival a fully invested and built Class C ship so it is not the most accessible one out there.
| Stats | Starborn Guardian |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 1500 |
| Cargo Capacity | 950 |
| Shield | 630 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Jump | 30 LY |
