Whether you’re planning a long-distance move or you need help with local Moving, working with a quality moving company is the best way to guarantee your belongings safely make it from point A to point B.

With countless professional movers to choose from, how do you make sure you’re making the right choice?

Don’t worry—moveBuddha did the research for you! We’ve researched and compiled a comprehensive guide to assist you in finding the best moving company tailored to your specific needs, plus some helpful tips from our moving pros on how to plan a stress-free move.

Our ratings of the best moving companies

Based on moveBuddha’s research and the reviews of hundreds of moveBuddha readers, these are the best moving companies:

• Best Full-Service Mover: International Van Lines (IVL)
• Best for Cross Country Moves: Safeway
• Best Moving Container: U-Pack
• Best for Local Moves: American Van Lines
• Best DIY Moving Option: Penske
• Best for Seniors: Allied Van Lines
• Best for Military Moves: PODS

Comparing the best moving companies

Here’s how the best moving companies compare in terms of ratings and average cost.

Our reviews of the best moving companies

Best Full-Service Mover: International Van Lines

International Van Lines is a full-service moving company that handles both domestic and international moves. As a full-service mover, it handles not just transporting your stuff, but also full-service packing and storage services.

Several other online sources listed International Van Lines as one of the best moving companies in the United States. With well over 1,200 reviews online, International Van Lines boasts a 4.99 out of five stars.

If you need extra help with your move, International Van Lines can handle the entire process for you. It’s completed one million moves over the past ten years, so your furniture is in good hands.

It even offers long-term or short-term storage options—complete with temperature control—so your belongings stay safe.

International Van Lines serves every state in the U.S. as well as 140 countries across the globe, so whether you’re gearing up for a local move or an international relocation, its team is here to help. Because of this, they’ve made our top lists as one of the best international moving companies and one of the best interstate moving companies.

Services include:

• Long-distance moving
• International moving
• Professional packing
• Storage

Our Full Review: International Van Lines Review

Best for Cross Country Moves: Safeway

Safeway serves all 50 states in the U.S., so this moving company can move you to the next state over or across the country, no problem.

Safeway acts as a broker that connects you with local moving partners. This company is very customer-focused and only pairs you with vetted movers. Since it’s a broker, you get instant access to plenty of movers in your area, but get the benefit of working with Safeway’s experienced team.

We love Safeway because it requires all movers to carry $1 million insurance policies—a must-have for big moves. Its movers also offer packing services—complete with shrink wrapping and moving pads—to protect your furniture, bulky items, and fragile items during a long move.

Plus, every Safeway move comes with 30 days of storage included for free. This is great if your belongings arrive before you do (cross-country is a pretty long way to travel, after all). With all of these benefits, Safeway was a clear contender as one of the best long distance moving companies.

Services include:

• Long-distance removing
• Packing
• Storage

Our Full Review: Safeway Moving Review

Best Moving Container: U-Pack

U-Pack is one of the more affordable moving companies. Unlike full-service movers, U-Pack is actually a moving container company.

With U-Pack, you book online, they drop a pod off at your house, you load and pack it, and U-Pack transports it to your new address.

We like U-Pack because it always includes fuel costs in its estimates. This is great if you need help sticking to your budget and don’t want to encounter any “gotcha” fees.

Choose between a truck trailer (for bigger moves) or a ReloCube (for smaller moves). Best of all, U-Pack only charges you for the space you use in the moving trailer.

U-Pack can either immediately transport your belongings to your new home with door-to-door service, or it can store your stuff at a storage facility until you’re ready to move in. You have three days to unload your stuff when it arrives at your new home, which gives you a little more wiggle room.

If you’re down to manage packing and loading yourself, U-Pack is an affordable option that saves you the time and hassle of driving a moving truck. U-Pack is at the top of our lists for the best moving container companies and the cheapest moving container companies.

Services include:

• Door-to-door or service center delivery
• Storage

Our Full Review: U-Pack Review

Best for Local Moves: American Van Lines

Just moving across town? Book a mover who has a local presence near you. American Van Lines offers quality full-service moving for folks who are moving across town.

If you just need help packing fragile items or specialty stuff like pianos and art, American Van Lines can accommodate your needs.

We love American Van Lines because it’s available in the Lower 48 (sorry, Alaska and Hawaii). Its flat-rate pricing system makes American Van Lines’ quotes much more predictable.

It also charges the same amount whether you move at the last minute or on a high-demand day like the weekends—most movers charge extra fees for this.

American Van Lines also takes customer service seriously. It thoroughly screens all movers with background checks.

Services include:

• Local moving
• Long-distance moving
• Corporate relocations
• Military moving
• Commercial moving
• Antique and piano moving
• Storage