Gaining money inStar Citizenis a pretty long process when you only have a starter ship capable of completing cargo delivery missions and low-level bounty-hunting, while you could have a better ship capable of operating in more jobs and quests.
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But once you have enough cash to spend on a new ship, you will have difficulty choosing from a wide variety of ships available in the game. Buying the first ship in-game for a beginner is not an easy job, which is why we’re to help.
Updated by Mehrdad Khayyat on July 05, 2025:Replaced two entries with other ships as the in-game statistics have changed.
Star Citizen
10Crusader Ares Star Fighter Inferno
Best Heavy Fighter
There is no activity more blood-pumping than Bounty Hunting in Star Citizen. And if you want all that excitement to give you the best possible results, you need to have an agile fighter with the right weaponry to keep you safe and send your enemies to hell.
Ares Star Fighter Inferno used to be an underwhelming heavy fighter, but with a steady series of buffs, Inferno is now one of the greatest fighters in Star Citizen, featuring effective weapons and missiles that can help you with both close-range and long-range battles.
Despite the fact that Inferno has the highest mass among all heavy fighters, that doesn’t affect the ship’s agility, as it offers the highest pitch speed compared to its competitors from other manufacturers.
9Crusader A2 Hercules
Best Heavy Bomber With Significant Cargo Capacity
Crusader Industries' A2 Hercules is an all-in-one ship that can be used for multiple purposes, whether it is transporting cargo, engaging in heavy fights, or deploying military support.
A2 Hercules is a vast spaceship, and you will need a full-sized crew if you aim to use all its capabilities, especially in fights. The ship is equipped with six Size 4 and six Size 5 cannons and four Size 10 missiles that can annihilate anything in the blink of an eye.
8Argo MOLE
Most Efficient Multi-Crew Ship
If you want to earn money directly off your ship, you need either a salvager or a miner. Argo MOLE is currently the best miner in Star Citizen, which offers both multi-crew and single-pilot mining. Although it costs over double the amount that you need to purchase a MISC Prospector, MOLE has much bigger storage space for the Ore that you collect from mining. This is the main reason we suggest it over Prospector, as in the long term, you will realize how annoying Prospector’s low storage can be.
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With Argo MOLE, your transportation time between refinery and mining locations will be reduced to the minimum, and its multi-crew mining will allow you to mine any kind of resources no matter how big they are.
7Aegis Avenger Titan
Best Small-Sized Starter Ship
If you are low on budget but still looking for a ship capable of doing all the essential Star Citizen activities on a smaller scale, Avenger Titan will soon become your beloved ship. With its relatively cheap price tag, Avenger Titan delivers an 8-SCU cargo space big enough for doing delivery missions or even tipping your toe onto events like Jumptown.
Other than that, the ship is fast enough for medium-level dog-fighting and bounty-hunting missions, as it carries four Size 2 missiles and is equipped with one Size 3 cannon and two Size 2 laser repeaters.
6Aegis Gladius
Most Agile Fighter Ship
Veteran Star Citizen pilots will be well aware that the agility of a ship is more important than its weapons and shields. Aegis Gladius might be a low-cost light fighter, but its potential to take down any kind of fighter is the main reason why it gets such authority in the verse.
After Anvil Arrow, Aegis Gladius is the most agile fighter ship in Star Citizen, significantly adding up to its manoeuvrability, which is the key to succeeding in battles. If you ask older Star Citizen players to teach you how to fly, the first piece of advice you would hear is to get an Arrow or a Gladius.
But the Gladius gets the number six spot over the Arrow thanks to its better shields, stronger missiles, and slightly more powerful weapons.
5Drake Cutlass Black
Most Affordable Mid-Size Ship
If you take Avenger Titan and make it bigger, you will have Cutlass Black. This is another multirole ship with ample cargo space that can even carry smaller ground vehicles like a Greycat ROC. The combination of a Cutlass Black and a Greycat ROC costs less than a MISC Prospector while still allowing you to go for mining on planets such as Daymar. Of course, this would require a lot of travel back and forth to sell the Gemstones you have collected, but thanks to Cutlass' big fuel tank, you won’t need refueling anytime soon, even for travels as long as tens of millions of kilometers.
Cutlass Black might not be agile enough for dog-fighting, but it carries eight Size 3 Arrester missiles that could be enough for taking down medium-level targets.
4Drake Corsair
Best Mid-Size Ship For Fights And Freight
If Cutlass Black isn’t big enough, you’re able to board the latest ship from the same manufacturer. Drake Corsair is one of the unique ships in the verse, offering an all-in-one experience for almost all purposes.
With three turrets, four Size 4 missile racks, and six laser cannons, Drake Corsair is a scary ship for heavy combat. With a Quadrant shield capable of absorbing 100,000 damage, destroying this giant ship won’t be easy. But all those weaponry systems don’t affect Corsair’s huge cargo space much, as the ship can easily carry any ground vehicle.
3Aegis Redeemer
Best Multi-Crew Ship For Fights
If you have a smaller crew and are looking for better cannons rather than bigger missiles, you can aim for Aegis Redeemer. This ship costs over double the amount needed for Retaliator, but it requires fewer crewmates and instead delivers four turrets, including Size 5 and Size 3 cannons. The pilot’s weapon is also a Size 4 cannon.
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Regarding missiles, Redeemer carries 16 StrikeForce Size 2 missiles that might not be as effective as Retaliator’s Argos IX, but the quantity should be enough to take down targets. However, it might take a bit longer. Redeemer also includes a small cargo space that will be useful when transporting smaller things.
2Aegis Reclaimer
Best Multi-Crew Ship To Get Rich Fast
Next to the recently arrived Drake Vulture, Aegis Reclaimer is the second option for salvaging and hull scraping in Star Citizen and the only ship in this segment that can be purchased via in-game currency.
Reclaimer’s big salvage space allows you to store a massive amount of salvaged materials, significantly reducing the number of travels to cargo decks back and forth. The ship’s cargo hold is separated from the salvage storage, which makes it possible to even carry smaller ground vehicles in the cargo hold without occupying any salvage space.
1Anvil Carrack
Best Ship For Living A Spacer’s Life
As a multi-role ship, Anvil Carrack is almost flawless in every aspect. Although the ship is expensive, you get your money’s worth with a gigantic cargo space, a docked C8 Pisces snub ship, and an RSI Ursa Rover ground vehicle. Anvil Carrack can be considered a much-advanced version of the RSI Constellation that comes with a classy design and a big fuel tank for long journeys.
So, if you have loads of money available, and you are not going to buy Origin’s fancy ships, Anvil Carrack is the best deal for you, enabling deep exploration in space with no need for anything extra. And hey! Anvil Carrack has its own Med Bay, allowing you to set your spawn point into your ship. A quite rare feature in the PU that you won’t see much before Capital Ships arrive.
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