Top 10 Cargo Ships in Star Citizen

Summary

Star Citizen offers various career options like cargo hauling, piracy, and combat.
The guide lists 10 good ships that provide unique capabilities and drawbacks.
Recent updates have improved cargo ships, giving players more options for profitable gameplay.

Star Citizen introduces players to a range of different career options, from bounty hunter to cargo hauler. With so many options, it can be hard to narrow down which ship is best for the player and their needs. This list will help players narrow down their options into 10 very good ships, with each one giving the player a different set of unique capabilities and drawbacks. It’s down to the user as to which they see as the fit for them.

This list will also target ships that are somewhat reasonably priced for what they bring to the table, with a few new releases among some classics that provide the essential Star Citizen experience. Cargo hauling can come in a few different shapes and sizes, with some ships providing interesting features, such as integrated tractor beams, easing out the process for loading or unloading cargo.

No matter if someone tries to become a lawful player or a pirate, having a good cargo hauler on board is quite beneficial, either for completing cargo missions or stealing mining or salvage materials from the traders. This list has been updated based on data from Alpha 4.1.

10. Anvil Valkyrie

Cargo Capacity: 90 SCU

Pledge Price: $375
In-game Price: 19,845,000 aUEC

Following the deployment of Alpha 4.1, Anvil Valkyrie experienced a significant enhancement in its cargo capacity. Earlier versions of the ship could only accommodate 30 SCU of cargo, but now, thanks to an upgrade by CIG, it can hold up to 90 SCU. This expansion enables players to fully exploit the military carrier’s capabilities and places Anvil Valkyrie among the ranks of smaller cargo haulers.

Anvil Valkyrie is one of the perfect cargo haulers for the group players and those who want to either pirate or engage in combat and loot the enemy ships. Aside from a decent cargo space, the ship also features up to 6 turrets along with a pilot weapon, which makes a versatile gunship that can deal with any mid-size spaceship while also protecting itself against bigger threats.

9. Argo Raft

Cargo Capacity: 96 SCU

Pledge Price: $125
In-game Price: 3,543,750 aUEC

With the announcement of some new cargo haulers in recent years, Argo Raft is starting to lose value, especially knowing that its promised tractor beam has not been implemented yet. That being said, the ship is still one of the cheapest options in Star Citizen‘s market to purchase or even rent and grind reputation in cargo hauling missions.

The plus for Raft is that it is easier to load or unload the cargo, especially if the boxes are 8-SCU or bigger. However, the ship itself is quite slow, to the point that the Star Citizen players usually call it a flying brick. Moreover, the ship only features a single turret, which is not enough to protect it against threats.

8. Mercury Star Runner

Cargo Capacity: 114 SCU

Pledge Price: $350
In-game Price: 12,285,000 aUEC

Mercury Star Runner is a unique product from Crusader that has been specifically built for data running, however, the gameplay and missions for that specific job have not been implemented in Star Citizen yet, which leaves this ship with a few weapons and a large cargo space on the back.

Currently, what the MSR excels at is running cargo from one location to another or even between the star systems, thanks to a decent fuel tank. The ship comes with two manned turrets and a pilot weapon, which is enough for dealing with smaller threats and running away from the pirates. It’s also a good daily driver that can carry a wide range of ground vehicles.

7. MISC Freelancer MAX

Cargo Capacity: 120 SCU

Pledge Price: $150
In-game Price: 4,252,500 aUEC

Freelancer MAX is a cargo hauler for any player who values functionality over beauty. It’s just a little bit more expensive than Argo Raft, but it comes with a bigger cargo space that also lets the player carry ground vehicles as well.

With a rear turret and two pilot turrets, Freelancer MAX is still a vulnerable ship, but at least it can be more of a threat compared to Argo Raft. The only downside of the ship is the fact that the cargo grid is divided, and nearly 20 SCU of the space is locked behind a personnel door. Not that it is not usable, but only 4-SCU or smaller boxes will pass through the door, and it could be a pain to load in and unload cargo from that space.

6. RSI Constellation Taurus

Cargo Capacity: 174 SCU

Pledge Price: $200
In-game Price: 8,043,840 aUEC

The idea of placing the entire cargo space on an elevator has resulted in one of the most brilliant cargo carriers in Star Citizen, which is still beloved by fans. Constellation Taurus comes with an impressive size of cargo space, and it is quite easy to load in and unload cargo from it. The same goes for carrying ground vehicles.

While not as defense-heavy as other variants of Constellation, the Taurus comes with two size-3 weapons for the pilot as well as a size-3 manned turret. The ship also features an integrated tractor beam accessible through the lower turret seat, allowing the player to load or unload cargo without leaving the ship.

5. Misc Starlancer MAX

Cargo Capacity: 224 SCU

Pledge Price: $250
In-game Price: 8,820,000 aUEC

As the latest ship series announced by MISC, the Starlancer MAX comes with an overhaul in interior design. Forget about the scratchy walls of Starfarer or the super simple design of Freelancer. Starlancer MAX is a cargo hauler that comes with a slicker design and a big habitation deck.

The ship’s cargo space is divided between side elevators and a rear cargo space, but it is not like that of Freelancer MAX. In Starlancer MAX, the players can use long cargo grids on both sides of the ship that work like a Constellation’s cargo space. These two racks of cargo have an overall capacity of 128 SCU.

The rear cargo space (accessed by a ramp) is where the players can store either more cargo or a ground vehicle. The rear space features grids for 96 SCU of cargo, but the players can still put an extra 32 SCU box in the gridless area or carry a vehicle as big as RSI Ursa while all cargo grids are occupied.

It’s a big ship that comes with an impressive amount of space for hauling as well as a good combination of weapons in the front and the back to protect itself against pirates.

4. Anvil Carrack

Cargo Capacity: 456 SCU

Pledge Price: $600
In-game Price: 34,398,000 aUEC

After physcalizing the cargo, Anvil Carrack players were left with a ship that couldn’t use its cargo space anymore, but those times are over now, as the rework for Carrack eventually added cargo doors to the ship, allowing players to manually load or unload cargo.

With that said, since the cargo doors do not extend to the ground, it’s still a little bit difficult to load cargo inside Anvil Carrack, but at least it is possible, and with a massive space available, players can participate in high-level cargo hauling missions with the luxurious mobile home!

3. Drake Caterpillar

Cargo Capacity: 576 SCU

Pledge Price: $350
In-game Price: 12,474,000 aUEC

For years, Drake Caterpillar was suffering from Carrack’s recent problem, where the cargo doors don’t extend to the ground and make it difficult to load cargo inside the ship. However, that issue was fixed with Alpha 4.1. The cargo doors of Caterpillar now feature elevator shafts, which allows them to land on the ground after opening.

This quality-of-life update was enough to send Caterpillar to the top of the list as one of the best cargo haulers. Not only is it now easier to load cargo inside the ship, but it is also possible to carry loads of ground vehicles with this massive ship.

2. Crusader C2 Hercules Starlifter

Cargo Capacity: 696 SCU

Pledge Price: $400
In-game Price: 18,900,000 aUEC

The Starlifter C2 was introduced back in 2021 and is easily the best option for players looking to maximize cargo space and profits with this side of Star Citizen. With 696 SCU of cargo space, the C2 easily outclasses any other ship in this class. With space in the lower for additional large vehicles such as the Nova, Ballista, or the Spartan, the C2 brings a good amount of versatility for larger crews looking to take on the galaxy. With both a forward and rear ramp, these vehicles can easily be loaded on and off without much hassle.

Amazingly, this massive behemoth of a ship can be crewed by a single individual, making it a great option for players taking on the system alone. But since the ship doesn’t have an integrated tractor beam, it’s great to run it as a duo, with the second player taking the responsibility for loading or unloading the cargo.

C2 does not have enough weapons to defend itself, but its health pool is big enough to allow it to leave the critical situations before getting shut down.

1. MISC Hull C

Cargo Capacity: 4,608 SCU

Pledge Price: $500
In-game Price: 16,537,500 aUEC

The biggest flight-ready cargo hauler in Star Citizen comes from MISC. Hull C is capable of carrying over 4,600 SCU of cargo, which makes it a true star-train that can take the longest paths for hauling.

The most important factor to note about Hull C, however, is that it cannot haul cargo from/to the planet surface. The ship cannot land with its cargo grids extended, and it cannot sustain the massive gravity when running full cargo either. So, Hull C owners can only tackle missions that require them to carry cargo boxes from one space station to another.

The good thing about Hull C is that both loading and unloading the cargo is automatic at the current state of the game, which makes it a lot faster to deliver goods and tackle missions one after another.

The ship was quite bugged when it was launched, but with a series of updates, it is now functioning decently, though there are still small bugs here and there.

2025-03-16 07:59