Our top pick: With an unbeatable selection of services, award-winning customer service, and worldwide availability, International Van Lines is the best moving company in the country. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right mover for your situation, though. We recommend getting quotes from a few different companies—including companies with different services like PODS and Penske—to find the best mover for your needs and your budget.

First things first: what moving services do you need—and what can you afford? If you’re willing to pay for a full range of services like packing, loading, and delivery, professional moving companies are the right choice. If you can handle the packing, but you’d pay a little extra to avoid driving a moving truck cross-country—then a container mover is your best fit. And if you’re looking for the most cost-effective and DIY approach, consider renting a moving truck.

Picking a good moving company means doing a little research beforehand. To find the best mover for you, look for these services and qualities in every company you consider:

• Reliable pricing: Don’t just default to hiring the moving company that offers you the lowest price. It might be tempting, but if the company’s pricing is unreliable, you might end up paying far more than you expected. Look for movers that offer binding estimates or flat-rate pricing to get a price you can bank on. You might need to call a company’s customer service number to ask about its pricing.
• Great customer reviews: Learn about a company by reading reviews from previous customers. Check third-party review sites like Yelp and Google Reviews instead of relying on the cherry-picked reviews that moving companies feature on their own websites. If you mostly find reports of dishonest pricing, damages, and late deliveries, avoid hiring that company. Alternatively, if most customer reviews about a mover are positive, you’ll probably have a great experience too.
• Government certification: Every legit full-service moving company has a USDOT number you can use to track its certification with the Department of Transportation. Any mover that doesn’t feature a USDOT number on its website shouldn’t be trusted. Similarly, if the company’s listing on the USDOT site doesn’t say the company is “Authorized,” you shouldn’t hire it. This step doesn’t apply to moving container, truck rental, or hourly labor companies.

Any moving company that clears these requirements can be trusted, and your move with that company will probably go off without a hitch. And while we always recommend doing your own research, we’ve done some of the heavy lifting for you. We’ve vetted the companies on this page using the criteria above, so you can trust any company we recommend here.

The total cost of your move depends on four main factors:

• Type of move: Professional movers cost the most, while container moves are less pricey. If you’re looking to save every penny, rent a moving truck for a DIY move.
• Home size: The more stuff you own, the more it’ll cost to move it. Expect to pay more if you own a larger home.
• Moving distance: The farther you move, the higher your moving costs. Cross country moves can be several times more expensive than a local move in the same zip code.
• Time of year: Summertime is peak moving season, which means availability goes down and costs go up. If you want to save, try to move between September and April.

Because of all these factors, you can’t know exactly how much your move will cost until you start getting quotes. That’s why you should get estimates from at least three moving companies. And beware of unusually low quotes—if a company’s moving estimate sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

International Van Lines is the best mover in the business. IVL is a moving broker and carrier that cleared every test we threw at it, and the company pairs transparent pricing with unmatched customer service for a winning combo. If you want to hire a company that can professionally and affordably provide every service your move will require, you won’t find a better option than IVL.

Unlike some movers, IVL handles local (under 100 miles) and long-distance (over 100 miles) moves alike. And since IVL has nationwide availability, it can get you from point A to point B no matter where the two points are.

In fact, IVL boasts over 3,000 global partners, so it’s even a great option if you’re moving internationally. We love a company that lives up to its name.

From crane lifts and piano transport to full-service packing and car shipping, International Van Lines can handle all aspects of your move. Additional highlights include easy online and over-the-phone moving quotes, both short- and long-term storage options (plus 30 days of free storage), and junk and debris removal.

IVL’s ability to provide everything you need without compromising on customer satisfaction puts it head and shoulders above its competitors.

Like IVL, American Van Lines has exceptional customer service. In fact, it only scored slightly behind IVL in Newsweek’s best customer service rankings. Not too shabby. On top of this achievement, American Van Lines also brings deluxe moving services to the table and uses a pricing system that ensures you always know exactly how much you’ll pay.

In addition to typical moving services like packing, delivery, and storage, American Van Lines offers deluxe options that are a little harder to find. Some of the company’s more uncommon services include antique moving, fine art shipping, and professional piano delivery.

This makes American Van Lines a fantastic option if you’re moving with exceptionally costly items.

Moving can be incredibly expensive, and moving prices are notoriously unreliable. Many companies charge more than they say they will, and they frequently hit customers with last-minute fees, so a price you can rely on is a precious commodity in the moving industry. And that’s exactly what American Van Lines offers.

The company uses a flat-rate pricing system, meaning that once you get your estimate, your price won’t go up from there. Most companies won’t give you that same peace of mind.

North American Van Lines—also called northAmerican—has been in the moving business for over 88 years, and this wealth of experience really shows through in stellar customer reviews. Customers frequently praise the company’s reasonable pricing and friendly moving crews. The best part is that northAmerican lets you tailor your moving services to perfectly fit your unique needs and budget.

If you’re willing and able to do some of the work yourself, northAmerican gives you that option. You can take on just about any task your move will require instead of paying northAmerican’s crews to do it. This means that you can make your move a little cheaper by doing jobs most movers handle like loading the truck and packing your belongings. The only thing northAmerican won’t let you do is drive the truck.

On the flip side, you can also hire northAmerican to do just about anything you don’t want to do yourself. Deluxe treatment like this costs extra, but it means you can sit back and relax while professionals do everything for you.

You don’t have to be a compulsive worrier to fret over where your belongings are during transit. You’re paying a company to ship all your household goods, so it makes sense that you’d want to know their location at all times. That’s why we love that North American lets you track your shipment using its GPS system. Most movers don’t.

If you’re the type of person who craves constant updates about deliveries—and who isn’t, really?—then North American Van Lines might be the best mover for you.

Like northAmerican, Allied Van Lines has been doing business for almost 100 years. Longevity like that is one of the best trust signals in the moving industry since scammy movers don’t stick around very long. Additionally, Allied makes it easier than just about any other moving company to get a virtual quote, so you can quickly determine if moving with Allied will work for your budget.

Unfortunately, Allied’s customer reviews are some of the lowest among those for companies on this list, and these reviews run the full gamut of bad experiences: late deliveries, damaged goods, bad customer service, etc.

And while it’s best to take customer reviews with a grain of salt, it’s still important to pay attention to averages. And on average, customers are less satisfied with Allied’s service than that of IVL or northAmerican.

That said, because moving prices can vary by region, Allied might be the most affordable option in your area. The bottom line is that, if cost is your sole concern, it’s worth getting a quote from Allied.

Moving storage is one area where Allied pulls ahead of its competition. While many movers on this list provide storage, few hold a candle to Allied’s offerings. The company’s storage facilities are climate-controlled, equipped with alarms, and include 24-hour security. You rarely see accommodations that good from a moving company.

The best part is that you can store with Allied short-term (only a few weeks) or long-term (basically as long as you’re willing to pay for it). This makes Allied one of your best options if your move will require storage services and you want to ensure your stuff is in good hands.

If you want some of the convenience of hiring a full-service mover mixed with some of the affordability of a DIY move, then we recommend moving with a moving and storage container company. And PODS is the very best container company money can hire.

DIY movers love container moving companies because they offer the flexibility to pack and load your belongings on your own time without requiring you to do the actual driving your delivery will require. Moving containers can even double as flexible, on-site storage solutions (say, for home staging or renovation projects).

If you’re trying to find a cost-effective way to move your household goods, you want full control over your packing and moving timeline, or you’ll need storage, then PODS was made for you.

PODS isn’t the most affordable moving and storage container company. That would be Zippy Shell. However, PODS prices are still a little below the industry average. And when paired with PODS’ durable containers, wide availability, and great customer reviews, the company’s rates are honestly stellar.

Additionally, Move.org readers can knock 10% off their PODS price by calling (866) 229-4120 or using the promo code MOVEORG when they book online.

Of all the moving services you can choose from, renting a moving truck will save you the most money, but you’ll have to handle all the packing, loading, and driving yourself. If all this labor doesn’t intimidate you, then renting a moving truck is a great option for you. And we’ve found that Penske is the best rental truck company in the country.

If you’re moving over 100 miles, then renting a Penske truck is the cheapest way to get it done. The company’s rates for one-way truck rentals are about $130 below the industry average. Additionally, Penske has an impressive selection of discounts for seniors, students, military members, and first responders, so you might be able to snag an even lower price.

If you’re moving locally, we recommend getting a quote from Budget as well as Penske. We’ve found that Budget’s rates are the industry’s best for moves under 100 miles.

Reviews for moving truck rental companies skew very negative, far more negative than for other moving services. This has a lot to do with the lack of convenience and effort required when you move with a rental truck.

That said, Penske’s customer reviews are the best—or rather, the least bad—in this category. Its average customer score is more than one full star higher than almost any direct competitor. The only company that comes close to Penske’s customer ratings is Enterprise which only offers local truck rentals.

If you’ve already got a plan for moving your household goods but you’re not sure how to move your vehicle(s), we recommend hiring a car shipping company, especially if your moving company doesn’t offer auto transportation. Our choice for the best car shipping company is Montway Auto Transport.

Montway’s auto transport rates are some of the lowest. They sit 5% below the industry average. And our favorite thing about Montway is that, despite its low prices, it doesn’t compromise on customer service.

Montway’s customer reviews are mostly positive, and the company even takes time to respond to every negative review, offering advice and options for rectification if something legitimately went wrong with a customer’s experience. Few companies in any industry match that kind of dedication to their past customers.

Shipping your car can be very stressful, and there’s a lot that can go wrong. That’s why we love how much Montway does to put your worries to rest when it ships your car.

Services like the company’s guaranteed pickup dates (few auto shippers offer this), GPS tracking, and comprehensive carrier vetting can help put your worries to rest before and during your transport job. Montway also provides a lot of shipping coverage for your vehicle in case something goes wrong.

All of this combined makes Montway the best company to trust with your wheels.

Sometimes the most stressful part of a move is simply packing and loading your belongings into a moving truck or container. Moving labor companies can help with that. Professional moving laborers work fast and let you spend your energy organizing and planning instead of lifting furniture and boxes. Our choice for the best moving labor company is HireAHelper. Think of this company as an Uber-type service for hiring helping hands.

We’ll come right out and say it. HireAHelper is quite a bit pricier than Dolly and TaskRabbit, two of its biggest competitors. Exact rates vary depending on which laborers you hire through any of the three services, but on average, HireAHelper’s rates are roughly double those of the other two.

However, that extra cost does get you better service. All of the movers on HireAHelper are licensed and insured. The other two companies let amatuers register.

Of the three moving labor companies we’ve mentioned, HireAHelper is the most widely available. It connects users with movers in over 1,000 major cities, and it’s available in all 50 states. Dolly and TaskRabbit operate in less than 100 cities.

If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest moving labor around, it’s worth looking into the other two companies to see if they’re available where you live. But it’s a pretty good bet that HireAHelper is the only company that services your area. And, hey, if the only option is the best in the biz, that isn’t so bad.

Ultimately, choosing the right moving company for your move will depend on what services you really need—and which ones you really don’t. Additionally, getting quotes from multiple moving companies is the only sure-fire way to find the best price. Request estimates from a few companies on this list to ensure you get what you need at a price that works for you.

• International Van Lines: If you can afford the convenience of a professional mover, hire the best! No other moving company can compete with IVL.
• American Van Lines: If you want a professional mover that can provide deluxe services, then American Van Lines is one of your best options.
• North American Van Lines: If your situation is unique and you need flexibility, then you’ll love the customization options that northAmerican gives its customers.
• Allied Van Lines: If you’re in a hurry and you need to get a price quickly, then Allied built its virtual estimator with you in mind.
• PODS: If you want to cut costs, can put a little elbow grease into your move, and don’t want to drive a moving truck, then PODS is the best mover for you.
• Penske Truck Rental: If you’re moving on a shoestring budget, we suggest renting a moving truck from Penske and doing all the work yourself.
• Montway Auto Transport: Don’t want the wear and tear of driving your car to your new home? Hire Montway to ship your vehicle for you.
• HireAHelper: If you’re moving with a container or a truck rental but you still need help packing and loading, look to HireAHelper to lend a hand.

Other moving companies we recommend:

• JK Moving Services
• United Van Lines
• 1-800-PACK-RAT
• Zippy Shell
• U-PACK
• Budget Truck Rental

The most reputable moving companies in the business are International Van Lines, American Van Lines, and JK Moving Services. These three companies are all properly certified by the United States Department of Transportation, get great customer reviews, and have won awards for their customer service.

We also recommend PODS for container moving, Penske for truck rentals, Montway Auto Transport for shipping vehicles, and HireAHelper for moving labor assistance.

The cheapest way to move your household goods is to load them up in your personal vehicle and deliver them yourself. The next cheapest option is to rent a moving truck, load it, and drive it to your new home while towing your car.

The most sure-fire way to find great packers and movers is to look at reviews from past customers. If a company consistently provides sub-par service, that will show in its customer reviews. Pay attention to averages, though, instead of taking any one customer’s opinion too seriously. A company with a small handful of bad reviews and hundreds of good reviews is probably worth your trust.

Moving is so expensive because of how much is required for every move. Between the costs of fuel, the wages for moving crew members, and the upkeep for moving equipment, moving companies have to account for a lot in their pricing. And when you also factor in costs for certifications, trainings, and insurance, it’s really no wonder moving companies have to charge so much for their services.

Yes, typically van lines (or professional moving companies) offer the best and widest range of moving services. Other moving companies can handle interstate moves, but van lines are known for doing everything a move requires from start to finish. If you don’t want to worry about loading and unloading the moving truck or driving it to your new home, a professional moving company is the right option for you.

Finding the right movers in your area can be just as hard as finding the right interstate mover. There are likely dozens of local movers in your area, and it can be difficult to determine which ones are the best. Luckily, all the advice we’ve already given still applies: read customer reviews, check government accreditation, and get multiple quotes.

To find the best mover in your area, check out which movers we recommend in these states:

You can hire some professional movers for local moving services. Professional movers are often equipped to handle moves of practically any size or distance, though some companies might only accept long-distance jobs. Additionally, you might get better rates hiring local movers. And remember, it’s always best to get more than one quote!

It normally costs between $2,000 and $10,000 to hire a professional moving company for long-distance moves. However, we’ve seen long-distance moves cost as much as $20,000. This cost can vary depending on the size of your home (and the things you plan to move), where you’re moving to, and the time of year. Long-distance moves can be a real headache, and a professional mover can help ease the stress.

You can find the best moving company by figuring out exactly what you need and researching the companies offering the best services and prices. For example, if you have a higher budget and don’t want to do as much work, a van line (or professional mover) might be for you. If you need to save as much as possible, though, you may want to choose a more inexpensive, DIY option.

The best state-to-state mover is International Van Lines. IVL offers the most comprehensive range of services (from packing and loading to delivery), the highest customer ratings, and transparent pricing. While there are several excellent companies to choose from, we believe IVL is the all-around best choice for state-to-state moves.

Move.org evaluates and identifies the moving industry’s best moving services using a fivefold research approach:

• Compare pricing transparency. We gather quotes, check for binding estimates, and read customer reviews about pricing to ensure each moving company’s prices are trustworthy.
• Review accreditation. We check every company’s records in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database to confirm companies are properly authorized to transport household goods.
• Mystery shopping. We review every company’s website, pose as customers in calls to companies, and read customer reviews to analyze every company’s moving services, transit protection, and customer service. We also interview actual customers to learn how their moves went from start to finish.
• Site visits. We invite moving companies to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, to share data and expertise. We verify the information they provide by comparing it to data gathered through independent research and interviews with other movers.
• Regular review. We routinely repeat this process to update our recommendations to reflect current data and trends. We also revise each review annually and make updates throughout the year.

• The Best Long-Distance Moving Companies
• Best Apartment Moving Companies
• Cheapest Moving Container Companies
• Questions to Ask Before Hiring Movers

• How Do I Transport My Car Cross Country?
• How Do I Pay for My Move?
• Do I Need Moving Insurance?
• What is a Moving Permit (and When Do I Need One)?
• How Do I Update My License When I Move?
• How Do I File a Damage Claim with My Moving Company?
• How Do I Plan a Moving Road Trip?

Asha Kennedy and Kurt Manwaring both contributed to this article.