Moving Container Comparison

Interstate move + storage · ~4–5 BR load · adjustable below

★ Recommended

PODS — best balance of price, flexibility, and reputation

PODS is the cheapest on raw price at every storage duration in the slider range, and stays cheapest with hired movers added (still cheaper than U-Pack equalized; roughly level with Zippy). PODS also has the largest containers (8 ft wide), unlimited on-property time, and the most stable independent reputation of the three. Zippy ties on price with hired movers but the damage/claims record is the relevant risk since their crew handles the load. U-Pack is solid but priciest at every duration once its higher monthly rate compounds.

4months
4-month all-in
PODS $7,037
Zippy $8,341
U-Pack $9,982

Provider cards

Recommended

PODS

$7,0374-month all-in
Containers
2 × 16 ft (8 ft wide, ~835 cu ft ea)
Transit (one-time)
$4,997
Storage / month
$510
Storage × 4
$2,040
Labor
DIY (not included)
On-property time
Unlimited
  • NEW2PODS discount applied (≈ $1,397 off latest quote)
  • If load fits one container, second can be cancelled
  • Storage assumed at discounted $255/container/mo holds the whole duration
  • Excludes optional PODS contents protection (~$55/mo)
Cheaper · Risk flag

Zippy Shell

$8,3414-month all-in · movers included
Containers
2 × 15 ft (7 ft wide, ~680 cu ft ea)
Transit (flat)
$5,829
Storage / month
$628
Storage × 4
$2,512
Labor
Included: 2 movers × 3 hr × 2 containers × both ends (capped, overages billed)
On-property time
3-day cap
  • Independent reviews mixed/poor — see reputation block below
  • Smaller 7 ft-wide containers vs PODS' 8 ft (~150 cu ft less each)
  • Parent company solvent; sister to 1-800-PACK-RAT
DIY · Pricier

U-Pack (ABF)

$9,9824-month all-in
Transit
$6,200
Storage / month
$945.50
Storage × 4
$3,782
Labor
DIY (not included)
  • Established, stable reputation
  • Quote only covers up to 4 months — beyond that, re-quote required
  • Highest monthly storage rate of the three — drives the total

Side-by-side breakdown

PODS Zippy Shell U-Pack (ABF)
Containers / size 2 × 16 ft, 8 ft wide
~835 cu ft ea		 2 × 15 ft, 7 ft wide
~680 cu ft ea		 Container/trailer based
Transit (one-time) $4,997 $5,829 $6,200
Storage / month $510 $628 $945.50
Storage × 4 $2,040 $2,512 $3,782
Labor DIY (not included) Included (movers, both ends) DIY (not included)
On-property time Unlimited 3-day cap Per-day terms
Independent reputation Stable Trustpilot ~1.3, ConsumerAffairs ~1.1, BBB F Stable
4-month all-in $7,037 $8,341 $9,982

Zippy reputation detail

Trustpilot~1.3 / 5
ConsumerAffairs~1.1 / 5
BBBF · not accredited · 4 of 7 complaints unanswered
Affiliate / editorial4.1–4.5 / 5 (discount for sponsored)
Top complaint themes: billing bait-and-switch · damage and denied claims · delivery delays · franchise churn. Since Zippy's pricing advantage comes from including movers (their crew touches the load on both ends), the damage / claims pattern is the directly-relevant risk.

Open items

  1. Confirm exact route (origin + destination ZIPs) — drives the per-mile transit math and lets each provider re-quote against the same input.
  2. Reconcile container math: PODS 2 × 16 ft (8 ft wide) vs Zippy 2 × 15 ft (7 ft wide). If load fits one PODS container, second can be cancelled (the discount terms allow this).
  3. Confirm with PODS that the discounted $255/container/mo monthly rate holds for the full storage window (vs reverting to the $319 list).
  4. Drop PODS contents protection if already covered by an existing policy — savings flow through to the total.
  5. Optional: pull a 1-800-PACK-RAT quote (Zippy's sister company) — usually slightly pricier than Zippy but better-rated; gives a fallback at similar service shape.

Personal decision aid · Not affiliated with any of the named providers.