The Moving Quote Websites That Could Save You Hundreds

We’ve all seen those moving quote form sites that claim:

“Save up to 40% on your move.”

“Compare movers and save hundreds.”

“Get the best moving price in minutes.”

But is that advertising speak, or is it really cheaper, and if so, compared with what?

If a moving quote website says it can save you $500, is that compared with booking the first mover you find on Google? The most expensive mover in your area? An industry average? Or the price you would have got if you had contacted exactly the same moving company directly?

Moving quote websites definitely can help you find cheaper moving options, but proving that they actually saved you hundreds is much more complicated than the advertising suggests.

Where the Savings Could Actually Come From

A moving quote website cannot magically make the cost of fuel, labor, or a moving truck cheaper.

But what it can do is create competition between movers.

Instead of you contacting one moving company and accepting its price, you can receive estimates from several movers competing for your move.

Imagine one mover quotes you $4,200. Another quotes $3,750. A third quotes $3,500.

If the companies are comparable in every way and the $3,500 estimate is the price you pay, you may have just saved $700 by taking 2 minutes to fill out a quote form.

That is the principle behind most moving comparison websites.

So How Could You Prove That a Quote Website Saved You Money?

There is really only one way; you would need to compare apples with apples.

Use exactly the same move details to get multiple quotes:

the same origin and destination
the same moving date
the same inventory
the same packing requirements
the same access conditions
the same additional services

But even that only tells you part of the story. That’s just a quote; what you actually end up paying is what really matters.

That is vitally important because saving $600 on the original estimate means nothing if another $800 of add-on charges appear on moving day.

That is why even after getting your quotes, you must do your due diligence to ensure that you are hiring a reputable mover who will not suddenly inflate your final bill on moving day.

Why Quote Websites Can Get You a Better Deal

There are several reasons a mover may offer a better price through a quote platform.

The most obvious is competition.

A mover receiving a lead through a comparison website knows that it may not be the only company speaking to that customer, so pricing too aggressively could mean losing the job.

There is also the question of capacity.

Moving companies do not want trucks and crews sitting idle. A mover with space available on a particular route or date may be prepared to offer a much better price than another company that is already very busy.

This applies especially to interstate moves, where matching customers with available truck space can potentially make a significant difference to the price.

Therefore, the cheapest mover for one person may not be the cheapest mover for another, even if they are moving from the same city.

Your dates, destination, and shipment size can all affect what you pay.

Where “Save 40%” Claims Become a Problem

The phrase “save up to 40%” does not mean the average customer saves 40%, and it may not even mean that many customers save 40%.

The key part of that phrase is ‘up to’

Someone, somewhere, could potentially get that saving.

But that is very different from saying that you should expect your $5,000 move to suddenly cost $3,000 simply because you completed a quote form.

The same applies to claims that a website could “save you hundreds.”

Could it? Certainly.

Will it? That depends on the movers available, the estimates you would otherwise have gotten, and, most importantly, the final price you eventually pay.

The Bigger Saving May Come From Comparison Shopping

The biggest advantage of moving quote websites is not that they have access to secret discounted moving prices; it is that they encourage you to compare.

If you were calling around movers yourself, you might call one or two moving companies and stop when you receive a price within your budget.

But a comparison site can get you several quotes much more quickly, which makes large price differences easier to spot.

So maybe the real value of these websites is that they make it easier to discover that another mover is cheaper whilst still offering a quality service.

5 Moving Cost Comparison Sites We Would Actually Use

So if we cut through the advertising jargon, which sites would we trust to provide quotes?

Disclaimer: Rather than testing the quote forms, which would mean submitting fake quote requests and would be unfair on the moving companies, we set out some criteria which we believed would be good indicators of sites that would do the best job of getting comparable quotes:

we wanted movers that are genuinely comparable
who have a good reputation
are legally licensed and insured

The website itself had to be:

operating for many years
have a solid reputation within the industry
actively vetting the movers they work with
provided enough quotes to make a genuine comparison
and do not appear to give your information to dozens of moving companies.

These five stood out, but are listed here in no particular order:

Moving.com

Moving.com is one of the oldest and best-known moving resources online. The Moving.com domain dates back to 1999, so it has a longer track record than most moving quote websites.

More importantly, it is very clear about what happens after you complete its quote form.

Moving.com says it will connect you with up to four moving companies, and requires movers in its network to be licensed and insured.

Why we like it: Long-established, maximum of four movers, licensed and insured movers, and clear disclosure about who may contact you.

MoveAdv i sor

MoveAdvisor, formerly MyMovingReviews, has been involved in the moving industry since 2008.

Unlike a quote-only website, MoveAdvisor also has one of the largest mover review databases. That means you can receive estimates and then research the companies that contact you without having to leave the site.

Its quote service connects customers with four pre-screened movers, while its moving company profiles allow you to read reviews and check licensing information.

MoveAdvisor also states that the moving companies supplied through its quote service are professional, licensed, and insured.

That extra information is useful because, as we have stressed throughout this article, the cheapest quote means very little if it comes from a mover you would not trust with your belongings.

Why we like it: Four pre-screened movers, licensing information, and mover reviews in the same place, and a good reputation within the moving industry.

MoverJunction

MoverJunction has been operating for more than a decade and says it has helped more than 500,000 people plan their moves.

Its quote service provides up to four estimates, rather than passing the enquiry to a large number of movers.

MoverJunction says companies in its network are pre-screened, professionally licensed and insured, and describes its participating movers as BBB-certified.

It also promotes top-rated companies rather than simply presenting any mover willing to buy a lead.

Why we like it: More than 10 years in business, up to four quotes, and they screen movers for licensing, insurance, and reputation.

Move Matcher

Move Matcher takes a slightly different approach.

Founded in 2016, its network consists of movers that it describes as vetted, licensed, and insured.

Rather than immediately sending your details to every mover displayed in the results, Move Matcher says that the movers do not know you are looking until you choose to contact them, and that it will not send your personal information to a mover without your consent.

Why we like it: Around 10 years in business, licensed and insured movers, prices and reviews displayed for comparison, and you control which movers receive your details.

Unpakt

Unpakt is another comparison site that works differently from the traditional lead-generation websites.

Founded in 2010, it was one of the first websites to bring online price comparison to the moving industry.

Instead of submitting your phone number and waiting for several movers to call, Unpakt allows you to enter an inventory and compare moving prices online.

You compare the available prices on the platform and choose which company you want to book.

It also requires participating movers to honor the quoted guaranteed price unless the details of the move change.

That arguably makes the prices easier to compare than the rough initial estimates generated by many conventional quote forms.

Why we like it: Established for well over a decade, licensed and insured movers, online price comparison without the traditional flood of sales calls, and guaranteed pricing based on the inventory you provide.

However, being included on any comparison website should never replace your own research.

So whichever website you use, thoroughly check the mover’s recent reviews, complaint history, and licensing status.

For an interstate move, verify the company’s USDOT information through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration before signing anything.

The comparison website should make finding potential movers easier, but it should never make the final decision for you.

So, Could Moving Quote Websites Save You Hundreds?

For the right move, comparing several legitimate moving companies could easily save you hundreds of dollars, and in some cases even more.

But the quote website itself is not really creating that saving; the competition it creates between movers is.

The real benefit is having several movers competing for your business and giving you enough information to know when one company is offering better value than another.

So take the “save hundreds” and “save up to 40%” headlines for what they are: marketing claims, not promises.

Use moving quote websites as one part of your research.
Get several estimates.
Check what each estimate actually includes.
Compare the final offers rather than choosing whichever looks lowest.
Ensure you compare services like for like.
Thoroughly research the mover before booking.

The best moving quote website is not necessarily the one promising the biggest savings; it is the one that makes it easier to find a reputable mover at a genuinely competitive price.

Disclaimer: themovingblog partners with Moveadvisor because we believe that the service they offer matches your needs exactly; you will receive quotes from a maximum of 4 movers, you have the option to speak directly with movers, and all the movers are licensed, insured, and reputable.