Flat Export is the cheapest way to mail a package internationally for most destinations
UPS®, DHL, and USPS, plus other major couriers all offer international shipping
With Easyship you can save up to 91% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers, including international shipping
If you do a Google search, you’ll see the cheapest international shipping in 2024 is available through the US Postal Service (USPS). However, what's less obvious is that this only applies if you plan to ship domestically within the US.
So where can you find the cheapest international shipping from the US to other countries? You can use our free-to-use shipping calculator for real-time rates from top international couriers as a shortcut. Read below to learn how to pick the cheapest international shipping company every time, plus a trade secret on getting the best rates.
Comparing International Shipping Rates For 2024
How much is international shipping? To find cheap international shipping rates, we compared USPS shipping rates with those from leading express couriers, including:
FedEx
UPS
USPS
It’s also important to keep in mind the costs involved when calculating the cost of shipping, such as the following:
Package weight
Package dimensions
Courier service
Delivery destination
We also compared the cheapest USPS rates to one another. In this section, we’ll compare the cheapest shipping rates from shipping from various locations across the world, so you can understand the cheapest shipping rates.
We will use the following dimensions and plug this into the Easyship Shipping Rate Calculator to compare pre-negotiated rates from 550+ courier services worldwide to find the cheapest way to ship to a wide range of destinations:
Weight of package: 2lb
Box Dimensions: 10in x 10in x 2in
Contents for customs forms: Accessory(no-battery)
Shipping from the US to the UK
International shipping costs from the US (or any country) depend largely on the delivery destination and the weight of the package. We'll compare example shipping rates for shipping a 2LB box from the US to countries across the world.
So you can see which courier is the cheapest, fastest and best value, we'll start by comparing Easyship rates from New York, US to the UK. Detailed below:
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$17.85
Flat Export
7 - 10 working days
Limited
$20.88
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
7 - 8 working days
Regular
$21.09
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$21.96
Passport - Priority Delcon
14 - 20 working days
Regular
$24.04
USPS - First Class International
6 - 9 working days
Basic
$28.92
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
4 working days
Excellent
$30.11
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2 working days
Excellent
$40.76
UPS Worldwide Express®
2 working days
Excellent
$45.87
USPS - Priority Mail International
6 - 12 working days
Regular
$74.40
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
8 - 12 working days
Regular
$82.84
FedEx International Economy®
2 - 3 working days
Excellent
$121.09
FedEx International Priority®
1 - 2 working days
Excellent
$125.94
Takeaway: As we can see, FedEx® International Connect Plus is the cheapest and best value example option when shipping from the US to London. FedEx International Priority® may be fastest, but you’ll spend more money on this courier services.
Shipping from the US to Canada
Below are the example rates for shipping a 2-pound package for shipping a package from New York to Toronto, Canada.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
Flat Export
7 - 10 working days
Limited
$16.88
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$18.03
UPS® Standard
4 working days
Excellent
$18.14
Passport - Priority Delcon
12 - 16 working days
Regular
$21.88
USPS - First Class International
6 - 9 working days
Basic
$23.54
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
7 - 9 working days
Basic
$24.45
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
8 - 10 working days
Regular
$25.59
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
2 working days
Excellent
$29.66
FedEx Ground®
3 - 6 working days
Excellent
$32.05
UPS Worldwide Saver®
1 working day
Excellent
$32.15
UPS Worldwide Express®
1 working day
Excellent
$36.35
USPS - Priority Mail International
6 - 9 working days
Regular
$47.39
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
6 - 9 working days
Regular
$65.64
FedEx International Economy®
1 - 2 working days
Excellent
$93.42
FedEx International Priority®
2 - 4 working days
Excellent
$102.60
Takeaway: Flat Export is the cheapest option, while UPS® Standard is the best value for shipping a 2LB package from New York to Toronto. With excellent tracking and 2 working day delivery. The fastest option is UPS Worldwide Express®, with a single working day delivery.
Shipping from the US to Italy
Below are the example rates for shipping a 2LB package for shipping a package from New York to Rome, Italy.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$17.85
Flat Export
10 - 13 working days
Limited
$20.88
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
6 - 15 working days
Regular
$27.43
Passport - Priority Delcon
26 - 37 working days
Regular
$27.79
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$27.43
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
4 working days
Excellent
$30.11
USPS - First Class International
10 - 19 working days
Basic
$32.60
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2 working days
Excellent
$40.76
UPS Worldwide Express®
2 working days
Excellent
$45.87
USPS - Priority Mail International
8 - 10 working days
Regular
$69.36
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
4 - 8 working days
Regular
$76.66
FedEx International Economy®
3 - 4 working days
Excellent
$121.09
FedEx International Priority®
2 - 3 working days
Excellent
$125.94
Takeaway: FedEx® International Connect Plus is the cheapest and best value option when shipping a 2LB package from New York to Rome, Italy. While UPS Worldwide Saver® is the fastest, delivery in 2 working days and offering excellent tracking for $40.76
Shipping from the US to Germany
Below are the example rates for shipping a 2LB package for shipping a package from New York to Berlin, Germany.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$17.85
Flat Export
6 - 8 working days
Limited
$20.88
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$22.27
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
9 - 12 working days
Regular
$23.69
Passport - Priority Delcon
17 - 21 working days
Regular
$24.94
USPS - First Class International
7 - 10 working days
Basic
$27.11
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
4 working days
Excellent
$30.11
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2 working days
Excellent
$40.76
UPS Worldwide Express®
2 working days
Excellent
$45.87
USPS - Priority Mail International
9 - 13 working days
Regular
$71.09
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
7 - 13 working days
Regular
$80.83
FedEx International Economy®
2 - 4 working days
Excellent
$121.09
FedEx International Priority®
1 - 2 working days
Excellent
$125.94
Takeaway: In this example, FedEx® International Connect Plus is the fastest and best value option. While, FedEx International Priority® is the fastest with a 1-2 wording days delivery time and excellent tracking.
Shipping From the US to India
Below are the example rates for shipping a 2LB package for shipping a package from New York to New Delhi, India.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
Flat Export
6 - 15 working days
Limited
$20.88
Passport - Priority Delcon
13 - 23 working days
Regular
$27.32
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$27.91
USPS - First Class International
12 - 16 working days
Basic
$28.22
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$38.18
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
6 - 15 working days
Regular
$42.45
USPS - Priority Mail International
17 - 28 working days
Regular
$70.46
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
4 - 8 working days
Regular
$81.29
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
9 working days
Excellent
$100.17
UPS Worldwide Saver®
7 working days
Excellent
$103.10
FedEx International Economy®
6 - 51 working days
Excellent
$179.54
FedEx International Priority®
6 - 45 working days
Excellent
$207.64
Takeaway: For shipping to New Delhi, Flat Export is the cheapest option, while FedEx® International Connect Plus is the fastest and best value with 5 business days delivery.
Shipping From the US to Australia
Below are the rates for shipping a 2LB package for shipping a package from New York to Australia.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
Australia Post Global - ePacket
12 - 16 working days
Limited
$16.40
Australia Post Global - ePacket Plus
12 - 16 working days
Regular
$17.75
Flat Export
10 - 14 working days
Limited
$20.88
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$22.02
Asendia - e-PAQ Plus
10 - 14 working days
Regular
$29.33
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$34.12
USPS - First Class International
9 - 14 working days
Basic
$37.33
Passport - Priority Delcon
16 - 23 working days
Regular
$38.44
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
6 working days
Excellent
$40.33
UPS Worldwide Saver®
3 working days
Excellent
$46.74
USPS - Priority Mail International
9 - 14 working days
Regular
$76.85
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
8 - 13 working days
Regular
$87.53
FedEx International Economy®
4 - 5 working days
Excellent
$145.79
FedEx International Priority®
5 - 7 working days
Excellent
$153.61
Takeaway: At just $16.40 Australia Post Global - ePacket is the cheapest option for shipping to Australia for a 2LB package. While FedEx® International Connect Plus is the best value and UPS Worldwide Saver® is the fastest with excellent tracking and delivery within 3 working days.
Shipping From the US to the Philippines
Below are the example rates for shipping a 2LB package for shipping a package from New York to Manila, Philippines.
Courier
Delivery Time
Tracking
Total Cost
Flat Export
6 - 15 working days
Limited
$20.88
FedEx® International Connect Plus
2 - 5 working days
Excellent
$22.02
USPS - First Class International
10 - 12 working days
Basic
$34.71
Asendia - e-PAQ Standard
6 - 15 working days
Basic
$39.11
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
2 working days
Excellent
$40.33
Passport - Priority Delcon
7 - 12 working days
Regular
$43.18
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2 working days
Excellent
$46.74
USPS - Priority Mail International
14 - 16 working days
Regular
$70.46
USPS - Priority Mail Express International
4 - 8 working days
Regular
$81.29
FedEx International Economy®
4 - 6 working days
Excellent
$145.79
FedEx International Priority®
3 - 4 working days
Excellent
$153.61
Takeaway: Again, Flat Export is the cheapest shipping option when shipping from the US to the Philippines.While FedEx® International Connect Plus is the best value and UPS Worldwide Saver® is the fastest at similar rates to the above example, Australia.
Comparing USPS Flat Rates for International Shipping
Priority Mail International – Flat Rate service is one of the cheapest ways to mail a package internationally. For example, sending a small box to Hong Kong from Connecticut can be priced at $36.45 with a maximum weight of 4 lbs.
Compare this example rate to express couriers like FedEx or UPS, as seen in the chart below. With express couriers, the same shipment costs $113 and up!
Courier
Service
Delivery Time (claim)
Cost (Retail pricing)
USPS
Priority Mail International - Small Flat Rate Box
6-10 days
$36.45
USPS
First-Class Package International Service
7-15 days
$26.36
USPS
Priority Mail International
6-10 days
$51.44
USPS
Priority Mail Express International
3-5 days
$67.28
UPS
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
2-5 days
$127.05
UPS
UPS Worldwide Saver®
3-5 days
$137.15
FedEx
International Economy
4-6 days
$113.69
FedEx
International Priority
1-3 days
$118.72
The caveat here is that using a small box to ship goods may not work all the time. According to the experienced folks at My Wife Quit Her Job, a small USPS box with dimensions of 8 11/16" x 5 7/16" x 1 3/4" can't hold much more than 2 lbs. So you're likely running two pounds over the weight limit! It's more realistic to expect to use the medium flat rate box to ship most items.
Priority Mail International – Flat Rate is the cheapest international shipping option, especially if you don’t have a business account with express couriers.
Comparing USPS rates for a medium box
Let's start from the assumption that we need to ship anything over 2 lbs. in a medium box. Now the question is: is the cheapest option from USPS a Flat Rate Box or Priority Mail International?
For a medium Flat Rate box, the maximum weight is 20 lbs. and the dimensions are 14" x 12" x 3 1/2". The price is $77.50.
After studying the pricing charts, I found the breakeven point for using the Priority Mail International medium box, in this case, is 8 lbs. So, if the weight of the package is between 8-20 pounds, the Medium Flat Rate Box is still the cheapest international shipping option from USPS.
Now let’s compare example USPS rates for our medium box with express couriers, seen below.
Rates for medium 8lb. package from Connecticut to Hong Kong
Courier
Service
Delivery Time (claim)
Cost (Retail pricing)
USPS
Priority Mail International - Small Flat Rate Box
6-10 days
$36.45
USPS
First-Class Package International
7-15 days
$26.36
USPS
Priority Mail International
6-10 days
$51.44
USPS
Priority Mail Express International
3-5 days
$67.28
UPS
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
2-5 days
$127.05
UPS
UPS Worldwide Saver®
3-5 days
$137.15
FedEx
International Economy
4-6 days
$113.69
FedEx
International Priority
1-3 days
$118.72
At $77.50 and $82.15, both USPS options are far cheaper than UPS and FedEx.
But… using USPS means you get what you pay for.
When you consider USPS’ not-so-stellar record of delivery times (they do not guarantee), paired with spotty tracking service, you may want to explore other ways to get the cheapest shipping overseas. This is especially true if you're running a business with customers who expect timely deliveries.
Comparing USPS Rates with Easyship
Alternatively, shipping with Easyship saves you high-volume discounts for all domestic and international shipments. We'll compare the rates from major couriers to our highly-discounted rates.
Biz rates for a 8-pound package from Connecticut to Hong Kong
Courier
Service
Delivery Time (Claim)
Delivery Time 1 (Actual)
Cost (Retail Pricing)
Cost (Using Easyship)*
USPS
Priority Mail International
6-10 days
10-15 days
$82.15
$78.04*
USPS
Priority Mail Express International
3-5 days
10-15 days
$101.55
$96.31*
UPS
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
2-5 days
2-3 days
$210.05
$112.16*
UPS
UPS Worldwide Saver®
2-3 days
1-2 days
$222.55
$222.55*
FedEx
International Economy
4-6 days
3-5 days
$212.95
$129.86*
FedEx
International Priority
1-3 days
1-2 days
$235.27
$134.67*
*Rates are calculated from the Easyship Shipping Rate Calculator
Easyship Offers the Cheapest International Shipping Rates
Remember how express couriers are expensive if you don't have a business account with special negotiated rates? Easyship offers the cheapest international rates with discounts up to 91% off. We’ll calculate the example rates for shipping to the destination countries above, so you can see the cheapest rates we offer.
Courier Service
Lead Time
Destination
Cost
FedEx Cross Border Tracked
12-25 business days
NY to the UK
$47.10
UPS Standard®
3 business days
NY to Canada
$20.94
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
4 business days
NY to Italy
$48.67
SF Express Standard Economy
9-15 business days
NY to India
$62.19
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
3 business days
NY to Germany
$48.67
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
6 business days
NY to Australia
$58.63
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
6 business days
NY to the Philippines
$58.63
Our Shipping Rates Calculator makes the international shipping process seamless for calculating rates. As seen below, all you need to do is fill out your package information, and you’re on your way to frictionless shipping.
To conclude, the cheapest international shipping services are:
Typically, it's Flat Export or USPS because they offer international shipping rates far cheaper than UPS or DHL.
Using UPS and DHL to ship internationally without a business account can be really costly, with rates almost being 3x higher than USPS
With Easyship, you get direct access to over 550+ courier solutions. You even save 91% on express courier rates when shipping internationally
Getting a shipping quote on Easyship’s platform may surprise you. You're likely to find a regional courier that ends up being the cheapest international shipping choice
If you want to learn more about international options and get your shipping label AWB, we suggest you start here. Or jump right into the free shipping rate calculator to find your cheapest rates on international shipping.
To learn more about each courier service used in the comparisons, check out the following links:
Also, if you're interested in more affordable international shipping rates, consider checking out our hybrid solutions. One of these is Flat Export Rate which is a great budget option for international shipments, and only has two zones, one for Canada, one for the rest of the world which really allows merchants to simplify their shipping estimations.
Easyship is the leading international shipping and logistics company, operating with a vast network of over 250 couriers spanning the globe. Our extensive reach empowers us to negotiate exceptional shipping discounts with top-tier couriers, resulting in remarkable savings of up to 91% on your shipping expenses.
At Easyship, we're dedicated to simplifying international shipping, helping you grow your online store and create a delivery experience customers love. Find exclusive discounts and create a delivery experience customers love with these market leading tools:
Insurance: Peace of mind is crucial when shipping. We offer insurance coverage of up to $10000, ensuring your valuable packages are protected during transit
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
Shipping Rate Calculator: Effortlessly compare rates from over 550+ courier solutions, ensuring you always choose the most cost-effective shipping option
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