USPS against UPS, in full
The complete ten-rung ladder for these two, including the exact crossover weight where the lead flips.
Three-way snapshot
USPS vs UPS vs FedEx: Which Is Cheapest in 2026?
Most comparisons pick two carriers and argue. We put all three in the same request at four benchmark weights on two routes, captured the results on 2026-08-21, and kept score. This page holds the overview; the pairwise deep dives are linked below it.
Four checkpoint weightsBoth coasts testedCheapest quote per carrier shown
No permanent champion
Each network priced the same cardboard differently, and the cheapest carrier changed at almost every checkpoint as the weights climbed.
Cross weight with distance: 1–50 lb, eight destinations, quoted 2026-08-23
The checkpoint tables below hold two fixed routes. This grid holds one origin — Newark, NJ 07102 — against eight destinations at four weights, so distance can move on its own. Each cell holds the cheapest quote that carrier returned for that box and destination; a dash means the carrier returned nothing on that lane.
Two carriers drop out completely at the ends of this range. FedEx returned no rate at all for a 1 lb box on any of the eight destinations we quoted — USPS and UPS were the only bidders, and USPS Ground Advantage undercut UPS Ground on every one of the eight, from a 43-cent lead in Hoboken, NJ ($8.93 against $9.36) to a wider lead in Los Angeles and Seattle ($11.12 against $12.99). USPS has the opposite hole at 50 lb: it returned no rate at all on any of the same eight lanes, leaving UPS and FedEx as the only two carriers bidding, with UPS Ground the cheaper of their two cheapest quotes every time ($26.39 against $35.51 in Hoboken, $80.12 against $92.81 in Los Angeles and Seattle).
In between, the cheapest carrier tracks distance more than weight. At 20 lb, USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest of the three to nearby Hoboken, NJ ($14.83) and Philadelphia, PA ($15.05), but it loses every longer lane we quoted: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle all price cheaper on UPS Ground Saver or FedEx Ground Economy. On five of those six it is also the priciest of the three; Chicago is the exception, where the $24.63 USPS row still undercuts FedEx Ground Economy at $26.59. Los Angeles and Seattle come down to four cents: $36.63 on FedEx Ground Economy against $36.67 on UPS Ground Saver. At 5 lb the order flattens: UPS Ground Saver was the cheapest carrier on all eight lanes we quoted, and USPS ran second everywhere except Philadelphia, PA, where it returned only a $13.68 USPS Priority Mail quote and no Ground Advantage rate at all.
1 lb (9x6x4 in) — FedEx does not bid at this weight
| Destination | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | $8.93 Ground Advantage | $9.36 Ground | – |
| Philadelphia, PA | $9.01 Ground Advantage | $9.36 Ground | – |
| Atlanta, GA | $9.91 Ground Advantage | $10.69 Ground | – |
| Chicago, IL | $9.91 Ground Advantage | $10.31 Ground | – |
| Dallas, TX | $10.09 Ground Advantage | $12.12 Ground | – |
| Denver, CO | $10.29 Ground Advantage | $12.40 Ground | – |
| Los Angeles, CA | $11.12 Ground Advantage | $12.99 Ground | – |
| Seattle, WA | $11.12 Ground Advantage | $12.99 Ground | – |
5 lb (12x10x6 in) — UPS Ground Saver wins every lane
| Destination | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | $10.43 Ground Advantage | $10.37 Ground Saver | $11.42 Ground Economy |
| Philadelphia, PA | $13.68 Priority Mail | $10.37 Ground Saver | $11.42 Ground Economy |
| Atlanta, GA | $14.02 Ground Advantage | $13.52 Ground Saver | $14.31 Ground Economy |
| Chicago, IL | $14.02 Ground Advantage | $13.52 Ground Saver | $17.61 Ground Economy |
| Dallas, TX | $16.00 Ground Advantage | $15.49 Ground Saver | $16.22 Ground Economy |
| Denver, CO | $16.97 Ground Advantage | $16.47 Ground Saver | $17.52 Ground Economy |
| Los Angeles, CA | $19.64 Ground Advantage | $19.14 Ground Saver | $20.50 Ground Economy |
| Seattle, WA | $19.64 Ground Advantage | $19.14 Ground Saver | $20.50 Ground Economy |
20 lb (16x12x10 in) — USPS wins nearby, loses everywhere else
| Destination | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | $14.83 Ground Advantage | $17.01 Ground Saver | $16.47 Ground Economy |
| Philadelphia, PA | $15.05 Ground Advantage | $17.01 Ground Saver | $16.47 Ground Economy |
| Atlanta, GA | $24.63 Ground Advantage | $23.00 Ground Saver | $23.22 Ground Economy |
| Chicago, IL | $24.63 Ground Advantage | $23.00 Ground Saver | $26.59 Ground Economy |
| Dallas, TX | $29.62 Ground Advantage | $27.40 Ground Saver | $26.71 Ground Economy |
| Denver, CO | $33.87 Ground Advantage | $31.43 Ground Saver | $32.61 Ground Economy |
| Los Angeles, CA | $39.46 Ground Advantage | $36.67 Ground Saver | $36.63 Ground Economy |
| Seattle, WA | $39.46 Ground Advantage | $36.67 Ground Saver | $36.63 Ground Economy |
50 lb (20x16x14 in) — USPS does not bid at this weight
| Destination | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | – | $26.39 Ground | $35.51 Ground Economy |
| Philadelphia, PA | – | $26.39 Ground | $35.51 Ground Economy |
| Atlanta, GA | – | $47.42 Ground | $58.19 Ground Economy |
| Chicago, IL | – | $47.42 Ground | $62.08 Ground Economy |
| Dallas, TX | – | $59.74 Ground | $70.77 Ground Economy |
| Denver, CO | – | $71.42 Ground | $83.88 Ground Economy |
| Los Angeles, CA | – | $80.12 Ground | $92.81 Ground Economy |
| Seattle, WA | – | $80.12 Ground | $92.81 Ground Economy |
Cheapest per carrier is not the same as the only quote each carrier returned, so here are the rows those four tables leave out. At 1 lb the same lanes also carried USPS Priority Mail, $11.00 to Hoboken up to $16.35 to Denver, with UPS 3 Day Select and 2nd Day Air above both at $13.48 and $14.47 to Hoboken. At 5 lb, UPS Ground sat above Ground Saver everywhere, $11.24 to Hoboken up to $19.30 to Los Angeles and Seattle. At 20 lb it did the same, $19.51 nearby and $44.38 coast to coast. At 50 lb, FedEx Ground priced above Ground Economy on all eight lanes, $36.83 to Hoboken and Philadelphia up to $113.53 to Los Angeles and Seattle, and UPS 3 Day Select ran $34.79 to Hoboken and $142.70 to Los Angeles and Seattle.
Checkpoint weights, three bids each, 2026-08-21
Each cell holds the least expensive quote that carrier returned for the box, with the service named underneath. Boxes were sized realistically per weight, and a dash records a carrier that sat the request out.
Going east: Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303
| Checkpoint | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | $9.48 Ground Advantage | $10.52 Ground Saver | $12.42 Ground Economy |
| 5 lb | $13.29 Ground Advantage | $12.85 Ground Saver | $14.31 Ground Economy |
| 10 lb | $15.73 Ground Advantage | $16.77 Ground Saver | $17.36 Ground Economy |
| 20 lb | $24.63 Ground Advantage | $23.00 Ground Saver | $23.22 Ground Economy |
Going west to east: Los Angeles, CA 90011 to New York, NY 10001
| Checkpoint | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | $13.04 Ground Advantage | $12.95 Ground Saver | – |
| 5 lb | $17.30 Ground Advantage | $16.88 Ground Saver | – |
| 10 lb | $22.80 Ground Advantage | $23.44 Ground Saver | $27.42 Ground Economy |
| 20 lb | $39.46 Ground Advantage | $36.67 Ground Saver | $40.53 Ground Economy |
The story is messier than a single crossover weight. USPS took the 2 lb checkpoint east but lost it west by nine cents. UPS led at 5 lb on both routes, then USPS came back to win 10 lb east and west, before UPS closed it out at 20 lb on both lanes. A snapshot is all this can be; the ranking reshuffles whenever carriers refile.
Zoom into any matchup
UPS against FedEx, in full
The private duel of the two economy ground tiers, where one-cent margins are documented fact.
Every service, every weight
The unabridged grid behind this page: all quoted services at all ten weights on both routes.
Three carriers, four honest answers
Which of the three carriers is cheapest?
None of them, permanently. In our 2026-08-21 quotes UPS took every 20 lb checkpoint and every 5 lb checkpoint, USPS and UPS split the 2 lb checkpoints by lane, and 10 lb went to USPS both times. The cheapest carrier is a property of your specific box and lane on a specific day, which is exactly why quoting all three at once matters.
How close were UPS and FedEx really?
At the 20 lb eastern checkpoint, twenty-two cents: $23.00 for UPS Ground Saver against $23.22 for FedEx Ground Economy. At 10 lb east the spread widened to fifty-nine cents. These two shadow each other closely enough that the tiebreaker is often the delivery window, not the price.
Why is FedEx missing from some western rows?
On the Los Angeles to New York route, FedEx returned nothing for the 2 and 5 lb requests in our capture; its first appearance came at 10 lb with a $27.42 Ground Economy quote. Carriers filter which services they offer per box and lane, so absences like this are normal and worth knowing about before you assume three bids.
Do I pick the carrier myself or does SMKlog pick for me?
You see every option the request returned, ranked with prices and windows, and the choice is yours. The totals shown are what checkout collects, SMKlog's charge included, and you can buy as a guest.
Does USPS ever stop bidding entirely?
Yes. In our 2026-08-23 grid of eight destinations out of Newark, NJ 07102, USPS returned no rate at all for a 50 lb box on any of the eight lanes — UPS and FedEx were the only two carriers still bidding, and UPS Ground was the cheapest quote on every lane. The lightest checkpoint has the opposite hole: FedEx returned nothing for a 1 lb box on any of the same eight lanes, leaving USPS Ground Advantage and UPS Ground as the only bidders there.
Does the cheapest carrier change with distance, not just weight?
Yes, and it is a bigger factor than the weight checkpoint alone. At 20 lb, USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest of the three carriers to nearby Hoboken, NJ ($14.83) and Philadelphia, PA ($15.05), but every longer lane in our 2026-08-23 grid prices cheaper on UPS Ground Saver or FedEx Ground Economy, including a near-tie where FedEx Ground Economy beat UPS Ground Saver by four cents to Los Angeles and Seattle ($36.63 against $36.67). Chicago is the one long lane where USPS is not the priciest of the three: FedEx Ground Economy quoted $26.59 there against $24.63 on USPS Ground Advantage.