8 Best Cheap Moving Companies of 2026
Here’s the quick answer: Safeway Moving is the best cheap full-service mover, with meet-or-beat pricing and 30 days of free storage on interstate moves. U-Haul is the cheapest DIY option, with trucks from $19.95 - $49.95 per day plus mileage. Moving containers like U-Pack cost about 30% less than full-service movers on average.
Why moveBuddha:
- On average, moveBuddha users save more than 30% by comparing movers before booking.
- When you choose a moveBuddha Certified mover, you get $1,000 in added move coverage, plus dedicated support throughout your move.
- If something goes wrong, moveBuddha provides dispute mediation with Certified movers to help resolve the issue and protect your move.
Jump to the cheap movers info you’re looking for:
What are the best cheap moving companies?
The cheapest mover isn’t always the one with the lowest quote. You have to balance cost, services, and customer service to find the right fit.
moveBuddha has researched 4,500+ moving companies and analyzed 1 million+ reviews from 25+ data sources, including government databases and our own Better Moves Project. Our pricing comes from a monthly dataset with 1,000+ live price points. Here are our picks for different types of moves:
- Safeway Moving: Cheapest full-service mover
- U-Haul: Cheapest for DIY moves
- HireAHelper: Cheapest packers & movers
- U-Pack: Cheapest moving containers
- American Van Lines: Best customer service
- Zippy Shell: Cheapest for city moves
- Allied Van Lines: Best add-on services
- North American Van Lines: Best for long-distance moves
Comparing the most budget-friendly moving companies
Here’s a quick overview of the best cheap moving companies and what they offer.
| Company | Best for | Service type | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safeway | Full-service moves | Full-service | Required |
| U-Haul | DIY moves | Truck rental | None |
| HireAHelper | Packers & movers | Moving labor | None |
| U-Pack | Moving containers | Container | None |
| AVL | Customer service | Full-service | Required |
| Zippy Shell | City moves | Container | 50% |
| Allied | Add-on services | Full-service | None |
| NAVL | Long-distance moves | Full-service | None |
Best cheap moving companies reviewed
Cheapest full-service mover: Safeway Moving
Safeway Moving is a carrier (not a broker) registered with the FMCSA, so it takes direct responsibility for your move. It handles local and long-distance moves across the 48 contiguous states.
Safeway promises to meet or beat lower quotes from qualified competitors and includes 30 days of free storage on interstate moves. The tradeoff is that there are no instant online quotes, so you’ll need to talk to a representative.
Services:
- Local & long-distance moves
- International moves
- Custom crating
- Loading & unloading
- Packing & unpacking
- Storage options
- Flat-rate pricing
- Price matching
- Senior moves
- Meets or beats competitor quotes
- 30 days free storage on interstate moves
- Local & long-distance moves
- Carrier, not a broker
- Deposit required at booking
- No instant online quotes
- No online shipment tracking
Check out our full Safeway Moving review.
rating
4.9 / 5
Cheapest for DIY moves: U-Haul
For many budget-conscious movers, the choice comes down to moving company vs. truck rental. U-Haul is the best-known name for DIY moves, with 20,000+ locations nationwide.
In-town rentals cost $19.95 - $49.95 per day depending on truck size, plus mileage, fuel, and fees. That’s a fraction of what full-service movers charge, but U-Haul’s moving supplies tend to cost more than buying them elsewhere.
Services:
- Pickup truck rentals
- Cargo van rentals
- Moving truck rentals
- One-way truck rentals
- Trailer rentals
- U-Box containers
- Moving help
- 20,000+ locations nationwide
- Pickups to 26-foot trucks
- Same-day rentals for last-minute moves
- U-Box containers if you don’t want to drive
- Mileage & fees add up fast
- Service varies by location
- Pricey packing supplies
Check out our full U-Haul review.
rating
4.15 / 5
Cheapest packers & movers: HireAHelper
HireAHelper connects you with local movers and packers who load and unload your truck or container, which is cheaper than hiring a full-service mover. It has 1,700+ vetted providers in all 50 states, with instant quotes and online booking.
According to HireAHelper, professional packers often charge $25 - $40 per hour per worker. Every booking includes a $1,000 service guarantee, and you aren’t charged until 24 hours before your move.
Services:
- Packing
- Loading & unloading
- Furniture moving
- Local full-service moves
- Long-distance moves
- Rental truck comparison
- Instant quotes & online booking
- $1,000 service guarantee
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours out
- Helpers for packing, loading & assembly
- Two crews needed for long-distance moves
- Labor-only helpers can’t drive your truck
- You supply your own packing materials
Check out our full HireAHelper review.
rating
4.5 / 5
Cheapest moving containers: U-Pack
If you want to DIY without driving a rental truck, moving containers are a smart budget pick. U-Pack drops off ReloCube containers or a freight trailer, you get three business days to load, and U-Pack drives it to your new home.
You only pay for the space you use in the trailer, and there’s no deposit to book. U-Pack is built for long-distance moves of more than 100 miles across state lines, and it says its pricing is especially competitive on moves of 100 – 250 miles. Recent U-Pack moves in our Better Moves Project cost $1,146 – $5,761.
Services:
- ReloCube containers
- 28-foot freight trailers
- Moving supplies
- Cheaper than full-service movers
- Only pay for the space you use
- Instant online quotes
- No deposit
- Pros handle the driving
- Three business days to load & unload
- No local moves
- Storage only at U-Pack facilities
Check out our full U-Pack review.
rating
5 / 5
Best customer service: American Van Lines
American Van Lines (AVL) has operated as a direct carrier since 1995 and is one of the best interstate movers in the contiguous U.S. It’s a moveBuddha Certified mover, so you get $1,000 in added move coverage and moveBuddha-backed dispute mediation.
AVL offers binding estimates after an in-home or virtual survey, which helps you lock in a predictable price. Every customer gets a dedicated move coordinator as a single point of contact.
Services:
- Long-distance moves
- Local moves (FL, TX, SC & NC)
- International moving
- Military moves
- Corporate relocation
- Storage options
- Special item transport
- Moving boxes & supplies
- Direct carrier since 1995
- Dedicated move coordinator
- Binding estimates
- moveBuddha Certified
- Storage available
- Local moves in only 4 states
- Deposit required to book
- No shipment tracking
Check out our full American Van Lines review.
rating
4.9 / 5
Cheapest for city moves: Zippy Shell
Zippy Shell is a strong pick for moves in and between cities. It drops off a moving container, gives you two to three days to load it, then drives it to your new home or its warehouse for storage.
Its street-legal containers look more like trailers, which helps in cities where parking is tight. Local Zippy Shell moves cost $190 - $750, depending on home size.
Services:
- Door-to-door service
- Terminal-to-terminal service
- Short- & long-term storage
- Street-legal containers for cities
- Pros handle the driving
- Ventilated containers
- Storage available
- Loading help available
- Two to three days to load
- No online quotes
- 50% due before delivery
- Only in 35 states
Check out our full Zippy Shell review.
rating
4.2 / 5
Best add-ons: Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines was founded in 1928 and moves households across all 50 states and to 130+ countries. For budget-minded movers, a big carrier’s scale can mean more routing options and flexible scheduling.
Allied’s add-ons, like packing, crating, storage, and vehicle transport, can also raise your bill. For the cheapest Allied move, pay for pro help only where it matters, like fragile or high-value items, and DIY the rest. Allied requires no deposit, and you pay at delivery.
Services:
- Household moving
- International moving
- Cross-country moving
- Packing & crating
- Corporate relocation
- Storage
- Vehicle transportation
- Moving containers
- Nearly 100 years in business
- No deposit to book
- 24/7 online shipment tracking
- International moves to 130+ countries
- Short- & long-term storage
- No instant online quotes
- Add-ons raise the price
- Pricier than many competitors
Check out our full Allied Van Lines review.
rating
4.23 / 5
Best for long-distance moves: North American Van Lines
North American Van Lines (NAVL) has moved families since 1933 and has 250+ agent locations across North America. Its not-to-exceed quotes give you a price ceiling: your cost can drop if your belongings weigh less than expected, but it won’t rise if they weigh more.
To keep an NAVL move cheap, pack nonfragile boxes yourself, be flexible on pickup and delivery dates, and declutter before you get a quote. There’s no deposit to book, but you’ll need an in-home or video survey for pricing.
Services:
- Household moving
- International moving
- Cross-country moving
- Packing & loading
- Corporate relocation
- Storage
- Vehicle transportation
- 90+ years in business
- Not-to-exceed quotes
- No deposit to book
- 250+ agent locations
- No instant online quotes
- Quality varies by agent
- Books up quickly
Check out our full North American Van Lines review.
rating
4.83 / 5
Is a full-service or DIY move cheaper?
A DIY move is cheaper. Moving containers and rental trucks cost about 30% less than full-service movers on average, but you do the packing and loading yourself.
Full-service movers handle packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. Some also offer storage or furniture assembly. You pay more for the convenience, but you save time and effort.
A DIY move usually means renting a truck, packing everything, driving, and unloading. It gives you more control over costs and timing. A rental truck also gives you the most reliable delivery date, since you’re the one driving.
What to look for in a cheap moving company
The smartest budget moves are predictable ones. You want a low total cost, not surprises. A good company gives a walkthrough-based estimate, answers specific questions, and puts important details in writing.
Quick vetting checklist
- Ask for an itemized written estimate, crew and truck size, and whether they subcontract.
- Choose in-person or live-video walkthroughs over instant quotes for anything bigger than a studio.
- Verify the mover’s USDOT number for interstate moves, or state registration for local moves.
- Confirm a real address and a phone number that someone answers.
For extra peace of mind, choose a moveBuddha Certified mover. Certified movers pass vetting on licensing, reputation, transparency, and pricing, and you get $1,000 in added move coverage.
Red flags to avoid
- No written estimate, or pressure to sign right away
- Refusal to share licensing, insurance, or claims details
- A very low quote that spikes with stair, long-carry, or fuel fees
What to expect from a moving quote
A good quote explains how the price was calculated and what can change it. Here are the estimate types you’ll see:
- Binding: A guaranteed total, as long as your inventory is accurate.
- Non-binding: Your final cost can be higher or lower.
- Binding not-to-exceed: You pay the lower of the estimate or the actual cost.
Look for an itemized inventory, crew size, labor hours, and delivery window. The quote should also list packing, specialty items, stair or long-carry fees, fuel, storage, and payment terms. Access fees like stair carries and shuttle service can add $75 - $500+, and fuel surcharges add 8% - 15% to long-distance transportation charges. Get a written contract that matches your walkthrough.
How to evaluate insurance options
Cheap movers sometimes offer minimal coverage, so compare what you’d actually recover if something breaks. Released value and full value protection are mover liability options, not moving insurance.
- Released value: Free, but reimburses very little, usually per pound. It’s only good for low-value items.
- Full value protection: The mover repairs, replaces, or pays current value. It costs more but protects far more.
- Third-party insurance: A separate policy, often limited in scope. We recommend full value protection from your mover instead.
Get limits, exclusions, and deductibles in writing, especially rules for owner-packed items. Photograph high-value items before your move and keep receipts.
How can you make your move more affordable?
Follow these tips to trim your moving costs.
- Compare multiple quotes: Don’t settle for the first quote. The moveBuddha Mover Marketplace gets you up to five no-obligation quotes from one request, and movers competing for your business saves about 30% on average.
- Check for discounts: Many companies offer moving discounts for AAA members, military members, veterans, seniors, and students.
- Declutter first: Decluttering before a move lowers your cost, since you pay to move less.
- Move in the off-season: Summer is the busiest and priciest time to move. Fall and winter moves are often cheaper.
- Pack yourself: Professional packing adds $0.15 - $0.21 per pound on average. Use free boxes and pad items with towels and linens.
Before you book, use our moving cost calculator to benchmark quotes. It’s built on 1,000+ live price points collected every month, so you can spot a quote that’s too high or suspiciously low.
FAQ
What is the cheapest moving company overall?
U-Haul is the cheapest option for DIY moves, with trucks from $19.95 per day plus mileage. For full-service moves, Safeway offers the best cheap rates. Compare at least three quotes before you book.
What’s the cheapest way to move?
Renting a truck and packing everything yourself is usually the cheapest way to move. Moving containers are the next cheapest and cost about 30% less than full-service movers. The more work you do yourself, the less you’ll pay.
Is it cheaper to buy new furniture or move it?
It’s usually cheaper to move your furniture than to buy new. Costs rise for long-distance moves or if you need storage. Sell or donate older pieces to get a smaller truck or lower quote.
Where can I find cheap or free moving boxes?
Ask neighbors on Nextdoor, check Craigslist or Freecycle, or ask local stores for extras. Friends and family often have boxes to spare. See our guide to free moving boxes for more.
When is the cheapest time to hire movers?
Midweek moves are usually cheaper than weekend moves. Fall and winter cost less than the peak spring and summer seasons. Lower demand means lower prices.
What’s the cheapest way to ship a car?
Driving your car yourself or towing it behind your rental truck is usually cheapest. If you hire car shipping companies, open auto transport is the cheapest option. Get quotes from several shippers to compare.
How moveBuddha gets its pricing information
We base our scoring on moveBuddha’s monthly cost dataset, which has over 1,000 live price points collected each month across full-service movers, container companies, and truck rental providers. These figures come from live quote requests, automated API feeds, and user-submitted quotes via our moving cost calculator.
We also include rate signals from our calculator, so policies like binding or not-to-exceed estimates, deposits, payment methods, discounts, financing, and price matching reflect what customers actually see.
To keep everything fair and representative, we use median-based lane summaries, stratified sampling by service type, region, and move size, monthly data refreshes, and outlier and provider verification.
How we chose the best moving companies
The moveBuddha team has spent nearly 10 years evaluating moving companies using a rigorous review system to identify the best moving companies. Our thorough methodology evaluates each moving company's services, cost, customer service, and reputation:
Moving services (35%):
We verify operating authority, insurance, and service scope against FMCSA/SAFER and state databases. We confirm availability via standardized mystery-shopping calls (packing tiers, storage type, specialty handling, delivery windows, valuation), and then review contracts alongside complaint and claims patterns over time.
Customer feedback (28%):
We run structured post-move surveys through our Better Moves Project with verifiable documentation. We emphasize on-time performance, care of goods, and estimates’ accuracy, and we investigate outliers before they influence scores.
Online reviews (7%):
We aggregate ratings across multiple third-party sites to reduce platform bias, analyze overall trends and company response behavior, and discount obvious spam/fake signals such as sudden bursts, duplicate language, and low-history profiles.
State availability (12%):
We confirm USDOT numbers, broker vs. carrier status, and any required state permits, then score a state-by-state service matrix that accounts for coverage gaps, seasonal limits, and lane strength. We award additional credit for documented cross-border or specialty lanes.
Additional services (12%):
We verify whether add-ons are performed in-house or subcontracted, look for crew training/certifications for high-value or oversized items, count only documented offerings (tariffs, photos, written service descriptions) confirmed via mystery shopping, and reward robust pre-move planning (virtual surveys, itemized crating).
Quotes/Payment options (6%):
We test standardized move profiles to assess estimate type (binding, not-to-exceed, non-binding), line-item transparency, and disclosed surcharges, require clear written policies for deposits, refunds, and cancellations, and award points for secure, flexible payment methods and customer portals.
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