USPS vs UPS for Small Packages: I Shipped 100 Boxes to Find Out

Last month I did something my accountant would call "unnecessary" and my shipping nerd friends would call "awesome." I shipped 100 identical packages — 50 through USPS and 50 through UPS — to addresses across all 9 USPS zones. Same box. Same weight. Same destination pairs. The only variable was the carrier.

Here's what actually happened.

The Test Setup

Each package was a 10" x 8" x 4" box weighing exactly 1 lb 6 oz. I packed them identically: a ceramic mug wrapped in bubble wrap inside a corrugated box. I chose mugs on purpose — they're fragile enough to reveal handling differences.

For each carrier, I shipped to the same 50 addresses spread across:

• 10 packages to Zone 1-2 (local/regional)
• 10 packages to Zone 3-4
• 10 packages to Zone 5-6
• 10 packages to Zone 7-8
• 10 packages to Zone 9 (cross-country)

I used USPS Ground Advantage and UPS Ground for the comparison. Both are the standard ground services each carrier pushes for small packages.

The Cost Breakdown

This is where it gets interesting. Here's what I actually paid per package:

USPS Ground Advantage (Commercial Pricing)

UPS Ground (Daily Rates)

Total USPS cost for 50 packages: $358.50 Total UPS cost for 50 packages: $639.25

That's a 78% premium for UPS on these small, light packages. Not a typo.

But Wait — UPS Has Discounts Too

Fair point. Those UPS rates are daily (published) rates. If you ship regularly and negotiate a contract, UPS Ground rates drop significantly. With a typical small business discount of 30-40%, here's what UPS looks like:

With a solid UPS discount, the gap narrows. And at Zone 9, discounted UPS is actually competitive with USPS commercial rates. That surprised me.

Delivery Speed Results

I tracked every single package. Here's the average delivery time in business days:

UPS was consistently faster by about half a day to a full day. Not dramatic, but noticeable. UPS also had tighter delivery windows — less variance between the fastest and slowest package in each zone group.

Damage Report

Here's the part that matters for fragile items. Remember, every box had a ceramic mug in it.

• USPS: 2 out of 50 mugs arrived broken (4% damage rate)
• UPS: 1 out of 50 mugs arrived broken (2% damage rate)

Honestly, both did fine. A 2-4% damage rate for ceramics with basic bubble wrap packing is acceptable. The one UPS casualty was a cross-country shipment to Zone 9.

Tracking Quality

This was a real difference. UPS tracking updated at every hub — I typically saw 6-8 scan events per package. USPS tracking was spottier. Some packages had 3-4 scans; a couple showed "In Transit" for three days with no updates, then suddenly "Delivered."

If tracking visibility matters to your customers (and it does), UPS has a clear edge here.

The Real Math: When to Use Each

Here's my actual recommendation based on shipping 100 boxes:

Use USPS Ground Advantage when:

• Package is under 2 lbs
• You don't have a UPS contract discount
• Delivery speed isn't the #1 priority
• You're shipping B2C to residential addresses
• You want the cheapest option, period

Use UPS Ground when:

• You have a negotiated discount of 30%+
• Package is 3+ lbs (the cost gap narrows with weight)
• You need reliable tracking updates
• Delivery speed matters
• You're shipping B2B or to commercial addresses

The Hybrid Approach (What I Actually Do)

After running this test, I use both carriers strategically:

• Under 1 lb: USPS Ground Advantage, always. The cost difference is too big.
• 1-3 lbs, Zones 1-5: USPS Ground Advantage. Still cheaper, close enough on speed.
• 1-3 lbs, Zones 6-9: Compare rates. With my UPS discount, UPS is sometimes cheaper at long distances.
• Over 3 lbs: UPS Ground with my discount. The per-pound cost gap shrinks and UPS handling is slightly better.

One More Thing: Pickup vs Drop-off

USPS picks up for free with a scheduled pickup. UPS charges $6.60 for an on-demand pickup, though regular daily pickup is included with a UPS account at higher volumes. If you're doing fewer than 10 packages a day, USPS free pickup is a real cost advantage that doesn't show up in rate comparisons.

Final Numbers

For my 100-box test, if I'd shipped everything through USPS: $717.00 total. If I'd shipped everything through UPS at daily rates: $1,278.50 total. If I'd shipped everything through UPS at 35% discount: $831.03 total.

USPS saved me $114 compared to discounted UPS and $561 compared to retail UPS for 100 small packages. At scale — say 1,000 packages a month — that's $1,140 to $5,610 in monthly savings.

Those numbers are hard to argue with. For small, light packages, USPS wins on cost. UPS wins on speed and tracking. Pick whichever matters more to your business.