Galleon vs. Frigate — What's the Difference?

Large, multi-decked ships used for long voyages and warfare.

Designed for speed and agility, ideal for reconnaissance and escort duties.

Featured high stern castles and substantial cargo space.

Carried lighter armament, focusing on strategic engagement.

Evolved from earlier ship designs to meet the needs of exploration and warfare.

Contributed to protecting merchant convoys from pirates.

Served as the backbone of colonial fleets, transporting goods and troops.

Played a key role in naval tactics, emphasizing maneuverability.

Heavily armed to engage in naval battles.

Reflecting naval strategy shifts towards more dynamic and fast-paced engagements.

Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the mid-1600s. Galleons generally carried three or more masts with a lateen fore-and-aft rig on the rear masts, were carvel built with a prominent squared off raised stern, and used square-rigged sail plans on their fore-mast and main-masts.

A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, ships classified as frigates have had very varied roles and capabilities.

A sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th to the 18th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were typically square-rigged and had three or more decks and masts

A warship that is smaller than a destroyer and used primarily for escort duty.

A large three-masted sailing ship with a square rig and usually two or more decks, used in the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s, especially by Spain as a merchant ship or warship.

A high-speed, medium-sized sailing war vessel of the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s.

A large, three masted, square rigged sailing ship with at least two decks.

(Obsolete) A fast, light vessel, such as a sailboat.

A sailing vessel of the 15th and following centuries, often having three or four decks, and used for war or commerce. The term is often rather indiscriminately applied to any large sailing vessel.

(nautical) Any of several types of warship:

A large square-rigged sailing ship with three or more masts; used by the Spanish for commerce and war from the 15th to 18th centuries

(historical) A sailing warship (of any size) built for speed and maneuverability; typically without raised upperworks, having a flush forecastle and tumblehome sides.

(historical) A sailing warship with a single continuous gun deck, typically used for patrolling and blockading duties, but not considered large enough for the line of battle.

(historical) A warship combining sail and steam propulsion, typically of ironclad timber construction, supplementing and superseding sailing ships of the line at the beginning of the development of the ironclad battleship.

(historical) A escort warship, smaller than a destroyer, introduced in World War 2 as an anti-submarine vessel.

A modern type of warship, equivalent in size or smaller than a destroyer, often focused on anti-submarine warfare, but sometimes general purpose.

(fictional) A warship or space warship, inspired by one of the many historic varieties of frigate.

A frigatebird (Fregata spp.).

Originally, a vessel of the Mediterranean propelled by sails and by oars. The French, about 1650, transferred the name to larger vessels, and by 1750 it had been appropriated for a class of war vessels intermediate between corvettes and ships of the line. Frigates, from about 1750 to 1850, had one full battery deck and, often, a spar deck with a lighter battery. They carried sometimes as many as fifty guns. After the application of steam to navigation steam frigates of largely increased size and power were built, and formed the main part of the navies of the world till about 1870, when the introduction of ironclads superseded them.

Any small vessel on the water.

A medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries

A United States warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser

Frigates were smaller, sleeker, and had a single continuous deck, designed for speed and maneuverability, unlike the larger, bulkier galleons.

While galleons were not typically pirate ships due to their size and crew requirements, they were often targets of piracy due to their valuable cargoes.

Galleons were primarily used for oceanic voyages, warfare, and transporting valuable goods and troops across vast distances.

Frigates were used for scouting enemy positions, delivering messages, protecting merchant convoys, and engaging in fast, hit-and-run attacks.

While original ships are rare, replicas and preserved models of galleons and frigates can be found in museums and used in historical reenactments.

Galleons had heavier and more numerous armaments spread across multiple decks, while frigates carried fewer, lighter cannons for speed.

Frigates were crucial for their speed and agility, allowing navies to scout, communicate, and engage in tactical warfare more effectively.

Beyond their military role, frigates were used for exploration, showing the flag, and diplomatic missions due to their speed and range.

Advances in naval architecture, armament, and the need for faster, more maneuverable ships led to the decline of galleons in favor of more agile ship designs.

While possible, direct engagements were uncommon due to their different roles and capabilities; frigates often avoided combat with larger, more heavily armed ships.