Elite Dangerous: Trading Guide (2024)

Quick Links

  • How Trading Works In Elite Dangerous
  • The Best Beginner Ships For Trading In Elite Dangerous
  • Trading Ship Upgrade Progression In Elite Dangerous
  • Making Your First Trades In Elite Dangerous
  • Trading Progression, Upgrades, And What's Next

Trading is one of the most lucrative professions in Elite Dangerous, providing you know how to get started. Shuffling cargo, transporting illegal items via smuggling, and data transport missions are great ways to get started, and missions are offered at pretty much every station you come across.

At the beginning of the game, having a ship with enough cargo space for high-value missions is your biggest challenge. It's a slow process of grinding your way through the Federation and Imperial ranks, earning credits to upgrade your ship, and getting a better understanding of the best trade routes and missions available to you. Here's what you need to know about trading in Elite Dangerous.

How Trading Works In Elite Dangerous

Elite Dangerous: Trading Guide (1)

The economy of Elite Dangerous is based on player activity, constantly changing and evolving. Goods can go up and down in price overnight. A successful trader will study the economy and move cargo around accordingly. The profession of "Trader" actually encompasses many different ways to play Elite Dangerous; whether you want to be a Miner, selling your ore for profit, a Passenger Carrier, making money from delivering passengers from point A to point B, or taking the more illicit route of selling illegal items on the Black Market.

For a brand new player, however, this is all a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, there are simple starter trader missions for Courier and Data cargo that can be completed in one of the starter ships, like your trusty Sidewinder, which require little cargo capacity.

The Best Ways To Get Started With Trading

  • Courier and Data missions are found at most stations. They are common in the Federation District, the starter area for new players.
  • Courier and Data missions are a good place to start because they reward not only credits but faction reputation and trading rank as well.
  • Courier missions don't make very many credits, but there are plenty of them available. You should always check the market before you head off on a courier mission, just in case you can store some extra cheap goods onboard to sell on the other end.
  • Check the Bulletin Board at a major station to check if there are any decent missions available. The missions available to you are determined by the cargo capacity of your ship and your overall faction rating. Don't worry, the game will let you know what you can or can't do, and it does a good job of balancing high-tier missions with a few starter missions for brand new players.

Is Trading A Good Idea For Brand New Players?

If you're a brand new player, it's a good idea to stay within the starter Federation District. This is basically the tutorial area where you can get to grips with flying your ship and completing missions. Honestly, trading in this starter section is hardly the most lucrative way to make credits: you're probably better off completing some bounty hunter missions at a Nav Beacon or RES (Resource Extraction Site).

These will help you practice handling your ship and is just a bit more fun than carting goods from place to place. We have a complete guide to Bounty Hunting here.

General Tips For Trading

Whatever you do, no matter how tempting it might be, do not spend all your credits on a single trading trip. There is always a chance that you lose your ship (a crash, or pirates) and the cargo will be lost with it. Keep a small fund behind as insurance.

  • Always keep an eye out for stations in Boom state systems. Goods trade at a high value here.
  • Mining your own materials is a great way to cut the costs of trading, materials like gold and palladium are good options. We have a comprehensive mining guide here.

The Best Beginner Ships For Trading In Elite Dangerous

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Ideally, you want to prioritize purchasing a Hauler as soon as you can if you intend on being solely a trader. There are probably better options for more versatile ships for the other roles in Elite Dangerous, but more on that in a moment.

The Hauler is a solid upgrade from your Sidewinder and ideal for new traders thanks to its low price and large cargo capacity. The ship does have its downsides though: it's bulky, slow, and not suited for combat situations at all. You want to make sure that you're not coming into contact with pirates as you might lose your ship and your cargo, an expensive setback. The Hauler is a stepping stone towards larger and more sophisticated trading ships.

Beginner Build for the Hauler​​​​​​

This cheap and cheerful build is available for very few credits and will give you the fundamentals of a successful space trucker build.

  • Class 2 Shield - For a ship as slow and bulky as the Hauler, you're going to need a shield. It's basically your only line of defense against the aggressors out there.
  • Fuel Scoop - Fuel makes ships move. You'll need to move.
  • Upgrade your Framesh*t Drive. D2 or more is a good idea. Getting to your destination quickly is where the real money is made trading, and while the Hauler isn't exactly a sports spaceship, this should speed up your trips significantly.
  • Fill out the rest of the internal compartments with cargo racks. Maxed out you can get around 26t in your Hauler. That's not much, but it's an honest day's work for the sturdy little Hauler.

Trading Ship Upgrade Progression In Elite Dangerous

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Although upgrading to the Hauler might seem like a straightforward method for improving as a trader early on, in reality, Elite Dangerous has a lot more to offer than just trading. Here is the recommended ship progression path for new players wanting to experience trading and everything else, too.

The Adder

If you're a brand new player, you'll likely want to experience more of what the game has to offer, which means you might want to beeline straight to the Adder after your Sidewinder. The Adder is marginally more expensive than the Hauler, around 80,000 credits rather than 50,000, but this should be pocket change if you're completing missions within the starting District.

Benefits of the Adder

The Adder is a far more versatile ship than the Hauler. It's more than capable in a variety of roles, including combat, trading, and even mining. It's the cheapest ship you can get with a Class 2 Hardpoint, that's the place where weapons go, and an armor rating that is sturdy enough to take some hits. With a maxed-out cargo capacity it can carry 30t, so just a little bit more than Hauler.

Cobra Mark 3

The Cobra Mark 3 is the ship you want to aim for before you even leave the Federation District. It costs 340,000 credits and is more than suitable to support you in exploring the wider universe of Elite Dangerous.

Benefits of the Cobra Mark 3

The Cobra Mark 3 is the most versatile ship available for this price point. It is more than competent for combat with two small hardpoints and two medium hardpoints and is an excellent trading ship due to its 64t max cargo capacity. That's twice as large as the Adder's cargo capacity.

Making Your First Trades In Elite Dangerous

Elite Dangerous: Trading Guide (4)

Rare Trading has always been the most lucrative method to start making decent credits as a trader. There are patterns, loops, and trading paths that have existed since the game's release, and this is thanks to the fact that the price of Rare Commodities is based purely on how far away you take the purchased goods. The further you go, the more credits you're set to make. They are not directly impacted by the supply and demand of goods.

While the returns are not quite as profitable as bulk trading, you won't need to monitor the market too closely or create your own trading paths. It's ideal for new traders who want to get used to navigating their ship, using the fuel scoop, and learning how to handle a ship laden with loads of cargo.

The Elite Dangerous Wiki is a great place to start if you are looking for specific stations that sell unique types of Rare Commodities. You can transport these commodities over long distances, though they reach a hard cap of around 200ly before the returns are negligible. Rare Commodities are marked with a star in the market and have a unique name you might not have seen before. There are dozens of different Rare Commodities, including Diso Ma Corn, Crom Silver Fesh, and Bast Snake Gin. Even while carrying out regular missions or another profession, you should check the market for rare commodities wherever you go. You never know when you might want to return to pick some up.

Trading Progression, Upgrades, And What's Next

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Once you've started to earn credits on a large scale with Rare trading, it's time to start bulk trading goods from station to station. Establishing your trade routes is extremely difficult, which is why most players turn to the external database eddb.io. This lets you search through hundreds of different stations and will even establish a loop for you. You can find out pretty much whatever you like about Elite Dangerous here, and although it's a bit complicated, most of the answers are here. Just check out the Loop Finder for suitable trading loops. The data here is generated entirely by the player base, so if you feel like contributing it's always appreciated by the site.

Late Game Ship Progression

There are a few options for ship upgrades once you've started to make serious credits while loop trading. You can opt for the Type-6 Transporter, a dedicated hauler with a max cargo capacity of 114t. It costs around a million credits. Suited to bulk trading, upgrading the Frame Shift Drive of the T6 makes it one of the best ships for long-distance bulk trading.

Alternatively, you could opt for the much more expensive Asp Explorer. Coming in at around 6.6 million credits, this is a hefty jump in price from the Type 6, but you get what you pay for. It has a larger cargo capacity than the T6 at 130t and is more than capable of defending itself with multiple weapon hardpoints and a max speed that will have you zipping from station to station in no time at all. It's also extremely versatile, which means you can outfit it for a variety of different professions.

Progression then moves through the Type-7 Transporter, 17 million credits with a cargo capacity of 306t (that's a lot of space for goods), then on to the optional Python, an all-around versatile ship, basically the upgraded alternative to the Asp Explorer, and finally onto the best trading ship in the game, the Type-9 Heavy. These ships cost millions and millions of credits, so you probably won't have to worry about them for a while.

NEXT: Elite Dangerous: A Beginner's Guide To Combat

Elite Dangerous: Trading Guide (2024)

FAQs

Is trading profitable in Elite Dangerous? ›

Trading has always been one of the core pillars of the Elite experience, and while the profitability of the profession doesn't seem quite as strong this time around, there's still plenty of cash to be made if you can track down the best trade routes.

What is the best thing to trade in Elite Dangerous? ›

Trade gold, silver, and palladium

The gold, silver, and palladium metals are among the most valuable non-rare commodities you can trade in Elite Dangerous: Horizons. Although they're also among the most expensive, gold, silver, and palladium have some of the biggest trading profit margins in the Elite universe.

How do I find good trade routes in Elite Dangerous? ›

Elite Dangerous - How to Find a Profitable Trade Route - YouTube

How do the markets work in Elite Dangerous? ›

Commodities are cheaper when they are common. To make a profit, sell it in systems where it's less common with higher prices. The rarer a commodity the more valuable it'll be. Supply and demand drive prices, and every trade you make in the galaxy affects the markets for every player.

How do I make billions in Elite Dangerous 2021? ›

Top5 best & fastest ways to make money (glitches, exploits & more) in ...

How do you get billions in Elite Dangerous? ›

How to Make OBSCENE Amounts of Money in 2021 Elite Dangerous ...

Do passenger missions count towards trade rank? ›

Unfortunately, passenger missions do not count towards your "profits from trade" statistic in the Status panel, nor do they count towards any Powerplay benefits concerning trade vouchers, such as the Rank 2 benefit from Edmund Mahon.

How do I sell tritium? ›

You can look at the prices of all carriers in the galaxy map.....go to galaxy map...select the filter for commodities, select tritium, select your system, and click through all markets including carriers.....then easily click below, to mark it as target and go for it.... no problem to do it in game !?

What is the best cargo ship in Elite Dangerous? ›

In terms of pure trading, the Cobra has the best cargo capacity of any ship in its price range and has a cargo capacity double that of both the Adder and Hauler. It's also much cheaper than the Type-6 Transporter, the next logical step on the trading ship ladder.

How do I find a specific commodity in Elite Dangerous? ›

Commodities can be bought and sold at any Station that has a "Commodities Market", accessible through the Starport Services menu. To buy and sell illegal or stolen commodities the player must find a station that has a Black Market. The availability of certain commodities can vary greatly from station to station.

How do I return a source in Elite Dangerous? ›

Elite Dangerous Source And Return Missions For Beginners - YouTube

How do I sell to Black Market Elite Dangerous? ›

The Black Market can be found in the Contacts menu at ports where it is available. To find out whether specific station has an active Black Market, open System Map, select the port, and check if "Black Market" is listed under the Facilities section.

Does mining increase trade rank? ›

And yes, it absolutely does add to your trade rank.

Do passenger missions count towards trade rank? ›

Unfortunately, passenger missions do not count towards your "profits from trade" statistic in the Status panel, nor do they count towards any Powerplay benefits concerning trade vouchers, such as the Rank 2 benefit from Edmund Mahon.

How many trade ranks are there in Elite Dangerous? ›

Ranks are earned by successfully completing various activities in Elite Dangerous. There are six different rank categories overseen by the Pilots Federation, which trains, licenses, and monitors all independent pilots in the galaxy.

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