PODS Moving Review 2024: Pricing & Services

PODS is our favorite moving container company. It offers significant discounts, high-quality container and storage options, and nationwide availability.

Yes, PODS is a good moving option for anyone willing to load and unload their belongings during their move. Looking at the best container movers in the U.S., we found PODS to be the best overall pick based on excellent customer reviews, quality containers, affordable costs, convenient storage options, and broad availability.

PODS is the best overall moving container company we’ve seen. While some competitors do certain things better, none of them score as highly in as many categories. For example, no company has more containers or storage options than PODS. Similarly, PODS met increased COVID-19 moving demand better than the competition. It has extra insurance coverage. The list goes on and on.

Notably, there’s one company, U-Pack, that has better customer reviews. Technically, Zippy Shell has the lowest moving container prices. But with the PODS Move.org reader discount, you can expect considerable savings for your move that rival Zippy Shell prices (in some cases).

The average cost to move with PODS is approximately $5,709. Prices vary depending on your home size and moving distance. Keep in mind that our average is affected by the higher quotes for bigger moves, such as 2,000-mile 5-bedroom moves.

For small to mid-sized moves, PODS pricing is still competitive across the industry (see chart above). However, larger moves can become expensive very quickly if you use PODS.

The average price for a 16ft pod is $4,128 with PODS. This price is based on moving three bedrooms between 1,300 and 1,800 miles, so the cost could be more or less depending on how far you’re moving. The 16ft pod is the biggest option and should accommodate moving a three- or four-bedroom home.

PODS has low prices for smaller moves, but they come with a drawback: confusing invoices. The company charges a laundry list of fees at various stages of your move. 

We recommend you focus on the total amount to ensure that PODS is the right fit for your move. After that, you can work with the customer service rep to sort out the different fees:

• Delivery fee
• Redelivery fee
• Monthly rental
• Taxes
• Coverage

You have two coverage options when moving with PODS:

1. Container only. Insure your PODS container (but not your personal belongings) against loss or damage for $10 per month.¹
2. Contents protection. For a monthly fee, you can protect your PODS container and personal belongings against mishaps like burglary, vandalism, and delivery snafus. Depending on the value of your household items, the cost ranges from $34.95 to $469.95.

Yes, a POD, or storage moving container, is typically cheaper than hiring a professional moving company. Professional movers load your stuff, ship it to your new home, and unload it all for you. It’s the easiest—but most expensive—option. With moving containers, or “PODS,” you load up all your belongings, but the movers transport the container to your new home, so it’s not as expensive because you do some of the work.

The cheapest PODS option is the 8-foot pod, which costs an average of $848 for a local move of less than 150 miles. This price may vary based on the distance and specific services you need. The 8-foot pod is ideal for moving a one-bedroom home or studio apartment.

PODS is our pick for the number one moving container business. Some companies do certain things better. For example, U-Pack has coverage in 50 states (4 more than PODS). But no other company is near the front of the pack for as many reasons:

• Low prices for smaller moves. PODS costs less than average for local moves. On top of that, you can use your Move.org discount to get even more savings.
• Solid reviews. PODS has the second-highest customer review scores in the moving container industry. Customers frequently praise the company for its helpful customer service, timely delivery, and affordability.
• Wide availability. PODS is available in 46 states (some companies have locations in fewer than 30). It also kept up with moving demand during the pandemic better than any container moving service.
• High-quality containers. PODS has three different sizes of steel-framed containers, while some companies have only one model made of flimsy plywood. Containers are weather-resistant and have a good track record of keeping belongings safe and dry.
• And more. PODS has top-tier storage options, provides moving services for all home sizes, and can handle both local move and long-distance moves. No matter which way you slice it, PODS continually provides flexible moving solutions to customers.

PODS has the second-highest customer reviews in the moving container business. Our analysis of over 16,000 reviews from five different companies reveals that customers prefer PODS over virtually every container company. Customer reports repeatedly highlight PODS’ good prices, fast service, and friendly customer reps.

PODS can help you move no matter the distance. The real win here is the local availability. Virtually every moving company handles long-distance moves, but some don’t offer in-town options. That’s a pain if the company’s prices match your budget and features resonate with your moving situation, but you can’t hire it for the job.

Thankfully, PODS doesn’t make you sweat it out. The moving container company provides local and long-distance moving services in 46 states.

PODS’ specialty is moving containers. The company is so well-known that some competitors violate the PODS® trademark by referring to moving containers as moving pods. It sets the industry standard in many ways.

Here’s how moving containers work:

• PODS delivers a container to your home.
• You load the PODS container and then call the company to pick it up.
• PODS then transports your container and belongings to your new home and drops them off.
• You unload the container, and then PODS picks it back up. 

Note: PODS can deliver containers to most homes. However, your PODS rep can help you ensure that you have enough space and that local HOA and city regulations allow for the delivery and storage of moving containers.

PODS has three container sizes. The smallest 8-foot option can fit belongings from a studio apartment. The company’s largest 16-foot portable storage container can often accommodate four-bedroom homes. And PODS’ 12-foot shipping container can fit up to three rooms for moves under 50 miles.

Containers often save you money because you do much of the work (like packing and loading). PODS handles the big stuff like container delivery, pickup, and transportation.

PODS also rents moving containers for storage purposes. Monthly fees vary but always come with the same flexible options:

• At-home storage. Park the PODS container at your home and keep it as long as needed. It comes in handy for short-term remodels and decluttering projects. You can walk right out the front door and into your PODS container (no driving to a self-storage facility like Extra Space Storage or CubeSmart).
• PODS facility storage. Keep your container at a PODS storage center. The company lets you access your belongings anytime you want, so long as you call ahead to schedule an appointment. PODS recommends its warehouses if you need storage for more than a few weeks or don’t have enough space in your driveway.

It’s important to note that PODS has the best storage options in the country. Some companies offer only at-home or facility storage (PODS does both). Similarly, some container services keep your belongings at a storage center but won’t allow you to access them (PODS will). PODS even has climate-controlled storage facilities for sensitive items like photographs and books. You simply can’t find better portable storage options.

PODS is one of the only moving container companies to offer auto transport services. It partners with an online marketplace (ACERTUS) where truck drivers bid on your shipment. While ACERTUS is a different logistics platform than the one used by the best car shipping companies, we suspect the price and quality are similar to what you see elsewhere.

PODS offers international moving services between Canada and the United States. It also has in-country moving container services in Australia and the United Kingdom. We recommend contacting one of our best international moving companies if you need to move to a country other than Canada.

We recommend PODS for local and mid-distance moves of all sizes. For a higher price, they offer long-distance. PODS beats the competition in nearly every category, including storage options, insurance, and generous discounts.

And the company has only gotten better with time. PODS rose from our third-place company in 2020 to our overall top pick in 2024. There are still issues with high prices for bigger interstate moves, but if you're moving within 500 miles, PODS pricing will likely be close to the rest of the industry.

Save with a PODS discount for Move.org readers

Move.org follows a six-step process to identify the nation’s best moving container companies:

1. Compare quotes. We obtained and analyzed nearly 300 quotes from 7 of the nation’s largest moving container companies over 3 years.
2. Mystery shopping. We do a top-to-bottom analysis of each company’s website and even call posing as customers. It helps us get a feel for what real-life customers experience.
3. Analyze reviews. We read dozens of reviews for each company to see what most impresses (and turns off) customers. We also conducted a meta-analysis of more than 16,000 reviews to calculate an industry customer review average.
4. Pay real-life customers for honest feedback. Move.org routinely gives away $500 moving grants in exchange for candid feedback about using moving container companies.
5. Site visits. We invite industry experts and company executives to visit our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. We grill them on everything from pricing and customer reviews to insurance coverage and the latest industry trends.
6. Annual review. Every year, we repeat the process to ensure that our list of the best moving container companies stays current. That means our top recommendations and industry prices may change each year.

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1. PODS. “Contents Protection Option.” Accessed October 1, 2024.
2. PODS. “PODS Partners with ACERTUS to Expand Moving Services to Include Auto Shipping,” April 12, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2024.