The ultimate comparison matrix for international shipping carriers
Lowest prices for personal shipments
Best B2B and ground services
Fastest and most reliable
Best for Europe and Asia
| Feature | USPS | UPS | FedEx | DHL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $14.25 | $45+ | $50+ | $45+ |
| Speed Range | 1-21 days | 1-7 days | 1-5 days | 1-4 days |
| Max Weight | 70 lbs | 150 lbs | 150 lbs | 150 lbs |
| On-Time Performance | Variable by service | Strong on guaranteed services | Strong on guaranteed services | Strong on guaranteed services |
| Tracking Quality | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| Insurance Included | $0-200 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| Fuel Surcharge | Lowest of the four | Variable, indexed monthly | Variable, indexed monthly | Variable, indexed monthly |
| Residential Fee | None | Per-package surcharge | Per-package surcharge | Per-package surcharge |
| Remote Area Fee | None | Applies to designated ZIPs | Applies to designated ZIPs | Applies; can be substantial |
| Flat Rate Options | Yes | No | No | No |
| Saturday Delivery | Limited | Available | Available | Limited |
| Money-Back Guarantee | Express only | Yes | Yes | Limited |
A note on the "Insurance Included" row: the included indemnity is rarely enough for higher-value items. For the decision rule on when to add coverage and how international claims actually work, see shipping insurance. Pricing differences between carriers also depend on dimensional weight, which the table above does not capture.
| Region | USPS | UPS | FedEx | DHL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Europe | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Asia-Pacific | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Latin America | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Middle East | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Africa | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Documents | DHL Express |
| Small packages (<4 lbs) | USPS |
| Medium packages (5-20 lbs) | UPS |
| Heavy packages (>50 lbs) | FedEx |
| Temperature-controlled | FedEx |
| Hazardous materials | FedEx |
| Lowest cost | USPS |
| Fastest delivery | FedEx |
| Best tracking | FedEx |
| Business services | UPS |
| Customer service | FedEx |
| Global reach | DHL |
| Destination | Best Value | Fastest | Most Reliable | Overall Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | USPS | FedEx | UPS | USPS |
| United Kingdom | USPS | DHL | FedEx | DHL |
| Germany | USPS | DHL | DHL | DHL |
| Japan | USPS | FedEx | FedEx | FedEx |
| China | USPS | DHL | FedEx | DHL |
| Australia | USPS | FedEx | FedEx | FedEx |
| Brazil | USPS | FedEx | FedEx | FedEx |
| India | USPS | DHL | DHL | DHL |