Not the discount tier's usual matchup. UPS Ground Saver is the direct rival most comparisons run against FedEx Ground Economy; this page puts it against UPS's standard Ground service instead, which quotes faster and every time. Across five weights on two lanes on 2026-08-21, FedEx Ground Economy won the middle of the ladder and UPS Ground won both ends.
The crossover happens twice: once climbing into the middle weights, once falling out of them.
Five boxes, one carton size per weight, quoted on 2026-08-21 through the SMKlog checkout. A dash means the carrier did not return a rate among the options the engine kept for that box.
| Box and weight | UPS Ground | FedEx Ground Economy | Cheaper carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 × 6 × 4 in, 1 lb | $10.31 | no rate returned | UPS, by default |
| 12 × 9 × 6 in, 5 lb | $14.05 | $17.61 | UPS, clearly |
| 16 × 12 × 10 in, 10 lb | $21.94 | $21.87 | FedEx, barely |
| 18 × 14 × 12 in, 20 lb | $27.48 | $26.59 | FedEx, narrowly |
| 24 × 18 × 18 in, 50 lb | $47.42 | $62.08 | UPS, clearly |
On this lane the crossover is narrow: FedEx Ground Economy edges ahead at 10 and 20 lb by a few cents to well under a dollar, then loses badly at 50 lb. UPS Ground also had the only rate at 1 lb, since FedEx did not return one for that box.
| Box and weight | UPS Ground | FedEx Ground Economy | Cheaper carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 × 6 × 4 in, 1 lb | $12.99 | no rate returned | UPS, by default |
| 12 × 9 × 6 in, 5 lb | $19.30 | no rate returned | UPS, by default |
| 16 × 12 × 10 in, 10 lb | $29.55 | $24.69 | FedEx, by real money |
| 18 × 14 × 12 in, 20 lb | $44.38 | $36.63 | FedEx, by real money |
| 24 × 18 × 18 in, 50 lb | $80.12 | $92.81 | UPS, clearly |
Coast to coast the same crossover shows up wider. FedEx Ground Economy skipped both light boxes entirely on this longer lane, then beat UPS Ground by a wide margin at 10 and 20 lb, then lost again at 50 lb. UPS Ground was the only carrier of the two that priced every weight on both lanes.
Both lanes agree: FedEx Ground Economy wins at 10 and 20 lb. That is also the exact weight band where the site's other comparisons found it strongest against different rivals, so this is not an artifact of picking UPS Ground specifically.
Where FedEx Ground Economy simply had no rate to offer, at 1 lb on both lanes and at 5 lb coast to coast, UPS Ground always did. A shipper who needs one carrier to count on for every weight gets that from UPS Ground here, not FedEx.
Both windows widen with distance, but FedEx Ground Economy's widens more: 5-6 days on the short lane against 9-10 coast to coast, while UPS Ground only slips from 4-5 to 6-7. The price win at 20 lb costs three to four extra days once the lane gets long.
All ten rows are live SMKlog checkout quotes, captured 2026-08-21 for the exact boxes and ZIP pairs shown, and reused here from the same capture behind our general package-cost guide. Both carriers reprice on their own schedule; requote your own box before buying.
In the middle weights, yes. Across ten quotes on two lanes on 2026-08-21, FedEx Ground Economy beat UPS Ground at 10 and 20 lb on both routes, by real money on the coast-to-coast lane and by pennies on the shorter one. UPS Ground won at every weight where FedEx did not return a rate, and it won outright at 50 lb on both lanes.
No. In this capture it did not return a rate for a 1 lb box on either lane, or for a 5 lb box on the coast-to-coast lane, while UPS Ground quoted every weight on both routes. Below a certain weight and on longer lanes, UPS Ground was the only one of the two with a price at all.
On the shorter lane the windows were close, 4-5 business days for UPS Ground against 5-6 for FedEx Ground Economy. Coast to coast the gap widened sharply: UPS Ground quoted 6-7 business days while FedEx Ground Economy quoted 9-10, even on the weights where Ground Economy was the cheaper of the two.
UPS Ground, on both lanes. At 50 lb, UPS Ground quoted $47.42 against FedEx Ground Economy's $62.08 on the shorter route, and $80.12 against $92.81 coast to coast. The economy tier's discount does not hold at the heavy end of this ladder.