Who has the cheapest shipping rates for small packages?

There are countless small parcel carriers across the U.S., but FedEx, UPS, and USPS are the most ubiquitous. So, which one among the three offers the cheapest small parcel shipping for e-commerce and retail businesses looking to ship small packages? Find out in this blog!

How Much Does UPS Charge to Send a Small Package?

UPS considers packages that weigh 70 pounds and under as small packages. Packages that weigh between 71 and 150 pounds are deemed 'large packages.' Packages that weigh more than 150 pounds are considered freight.

In the table below, you will find the rate ranges for sending small packages via various UPS services.

	UPS Small Parcel Service
Weight	UPS Next Day Air Early	UPS Next Day Air	UPS Next Day Air Saver	UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.	UPS 2nd Day Air	UPS 3-Day Select	UPS Ground
1–10 pounds	$65.00–$241.38	$35.00–$220.81	$31.71–$166.88	$23.64–$125.26	$21.64–$122.21	$13.66–$81.74	$10.10–$112.33
11–20 pounds	$87.74–$336.20	$57.74–$334.89	$51.04–$244.25	$34.07–$204.68	$30.87–$185.36	$24.10–$131.10	$14.10–$166.06
21–30 pounds	$104.81–$407.52	$74.81–$401.18	$68.28–$323.01	$52.04–$280.59	$46.53–$259.15	$33.51–$180.11	$16.69–$219.32
31–40 pounds	$122.69–$489.82	$92.69–$473.74	$85.35–$391.28	$68.58–$368.28	$58.69–$335.80	$44.84–$226.57	$20.19–$265.35
41–50 pounds	$145.49–$572.75	$115.49–$553.61	$104.26–$468.37	$85.90–$435.70	$76.65–$370.88	$54.94–$269.82	$23.03–$316.11
51–60 pounds	$173.79–$698.48	$143.79–$681.86	$123.26–$571.10	$104.82–$511.04	$86.54–$440.32	$65.10–$315.87	$24.79–$366.36
61–70 pounds	$200.53–$782.36	$170.53–$768.24	$144.21–$656.79	$116.75–$597.70	$101.07–$495.98	$73.06–$374.64	$26.03–$422.73

UPS Fastest Standard Service

If you need shipping speed and opt for UPS' fastest standard service, UPS Next Day Air Early, you will pay between $65.00 and $782.36 to ship a small package. If, on the other hand, your priority is low rates, you can send your package using UPS Ground, for which you will pay between $10.10 and $422.73.

Who Is the Cheapest to Ship a Small Package?

The three major small package shipping carriers are UPS, FedEx, and USPS. We've already seen UPS' small package rates above. Let's look at FedEx and USPS rates below.

	FedEx Service
Weight	FedEx First Overnight	FedEx Priority Overnight	FedEx Standard Overnight	FedEx 2Day A.M.	FedEx 2Day	FedEx Express Saver	FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery
1–10 pounds	$68.04–$199.53	$37.04–$168.53	$33.87–$165.22	$25.37–$127.21	$22.59–$106.40	$21.03–$91.63	$10.10–$22.40
11–20 pounds	$93.53–$280.16	$62.53–$ 249.16	$55.08–$241.82	$36.28–$ 206.09	$33.06–$176.30	$32.41–$149.10	$14.17–$36.17
21–30 pounds	$109.85–$367.87	$78.85–$ 336.87	$73.68–$319.81	$57.43–$276.22	$49.83–$243.54	$45.48–$205.05	$16.80–$51.83
31–40 pounds	$128.73–$435.45	$97.73–$404.45	$92.11–$387.40	$74.31–$ 362.84	$63.05–$312.64	$61.81–$ 259.57	$20.29–$63.95
41–50 pounds	$149.28–$510.78	$118.28–$479.78	$112.52–$462.75	$94.83–$ 438.26	$82.33–$359.69	$79.96–$308.02	$23.15–$74.72
51–60 pounds	$185.48–$613.46	$154.48–$582.46	$133.04–$565.44	$114.67–$522.93	$93.47–$424.98	$91.63–$373.06	$24.85–$81.11
61–70 pounds	$214.21–$698.31	$183.21–$667.31	$151.33–$650.28	$133.01–$602.70	$108.74–$479.00	$104.68–$436.39	$26.09–$85.57

	USPS Service
Weight	Priority Mail Express	Priority Mail	USPS Retail Ground
1–10 pounds	$29.20–$158.55	$9.35–$104.50	$8.95–$40.90
11–20 pounds	$49.05–$221.95	$15.95–$177.55	$15.20–$68.60
21–30 pounds	$71.95–$308.15	$24.00–$231.75	$23.00–$95.60
31–40 pounds	$98.55–$398.25	$34.25–$277.40	$34.05–$113.65
41–50 pounds	$125.35–$494.15	$39.65–$314.90	$37.95–$127.85
51–60 pounds	$151.70–$593.30	$43.15–$350.55	$40.85–$141.20
61–70 pounds	$179.85–$688.20	$48.45–$401.35	$47.35–$161.75

UPS Vs. FedEx. Vs. USPS: Who Has the Cheapest Shipping Costs For a Small Package?

To get an idea of which carrier offers the cheapest shipping cost with tracking rates, we will compare a few of their services.

Let's begin by comparing the quickest services of each carrier:

	UPS Next Day Air Early	FedEx First Overnight	Priority Mail Express
Cost to ship a small package (41–50 pounds)	$145.49–$572.75	$149.28–$510.78	$125.35–$494.15

The rates above show that USPS has the cheapest shipping rate for express small parcel shipping. However, USPS Priority Mail Express is slower than UPS, and FedEx express services.

	UPS	FedEx	USPS
Cost to ship a small package (41–50 pounds) via Ground Shipping	$23.03–$316.11	$23.15–$74.72	$37.95–$127.85

When it comes to ground shipping, we can see that FedEx offers the cheapest small package prices.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Send a 2 Pound Package?

	UPS Service
	UPS Next Day Air Early	UPS Next Day Air	UPS Next Day Air Saver	UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.	UPS 2nd Day Air	UPS 3-Day Select	UPS Ground
Cost range to ship a 2-pound package	$66.66–$147.14	$36.66–$117.25	$33.48–$100.05	$24.03–$53.53	$22.01–$81.66	$14.44–$39.18	$10.90–$66.96

	FedEx Service
	FedEx First Overnight	FedEx Priority Overnight	FedEx Standard Overnight Delivery	FedEx 2Day A.M.	FedEx 2Day	FedEx Express Saver	FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery
Cost range to ship a 2-pound package	$68.53–$139.71	$37.53–$108.71	$36.13–$99.05	$25.82–$53.72	$23.51–$45.44	$21.42–$39.92	$10.90–$14.75

	USPS Service
	Priority Mail Express	Priority Mail	USPS Retail Ground
Cost range to ship a 2-pound package	$29.70–$76.60	$9.80–$33.85	$9.60–$15.00

The above data shows that United States Postal Service Retail Ground is the cheapest way to ship a 2lb package.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Send a 50 LB Package?

	UPS Service
	UPS Next Day Air Early	UPS Next Day Air	UPS Next Day Air Saver	UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.	UPS 2nd Day Air	UPS 3-Day Select	UPS Ground
Cost range to ship a 50-pound package	$161.19–$572.75	$131.19–$553.61	$121.53–$468.37	$99.18–$435.70	$86.21–$370.88	$61.47–$269.82	$24.73–$316.11

	FedEx Service
	FedEx First Overnight	FedEx Priority Overnight	FedEx Standard Overnight	FedEx 2Day A.M.	FedEx 2Day	FedEx Express Saver	FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery
Cost range to ship a 50-pound package	$169.83–$510.78	$138.83–$479.78	$131.18–$462.75	$108.49–$438.26	$92.61–$359.69	$85.19–$308.02	$24.84–$74.72

	USPS Service
	Priority Mail Express	Priority Mail	USPS Retail Ground
Cost range to ship a 50-pound package	$149.10–$494.15	$42.85–$314.90	$40.65–$127.85

The cheapest way to send a 50-pound package is through FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery.

How ShipSigma Can Help

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Frequently Asked Questions About Small Package Shipping Rates

Does USPS offer cheaper express shipping than UPS or FedEx for small packages?

For express service on a 41-to-50-pound package, USPS Priority Mail Express ($125.35 to $494.15) is less expensive at the low end than UPS Next Day Air Early ($145.49 to $572.75) and FedEx First Overnight ($149.28 to $510.78). However, USPS Priority Mail Express has a slower delivery window than the overnight guarantees offered by UPS and FedEx. Shippers who require the fastest guaranteed delivery window will generally pay more through UPS or FedEx.

What carrier has the lowest ground shipping rates for small packages?

FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery offers the lowest ground shipping rates among the three major carriers for most small package weight classes. For a 41-to-50-pound package, FedEx Ground starts at $23.15 and tops out at $74.72, compared to UPS Ground ($23.03 to $316.11) and USPS Retail Ground ($37.95 to $127.85). The ceiling difference is especially significant for heavier packages shipping across longer zones.

How much does it cost to ship a 2-pound package via USPS Retail Ground?

USPS Retail Ground costs between $9.60 and $15.00 to ship a 2-pound package, making it the least expensive option among the three major carriers at that weight. By contrast, UPS Ground ranges from $10.90 to $66.96, and FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery ranges from $10.90 to $14.75 for a 2-pound package. The rate spread across carriers at this weight class is relatively narrow for the lowest-zone shipments.

How do small package shipping rates change as package weight increases?

Rates rise across all carriers and service tiers as package weight increases, with the growth steeper for express services than for ground. UPS Ground rates for a 1-to-10-pound package start at $10.10, while rates for a 61-to-70-pound package start at $26.03. UPS Next Day Air Early spans $65.00 to $200.53 across the same weight range, showing how premium service tiers carry substantially higher per-pound cost increases.

What is UPS's weight threshold that separates small packages from large packages?

UPS classifies packages weighing 70 pounds and under as small packages. Packages between 71 and 150 pounds are considered large packages, and anything over 150 pounds is classified as freight. This classification determines which service tiers and rate tables apply to a given shipment.