Summary
Elite Dangeroushas an incredible amount of content available and a huge selection of ships, weapons, and modules to choose from. Of course, those familiar with the game will know that ships quickly get very expensive, with the most expensive ships reaching the hundreds of millions in credits just to purchase, and potentially over a billion to properly outfit.
The good news is thatElite Dangerousoffers a wide selection of unique gameplay loops to choose from, most of which are great ways to earn the credits needed to purchase whatever a player might need. Though much of the content might seem out of reach toplayers just starting out, getting started and building a fortune isn’t actually as hard as it seems, and there are many activities to suit a variety of playstyles.
Updated on July 18, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:As the Gutamaya Corsair gracesElite Dangerouswith its impressive cargo and strong hardpoints, fans of the game are excited to see the rest of 2025’s offerings - especially when the remaining Phases for 2025’s roadmap are comprised of two ships with one ship feature, none of which have been revealed yet. However,Elite Dangerousplayers know they can only enjoy these new ships if they have the money to actually purchase them, which means they have quite a lot of time before the next Phase drops in the summer and the last one in the Winter. Among must-try ways of making money include making the trip to Colonia a more fruitful one, and being more strategic with collaborations with other players.
1Wing It (With Others)
Invest In Hauling, Patience, And Team-Ups
The Pilots Trade Network is regarded as one of the most popular communities inElite Dangerousfor its vibrant cooperative atmosphere, so it makes sense that its Wing Mining Missions are a popular source of credits for its members. The main gist of the strategy is to gather “WMM Missions” from factions within designated systems inside the PTN Discord server and then sharing them with three other Commanders from the said Discord server. The missions are requirement-intensive, as it’s ideal for players to have 1 billion credits, a fully-green “Allied” status with all minor factions in their chosen system, and gather enough Commodities per their specific gathering missions.
“WMMs” earn profit by hauling all the Commodities requested for 20 missions, but not choosing a reward. Instead, the players - now organized in a Wing - take turns sharing their completed missions with the other Wing members. Players can then travel to the specified station to cash in on their earnings. Since a player will now be technically turning over 60-80 missions, they can earn upwards of 3.5 billion credits per round.
2Do Colonia Trips
A Paradise In The Middle Of Nowhere That Hides Other Clusters Of Paradise
Players ofElite Dangerouswho want to be among the galaxy’s best explorers would likely have heard of “going to Colonia.” While Colonia is a treat in itself to visit,the planning and the journeycan help players get a more in-depth appreciation of the technical aspects ofElitegameplay - especially community-driven elements such as theColonia Connection Highway, theNeutron Highway, and the occasional assistance from the Fuel Rats should one find themselves stranded on the way.
However, what makes Colonia such a much-desired location is its potential for Exobiology. Save for the few hundred lightyears in the system’s vicinity, a lot of systems surrounding Colonia is largely unexplored due to their proximity to, well, not much of anything else. This makes the system a prime spot for Exobiology, which can then earn upwards of at least 600m in around two hours.
3Exobiology
Study Aliens For Profit
AstheOdysseyDLC givesElite Dangerousplayersthe opportunity to study alien lifeforms, the game practically transforms into full-blownStar Trek. However, one surprising detail aboutExobiologyis how gathering Genetic Samples from Biological Lifeforms can be a gateway to a lot of Credits. Having a medium-sized ship with an FSD and Fuel Scoop, an Artemis Suit, a Planetary Vehicle Hangar, and a Detailed Surface Scanner should be enough to get players started in hunting for creatures to scan.
As soon as players locate planets with Biological Signatures, they should use their DSS to generate a heat map of the flora they find. The lighter the blue, the more flora is located in the area. Full scans take three scans to finish, so players should finish this before moving on to other plants. It’s ideal to finish full-scanning all flora before submitting the scans for profit. Safety is paramount, as dying will retain the records and mapping but lose all opportunities to earn Credits and Rank from the session.
4Spire Site Farming
Make A Quick Buck Eliminate Thargoid Spire Sites
Whilefighting alienslike the Thargoids can indeed earn players a lot of Credits, eliminating their sources in the form of Thargoid Spire Sites can give players more than what they’ve anticipated. Just an hour’s worth ofSpire Site Farmingcan net players as high as 400 to 500M Credits, especially if they’re properly kitted with a coordinated crew. Players may also try to find like-minded teammates from communities such asthe Anti-Xeno Initiative, which has a community dedicated specifically to fighting Thargoids.
A player’s ideal build for Spire Site Farming depends on a lot of factors, but mainly if they’re fighting with a smaller or larger crew. Inexperienced Commanders can use a Krait Mk2 with human weaponry, while more coordinated teams usually run with Anacondas with Guardian tech. Upon arriving in the location, players should take out the Thargoid Banshees first before attacking the Orthruses, the latter of which is the main target of Spire Site Farming. Although they don’t have weapons, their formidable defenses mean players have to strategically wait for their shields to go down while avoiding its shutdown field, anti-guardian field, and attack reinforcements that they call to their aid.
5Robigo Runs
Fast-Paced Passenger Missions With Totally Not Illegal Passengers
Players who love to explore but have no idea where to go might as well make money with Passenger Missions, withRobigo Runsbeing the cream of the crop because of their “totally not illegal” nature. As the name implies, Robigo Runs involves taking passengers from stations in Robigo to a tourist beacon in Sothis around 60LY away (each ~450LY from Sol). Given the scattered nature of these stations, Robigo Runs are perfectly stackable, allowing players to earn as much as 90M Credits in an hour on successful runs.
There’s a catch, though - players have to carry illegal passengers (criminals, etc.). And getting scanned with criminals on board can spell not only a mission failure but total annihilation of the player’s ship. This is where the challenge comes in - the best way to complete Robigo Runswould be using a Pythonequipped to make the Robigo-Sothis trip in two runs, with as much space for passengers and not much of anything else. Such a setup should allow players to finish their runs as soon as possible, but this also leaves them defenseless in combat. The trick here is speed - when players manage to scan the beacon, they should return to Robigo Mines, refuel, get paid, and don’t get scanned.
6Pilots Trade Network
Earn With Like-Minded Individuals
Unlike other methods that focus on making money, joining thePilots Trade Networkhas less to do with directly earning Credits and more with establishing reliable sources of income. ThePilots Trade Networkis an example of an in-game community inElite Dangerous, where players can team up and do various missions to maximize earning Credits due to each others’ presence. Should players invest their time in getting to know the ups and downs of PTN, they should have high enough rep across the other factions to take in high-earning missions and hopefully have enough Credits to customize their ships for various missions.
With a fully-kitted crew, players may even be able to stack missions that can earn them at least 50M up to 4B Credits each - although this should take extensive time, research, and builds to pull off consistently. Even from a beginner’s perspective, just joining PTN and engaging in casual play should have players passively earn more Credits than their usual playthroughs as the teams they’ll be playing with likely have access to more higher-payout missions.
7Exploration
Visit Planets To Scan Them For Money
One of the most impressive aspects of Elite Dangerous is the amount of space available to players. The game replicates the entirety of the Milky Way galaxy, allowing players to explore over 400 billion potential systems. Exploring the galaxy is a good way to make money for beginners, as it is a simple and low-risk activity. Explorers will need tooutfit their shipswith a fuel scoop and Detailed Surface Scanners (DSS), which can be used to scan planets up close for an extra cash reward.
Ships will automatically do a basic scan of any system they enter, but to maximize money players should make sure to also use the Full Spectrum Scanner to obtain detailed information, before scanning the planets with the DSS. Planets to look out for are earth-like worlds and water worlds, which can net over 3 million credits each if fully scanned. Players should make their way outside the Bubble so that they can scan systems that haven’t yet been visited by other players, which nets a hefty credit bonus.
8Ground Combat
Engage In Conflict To Make Money Off Engagements
With the Odyssey DLC introducing atmospheric planets andallowing players to walk around on planets and stations, ground combat is now an option for making money. This is best done by locating systems in a state of war, and then using Frontline Solutions at a station to be transported to a ground conflict zone.
Keep in mind that ground combat can be risky and that players will likely need G3 gear to do well in high-intensity conflict zones. With the right gear and some practice, ground combat could net players a decent haul of somewhere around 20-30 million credits an hour.
9Anti-Xeno Combat
A Great Source Of Income For Skilled Players
Players may also want to participate in anti-xeno combat, fighting against Thargoids, an alien race that humanity is in a war against inElite Dangerous. Thargoid hunting can be extremely challenging, so it’s best to have at least some combat experience before getting started in this area. The best thargoid hunters can make up to 100 million credits an hour, though this takes a great deal of skill and practice to achieve. For those new to anti-xeno combat, it’s best to start small. Fighting Thargoid Scouts is easy enough, and from there players should work their way up to fighting Interceptors.
Interceptors are harder and require specific builds to effectively counter. Ships like the Chieftain or Krait Mk.II are good options. Make sure to have at least some engineering on modules, a good amount of hull and module reinforcement packages, and an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit. There are multiple weapons to choose from, but the best is probably the Guardian gauss cannon and remote flak launcher. It’ll take some practice and probably some rebuys to get the hang of it, but Thargoid hunting is a well-paying and thoroughly enjoyable activity for those who can master it.
10Mining
Get Ore To Sell Through Laser Mining
Mining is one of the more lucrative sources of income, and with the right ship and setup players could earn well over 100 million credits an hour. There are two main types of mining, core and laser. Laser mining is the easiest and most profitable, but core mining is more engaging and may be preferable for some. The best ships for mining are the Python or Type-9, though for beginners something like the Cobra Mk.III is a good choice.
Laser mining ships need a refinery, prospect and collector limpet controllers to gather the ore, surface scanners, and a decent amount of cargo racks. Core mining ships are slightly more involved and will require abrasion blasters, seismic charger launchers, and pulse wave scanners. To laser mine, find asteroid rings with overlapping hotspots, use prospector limpets to find the right asteroid, and simply fire the lasers to start extracting ore. Core mining is more advanced and requires the use of explosives, so new players may want to avoid this until they have more experience.
