All No Man's Sky ship types, ranked

No Man's Sky has a wide variety of ship types, each favoring a different archetype and playstyle. Not all ship types perform well in those intense spaceship combat sessions. Some of the ship types are vastly superior, and can often give you an edge during these battles. On the other hand, some ship types in No Man's Sky are better suited for farming materials or space exploration.

Ranking all the ship types in No Man's Sky is not an easy task, and a lot of factors need to be considered. There are eight ship types currently in No Man's Sky, and this article will rank them according to their overall viability.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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Ranking all ship types in No Man's Sky

Here are all the ship types in No Man's Sky, ranked:

1. Interceptor (Sentinel)
2. Solar
3. Explorer
4. Exotic
5. Fighter
6. Living
7. Hauler
8. Shuttle

Here is an explanation of each of these entries and why they are placed at their respective rank:

8) Shuttle

Shuttle ship in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Shuttles are often considered to be the least visually appealing ship type in No Man's Sky. They have balanced stats, but they do not offer anything else that can make it a lucrative pick. These ships do not perform well in any singular field and are designed to be more of a "jack of all trades, master of none" pick.

This ship type does not have any class bonuses and falls off when it comes to power and storage. Both of these traits are extremely important during the late-game stages of No Man's Sky, which makes it further underwhelming overall.

7) Hauler

Hauler ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

As the name suggests, Haulers can be considered to be the heavy-lifter ship type in No Man's Sky. These ships have impressive cargo storage, which makes them ideal for explorers looking to amass a lot of cargo. Furthermore, Haulers are durable owing to their strong shield.

On the other hand, their bulk comes with a hit to their maneuverability. The Hauler ship type in No Man's Sky also lacks in jump range and speed, which can often land you in a deplorable situation if sudden combat commences. In such cases, you have to rely almost entirely on durability, which more than often does not save you against experienced players.

6) Living

Living ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Living ships in No Man's Sky are undoubtedly one of the best ones you can use in late-game stages. These ships are organic creatures that hatch from Void Eggs, and you grow and raise this ship as a living entity, which brings forth the archetype of "Living" ships. Moreover, these ships have an extremely high damage output and hyperdrive range.

To balance it out, they have rather poor maneuverability as well. However, the most pressing problem with Living ships in No Man's Sky is that their parts are extremely difficult to obtain, which contributes to its low rank. These ships evolve in No Man's Sky, and you will need specific parts for this which are difficult to obtain. The collective cons and the hassle with upgrades and investment make it a subpar option when compared to many others.

5) Fighter

Fighter ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

As denoted by their name, Fighter ship types in No Man's Sky are specially built for combat and aggression. They have unmatched attacking prowess, often equipped with better weapons and shields. These ships are very agile, which further aids during dogfights. During the early and mid-game stages, Fighters are often the most desired ship type for those who seek out active battle.

As you level up and progress, Fighters become less viable, and that puts them at a lower rank overall in No Man's Sky. While these ships are undoubtedly very good in combat, they are very underwhelming in almost all fields that do not directly affect combat. Their lack of cargo space and hyperdrive makes them useless in late-game scenarios, where a more well-rounded approach is necessary.

4) Exotic

Exotic ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Easily one of the rarest ship types in No Man's Sky, Exotic ships are more like collector's edition items that somehow function well. They can have a wide variety of appearances and often bear no resemblance to each other. Performance-wise, Exotic ships have a very well-balanced stat distribution that can easily sustain you in late-game stages.

Each Exotic ship in No Man's Sky has decent stats, and boats advanced technology that gives you an edge in space skirmishes. Their class bonuses are high, and they have good attack stats, decent mobility, and even good cargo storage. This ship type in No Man's Sky defines the complete package.

Their only downside is the absolutely massive price, which makes it very difficult to obtain. You might often not have the resources to get this ship type unless till very late-game, after having specifically saved your resources for this purpose.

3) Explorer

Explorer ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Explorer is arguably the best ship type when it comes to exploring uncharted space in No Man's Sky. These ships have massive engines, and their appearance is easily discernable compared to the others. Explorers have class bonuses that provide the best hyperdrive range and freedom of movement, making them the best for scouting, even at long ranges.

On the other hand, Explorers are almost sitting ducks when it comes to combat. They do not have strong shields or damage output, which makes them extremely vulnerable during combat. However, this particular ship type's potential lies in exploration. If you can manage to maintain your distance and avoid contact, this ship type in No Man's Sky is the best if you want to explore the nooks and crannies of space.

2) Solar

Solar ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Solar ships are perhaps the most unique type of ship in No Man's Sky, boasting a piece of technology that is not available to any other class. These ships come with the Vesper Sail, which are wing-like solar panels that recharge your ship's systems, improving costs and conserving your fuel resources.

These sails also recharge your hyperdrive slowly, further reducing your overall cost. This Solar ship type in No Man's Sky is ideal for long-haul journeys, where resource management becomes paramount. On the downside, these ships have low hyperdrives and shields, which might become a hassle during combat.

1) Interceptor (Sentinel)

Interceptor (Sentinel) ship type in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Ranking at the top of all ship types in No Man's Sky is the Interceptor, aka Sentinel archetype. An interesting aspect of this ship type is its unique first-person interface and animation, which adds a new dynamic layer to its operation. Sentinel ships boast incredibly high damage stats and cargo capacity, which is further paired with exceptional mobility.

These make it the ideal choice for combat options, especially with fighter-type ships becoming obsolete during the end-game stages. Sentinels also have decent shields, which provides a good offense-focused build in No Man's Sky.

The major downside to Sentinel ships in No Man's Sky is its incredibly high cost. New players will almost never be able to get this ship, and you will have to save up a significant amount of resources to afford this ship and maintain its operations. Other than that, Sentinel ships also have low hyperdrive, which makes them less viable for exploration.