Each row pits the best USPS quote against the best UPS quote for one identical package, captured live on 2026-08-21.
The weight ladder, carrier by carrier
Ten boxes, sized the way people actually pack them, from a 1 lb parcel around 10 by 8 by 4 inches up to a 50 lb carton around 24 by 18 by 14. Every figure below is the cheapest quote each carrier returned for that box through the SMKlog calculator, and it's the exact amount checkout would have collected.
USPS vs UPS on a 20 lb box, eight cities from Newark — quoted 2026-08-23
Same 20 lb box, about 16 by 12 by 10 inches, same origin ZIP 07102, eight different destinations. USPS Ground Advantage wins the two closest cities on this list, Hoboken and Philadelphia. Past that, UPS Ground Saver takes the lead and holds it at every farther destination we quoted, from Atlanta out to Seattle — on a 20 lb box, the cheaper carrier changes with distance, not with weight.
| Destination | Best USPS | Best UPS | Cheaper carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | $14.83 Ground Advantage, 3-4 business days | $17.01 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | USPS |
| Philadelphia, PA | $15.05 Ground Advantage, 4-5 business days | $17.01 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | USPS |
| Atlanta, GA | $24.63 Ground Advantage, 4-5 business days | $23.00 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
| Chicago, IL | $24.63 Ground Advantage, 7-8 business days | $23.00 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
| Dallas, TX | $29.62 Ground Advantage, 4-5 business days | $27.40 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
| Denver, CO | $33.87 Ground Advantage, 5-6 business days | $31.43 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
| Los Angeles, CA | $39.46 Ground Advantage, 5-6 business days | $36.67 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
| Seattle, WA | $39.46 Ground Advantage, 7-8 business days | $36.67 Ground Saver, no delivery window in this quote | UPS |
UPS Ground Saver's quote didn't come with a delivery window on any of these eight lanes; where timing matters more than price, read the Ground Advantage window on the same row instead. Hoboken and Philadelphia are the two nearest cities we quoted from Newark — everywhere farther, UPS Ground Saver was cheaper than USPS Ground Advantage on this 20 lb box. Ground Saver is the cheapest UPS rate on this grid, not the only one: UPS Ground, the faster brown-truck service, quoted above it on all eight lanes, $19.51 to Hoboken and Philadelphia rising to $44.38 to Los Angeles and Seattle.
At 50 lb, USPS isn't in the running
We quoted a 50 lb box, about 20 by 16 by 14 inches, out of Newark, NJ 07102 to the same eight cities on 2026-08-23. USPS Ground Advantage returned no rate at all on any of the eight lanes — UPS is the only carrier still quoting this box next to USPS on this page.
| Destination | USPS | UPS Ground |
|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ | no USPS quote | $26.39 1 business day |
| Philadelphia, PA | no USPS quote | $26.39 1 business day |
| Atlanta, GA | no USPS quote | $47.42 3-4 business days |
| Chicago, IL | no USPS quote | $47.42 2-3 business days |
| Dallas, TX | no USPS quote | $59.74 3-4 business days |
| Denver, CO | no USPS quote | $71.42 3-4 business days |
| Los Angeles, CA | no USPS quote | $80.12 4-5 business days |
| Seattle, WA | no USPS quote | $80.12 7-8 business days |
USPS Ground Advantage simply didn't return a rate for this 50 lb box on any of the eight lanes we quoted, even though USPS publishes a 70 lb ceiling for the service — that's an absence on quote day, not a weight limit. If a 50 lb box is what you're shipping, UPS is the only alternative this page can price — there's no USPS number to compare it against. The column above holds the cheapest UPS rate per lane; UPS also quoted faster, pricier services on the same boxes, from $34.79 on 3 Day Select to Hoboken up to $142.70 on that service to Los Angeles and Seattle, with 2nd Day Air at $50.46 on the two nearest lanes.
Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303
| Weight | Best USPS | Best UPS | Cheaper carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $9.91 Ground Advantage | $10.69 Ground | USPS |
| 2 lb | $9.48 Ground Advantage | $10.52 Ground Saver | USPS |
| 3 lb | $9.48 Ground Advantage | $11.70 Ground Saver | USPS |
| 5 lb | $13.29 Ground Advantage | $12.85 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 10 lb | $15.73 Ground Advantage | $16.77 Ground Saver | USPS |
| 15 lb | $21.50 Ground Advantage | $19.78 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 20 lb | $24.63 Ground Advantage | $23.00 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 30 lb | no USPS quote | $32.49 Ground | UPS |
| 40 lb | no USPS quote | $40.51 Ground | UPS |
| 50 lb | no USPS quote | $47.42 Ground | UPS |
Los Angeles, CA 90011 to New York, NY 10001
| Weight | Best USPS | Best UPS | Cheaper carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | $11.12 Ground Advantage | $12.99 Ground | USPS |
| 2 lb | $13.04 Ground Advantage | $12.95 Ground Saver | UPS by 9¢ |
| 3 lb | $13.04 Ground Advantage | $14.76 Ground Saver | USPS |
| 5 lb | $17.30 Ground Advantage | $16.88 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 10 lb | $22.80 Ground Advantage | $23.44 Ground Saver | USPS |
| 15 lb | $32.15 Ground Advantage | $29.17 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 20 lb | $39.46 Ground Advantage | $36.67 Ground Saver | UPS |
| 30 lb | no USPS quote | $54.70 Ground | UPS |
| 40 lb | no USPS quote | $69.03 Ground | UPS |
| 50 lb | no USPS quote | $80.12 Ground | UPS |
Where a cell reads "no USPS quote", Ground Advantage simply wasn't among the cheapest rates the calculator returned for that box on quote day — that's every row at 30 lb and up on both lanes here. Below that, the lead changes hands more than once: USPS beats UPS again at 10 lb on both routes after losing at 5 lb, and the Los Angeles 2 lb row comes down to nine cents. Carriers refile rates constantly, so treat the table as a snapshot and run your lane fresh before deciding.
Why USPS rules the light end
The Postal Service already drives past every address in America, so a small parcel costs it very little to absorb. That structural edge shows up as the $9.48 two-pounder in the Newark table, a price UPS never approached at that weight.
Why the lead keeps changing hands
Ground Advantage jumps hard between 3 and 5 lb on both lanes, handing UPS the 5 lb rung. USPS's own increases run slower than UPS's after that, so Ground Advantage takes the 10 lb rung back on both routes, and UPS regains the lead at 15 lb and holds it through 20 lb.
Read the clock, not just the price
Newark to Atlanta on UPS Ground quoted 5-6 business days at $10.69, seventy-eight cents above the 6-7 day USPS row. Some swaps buy speed nearly for free, and you only spot them with both carriers priced side by side.
USPS vs UPS, asked and answered
Is USPS or UPS cheaper for shipping?
In our 2026-08-21 quotes, USPS Ground Advantage bottomed at $9.48 for a 2 lb box from Newark to Atlanta and held most of the light rungs, though UPS Ground Saver won Los Angeles to New York at 2 lb by nine cents. Above 5 lb the lead changes hands repeatedly through 20 lb, and past 20 lb USPS stopped appearing in the quotes at all.
At what weight does UPS beat USPS?
There's no single crossover in this data. UPS Ground Saver wins the 5 lb rung ($12.85 against $13.29 in Newark, $16.88 against $17.30 from Los Angeles), then USPS Ground Advantage takes the 10 lb rung back on both lanes before UPS regains the lead at 15 lb and holds it through 20 lb. Above that, USPS stops appearing in the quotes entirely.
Is UPS faster than USPS on the same lane?
Often, but not always. On the Newark to Atlanta quotes, UPS Ground carried a 5-6 business day window against 6-7 for USPS Ground Advantage. Cross-country the order flipped: USPS Ground Advantage's 5-6 day window beat UPS Ground's 6-7, even before price is considered.
Do these prices already include all charges?
Yes. Every dollar figure on this page is the full checkout amount the SMKlog calculator returned on 2026-08-21, with SMKlog's own charge folded in. Nothing gets added after you pick a rate.
Does the cheaper carrier change with distance, not just weight?
Yes. In our 2026-08-23 quotes for a 20 lb box out of Newark, NJ 07102, USPS Ground Advantage was cheaper to the two closest cities we checked: $14.83 to Hoboken and $15.05 to Philadelphia. Past that distance, UPS Ground Saver took the lead on every farther destination, from $23.00 to Atlanta and Chicago up to $36.67 to Los Angeles and Seattle. Same box, same origin ZIP — only the distance changed, and the cheaper carrier changed with it.
Can USPS ship a 50 lb box?
Not through this calculator. In our 2026-08-23 quotes, USPS Ground Advantage returned no rate at all for a 50 lb box out of Newark, NJ 07102 to any of the eight cities we checked, from nearby Hoboken to Seattle, even though USPS publishes a 70 lb ceiling for that service. UPS was the only carrier left on this page, and UPS Ground was its cheapest rate, running $26.39 to Hoboken and Philadelphia up to $80.12 to Los Angeles and Seattle, with pricier UPS services quoted above it on every lane.