Where can I get free ships in Starfield? It’s a hard life sailing across the stars, and sometimes that shiny ship you’ve been saving up for is just a Credit or two… hundred thousand away from being yours. Fortunately, there are plenty of free Starfield ships out there to tide you over until you get your dream craft in Bethesda’s RPG. In fact, the best free Starfield ship might even be better than what you originally had in mind when you hop into the cockpit on PC and Xbox.
Before we jump into our rundown of all the free Starfield ships, be sure to acquaint yourself with the full array of Starfield ships, as well as the best Starfield ships all-told – you might even find one of the ships in this guide in there. Of course, every good ship needs a top-tier Starfield crew, so check out our guide on that, alongside the Starfield companions you can also bring aboard. Many of the vessels you’ll see below have been thoroughly tested during our Starfield review playthrough, so you know they’ll be solid additions to your fleet.
Free Starfield ships
The free Starfield ships are:
- Frontier
- Kepler R/S
- Razorleaf
- Star Eagle
- Starborn Guardian
- UC Prison Shuttle
- Wanderwell
You can get free Starfield ships through a number of methods. Some are naturally gifted to you as you progress through the Starfield missions list, while others come as rewards from the various quest lines you can embark on – be it for the numerous Starfield factions or otherwise. You can also steal ships in Starfield, though this comes at a moral cost instead of a monetary one – how terrible.
Once you’re in possession of one of these mighty machines, be sure to get acquainted with our Starfield ship customization guide, as adding and upgrading parts will be the key to unlocking your ship’s true potential.
With that all said and done, let’s get into our rundown of each free Starfield ship, including how to get them. Be aware that some of the ships discussed are attained during Starfield’s endgame, so there will be spoilers ahead.
Frontier
The Frontier is a Class A ship that serves as your starting craft in Starfield. While it’s quickly outclassed by many of the other ships you’ll discover across the cosmos, the Frontier will certainly serve you well during the game’s opening hours.
- Cargo Capacity – 450
- Crew – 2
- Fuel – 50
- Hull – 366
- Shield – 310
Kepler R/S
While the Kepler comes in two forms, only one will be available to you depending on the decisions you make during the ‘Overdesigned’ mission, which you can take on by talking to Walter Stroud after completing the ‘High Price to Pay’ main quest. The Kepler R is by far the better of the two options, sporting much-improved stats over its sibling.
How to get the Kepler R in Starfield
To get the Kepler R in Starfield, you’ll need to use the Persuasion Starfield skill to get Jules to go for the larger budget, clear two missions, and take on the team-building exercise near the mission’s conclusion. Should you acquire the Kepler R, you’ll now be in possession of one of the best ships on our list, and certainly the best free ship when it comes to Fuel and Cargo Capacity.
Kepler R stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 3,550
- Crew – 6
- Fuel – 2,800
- Hull – 999
- Shield – 805
How to get the Kepler S in Starfield
To get the Kepler S in Starfield, simply opt to not persuade Jules to settle for a smaller budget, only head out on a single mission, and make the team compromise instead of focusing on team-building. Congratulations, you’ve taken the path of least-resistance, and have been rewarded appropriately for your… troubles.
Kepler S stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 3,200
- Crew – 3
- Fuel – 400
- Hull – 689
- Shield – 560
Razorleaf
The best early game free Starfield ship is the Razorleaf. This is another well-rounded ship, similar to the Frontier, except modestly-upgraded in pretty much every stat category. In order to make the Razorleaf yours, complete the Starfield Mantis quest – you’ll also receive the best Starfield armor for the early game, making it well worth your time.
Razorleaf stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 420
- Crew – 2
- Fuel – 140
- Hull – 469
- Shield – 390
Star Eagle
The best mid-game free Starfield ship is the Star Eagle. As a further upgrade to the Razorleaf, Star Eagle gives you a solid stat spread, while being arguably the best-looking ship on our list – at least from the ones you can attain in your first playthrough.
To get Star Eagle, complete the Freestar Rangers’ questline, which begins by talking to Sam Coe and taking on the ‘Job Gone Wrong’ mission in Akila City, Akila, Cheyenne.
Star Eagle stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 2,736
- Crew – 5
- Fuel – 140
- Hull – 948
- Shield – 760
Starborn Guardian
The best free Starfield ship is the Starborn Guardian. Its stats may appear slightly-underwhelming compared to some of its peers at first, but the Starborn Guardian is a ship that matures like a fine wine. You see, with each Starfield New Game Plus cycle, you are awarded an upgraded version of the Starborn Guardian, up until the sixth Unity. At this point, it’s easily one of the best ships in the game.
You can see how the Starborn Guardian’s stats progress at 2:20 in the below video from ‘BlackHeart86’.
Starborn Guardian base stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 950
- Crew – 5
- Fuel – 1,500
- Hull – 649
- Shield – 630
UC Prison Shuttle
The best free Starfield ship for convicted criminals is the UC Prison Shuttle. Okay, we had to make up some sort of category for this ship, seeing as it’s by far the worst on this list, and one of the worst ships in the game. However, while it most-likely won’t take up a slot in your fleet, the UC Prison Shuttle does help you get out of a pinch. Good ship.
To get the UC Prison Shuttle, complete the ‘Echoes of the Past’ mission as part of the Crimson Fleet questline.
UC Prison Shuttle base stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 1,090
- Crew – 1
- Fuel – 200
- Hull – 418
- Shield – 0
Wanderwell
The best free Starfield ship acquired from the Starfield traits is Wanderwell. So we’re telling a bit of a white lie here, because while the Wanderwell is technically a gift from your parents – provided you take the Kid Stuff trait – you do need to send them 2% of your Credits weekly. With the Wanderwell holding a value of 81,196 Credits, however, this is a small price to pay comparatively – it’s basically free, kinda.
Wanderwell stats:
- Cargo Capacity – 800
- Crew – 2
- Fuel – 200
- Hull – 502
- Shield – 455
And that’s our list of all free Starfield ships that you can snag throughout your playthrough. If you’re in dire need of credits to pay off your Starfield bounty, or you’ve spent it all on Starfield houses, you fortunately won’t have to compromise on the quality of your ship.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.