How to get free ships in Starfield instead of buying one

Rishabh Sabarwal
Starfield Spaceship

Starfield gives players a bunch of options to get their hands on a free ship instead of buying one. Whether you like to earn them by hard work or steal ’em like it’s GTA, you can choose your way of getting a ship to your name in the game. Here’s a guide to help you to kick off your ship collection journey in Starfield.

Starfield, the long-awaited space odyssey developed by Bethesda, has finally been released. The game’s early access began on August 31, 2023, and since then, millions of players have launched their starships and begun their journey across space.

A starship (or simply a ship) in Starfield is more than a means of transportation as it’s a portal to the game’s universe and a trustworthy travel partner. Your ship will have a significant impact on your experiences and the role you play in the game, whether you’re an explorer piloting a research vessel, a merchant trading commodities between star systems, or a combat pilot engaged in epic dogfights.

Starfield Constellation gameplay

As players align themselves with different factions in the game, they may acquire access to faction-specific starships, each with its own unique attributes and capabilities. These ships can serve as a testimony of your ties and loyalty to the cause of a particular faction.

However, these ships are expensive and may cost you several credits that you would rather spend on customizing an existing ship or your arsenal. In order to avoid this, the game provides several alternatives for acquiring a ship for free.

Here’s how you can easily get free ships in Starfield instead of buying one.

Free Ships in Starfield
Players can get free ships by completing milestones in the game.

How to get free ships in Starfield through missions

Starfield offers free ships as in-game rewards for completing specific missions and reaching certain milestones. In addition to the free ship (called Frontier) that you receive upon joining Constellation at the beginning of the game, you can earn additional ships as the game progresses.

Here’s a list of the other free ships available and the missions required to obtain them:

  • UC Prison Ship – Acquire during the Crimson Fleet mission line
  • Razor Leaf – Complete Lair of the Mantis mission in the campaign
  • Star Eagle – Complete The Freestar Rangers questline with The Hammer Falls ending
  • Starborn Guardian – Complete all Constellation Missions and start a New Game+

In Starfield, you can acquire these ships by completing the campaign and the above missions, but you can also simply steal them if you prefer a Space Ravager-style approach.

Eliminating other pilots in Starfield
Starfield players have a number of ways to steal their enemy’s ship for themselves.

How to steal a ship in Starfield

In Starfield, there are two methods for stealing ships. The first method involves shooting other pilots or enemies and eliminating them with your weapons, while exploring a planet.

Once you have accomplished this, simply enter their ship, take the pilot’s seat, and flee with it. Upon completing this step, you can register the ship to your name by paying a certain amount of credits if you wish to sell it or even customize it to your preference.

Steal ship in Starfield
You can either pick a lock or dock a ship to steal it.

If you’re not a fan of first-person shooting, however, you can simply challenge a ship to a dogfight to reduce its health and dock it by selecting the appropriate button. Once you’re inside the ship, you can eliminate the entire crew and assume control of the pilot’s seat to fly it.

However, if you encounter ships with locked hatches, you will need to use a Digipick to unlock it, which is relatively simple once you get the hang of it. Moreover, before engaging in combat with an enemy vessel, you must ensure that your ship’s targeted lock ability is unlocked.

So, there you have it — that’s everything about getting free ships in Starfield. For more about the game, be sure to check our other content and guides:

Starfield all main story missions | All skills | All factions | All console commands | All difficulty levels explained | All achievements | All skill books | Level cap | How to remove bounty | How to fast travel | Easy XP | Easy credits | Best traits | How to get a house | How to mod weapons and equipment | How to assign your crew | How to add DLSS | How to pick locks | How to customize ship | How to dock ship | Where to sell items | Best movies like Starfield

About The Author

Rishabh is a Games Writer at Dexerto. He's our Fortnite expert and knows all there is about the Looped Island and the Zero Point. He comes with an experience in films and storytelling in India and has past experience covering Roblox, Fortnite and PlayStation titles for reputed publications. You can contact Rishabh at: rishabhsabarwal@dexerto.com