The ocean of Elite Dangerous is vast and deep, so a few guides, able explorers, and other resources are extremely useful in navigating it successfully, and there’s no one better placed to make these crucial recommendations than the expert players in our community - so we asked them. This masterguide has been carefully curated from their picks of the most reliable, up-to-date, and helpful sources of information; consider it a guide to Elite’s guides. 

While the online resources below are varied, we’ve decided to exclude third-party tools, as we’re going to create a bespoke list to reflect the great number of them available. We’ve split the Elite Dangerous resources below into the following subheadings: anti-Xeno, lore and narrative, communities and community content, guides and how-tos, knowledge centres and information hubs, generalist YouTubers and streamers, and other essential resources. Given the length of this list, if you’re looking for something specific, we suggest using search (‘CTRL’ + ‘F’ on Windows) to find what you’re looking for. Introduction over; let’s get stuck in!  

Anti-Xeno gameplay

AXI (Anti-Xeno Initiative) - a community website and humanity-defence force

When it comes to battling the Thargoid invasion, the AXI is the ultimate player-led community. It’s composed of Commanders who’ve dedicated themselves to humanity’s rescue by defending threatened systems, studying Thargoids, and perfecting battle tactics. Our community member RicZA describes them as a “prime example of a community group that puts massive effort into providing resources to help others and further research”. RicZA continues: “they do wonders in helping the wider Elite community organise themselves; the latest Thargoid incursion is a great example of this.”

CMDR Mechan - the go-to anti-Thargoid YouTuber

Crimes against humanity while tackling Thargoid Titans aside, CMDR Mechan is a well-respected and much-loved YouTuber focused on anti-Xeno gameplay. In addition to DarthHunter69 and RicZA, Gadnok highly recommends his content: 

“CMDR Mechan is the #1 source for anti-Xeno combat, anti-Xeno ship builds, and Thargoid war updates. He’s also the overseer of the Anti-Xeno Initiative Discord.”

DCoH Thargoid Overwatch - your watchdogs against the Thargoid threat 

For those who wisely always want to keep an eye on the Thargoid threat, MIBE7070's data- and community-driven recommendation of DCoH Thargoid Overwatch contains all the information you’ll ever need. Find out who’s winning and how you can help.

Lore, narrative, and events

Canonn - a community-compiled study of Elite science and lore 

Multiple community members recommended the science and lore codex Canonn. Formally known as the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, it's an independent cooperative of thousands of Commanders committed to discovering the mysteries of the universe. Here’s what DarthHunter69 says about it: 

“While it’s not essential per se, it offers some really cool information about interesting things in the game, such as lore, anomalies, points of interest, events, expeditions, and actual science players have done.” 

For some tasty Elite lore, check out the Canonn pages recommended by Luriant on Thargoid structures, INRA settlements, and generation ships.

Elite Dangerous Lore and History / Drew Wagar - a YouTube channel deepdiving on Elite’s narrative

If you love learning about deep Elite lore, few are better equipped to teach it in an engaging manner than fantasy and sci-fi author Drew Wagar, a pillar of the Elite community, who we’re proud to call a member of Just About Elite. Drew, who contributed to writing Elite’s original narrative, was recommended by Luriant among others, thanks to their longform video series on the history of the Elite galaxy. On Drew’s website, you can also discover the Elite Dangerous novels they’ve written.

Galnet News Digest - a YouTube channel that summarises Elite Dangerous news

To understand Galnet News Digest, first you need to understand what Galnet News is. Fortunately, USCSS provided a succinct explainer for another bounty we ran: 

“Galnet is the news service within the Elite Dangerous universe. It serves as the official source of information about major events, conflicts, political changes, and discoveries across the game's galaxy. Their digests cover events that impact all players, as well as stories about key factions or important characters in the universe. Galnet also provides updates on game changes and community events, connecting players to the persistent world of Elite Dangerous.” 

For those of you who don’t have time for the broadsheets, Galnet News Digest is here to give you the headlines. As Gadnok says, “they read the news so you don’t have to.” And as Luriant notes, they also publish a special annual playlist filled with important info.

Mattius - a mystery-busting YouTube channel 

HakunaYourTatas nominated Mattius, a content creator with an eye for Elite’s enigmas:

“If you’re into the mysteries and unresolved questions of Elite Dangerous, I’d recommend Mattius. They go into a lot of different theories and lay out evidence discovered over the years, such as in their videos on Raxxla.”

Watch the first 30 seconds; you’ll be hooked:  

Miserichorde agrees, adding: 

“Mattius’s videos were the first lore videos I really got into watching when I started the game. I still go back and watch his stuff over again - always learning something new and making new connections in the lore.”

Community spaces and community content

Cosmic Independent Agency - a German-language-friendly player initiative   

If you’re looking for a friendly group of German-speaking players, check out Rac's nomination of the Cosmic Independent Agency (CIA/TCIA). As well as their website (linked above), they have a squadron site on Inara, a Discord channel, and their founder and leader Lt-Psych has a great Twitch channel.

Discord

Unsurprisingly in a game with such a committed community, there are a lot of Elite Dangerous Discord servers out there, ranging from this general 20,000+ member community server recommended by CMDR-ANW1RZ to servers dedicated to the most niche of niche pursuits. If you’re looking for a Discord server to match your gameplay style, check out this excellent Reddit post breaking down dozens of different options. 

Élite Dangereuse - an impressive community-content powerhouse 

Kings and queens of player-made content, Élite Dangereuse are very active on Just About Elite. As well as video guides like the one shared below, the Élite Dangereuse website is filled with amazing, professional missions crafted by their many members. Here’s a quick video guide recommendation from long-standing Just About member and new Elite Dangerous player Josh B:

“In terms of video games, Elite can feel quite overwhelming for complete newbies, and as someone with no previous knowledge, some guides bamboozled me. This one, however, was concise, really helpful, and helps provide the basics required to expand into more complex video guides.” 

Just About Elite Dangerous - a low-toxicity Elite Dangerous community with real-money rewards

Seeing as we’ve let a few community members self-promote here, we’ll slip in a self-plug of our own. Just About Elite Dangerous is the new low-toxicity, Frontier-partnered, community home of Elite Dangerous. Via fun challenges with real-money rewards, we turn player expertise into in-depth gameplay guides, photographic showcases, and lots more fun content. Loads of the other creators and resources featured in this guide are part of our community, so you can mingle here with Elite’s elites. Seeing as you’re reading this, you’re probably already a member. But if you’ve just stumbled upon us, be sure to dig deeper! 

Pilots’ Trade Network - a welcoming community of entrepreneurial players

Sergeant Rogers, CMDR-ANW1RZ, and Randomgazz recommend the Pilots’ Trade Network (PTN) - a fun and vibrant community focused on making millionaires out of us all. Here’s Randomgazz with a bit more detail:

“They’re a friendly and welcoming community covering all aspects of gameplay, with the motto ‘We exist to make you rich’. They can help you out with anything, but most importantly: credits!”

All of the nominators also suggest checking out PTN’s Discord.

Reddit 

Reddit may not always be able to boast Just About’s low-toxicity credentials, nor our rewards, but we’d be the first to admit to the vast amount of super-useful Elite content you’ll find there. Chances are that if you have a question about Elite, someone has previously had it answered on Reddit. The main Elite subreddit is r/EliteDangerous, about which RicZA says: “There are countless answers to many questions newer players might have. It’s also a great way to stay up to date with new discoveries or sights.”

As pointed out by SergeantRogers, there are plenty of focused subreddits too, such as r/eliteexplorers or r/eliteminers. You can find a great breakdown of the subreddits here.

Tutorials, guides, and how-tos

CMDRs’ Toolbox - a website dedicated to guides and tools

Created by the folks behind Down to Earth Astronomy, CMDRs’ Toolbox is packed with ship-building guides and gameplay guides, as well as some helpful third-party tools like a shield tester and material finder. Here’s the recommendation from Block9: 

“It’s a site with answers to questions about everything. You can find guides on how to rank up faster and easier, you can find locations for Guardian blueprints, and you can find loads of cool, useful content. I always use it!”

Dituri’s Elite - a knowledgeable YouTuber who’s all about fun-per-hour 

DarthHunter69 has a recommendation for a guide-based YouTuber whose content is great for both beginners and more experienced players: 

“Yes, there are many brilliant creators out there, but Dituri is straight to the point and provides excellent results. The best part about CMDR Dituri's tutorials is that he focuses on making you actually have fun while playing the game instead of giving you the most boring and repetitive method of achieving your goals.”

Down to Earth Astronomy - an educational YouTuber

While at the time of writing this Elite Dangerous educational resource list, Down to Earth Astronomy hasn’t published a new video in a while, their content is held up to be among the best published on the game. From their eight-year YouTubing career, there are countless still-relevant tutorials to discover, which RicZa and CMDR Henckes describe as unmissable.

EDTutorials by Exigeous - a YouTube channel with endless Elite resources

Gentleman pirate and Elite mentor, EDTutorials is another Elite Dangerous content creator held up as one of the best of the best. Gadnok describes their channel as “the most extensive library of guides covering everything Elite Dangerous”. The companion website - EDtutorials.com - is currently unavailable.

Hawkes Gaming - a slick, guide-based YouTube channel 

Four different community members independently nominated Hawkes Gaming, a YouTube creator focused on publishing high-quality sci-fi game guides, footage, and walkthroughs. They’re up to date, in-depth, frequent, and slickly executed. Here’s a recommendation from HakunaYourTatas:

“Hawkes Gaming is a great channel for guides and information about Elite Dangerous. They’re a particularly great content creator for people wanting to learn different play styles. They also have a fantastic ship review video, which is how I first stumbled upon them:” 

Pixel Bandits - older players teaching the younger generation a thing or two

Rookie player Josh B returns with a second recommendation, this time for the website Pixel Bandits, in which he found “the most insightful” written game guides. Pixel Bandits are all about old dogs teaching new tricks; their tagline is “gaming for the older generation”, and they even describe themselves as “gaming since the days of the Amstrad”.

Ricardo’s Gaming - a popular guide-based YouTuber

Ricardo is a lifelong gamer, sci-fi lover, walkthrough-provider, and let’s play player. His YouTube channel - as recommended by RicZA - is another source of guides you’d be a fool to miss. They’re accessible, fun, and informative. His 16,000 subscribers agree. Plus, they’re a member of our community (hi, RicardosGaming!). 

Vindicator Jones - combat-focused YouTuber and revered pilot

If you’re looking to become the greatest fighter pilot in the galaxy, you might want to start with Vindicator Jones’s bootcamp. According to Gadnok, you’ll “learn to dogfight like a pro in a single afternoon with VJ’s combat guides.”

StealthBoyElite - YouTuber and master of infiltration

Both Luriant and CMDR-ANW1RZ recommend StealthBoyElite’s content, with the latter simply saying: “If you can, watch this guy.” StealthBoy’s channel is full of Elite guides, both clandestine and otherwise. Here’s his intro video: 

Knowledge centres and information hubs

Edcodex - a directory of Elite Dangerous resources

Not a million lightyears away from this very Elite Dangerous guide you’re reading, Edcodex (EDC) is a site dedicated to documenting and listing all of the Elite Dangerous links, resources, and tools you’ll ever need. It was nominated by SergeantRogers, Luriant, and CMDR Henckes. If you’re searching for a niche tool or guide that you can’t find elsewhere - even here - chances are you’ll find it via Edcodex.    

The Elite Dangerous wiki - the most complete catalogue of Elite Dangerous info

A veritable Alexandrian Library of Elite Dangerous information, the longstanding Wiki offers a near-endless amount of in-depth Elite info covering everything from lore to advanced game mechanics. Here’s Doc:

“The Wiki is a great place to find reliable information. There are detailed articles on everything, for instance: ships, engineers, and missions. Usually the articles are filled with links to other articles on related features, so you can easily keep reading to satisfy all your learning needs.”

And here’s DarthHunter69:

“It’s essential, and covers a lot of information you won't find in-game, or at least not in such a clear straightforward format. For example, engineers: if you want to know which engineers unlock which other engineers, the wiki will not only tell you the requirements but all the modifications they offer. It’s the easiest, fastest way of learning about Elite.”

The Frontier forums - an active forum with endless helpful threads 

RicZA accurately describes the official Elite Dangerous forums as a “wealth of information”, but notes that finding what you’re looking for may “sometimes require a bit of sifting.” As Luriant notes, some players (looking at you, Alec_Turner) have already gone through the forum and pulled out some of the best bits. JHenckes rates the forums too, describing them as “an excellent place to ask questions, find guides, and discuss the game with experienced players.”

Inara - the ultimate Elite Dangerous companion website

Here we are, the big one. We lost count of how many community members recommended Inara, but it felt like more did than didn’t. BZSm1th describes it as “the go-to companion site”, Rac calls it “the must-know Elite website”, Block9 playfully terms it “Elite Dangerous’s Google”, and CmdrTravisRobicheaux says Inara is an all-caps “MUST”. Here’s DarthHunter69’s recommendation:

“Inara is the quintessential resource for CMDRs of all playstyles. It shows trade routes, best commodity prices, the nearest of whatever you're searching for, and much more. Technically you could play Elite without Inara, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

And here’s Sergeant Rogers:

“This is the most important site of them all. Here, you can find out a ton of info, mostly on where things are in the wide galaxy of Elite. For example: say you’ve just planned a ship outfit but don't know where to find all the different modules. Instead of going via every station one by one, visit Inara’s outfitting search and type in the modules you need.” 

Here’s one from CMDR Henckes: 

“Inara is my number one recommendation. It isn’t just a database, it’s one of the most complete Elite Dangerous websites. As well as learning where to acquire everything you need, you’ll be able to track in-game progression, read news about the galaxy, learn about the community, find squadrons, search for help, and share your discoveries, experiences, and screenshots.” 

Finally, to emphasise just how recommended Inara is, here’s one more from RicZA:

“Inara has it all. It’s my one-stop resource for trading and commodity needs. They have engineering guides, great features for fleet management, sections on squadrons, and trackers for community goals and conflicts. You can even earn medals for achieving certain goals, which - as a completionist - I find to be quite exciting.” 

Generalist YouTubers and Twitch streamers  

Breaker of Worlds - a YouTube channel that explores different elements of Elite gameplay

One of Gadnok’s recommendations was their own YouTube channel. Before you cry foul play, we’ve done our homework and can confirm that it’s really very good: 

“Shameless plug; I’m CMDR Gadnok, Breaker of Worlds. I've been making Elite Dangerous content on YouTube for three years now, following the launch of the Odyssey expansion. I've made some guides, but I mostly focus on exploration and AX combat by making music videos featuring ED cinematics and gameplay footage showing how fun and awesome this simulation truly is! 

“There are countless more creators out there for this great game; it lends to the creative mind both in entertainment value and raw galactic beauty. New players will quickly learn that Elite isn't so much a game as a lifestyle, with many resources to help find what you need. See you in the black, Commanders!”

Brother Sabathius - a laidback and knowledgeable Twitch streamer 

Don’t worry, Gadnok didn’t only nominate themselves. They also recommended several other great YouTubers, starting with Brother Sabathius: “The most informative and chill streamer, who’s an expert on the game and active within Odyssey gameplay.”

The Buur Pit - one of Elite’s most popular YouTube channels 

This next husband-and-wife YouTube channel is undoubtedly one of Elite’s finest. The fun, professional, and educational channel was recommended by Henckes, RicZA, and Gadnok, who says: “They’re the best for game news, updates, resources, and cinematics.”  

Ghost Giraffe - a joyful and creative YouTube channel

The Ghost Giraffe brings an infectious fun energy to Elite content. We received multiple nominations for Ghost Giraffe; this one is from Doc: 

“You’ll find no shortage of Elite Dangerous videos on YouTube, but I’d like to recommend a very creative and funny content creator: the Ghost Giraffe channel. He’s not the standard tutorial guy, his content is smart and comes with a good sense of humour. Take a look at one of my personal favourites:”

NinjaSpaceUnicorn - a helpful and friendly Twitch streamer

If you’re a new player and the game just feels too big, Rac recommends NinjaSpaceUnicorn - a multi-game streamer “who loves to help new players.”

Obsidian Ant - a YouTube channel focused on space sims 

Another popular YouTuber, sci-fi and sim specialist Obsidian Ant was recommended by RicZA and and CMDR Henckes, thanks to their insightful game news and reviews.

The Pilot - a YouTube channel filled with insightful ship reviews

We’ve got one more Elite Dangerous YouTuber recommendation from HakunaYourTatas. With 55,000 subscribers, it’s safe to say that The Pilot is another need-to-watch Elite channel, and it’s ideal for those choosing their next ship to work towards:

“I would recommend The Pilot's videos in which he reviews every ship in a very entertaining way. There are other ship review videos out there but I find myself just watching his for the entertainment.”

Here’s an example: 

Stormseeker - a highly recommended Spanish-language YouTube and Twitch creator

We’ve already recommended Elite Dangerous content for German speakers, but how about a content creator who publishes excellent videos and Twitch streams in Spanish? MQC provides the lowdown:

“For all those Spanish-speaking new Commanders, you’ll get great guides, tips, tests, and constructive gameplay advice, thanks to the magnificent Stormseeker. On their channel, you’ll find fantastic live broadcasts from a veteran player and Frontier Partner. There are countless Commanders who, over the last ten years, have known and fallen in love with this magnificent game thanks to the great videos created by this pillar of Spanish-language content creation.” 

That’s a strong recommendation. But if you’ve any questions unanswered, you can always ask Stormseeker. 

Twitch

We’ve nominated a number of Twitch streamers on this list already, though as we noted in our Elite Dangerous starter guide, there’s no shortage of friendly, helpful Elite Twitch streamers. You’ll also find livestreams from the devs, complete with some top-notch Twitch Drops.

Other essential Elite Dangerous resources

The Fuel Rats (and the Hull Seals) - your knights in shining hulls

First things first, let’s get one thing straight: the Fuel Rats and the Hull Seals rock. Remember that ocean of Elite Dangerous we mentioned in the intro? Well the Fuel Rats and Hull Seals are basically an interstellar lifeboat service, as DarthHunter69 explains: “They’ll come and rescue you out in the black if you run out of fuel or your ship’s hull is critically low.” 

More than just rescue services, they’re communities of volunteers and heroes, saving the galaxy one Commander at a time. Don’t believe us? At the time of writing, the Fuel Rats have made 155,964 rescues. 

Lave Radio - a longstanding Elite Dangerous podcast

Here’s another self-promotion that we’re allowing through due to its undeniable quality. Largely focused on lighthearted discussion, opinion, and news, Lave Radio also often features interviews with Frontier members and other special guests. We’ll hand over to Alec_Turner for the honours: 

“Well if nobody else is gonna say it then I will… Lave Radio! We put out our 500th show yesterday! It's the hottest show this side of Diso, the show that celebrates the universe of Elite Dangerous and the fantastic community that surrounds it. Now in its eleventh year!”

And for the record, someone else did say it; here’s Gadnok:

“It’s the longest running ED podcast, consistently delivering news, Elite-inspired ads, and discussion with fun Commanders!”

You can find it on YouTube too.

X/Twitter

Finally, we have Xitter. Several members pointed out how active the Elite Dangerous Twitter account is, including RicZA:

“They’re worth following to keep up to date with game developments, they also hold the #stellarscreenshots contest, with their followers showcasing some amazing shots of their journeys.”

Of course, if you’re looking for another Twitter account to follow that’ll be regularly posting Elite Dangerous competitions, there is one other account to follow… ahem. 

Above, you should find educational resources, guides, and content creators to cover every aspect of Elite Dangerous. We’ll eventually run another iteration of the bounty that led to this list, where you’ll get a chance to earn real-money rewards for recommending Elite Dangerous guides and creators. If you have a great recommendation that can’t wait until then, add it in the reply section and we’ll update the article to include it! 

Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording here. Image credit: Frontier Developments