Should you use FedEx or UPS? Both are reliable shipping solutions with a slew of services. Read this blog to learn how to make the right choice for your business.
UPS specializes in domestic ground package delivery and has a larger fleet of ground vehicles than FedEx
Both UPS and FedEx Ground deliver to every state in less than a week
Easyship offers users discounted shipping rates, including FedEx and UPS
If you’re new to the world of shipping, UPS and FedEx probably look the same to you. Both are express couriers that offer better tracking and faster service than government postal services.
Still, these two are competitors – so what’s the difference between them? Is FedEx or UPS shipping cheaper? Which offers faster delivery times? Which is more reliable?
At Easyship, we wanted to know whether it's FedEx or UPS that has better rates for:
Cross-country domestic shipping between cities?
Cross-country domestic shipping between rural areas?
Short distances?
Shipping internationally?
Join us as we compare these two top courier companies – FedEx and UPS – to get the cheapest rates.
UPS vs. FedEx: The Differences
Before we talk about exact prices, let's highlight the ways in which FedEx and UPS differ in their approach to service.
UPS specializes in domestic ground package delivery and has a larger fleet of ground vehicles. FedEx specializes in global air express freight and has double the airplanes as UPS. This suggests that FedEx should offer cheaper rates on international shipping and UPS better rates on domestic.
Both companies offer a range of shipping services at various delivery speeds and prices, from Ground to Overnight and Flat Rate services. Both companies have physical store locations around the US, though FedEx has far more.
UPS also offers Supply Chain and Freight services like supply chain management, customs brokerage, and freight distribution. This means UPS can be a partner as you scale into global eCommerce sales.
FedEx has partnered with the US Postal Service for many eCommerce shipments. FedEx handles most of the shipment transport via jet, then hands off the last mile delivery to USPS for final delivery. This helps FedEx to reduce costs and accelerate delivery times for domestic shipping.
For the specific case of our experiment: UPS shipping uses different volumetric weight formulas for domestic and international shipments, seen below:
Volumetric weight for a 13” x 12” x 2” box using UPS domestic: 2 lbs
Volumetric weight for a 13” x 12” x 2” box using UPS international: 3 lbs
For FedEx, the volumetric weight for a 13” x 12” x 2” box, regardless of whether it’s being shipped internationally or domestically, is 3 lbs.
Takeaway: If you plan on shipping a 2-pound package domestically in a medium-sized box, UPS shipping would give you a better rate than FedEx.
FedEx vs. UPS: Ground Services Compared
FedEx and UPS are direct competitors. This means that every service they offer tends to match closely to the others in terms of price, delivery times, and features. For example, here's how UPS and FedEx compare in terms of their most common service: ground.
FedEx Ground vs. UPS® Ground
Both services offer ground-based shipping within the domestic US. Here's how they compare.
FedEx Ground Service Details
Delivery lead times between 1 - 5 five business days within the contiguous US; 3-7 business days for Hawaii and Alaska
Delivers Monday - Friday
No weekend delivery
The weight limit is 150 pounds (68 kg); the length limit is 108 inches (274 cm) and 130 inches (330 cm) for girth
Offers guaranteed delivery
Packages insured up to $100
Package tracking
UPS® Ground Service Details
Delivers within 1 - 6 days within all 50 US states
Delivers Monday - Friday
No weekend deliveries
Weight limit of 150 pounds (68 kg)
Offers guaranteed delivery
Offers up to $100 in insurance
Package tracking
Takeaway: Both UPS and FedEx Ground deliver to every state in less than a week. Delivery times are comparable, come with a guarantee, and include tracking.
Update: Both companies have halted their delivery guarantees until the end of COVID-related restrictions.
Now let's compare the rates of UPS and FedEx to find who is the cheapest.
Let’s assume we ship something on a Monday from San Francisco, CA to New York, NY.
Domestic Shipping
Below are the rates for cross-country domestic shipping rates between major US cities, with fuel surcharges included:
Rates for 3 lb. package (13" x 12" x 2") from SF to NY
Courier
Service
Delivery Time
Cost in USD
UPS
UPS Next Day Air® Early
Next business day, 8 AM
$255.07
FedEx
First Overnight
Next business day, 8 AM
$291.50
UPS
UPS Next Day Air®
Next business day, 10:30 AM
$218.85
FedEx
Priority Overnight
Tuesday, 10:30 AM
$254.07
UPS
UPS Next Day Air Saver®
Next business day, 3 PM
$194.25
FedEx
Standard Overnight
Next business day, 3 PM
$241.55
FedEx
2 Day 2 AM
1-2 business days by 10:30 AM
$183.56
UPS
UPS 2nd Day Air®
1-2 business days
$127.11
FedEx
2 Day
1-2 business days
$158.06
UPS
UPS 3 Day Select®
1-3 business days
$84.72
FedEx
Express Saver
3 business days
$129.75
UPS
UPS Ground®
1-5 business days
$33.43
FedEx
Ground
3 business days
$41.48
Both companies offer similar, time-sensitive services at very similar example rates. However, FedEx’s rates are cheaper than UPS for domestic city-to-city shipping.
For some reason, FedEx did not provide a quote for their Ground service, so we will assume that UPS shipping provides the cheapest rate for ground service if you are shipping a small package cross-country.
Below, we get cheaper example rates on the same shipment by using Easyship. In fact, we see that UPS is actually cheaper for certain services.
Courier
Service
Delivery Time
Cost in USD
Easyshp Cost
UPS
UPS Next Day Air® Early
Next business day, 8 AM
$255.07
$109.76
FedEx
First Overnight
Next business day, 8 AM
$291.50
--
UPS
UPS Next Day Air®
Next business day, 10:30 AM
$218.85
$79.76
FedEx
Priority Overnight
Tuesday, 10:30 AM
$254.07
--
UPS
UPS Next Day Air Saver®
Next business day, 3 PM
$194.25
$73.76
FedEx
Standard Overnight
Next business day, 3 PM
$241.55
--
FedEx
2 Day 2 AM
1-2 business days by 10:30 AM
$183.56
--
UPS
UPS 2nd Day Air®
1-2 business days
$158.06
$60.98
FedEx
2 Day
1-2 business days
$158.06
--
UPS
UPS 3 Day Select®
1-3 business days
$84.72
$32.62
FedEx
Express Saver
3 business days
$129.75
--
UPS
UPS Ground®
1-5 business days
$33.43
$19.86
FedEx
Ground
3 business days
$41.48
--
*UPS example rates listed are based on UPS daily rates
When sending a small package in the US, FedEx shipping provides cheaper rates if you are paying retail prices. But if you use Easyship, UPS will have a better rate.
Want to see the accurate best-possible rates on your shipment? Try our free shipping calculator! From FedEx to UPS to USPS, this is the fastest way to find the best rates anywhere for your specific shipment.
UPS vs FedEx: Domestic rates between rural areas
Now let's compare rates for sending our 3-pound package between two rural areas, instead of cities. For this example, I chose to ship from a small town in California (Saint Helena) to a remote town in Maine (Shirley Hills).
Express couriers are known to add additional surcharges for remote area deliveries, so we wanted to see how much more it would cost to ship a small package cross-country from one rural area to another.
Courier
Service
Delivery Time
Cost (Retail) in USD
UPS
UPS Next Day Air® Early
Tuesday, 2 PM
$123.90
FedEx
First Overnight
---
---
UPS
UPS Next Day Air®
Tuesday, End of Day
$92.33
FedEx
Priority Overnight
Tuesday, 4:30 PM
$90.87
UPS
UPS 2nd Day Air®
Wednesday, End of Day
$42.21
FedEx
2 Day
Wednesday, 4:30 AM
$41.56
UPS
UPS 3 Day Select®
Thursday, End of Day
$34.71
FedEx
Express Saver
Thursday, 4:30 PM
$34.21
UPS
UPS® Ground
Monday, End of Day
$16.91
FedEx
Ground
3 - 6 Working Days
---
Surprisingly, example rates are not that much more expensive.
For example, shipping between two major cities coast to coast via UPS Next Day Air® costs $89.64, whereas doing something similar between 2 rural towns coast to coast turns out to be $92.33 – and this is with a remote area and fuel surcharge included.
A notable difference is that there are less amount of services to remote areas than if you are shipping to a major city. Additionally, in this case, UPS offered one more service than FedEx did.
And here are the UPS vs. FedEx rates that are cheaper with Easyship:
3 lb. package from St. Helena, CA to Shirley Mills, ME
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
UPS® Ground Saver
6 working days
Regular
$11.77
FedEx Express Saver®
2 - 3 working days
Excellent
$13.05
UPS® Ground
5 working days
Excellent
$13.16
FedEx 2Day®
2 working days
Excellent
$14.35
FedEx Ground® Economy
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$15.19
UPS 3 Day Select®
3 working days
Excellent
$19.84
UPS 2nd Day Air®
2 working days
Excellent
$20.02
FedEx Ground®
1 - 3 working days
Excellent
$21.14
UPS Next Day Air®
1 working day
Excellent
$56.29
UPS Next Day Air® Early
1 working day
Excellent
$86.29
FedEx Priority Overnight®
1 working day
Excellent
$108.59
Just like our last example, retail rates on FedEx were slightly cheaper than UPS. However, if you use Easyship, UPS will give you a better rate.
Takeaway: FedEx provides cheaper rates if you are paying retail prices when sending a small package cross-country between rural towns. If you use Easyship, UPS will have a better rate. In this case, UPS offered one more service option to this remote area than FedEx did.
UPS vs FedEx: rates over short distances
How do FedEx and UPS  compare when it comes to delivering over short distances? Let’s compare prices from Los Angeles, CA to Las Vegas, NV:
Rates for 3 lb. Package from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
Courier
Service
Delivery Time
Cost (Retail) in USD
UPS
UPS Next Day Air® Early
Next business day
$241.32
FedEx
First Overnight
Next business day
$145.81
UPS
UPS Next Day Air®
Next business day
$205.10
FedEx
Priority Overnight
Next business day
$108.37
UPS
UPS Next Day Air Saver®
Next business day
---
FedEx
Standard Overnight
Next business day
$103.52
UPS
UPS 2nd Day Air® AM
1-2 business days
---
FedEx
2 Day 2 AM
1-2 business days
$63.08
UPS
UPS 2nd Day Air®
1-2 business days
$89.90
FedEx
2 Day
1-2 business days
$76.37
UPS
UPS 3 Day Select®
1-3 business days
$65.27
FedEx
Express Saver
3-4 business days
$54.22
UPS
UPS® Ground
1-5 business days
$29.34
FedEx
Ground
3-6 business days
---
When it comes to short distances, example rates for both are very close. Sometimes the difference is less than a dollar. In this case, it's best to choose a delivery speed that best suits your customers.
Once again, here are the UPS vs. FedEx rates from LA to Las Vegas that are cheaper with Easyship.
Rates for 3 lb Package from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
UPS® Ground Saver
2 working days
Regular
$5.98
UPS® Ground
1 working day
Excellent
$6.13
UPS 3 Day Select®
3 working days
Excellent
$10.47
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®
2 working days
Excellent
$12.39
UPS 2nd Day Air®
2 working days
Excellent
$15.19
UPS Next Day Air Saver®
1 working day
Excellent
$25.30
UPS Next Day Air®
1 working day
Excellent
$30.95
UPS Next Day Air® Early
1 working day
Excellent
$60.95
FedEx Ground® Economy
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$7.38
FedEx Ground®
1 - 3 working days
Excellent
$13.25
FedEx 2Day®
2 working days
Excellent
$15.65
FedEx Express Saver®
2 - 3 working days
Excellent
$25.54
FedEx 2Day® A.M.
2 working days
Excellent
$31.53
FedEx Standard Overnight®
1 working day
Excellent
$45.70
FedEx Priority Overnight®
1 working day
Excellent
$53.46
If you use Easyship, UPS still has the cheaper example rates, especially if you’re looking for Ground services.
Takeaway: FedEx shipping provides cheaper rates if you are paying the retail price when sending a small package at shorter distances. If you use Easyship, UPS will have a better rate.
UPS vs FedEx: Shipping Internationally
Last but not least – how do the couriers compare when you are shipping internationally? Let’s look at the UPS vs. FedEx example rates from San Francisco to London.
Rates for 3 lb. Package From SF, CA to London, UK
Courier
Service
Delivery Time
Cost (Retail) in USD
UPS
UPS Worldwide Express®
2 business days
$377.13
FedEx
International First
2-3 business days
$485.70
UPS
UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
Within 2 business days
$426.03
FedEx
International Priority
1-3 business days
$423.76
UPS
UPS Worldwide Saver®
---
---
UPS
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
3-4 business days
$349.83
FedEx
International Economy
4-6 business days
$344.04
With the exception of FedEx International First service, FedEx again has slightly cheaper rates than UPS. However, it appears that UPS shipping offers one more service than FedEx international shipping does in this example.
And here are the example rates by using Easyship.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$20.36
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
4 working days
Excellent
$42.36
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2 working days
Excellent
$45.17
UPS Worldwide Express®
2 working days
Excellent
$50.17
FedEx International Economy®
2 - 3 working days
Excellent
$140.68
FedEx International Priority®
1 - 2 working days
Excellent
$146.31
‍
As you can see, Easyship can really bring down those example rates if you need to ship internationally in an expedited time frame. (Psst - for a more in-depth look at shipping internationally, check out our last blog post, What is the cheapest way to ship internationally?)
Conclusion: When sending a small package internationally, FedEx (for the most part) provides cheaper rates if you are paying retail prices. If you use Easyship, FedEx also has better rates.
UPS vs FedEx: Which is best?
Our examples show that both UPS and FedEx had similar rates, delivery speeds, reliability, and service options.
If we were to choose a winner based on retail rates, FedEx wins in all four of our examples.
However, when using Easyship, UPS had more favorable rates, with the exception of shipping internationally. FedEx still had the cheaper rates on international air freight.
Other takeaways:
If you plan on shipping something that is 2 lbs domestically using a medium-sized box, UPS would give you a better rate than FedEx.
Rates drop dramatically at the 2nd-day mark when you’re shipping domestically. If you need to send something right away but the overnight rates are too high, 2nd day is your best bet.
When deciding between the two, it may come down to the number of services offered for your route or the timing that you need your package delivered.
Pro Tip: Use a Rate Calculator to Save Time
You can skip all these comparisons by using the free shipping rate calculator from Easyship. Just enter your shipment details into the calculator rather than bouncing back and forth between UPS and FedEx. You'll get real-time, accurate rates from the courier's websites – but all rates will show the Easyship discount.
Remember our example of shipping internationally from SF to London? The cheapest rate was $55 for FedEx and $84 for UPS.
But can we get a better rate? Here's what we see for a 3 lb. package sent from San Fransisco to London.
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When it comes to cheap shipping, it's important to consider all your options. And this is the beauty of a free rate calculator. You get the best UPS vs. FedEx rates, plus the best rates from any courier that ships to your destination.
Save up to 90% on FedEx Services With Easyship: Boost Profits Now
Easyship is the top shipping and logistics company working with a network of over 250 couriers worldwide. This has put us in a position to negotiate some of the best shipping discounts with leading couriers, and we can help you reduce your FedEx shipping expenses by up to 90%!
We are the first shipping platform to offer the full bundle of 13 new FedEx delivery services for growing businesses. That means you can now save up to 90% on FedEx services through Easyship's all-in-one dashboard. Try it for yourself and start saving today!
Easyship customers are the first to access new discounted shipping rates on all 13 FedEx services, including:
FedEx® One Rate
FedEx 2-Day®
FedEx 2-Day A.M. ®
FedEx Express Saver®
FedEx Ground®
FedEx Ground® Economy
FedEx Ground® returns
FedEx Home Delivery®
FedEx® International Connect Plus
FedEx International Economy®
FedEx International Priority®
FedEx Priority Overnight®
FedEx Standard Overnight®
We also offer a range of easy-to-use shipping tools, to help streamline your shipping experience and delight your buyers. Popular features include:
Shipping Rate Calculator: You can use our shipping rate calculator to compare shipping rates from different carriers
Comparison Tool: With our courier comparison tool, you can compare the different shipping services offered by each courier, allowing you to choose your cheapest way to ship based on other factors, not just the cost
Insurance: To help keep your packages safe in transit, Easyship offers you insurance up to $10000
Tracking: From custom-branded tracking emails to automatic message alerts, Easyship helps you maintain package visibility with your buyers throughout the delivery process
Shipping API: With its developer-friendly design, Easyship’s API enables you to seamlessly incorporate powerful shipping and logistics capabilities into your existing infrastructure
FedEx vs UPS FAQ
Which is more reliable – FedEx or UPS?
Typically, reliability is a service feature that you pay extra for. However, both UPS and FedEx offer package tracking, insurance, and delivery guarantees on most if not all of their services. FedEx specializes in international air freight, and so might be a better choice for overseas shipping. UPS is a domestic shipping specialist and might prove to be more reliable within the US.
Which is better for large international packages – FedEx or UPS?
FedEx specializes in international air freight, while UPS focuses its efforts on domestic shipping. Both couriers set a weight limit of 150 pounds for international shipments. Exceeding this weight will result in additional fees from either courier. Use a rate calculator to compare the rates for your specific shipment size.
See how UPS and FedEx stack up against other competitors: