The best upgrades in Moon Sweepers are the ones that multiply everything after them: better brushes first, a garage and your first vehicle as soon as you can afford them, then the sale bonuses (Market Contracts, followed by Lunar Exchange), and finally J.O.O.N.A.S. robots, which do the cleaning while you are away. The upgrade most players say to skip is the Auto-Packer.
That order matters more than any single purchase, because the game gives you a whole Moon and very little guidance. Below we cover how upgrades work, the buying order we would follow, the vehicles and robots worth the money, and what to leave alone. Official details are verified against the Moon Sweepers Steam page and DragDrop Games’ patch notes up to version 1.0.5; prices and percentages that come from players on the game’s Steam forum are labeled as theirs, and they may move as the developer rebalances progression.
How Upgrades Work in Moon Sweepers
There are three places to spend money:
- The upgrade matrix inside your station, which players describe as holding the tool, economy and region upgrades.
- The garage, where you buy vehicles and their upgrades. Since patch 1.0.3, any garage can upgrade your vehicles.
- The supply wall, which since patch 1.0.4 holds the helmet lamp upgrades.
In co-op, DragDrop Games’ 1.0.3 patch notes changed the rules: the whole crew uses the host’s upgrade matrix, and anyone’s purchase upgrades everyone. Vehicles are different; players report each one belongs to whoever bought it.
Building mistakes are cheap now too. The 1.0.5 patch made removing a piece refund its whole price instead of 75%, so structures are never a wasted upgrade.
Best Upgrades, in the Order We Would Buy Them
- Better brushes. Your toothbrush is the slowest tool in the game, and almost every player upgrades a brush within minutes (as of October 30, Steam lists 97.9% of players with the Get A Better Brush achievement). Each better tool cleans faster and carries more dust per trip.
- The region upgrades. You are paid for every section and region you finish, not only for the dust you sell. Players on the forum say the upgrades that raise those payouts are worth buying early, since they pay you back while you clean.
- A garage and your first vehicle. One player suggests saving about $700 after a few broom upgrades to afford the garage and the push vacuum. Vehicles carry far more than any hand tool, and a garage lets you sell their loads by belt (our guide to selling from the garage covers the setup).
- Market Contracts. An economy upgrade with three levels that raises the price of everything you sell. One player who bought all three reports a total bonus of 18% per sale.
- A second tool slot. Players use it to carry the building tool alongside their best broom, so you can lay belts without a trip home. Later slots hold extras such as the jetpack and gravity boots.
- Vehicle speed upgrades. Players single out speed as the vehicle upgrade they feel most, especially on the Ride-On Sweeper, which one player reports reaching about 55 km/h when maxed.
- Night Vision Goggles. A $350 suit upgrade added in patch 1.0.4. Press N to cycle between the helmet lamp, the goggles and off; with the goggles on, nights look like daytime, so you never lose a work session to the dark.
- Lunar Exchange. The next sale bonus after Market Contracts. Players report it adds another 10% on top, for a total of about 28% per sale.
- J.O.O.N.A.S. The robot that wins the endgame. Players report each one costs $20,000. Since patch 1.0.4 they keep cleaning with no players nearby, clean twice as fast as before and launch their capsules to the nearest Capsule Catcher, so every one you buy adds cleaning that never stops.
Upgrades to Skip or Delay
- Auto-Packer. The in-game description players quote reads: “When a container is full while you clean, the tool packs a capsule at your feet by itself.” It does not carry or sell the capsule, and players on the forum call it the one upgrade to skip. If you want hands-free selling, build a belt instead (our auto sell guide explains it).
- Tool storage upgrades. One player found it cheaper to buy the next tool than to upgrade the storage of the current one, since the next tool carries more and cleans a wider strip anyway.
- Supplier Network. Players report that by the time you can afford it, you have probably unlocked your tools already, and that it is mainly worth buying because the last economy unlock requires it.
- Upgrades after everything is maxed. Several players report having everything upgraded long before the Moon is clean. Past that point, money only buys more J.O.O.N.A.S. robots and catchers.
Vehicles and Robots Worth the Money
| Purchase | What players say about it |
|---|---|
| Push vacuum | The first step up from brooms, usually bought with the garage |
| Ride-On Sweeper | Called the fastest vehicle by players, good for exploring for flags |
| Lunar Sweeper | Praised by players as agile, good for patches between clean ground |
| Mega Vacuum Rover | The last vehicle; one player reports a fully upgraded capacity of 5,700 kg, but it is slow and wider suction slows it further |
| Robot vacuums | Clean a fixed area around them; players disagree on whether they are worth it once you can afford J.O.O.N.A.S. |
| J.O.O.N.A.S. | The endgame engine; plan Capsule Catchers for every robot fleet |
On the Mega Vacuum Rover, players recommend using cruise and boost together and scrolling the mouse wheel to set suction, then driving long straight strips rather than chasing single hexes.
DragDrop Games has said its first content update, Update 1.1, planned for December 2026, brings more tools and upgrades and expanded progression, with a focus on making the late game more rewarding. Expect this order to change when it lands. For the basics before your first upgrade, see our beginner tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I upgrade first in Moon Sweepers? Your brush. A better cleaning tool speeds up every trip after it, so it is the cheapest way to earn more money early.
Are upgrades shared in co-op? Yes, since patch 1.0.3. The crew uses the host’s upgrade matrix, and anyone’s purchase upgrades everyone. Vehicles still belong to the player who bought them.
Is the Auto-Packer worth it? Players say no. It only drops a capsule at your feet when your tool fills up, so you still have to carry or belt it to a station.
How much does J.O.O.N.A.S. cost? Players report $20,000 per robot. It is the best late-game purchase, because it keeps cleaning when you are elsewhere.
Do Market Contracts and Lunar Exchange stack? Players report they do: about 18% from three levels of Market Contracts plus 10% from Lunar Exchange, for roughly 28% more per sale.