Short answer: Anytime Mailbox has the lowest advertised price, starting at $9.99 a month at select locations. iPostal1 starts at $9.99 a month for personal mail and $14.99 for a business address. If you want no monthly fee at all, USA2Me’s Basic plan charges per item but it adds up quickly and also has an initial set up fee. For expats who only get mail now and then, US Global Mail’s Occasional plan costs $21 a month or $250 a year. It’s hidden in USGM’s sign up flow!
No provider handles your mail free forever, but you can try one free: US Global Mail gives you 15-30 days free trial at no cost.
We run a virtual mailbox company, and we are not the cheapest. We wrote this guide anyway, because “cheapest” rarely is “best” and the lowest sticker price often turns into the highest bill. Here are the real numbers, ours included.
Cheapest virtual mailbox services compared (October 2026)
Provider Starts at Included at that price Watch for US Global Mail Occasional Plan $21/month, $250/year Permanent US street address, pay as you go Unlimited exterior scans icluded. Pay as you go for each letter you want opened USA2Me Basic $0/mo + $23 setup Pay as you go Fees for scanning and forwarding on every action Anytime Mailbox $9.99/mo at select locations, about $15.99 in most of the US Set by each local operator Limits and fees change by address iPostal1 $9.99/mo personal, $14.99/mo business 30 mail items a month $4.95 + shipping per check deposit, $2.25 per item over the limit, $25 online notary PostScan Mail $10/mo Starter 30 items, 2 recipients Opening and scanning letters requires a higher tier Traveling Mailbox $15/mo Basic 40 envelopes, 35 page scans, 3 recipients Overage charges past the allowance LegalZoom Virtual Mail $29/mo Personal Scans up to 20 pages per item $20 per check deposit US Global Mail Scale $49/mo billed annually, $65 monthly. 30 days free Unlimited envelope scans, 360 open-and-scans a year, 10 recipients, free check deposits Not much, really. Best all inclusive plan.
Why the cheapest plan is rarely the cheapest mailbox
A $9.99 plan gets you in the door. What you pay depends on what you do once you’re inside. Before you choose, look for these charges:
Address pricing. A Manhattan address costs more than a Houston one at almost every provider.
Item caps. Many entry plans cover a limited pieces of mail a month. Every piece after that costs extra.
Open-and-scan fees. Seeing the envelope is usually not free and counts towards scan counts.
Check deposit fees. Most providers charge $5 to $20 per check, plus shipping.
Business-name surcharges. Receiving mail for your LLC often requires a pricier business plan.
Recipient fees. Each extra person or company on the box can add to the bill.
Storage fees. Free storage usually lasts 15- 30days. After that you pay by the day.
Notary fees. USPS Form 1583 must be notarized. iPostal1 charges $25 for its online notary. US Global Mail handles notarization inside your dashboard.
What a month really costs: one example
A consultant runs a one-person LLC. She gets about 25 letters a month, most in her company’s name, and deposits 7 client checks.
Monthly cost iPostal1 Virtual Business Address US Global Mail Scale (annual) Plan $14.99 $49.00 7 check deposits $34.65 plus shipping $0 handling plus shipping Total before shipping $49.64 $49.00
At 7 checks a month, the “expensive” mailbox costs less. At 1 or 2 checks a month, iPostal1 is the better buy, and you should choose it. Run the numbers on your own mail before you decide.
Is there a free virtual mailbox?
Not one that handles your mail at no charge, month after month. Someone has to receive and scan every envelope, and that costs money. When a provider says “free,” it usually means one of the following.
A free trial. You get the full service for a set period, then pay or cancel. US Global Mail gives you 30 days free on its Houston address, with unlimited envelope scans and free check deposits.
No monthly fee, with per-item charges. USA2Me’s Basic plan has no monthly fee but charges a $23 setup fee and a fee for each action. These suit people who get a handful of letters a year. But we’d check shipping fees first in case those are exhorbitant.
A free app or free feature. iPostal1’s app is free, but the mailbox behind it isn’t. USPS Informed Delivery is free and emails you a picture of letter-size mail headed to your home. It can’t open or forward anything, and you still need a home mailbox.
The cheapest virtual mailbox for your situation
- Light personal mail: Anytime Mailbox or iPostal1. Choose the cheapest address that meets your needs.
- Mail a few times a year: A pay-per-item service such as In Out Parcel.
- Registering an LLC: You need a real street address and a plan that accepts mail in your company’s name. iPostal1’s business plan starts at $14.99. Check whether your state also requires a registered agent, which is a separate service.
- Frequent check deposits: US Global Mail. Check deposits are free on every plan.
- Several people or companies at one address: US Global Mail includes 10 recipients. Most entry plans include 2 to 6.
- Expats and travelers: US Global Mail’s Occasional plan. You keep a permanent US street address for $250 a year and pay only when you need a letter opened or shipped. Plus US Global Mail’s shipping discounts reach up to 80% off retail rates, which saves more $$ than a cheaper plan once you forward even a single package abroad.
What you give up at the lowest price
Most low-cost providers are networks. iPostal1 and Anytime Mailbox list thousands of addresses, and local pack-and-ship stores or business centers handle the mail. You get more address choices. You also get a store you didn’t choose, with policies that vary from one location to the next.
When you choose a US Global Mail in-house address, our own vetted employees open and scan your mail. We are SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant and sign BAAs, which matters when your mail carries medical or legal records.
Before you sign up anywhere, ask two questions. Who physically opens my mail, and who answers when something goes wrong?
If you are a business, but you do not want to pay hundreds of dollars per month just for someone to manage your mail, rest assured that any other virtual mailbox company out there, has a business plan with more than enough security to cover your needs. As an example, US Global Mail, which is not an exclusively business focused virtual mailbox, has business customers like Shell and Netflix. The odds are pretty good that if companies like Shell and Netflix can trust their corporate mail with US Global Mail that you are going to be able to trust this company to handle your virtual mailbox, too. Obviously, you’ll want to do a little more research and due diligence – but don’t be surprised if you uncover a lot of glowingly positive reviews over the last 20+ years that shine a light on how trusted US Global Mail is in this industry.
How to switch without getting stuck
Start with a temporary change of address at USPS. It forwards your mail to the new mailbox for up to a year, so you can test the service without a permanent commitment. Once you’re happy, give the new address directly to your bank and the IRS. USPS won’t forward mail a second time, so updating senders yourself is what makes a new address stick. Our Form 1583 guide covers the paperwork.
Why people choose US Global Mail
We are not the cheapest virtual mailbox. Here is what the higher price buys.
- Free check deposits on every plan. The more checks you get, the more you save.
- Unlimited envelope scans. You never pay to see what arrived.
- Same-day scanning. Most mail is in your inbox within hours of arrival.
- 10 recipients on Scale. One box can serve your family or several LLCs.
- AI summaries. Deadlines in tax notices and legal letters get flagged for you.
- No contracts. Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Security. SOC 2, Type II and HIPAA certifications.
- Compliance. Audit trails, logs and compliance ready mail handling.
- A real person answers. Usually the same day, with no ticket handoffs.
- Since 1999. Founder-led, never venture-funded, and trusted by companies including Netflix, Klarna and AIG.
Try it free for 30 days. If it isn’t worth $49 a month to you, cancel before the trial ends and pay nothing. Start your free month or see current pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest virtual mailbox for expats? US Global Mail’s Occasional plan costs $21 a month or $250 a year and gives you a permanent US street address. It includes unlimited exterior scans, and you pay only for the letters you choose to open or forward. It suits expats who get a few important letters a month.
Is there a free virtual mailbox? No provider offers full mail handling free forever. You can get a free trial (US Global Mail offers 30 days), a $0-per-month plan with per-item fees (USA2Me Basic, In Out Parcel), or USPS Informed Delivery, which is free but only shows images of mail coming to your home.
How much does a virtual mailbox cost per month? Entry personal plans run about $15 a month. Business plans with more scans and recipients run about $25 to $65. Fees for scans, checks and storage can double the advertised price.
Which virtual mailbox has free check deposits? US Global Mail includes free check deposits on every plan. iPostal1 charges $9.95 plus shipping per check, and LegalZoom charges $20.
Is a cheap virtual mailbox safe? It can be. Legitimate providers are registered with USPS as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) and require a notarized Form 1583. Ask who physically handles your mail and whether the company holds SOC 2 certification.
Can I try a virtual mailbox before paying? Yes. US Global Mail offers 30 days free and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
