9 best courier services in Singapore with the cheapest delivery fees

While we no longer need to rely on SingPost to ship our items (hallelujah), the problem now is that there are sooo many logistics companies. Which should you choose!? Reliable or not?

9 best courier/delivery services in Singapore

Need some recommendations in a hurry?

• For small parcels: Buy postage-paid solutions like SingPost’s PolyM, SmartPac, or Ninja Pack. They’re super convenient; just stuff, seal, and drop off.
• For bulky parcels: Qxpress next-day delivery has the cheapest rates in town for heavy/bulky items.
• For instant delivery: GrabExpress is probably the cheapest and easiest to use. Go for the 4-hour delivery option to save even more.
• For van or lorry deliveries: You can’t go wrong with Lalamove or GetVan.

Read on for more about our shortlisted courier services in Singapore with affordable and transparent pricing.

1. SingPost SmartPac & PolyM (small parcels)

“Singapore is so efficient! I love how everything works so well!” says every newly-arrived expat in Singapore… until the first time they try to send something by SingPost. 

I kid, I kid. SingPost is the classic standby, and they do still offer some of the cheapest rates for small packages up to 2kg, 324 x 229 x 65mm.

But rather than queueing at the post office and fiddling with stamps, I prefer using their postage-paid polymailer (PolyM, no tracking) or padded envelope/box (SmartPac, comes with tracking) for convenience. Delivery takes 2 to 3 working days.

2. NinjaVan’s Ninja Packs (small parcels)

Ninja Packs are postage-paid polymailers of different sizes — but, unlike SingPost, there’s no weight limit. You can stuff all you want into the bag, which makes it perfect for items that are small but heavy, such as books.

Then you drop it off at a Ninja Point, and BOOM! Item shipped. Delivery takes 1 to 3 days and is trackable.

The only annoying thing is that you need to purchase them online in packs of 5, so multiply the fees above by 5, plus add $1.90 postage for orders below $50. Individual packs can only be bought offline at selected locations.

3. Qxpress Delivery (bulky parcels)

If you can get over Qoo10’s bizarre user interface, their in-house delivery service Qxpress isn’t a bad choice for parcels up to 30kg, W+H+L = 160cm. Technically they accept up to 300cm, but an unknown surcharge applies.

The standard Qxpress Delivery is a next-day service, and you can’t select a timeslot. On the plus side, it’s really cheap for bulkier items that wouldn’t fit in a Ninja Pack or SmartPac. 

For example, a 20kg parcel costs only $12.90 for Qxpress to ship — compared to the market rate of ~$20.

If you are prepared to spend more $$ there’s also a Qxpress Quick Delivery (3 hours) which costs $5.99/km. This makes sense only for super short distance deliveries.

4. TaQbin (bulky parcels)

Japanese logistics company TaQbin has been around for a really long time. While not as shiny or cheap as the newcomers, their reputation is solid. 

Unfortunately, it’s quite a hassle to ship with them. First, you need a corporate account to arrange for pick-up. You also have to fill in a paper form (!!!). Delivery is done on the next day, and they offer free re-delivery for missed parcels.

On the plus side, TaQbin charges by size, not weight — although the heaviest they would go is 25kg. So if you’re shipping gold bars this would be a good option.

5. UParcel (bulky parcels)

The main selling point ofUParcel is that they have a gazillion delivery options, including 1 hour, 3 hours, same day, next day, plus timeslot and 2-way delivery.

I’ve included the prices for next day delivery (cheapest and slowest) and 1-hour delivery (most expensive) above. Refer here for the full UParcel delivery rates.

UParcel’s next day delivery is more expensive than Qxpress, but you can ship up to W+H+L = 200cm which is larger than Qxpress and TaQbin.

6. GrabExpress (instant delivery)

Grab’s GrabExpress is an on-demand delivery service that works the same way as booking a Grab. You can opt for either 4 hour delivery or instant delivery (goods delivered in 60 minutes).

4 hour delivery is super cheap — you just pay a flat fare depending on distance. This is only available for small parcels up to 5kg, 32cm x 25cm x 12cm and you can’t use it for food.

For instant delivery, charges are taxi-style: Start with a base fare, then a distance-based fee kicks in. GrabExpress starts with a very cheap base fare compared to the competitors below, but the per-km fees are high. So it’s best for short distance deliveries.

7. Lalamove (van & lorry delivery)

You might already have seen Lalamove at IKEA, where they offer a way faster delivery service compared to IKEA’s own fleet.

Everything is done on-demand so the recipient doesn’t have to hang around and wait all day. The driver will also help you with moving and loading the goods — so go ahead, buy that second-hand piano on Carousell.

Though best known for lorries and vans, Lalamove also has a full suite of vehicles like motorcycles and cars for moving smaller items, making it GrabExpress’s competitor.

8. GetVan (van & lorry delivery) 

Like Lalamove, GetVan specialises in super bulky deliveries done instantly, on demand. (Except for the XL lorry, which needs to be booked 2 hours in advance.)

Looking at the published rates, GetVan generally charges lower base rates compared to Lalamove, but higher per-km fees. It might be more worthwhile to use GetVan for short distance deliveries.

The fee includes loading/unloading time, but you have to move all the stuff yourself by default. To enlist the driver’s help, you need to pay an extra $15 at least.

9. GogoX (van & lorry delivery) 

GogoX (formerly known as GogoVan) works pretty much the same way as Lalamove and GetVan. Book a vehicle, get your stuff delivered right away.

You can’t get an exact GogoX quotation without signing up for an account. But from the published base rates, prices look quite similar to that of Lalamove.

Bonus: Comparison of instant delivery services

Since quite a number of courier services offer instant delivery, I thought I’d compile the prices for easy reference.

• For small parcels that would fit on a motorcycle, go for GrabExpress (up to 10km) or Lalamove (distances >10km).
• For large parcels that require a car or van, GetVan is the cheapest… Unless you’re delivering to your neighbour 1km away, then use Qxpress Quick.