Starter Ships & Packs for Star Citizen: which one is the best in 2026?
Last updated for January 2026

There is a lot to consider when picking the best starter ship & starter pack. So, I will split this guide into a few categories. The best starter ship or starter pack will differ based on your budget and play-style!

If you do not want to read any further, just want to have fun, explore the game and spend the least amount of money? Go for the $45 (excl. taxes) Mustang Alpha Game Package. If you are interested in a more nuanced list, read along!

Before going any further… Some important remarks.

Star citizen offers many professions, I will not pick starter ships for all the possible professions like salvage, refueling, etc. the reason is twofold: not all professions have starter ships and many professions are not ideal for beginners to get into either for budgetary or gameplay reasons.

In terms of budget, I will base myself on actual pricing. I always include links to the product page so you can view current prices. I do not consider any regular sales Star Citizen has. Any sales and price decreases could heaviliy influence your decision. I consider VAT exclusive prices.

I only consider ships that are available as a starter pack. A Starter Pack includes the Star Citizen game & your ship. Any ship that is not available in a starter pack, is not considered in this guide. Most stand-alone ships can be bought in-game!

Let’s get to the ships!

1. Best: All-around category

In this category the ship needs to be able to fulfill all roles to some degree and has to meet a few criteria:

• It needs a bed onboard (to allow logging in and out)
• It needs cargo capacity (to allow transport related gameplay)
• It needs decent weapon hardpoints (to allow combat gameplay)
• It needs a quantum drive (needed to jump to other planets)
• Overall the ship cannot lock you out of any major gamplay loops or missions (like pickup, transport, combat, FPS missions, etc.)

Cheapest option – Mustang Alpha

In this category we only have 1 real option: the Mustang Alpha. A game package costs $45 (excl. taxes).

Generally speaking, I always recommend new players to get this package. It is the super fun ship. And will give you everything you need to enjoy the game. The ship enables all essential game loops, and you will be able to grind for your next ship in-game!

Overall best option – Avenger Titan

When not considering budget as a main factor, I will be looking at all available starter packages up to $125. In this category, we have two main contenders: the Avenger Titan and the Syulen.

Aside from preference in handling & flying, there are two key diferences between these two ships when considering the best option for general-purpose use.

• The look & design
• The cargo storage

The reason I pick the Avenger Titan over the Syulen is for the slightly larger and internal cargo storage on the Titan, compared to smaller and external (exposed) cargo storage on the Syulen. Since the ship has to be general-purpose, this is a key factor in my consideration. Hardpoints and amenities are similar for both ships.

If you look at subjective metrics, the Titan is a more “classic” space ship, while the Syulen is a unique and alien feeling ship.

Editor’s note: the Avenger Titan is my personal favorite starter ship.

2. Best: focus on ship-to-ship combat

Since any ship package below $75 does not have a clear focus on ship-to-ship combat, I can only compare the Avenger Titan and the Syulen if you want to enable multiple game loops. If you want to focus on only combat, the Arrow is an option.

General-purpose with focus on combat – The Syulen

While the best overall starter ship is the Avenger Titan, I give the edge to The Syulen when considering a focus on space combat, while still being open for other purposes. There are no major differences to split them apart, but The Syulen has a better quantum range, has slightly better hull protection, slightly faster, etc.

Apart from combat, The Syulen allows you to:

• Do missions ranging from pick-up missions, transport missions, etc. It does not lock you out of main game loops.
• It has a bed to log out and spacious interior
• It has decent cargo capacity

The next category of ship “only military application”, will forego the above perks in favor of excelling at ship-to-ship combat.

Pure space combat focus – The Arrow

When only considering military capabilities as a starter ship, the winner is simple: The Arrow. For $90, if you intend to chase bounties throughout the galaxy, this is the best starter option for you. It has the best combination of hardpoints, agility, speed, etc.

Note: The Arrow has no bed and no cargo hold, just a cockpit. That means you will be locked out of doing certain missions like transport missions, pickup missions, etc. Nor can you log out in your ship. Therefore I would never recommend this to a new player, unless I know this player will only focus on ship-to-ship combat or just wants a super fun ship to fly!

To get the most out of your combat capabilities, optimize your loadout.

3. Best: focus on cargo running

I can again recommend 2 ships. The Intrepid and The Nomad. Go for the Intrepid, it is the cheaper option and you can easily grind for The Nomad later on.

• Can fit a ROC mining vehicle in its hangar
• Has a great cargo capacity
• Has a tractor beam

4. Honorable mention

I cannot finish this guide without mentioning the $125 Cutlass Black package. Considering the price, it cannot be a winner in either of the above categories as a “starter ship”, they do fulfil a niche in case any readers have specific wants and needs.