Inter-hub arbitrage: ship × mode
Buy in Jita, haul to Amarr. How to pick the hauler and trade mode, read a route row and keep risk in check while maximising profit.
Key takeaways
- Arbitrage = buy cheap in one hub, haul it, and sell higher in another. Profit = price gap − both-side fees − the cost and risk of hauling; in effect you're paid for cargo risk.
- Pick the hauler by profit density (ISK/m³), not raw volume: Blockade Runner ~4–5k m³ (low risk, cloaky warp), Freighter ~1M m³ (high-sec, slow). Expensive compact goods often beat cheap bulky ones.
- Trade mode: Instant — sell straight into existing buy orders (fast, lower margin); Patient — place your own sell orders (higher margin, slower, can be undercut). The app computes both numbers on the route row.
- Risk = the security of the path: high-sec low, low-sec medium, null-sec high. A low-risk route with a smaller margin often beats a 'fat' null run you only complete one time in three.
The idea
The same item costs differently in different hubs. Arbitrage is buying where it’s cheap, hauling it, and selling where it’s expensive. Profit = price gap − both-side fees − the cost and risk of hauling. That last part is the key difference from station trading: you’re paid for cargo risk.
Which hauler should you pick?
Three classes with very different holds. The Blockade Runner — a compact hold (on the order of 4–5k m³) but a cloaky warp and low-sec passage: small volume, low risk. The Freighter — a huge hold (on the order of a million m³) for high-sec routes, but slow and conspicuous. The Jump Freighter — jumps directly along a chain, skipping gates, but burns fuel.
Real cargo is computed from your hauling skills, and the “ISK/m³” column shows profit density per cubic metre — that’s what decides what’s worth hauling when volume is limited. Expensive compact goods often beat cheap bulky ones: on a single Blockade Runner run they earn more than a Freighter full of junk.
Sell now or place an order?
Instant — sell immediately into existing buy orders: fast, no waiting, but lower margin (you cross the spread and sell at the buyer’s price). Patient — place your own sell orders: higher margin, but slower and with the risk of being undercut. The app computes both numbers on the route row so you can see the price of speed.
The app doesn’t show routes with no instant buyer at all: if the goods can’t be sold immediately into anyone’s buy orders, the destination is treated as having no real buyers — and that’s not a trade, it’s a way to get stuck.
Is the null-sec route worth it?
Risk = the security of the path. High-sec is calmest (low risk), low-sec is medium, null-sec is high: there you can be caught and lose the cargo. The more valuable the load, the more attractive it is to gankers. A low-risk route with a smaller margin often beats a “fat” null run you complete one time in three.
The risk filter in “Arbitrage” hides everything above the chosen level — set it to “low” until you’re ready to haul through low- and null-sec. And remember the liquidity gate: the app filters out illiquid destinations by daily volume, so you don’t haul goods with nowhere to sell them.
How to read a route row
A collapsed row is the “item: from → to” pairing with the best numbers. Expand it and inside is a ship × mode matrix: for each cell — the achievable quantity (how much fits and how much is for sale), profit per trip, capital needed, margin and ISK/m³. The “best” cell is by ISK/m³, the way the backend ranks it.
Weigh profit per trip against the capital and risk it needs: a high profit that ties up half your wallet in one null-sec load isn’t the same as a modest but safe, repeatable Blockade Runner trade. Sorting by margin, profit per trip, volume or ISK/m³ lets you look from the angle you need.
FAQ
How is inter-hub arbitrage profit calculated in EVE?
Profit = the price gap between hubs − both-side fees (broker and tax) − the cost and risk of hauling. That's the key difference from station trading: you're paid for cargo risk.
Which hauler should I pick in EVE Mercator?
Look at the ISK/m³ column (profit density), not raw volume. The Blockade Runner (~4–5k m³) is low-risk with a cloaky low-sec warp; the Freighter (~1M m³) is high-sec but slow and conspicuous. Expensive compact goods on a single Blockade Runner run often earn more than a Freighter full of junk.
What's the difference between Instant and Patient mode?
Instant sells immediately into existing buy orders — fast, but lower margin because you cross the spread and sell at the buyer's price. Patient places your own sell orders — higher margin, but slower with a risk of being undercut. Mercator computes both numbers on the route row.
Is it worth hauling through null-sec for a bigger margin?
Often no. Risk = the security of the path: high-sec low, low-sec medium, null-sec high, where you can be caught and lose the cargo. A low-risk route with a smaller margin usually beats a 'fat' null run you complete one time in three. Set the risk filter to 'low' until you're ready.