There is a reason that thousands upon thousands of players still log on every day to explore the reaches of space in Elite Dangerous. It's constantly getting new features, evolving to add new content, and is an overall wonderful experience for anyone that has wondered what it would be like to explore space.

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The biggest part of space travel by far has to be the ships. There are many sizes of ships but all players will have to start off with smaller vessels while they get started. These crafts aren't created equal and some cost far more than they are worth.

10 Dolphin - 1,337,330 CR

The Dolphin has a unique niche as being the absolute best ship for anyone interested in a passenger transportation career. However, some players have missed out on the fact that it's also quite effective as an exploration ship due to its with its above-average jump range. It's not amazing in combat but is still more maneuverable than other options with similar handicaps.

9 Imperial Eagle - 110,830 CR

Unlike other Imperial ships, the Imperial Eagle doesn't require any rank within the Navy to purchase it. This ship has some serious armor and shield strength, but its lack of agility and cargo space makes it only really useful as a combat ship. Still, one of the best qualities of the ship is that unless opposing vessels can match it in speed, it will always be able to make a safe retreat.

8 Viper MkIII - 142,931 CR

With its solid price point and impressive speed, this ship is often a priority purchase for players that want a vessel that focuses on combat in the early game. It does have issues with heat dissipation that better ships don't have to contend with for those who have more credits to spend on better models.

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It does have an upgraded version of sorts called the Viper MkIV but most of the upgrades actually make it a worse ship overall. It's capable of being a bit more flexible in what it's used for but the lack of specialization actually makes most of its functions too weak to keep up with competition ships.

7 Sidewinder MkI - 32,000 CR

Flexible and inexpensive, players who are indecisive on where they want to go in terms of their future flight careers will find the Sidewinder MkI to be the perfect purchase. It's one of the most agile ships available and is capable of fulfilling multiple roles. It's not the fastest ship and isn't capable of having the most firepower, but it's a perfect middle-of-the-road option.

6 Eagle MkII - 44,800 CR

There isn't another ship as agile for those who want to be in space dogfights as the ultimate pilot. Even some of the strongest pilots in 146,969,450 CR ships like the Anaconda can end up completely outmaneuvered. It's even capable of doing cargo jobs with specific builds giving it unexpected utility. Traders and Miners should certainly check the Eagle MKII out.

5 Diamondback Explorer - 1,894,760 CR

The Diamondback Explorer is the largest of all ships in the small ship class and its bulk allows it to be a bit more flexible than its smaller cousin, the Diamondback Scout. In fact, it's so large that it actually has less agility than ships in larger classes. It can manage to work as a solid forward scouting ship or even a rescue ship as players that are smart and give it gimballed weapons can manage to fight all but the most agile ships.

4 Vulture - 4,925,615 CR

There are few things more terrifying than a Vulture flying at a target at full speed. It has the capability to host massive firepower that can blast almost any target violently out of the skies. It's built to be primarily used for those wanting to focus on combat and it shows.

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The massive price point tends to be the biggest downside for the ship and why not as many players pick it up to use. Still, people with enough credits to spend will find this ship is perfect to decimate enemies and rivals in their way.

3 Diamondback Scout - 564,320 CR

The Diamondback Scout is among the favorite small ships of countless pilots in Elite Dangerous. Its 30 light-year jump range makes it an absolute gem for those who want to explore while its agility and firepower still makes it a solid ship in any dogfight. It might not be as flexible as other ships in what roles it can fulfill, but what it does it does too well to ignore.

2 Adder - 87,808 CR

The Adder is by far the cheapest ship for players interested in mining operations giving it an important niche no one can deny but that's not all it can do. It's capable of being a solid trade ship, exploration ship, and can even manage as a solid combat vessel for players in the early game. It's got a solid price point considering how strongly it can work in each of these roles making it incredibly popular.

1 Cobra MkIV - 764,720 CR

It might have reduced speed compared to the Cobra MkIII but it's strong enough to actually be capable of taking on much larger ships. It has impressive shielding and armor and is capable of pulling out the kind of firepower to give it massive damage output. Sure it costs a bit more than other options, but those extra credits are absolutely worth it.

NEXT: Elite Dangerous: 10 Best Ships For Exploration, Ranked