How to Get a Freighter in No Man's Sky: Free & Paid Options

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The best ways to get a freighter in NMS

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: January 2, 2024 Fact Checked

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Getting a Free Freighter

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Buying a Freighter

Do you need a freighter in No Man's Sky? These storage ships have a lot of potential. They can serve as your base, help you create more bases, and provide ample storage space and parking spots for your fighters and frigates. This wikiHow article teaches you how to get a freighter in No Man's Sky.

Things You Should Know

In No Man's Sky, you'll be offered a free freighter once you get a distress call and defeat the attacking pirates.
Decline the first free freighter you're offered—the second free freighter is always better.
If you don't have a freighter, you'll get a distress call to save a freighter and get it for free in return once every 3 in-game hours and after 5 warps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Getting a Free Freighter

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1
Warp between systems until you get a distress call. You'll see your quest log update to reflect that you need to save a nearby freighter from pirates.
- If you already saved a freighter within the last 3 hours of gameplay, you won't see another freighter.
- You can find this distress call once every 3 hours of gameplay and after you've warped 5 times. If you have a free freighter already, you won't get the distress call.
Defeat the pirates attacking the ship. Make sure to defeat all of them! Check the in-game message to see a pirate counter to see if you've missed any.

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Fly your ship to the blue light where you can dock and board the freighter. Go to the Bridge, and the captain will be there, waiting to talk to you.
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Accept or decline the freighter. As a thank-you, the captain will offer the freighter.
- If this is your first freighter, you should decline it. The second freighter offered to you is better. While the first freighter has 19 storage slots, the second has 24 storage slots.^{[1]
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- After declining the first freighter, you'll see another distress call and need to defeat the pirates for another freighter after 3 hours of gameplay and 5 warps.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Buying a Freighter

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1
Fly up to the freighter and board it. You can find specific types of freighters in different systems, so don't feel pressured to buy one you don't like in your current system!
- Look around the freighter to see if it has all your qualifications and if you like it before setting.
- Buying a freighter is expensive, so only buy it if you already have a free freighter.
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Talk to the captain. They will show you the price of the freighter, and you can either walk away or pay to buy it.
- If you currently have a freighter, you'll be able to compare this new freighter and your current one before making the purchase.
All the storage, frigates, and built bases will immediately transfer from your previous freighter to the new one. However, upgrades and tech will not transfer.