If you’ve spent dozens of hours hopping between star systems in No Man’s Sky, you’ve definitely stared down a massive S-class freighter and wondered if you can add it to your collection without ditching your current one. A lot of new and returning players ask can you have multiple freighters in No Man's Sky, especially as they start scaling up trading operations, building frigate fleets, or hauling huge amounts of resources for base builds. I’ve spent over 300 hours in the game testing every quirk of freighter ownership, so I’m breaking down exactly how the system works, what limitations there are, and how to build the ideal setup for your playstyle.
Can You Have Multiple Freighters in No Man's Sky? Official Rules Explained
The short answer is yes, you can own multiple freighters in the vanilla version of the game, no mods required. This feature was added in the Frontiers update, so all modern versions of No Man’s Sky support multiple freighter ownership, no matter what platform you play on. There’s a catch, though: you can only have one active primary freighter that you can summon anywhere in the galaxy at any given time.
When you purchase a new freighter, you get two options: trade in your current freighter for a discount on the new one, or pay full price to keep your old freighter and add the new one to your collection. You can own multiple freighters in vanilla No Man's Sky without mods, and you can switch which one is your primary vessel at any time for no extra cost, using any freighter management terminal found in space stations or on your active freighter.
You don’t have to worry about losing progress when you switch freighters either. All builds, storage items, and upgrades you add to a freighter stay tied to that specific vessel, even when it’s not set as your primary. That means you can fully customize every freighter in your collection for different uses, and access them whenever you need them.
Key Benefits of Owning Multiple Freighters
Most players start collecting extra freighters to get around the game’s default storage limits, but the benefits go far beyond extra space for resources. Each freighter can be customized for a specific playstyle, so you don’t have to clutter your main freighter with tools and upgrades you only use for specific activities.
Each freighter has its own independent storage capacity, so owning multiple freighters is one of the easiest ways to expand your total storage without grinding for hours to buy storage upgrades for a single vessel. That’s a huge win for players who collect rare resources, run large trading operations, or build massive bases across multiple planets.
Many players also use multiple freighters to separate their functional and creative builds. You can have one freighter fully kitted out for utility, and another reserved solely for custom interior builds, roleplay, or community showcases. Some of the most popular use cases for multiple freighters include:
- Dedicated trading freighter with maximum storage for high-value commodity runs between economic systems
- Exploration-focused freighter fitted with exocraft bays, teleporters, and navigation upgrades for long voyages to uncharted regions
- Combat-focused freighter with frigate fleet support bonuses for high-risk pirate system missions and frigate combat expeditions
- Creative build freighter reserved solely for custom interior builds and roleplay, no functional clutter from storage or utility upgrades
You don't lose any upgrades or builds on a freighter when you switch it out of primary status, so you can invest time and resources into customizing each freighter without worrying about wasting effort. I have three freighters in my own collection, and I only swap between them once every few weeks depending on what activity I’m focusing on that month.
Limitations and Drawbacks to Keep in Mind
Owning multiple freighters isn’t for everyone, and there are some pretty big downsides you should consider before you drop millions of units on a second vessel. The first and most obvious downside is cost. If you don’t trade in your old freighter, you’ll have to pay full price for every new freighter you add to your collection, and top-tier S-class freighters can cost upwards of 120 million units each.
You can only summon your active primary freighter in any star system, so if you need to access items or builds on a different freighter, you have to manually switch your primary via a freighter terminal first. That can be a huge hassle if you’re in the middle of a long exploration run in an uncharted system and realize you stored a rare upgrade on another freighter. You’ll have to travel back to a space station first to make the switch, which can take 10 minutes or more depending on how far you are from civilized space.
Storage is not shared between freighters, so you’ll have to keep track of which items you stored on which vessel. That gets really confusing if you own more than 3 or 4 freighters, especially if you don’t name them clearly to indicate their purpose. I also learned the hard way that active frigate expeditions are tied to your current primary freighter. If you switch your primary freighter while your fleet is out on a mission, you’ll lose all progress and rewards for that expedition, so always wrap up all active missions before you make a switch.
There is no official limit to how many freighters you can own, but most players find that 2 to 4 is the sweet spot before the management hassle outweighs the benefits. Casual players who only use their freighter for extra storage and occasional frigate missions probably won’t get much value out of owning more than one.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Second Freighter to Your Collection
Adding a second freighter to your collection is pretty straightforward, but there are a few tricks to make the process cheaper and less frustrating. First, make sure you have enough units to cover the full cost of the new freighter, or you can get a free one by completing the freighter rescue mission that spawns randomly when you warp into a new system. When you defend the freighter from pirate attacks, the captain will offer you the freighter for free, and you can choose to add it to your collection without trading in your current one, no cost required.
When you find a freighter you want to buy, interact with the captain and select the purchase option. The game will show you two prices: the discounted price if you trade in your current freighter, and the full price if you want to keep your current one. Select the full price option to add the new freighter to your collection and set it as your primary automatically.
To switch between freighters later, head to any space station or your current active freighter and interact with the freighter management terminal. You’ll see a list of all freighters in your collection, and you can select any one to set as your new primary for free. The new primary will spawn in your current system immediately, and the old one will be stored in your collection until you switch back.
Always inspect a freighter's interior and stat bonuses before you buy it, because you can’t change the base layout or core stats once you purchase it. If you’re just looking for extra storage on a budget, look for C-class freighters in poorer economic systems, they usually cost less than 5 million units each, which is a great way to expand your storage early on without spending a fortune.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you have multiple freighters in No Man's Sky is a resounding yes, as long as you're willing to put in the work to earn the units and manage your collection. It's not a necessary feature for casual players who only use their freighter for extra storage and the occasional frigate mission, but it's a game-changer for players who love to specialize their playstyle, build custom freighter bases, or run large-scale trading operations. Take the time to test out different freighter types to find what works for you, and don't be afraid to start small with cheap C-class freighters before you invest in expensive S-class models.
