Earth Class Mail alternatives: where to move your mail, and how
Five virtual mailboxes, one per reason to leave, and a seven-step plan to change your business address.
The short answer: PostScan Mail is the closest like-for-like replacement at a lower price, PhysicalAddress is the cheapest way in at $7.98 a month, Stable fits businesses that still get paid by check, US Global Mail suits teams that want API access and generous scanning, and Anytime Mailbox lets you pick the exact city or state. One thing to know first: Earth Class Mail is now LZ Virtual Mail, part of LegalZoom, and its entry plan costs $39 a month for 5 scanned items. We compared all five replacements and read their current pricing pages in 2026.
Some links may be affiliate links. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why so many customers are shopping around
For years Earth Class Mail was the default virtual mailbox for US startups: clean scans, check deposits, shared access for a whole team. LegalZoom bought it in 2021, and today earthclassmail.com redirects to LegalZoom's LZ Virtual Mail page. Existing customers keep their address. What pushes them out is mostly the bill and the support. Here are the six reasons that come up again and again in reviews.
$39 a month for 5 scanned items
Starter MailBox costs $39 a month and includes 5 items. Essentials is $59 for 25, Premium $119 for 50. Every item over your plan costs $3. Run the numbers on 15 letters a month: Starter comes to $39 plus $30 in overages, so $69, which is more than Essentials. Meanwhile PhysicalAddress starts at $7.98 for 30 envelope scans and PostScan Mail at about $10 for 30 pieces received.
Repeated price hikes and a dropped "lifetime" rate
Long-time customers describe plans that started at $19 a month, moved to $29, and now sit at $39. Several reviews mention a rate sold as locked for life, then withdrawn. That is usually the trigger: not a broken feature, but a bill that doubled while the service stayed the same.
Fees stacked on every shipment
Forwarding a domestic item costs $1.25 plus postage plus $1 per item; international is $5 plus postage plus $1. Express handling is $10, a medium box $5, a large one $10. Storage is free for 30 days on letters and 10 days on packages, then $1.50 per letter per month and $15 per pound per month for packages. A forgotten box can cost more than what is inside it.
Support that is hard to reach
This is the most common complaint in recent reviews: dropped calls, a chat that never answers, one customer saying they had spoken to a real person exactly once. When the service holds your IRS notices, waiting a week on a missing envelope is a real business risk.
Slow handling and rejected packages
Customers report scans arriving later than expected and packages rejected or lost. The official pricing also sets a hard limit: no packages over 20 lb or larger than 19" x 14" x 12". If you receive hardware or samples, check that ceiling before you ship to the address.
Leaving has a cost too
Former customers mention fees depending on how and when they cancelled, and mail still on hold is not forwarded after closure unless you ask. Read your account's cancellation terms first. In fairness, Earth Class Mail still does some things well: an API, multi-user MailRoom plans, free scanning up to 20 pages per document, AI sorting and summaries, and onboarding on the MailRoom tiers. A team receiving 150 items a month may be better off staying.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Earth Class Mail alternative depends on why you are leaving and how much mail you get. One line usually fits.
From $7.98 a month for 30 envelope scans and 10 content scans.
You want the same kind of service for lessPostScan MailPersonal plans from about $10, business plans from $100.
Clients still pay you by checkStableContent scanning at no cost, checks from $3 each.
Your team wants an API and lots of scansUS Global MailUnlimited envelope scans, 360 or 1,200 open-and-scans a year.
You need an address in a specific city or stateAnytime MailboxA large network of locations, each with its own pricing.
Earth Class Mail alternatives, one by one
For each service: why switch to it, who it fits, its catch, how to move over from Earth Class Mail, and what it costs. Prices are the ones each provider lists in 2026, in US dollars. Watch the difference between envelope scans (a photo of the outside) and open-and-scan (the contents): that is where most price comparisons go wrong.
PostScan Mail: the closest replacement, at a lower price
Best overallWhy switch to PostScan Mail. It works the way Earth Class Mail does, with a gentler price ladder. Starter is listed at as low as $10 a month for 30 pieces of mail, Standard from $20 for 60, Premium from $30 for 120. Pay yearly and you get two months free, so Starter runs $100 a year. For teams there is a business line: Startup at $100 a month with 360 pieces and 60 scans, then Business at $300 and Enterprise at $600.
Who it fits. LLC owners and small teams receiving a few dozen letters a month who want a real street address, with in-person pickup where available and a registered agent service on the side.
Who it doesn't fit. Anyone who wants every letter opened by default: Starter includes no content scans at all.
The catch. Open and scan costs $2 for up to 10 pages, then $0.25 a page, once your included scans run out. Standard includes 5 scans a month on monthly billing, 10 on yearly. Free storage is 14 days on monthly plans and 30 on yearly, then $0.05 per envelope per day. Forwarding is $2 plus $0.50 per item plus postage. HIPAA-compliant handling is an extra $25 a month.
How to move. Pick your address, complete USPS Form 1583 with an online notary, then run both addresses in parallel for a billing cycle or two. If LegalZoom was also your registered agent, you can move that at the same time.
- Our score
- 4.2 / 5
- Price
- Starter from about $10/mo
- Best for
- LLCs, 30 to 120 items a month
- Catch
- content scans billed separately
PhysicalAddress: the cheapest way in
CheapestWhy switch to PhysicalAddress. If you were paying $39 for a few letters, the gap is obvious. Plan 30 costs $7.98 a month for 30 envelope scans and 10 content scans. Plan 50 is $10.98 (50 and 25), Plan 100 is $16.98 (100 and 50), Plan 200 is $26.98 (200 and 100). Annual plans are 20% off, and the company advertises a 30-day refund.
Who it fits. Solo founders, foreign owners of a US LLC, and freelancers whose mail is mostly bank statements and government notices.
Who it doesn't fit. A team that wants an API, mail rules and granular user permissions like Earth Class Mail's MailRoom plans.
The catch. Each extra scan is $0.20. Packages are held free for one week, then $1 per week, so forward bulky items quickly.
How to move. Recipients are unlimited, so declare every business name and person on day one, each with its own Form 1583. A free registered agent is included, which can save you a separate bill if you were paying LegalZoom for one.
- Our score
- 4.1 / 5
- Price
- Plan 30 at $7.98/mo
- Best for
- low volume, tight budget
- Catch
- simple tool, little automation
Stable: when clients still pay you by check
ChecksWhy switch to Stable. At Earth Class Mail, a deposited check is $10 without a subscription, or $39 a month for a check plan with 5 included and $2 each after that. Stable lists checks from $3 each, and says it will open and scan the contents of any piece of mail automatically or on request at no cost.
Who it fits. Agencies and service businesses that receive checks every week, and teams that want everything scanned without deciding letter by letter.
Who it doesn't fit. Someone with three letters a month: Grow is $49 a month billed yearly, far above PhysicalAddress.
The catch. Plans count pieces of mail: 360 a year on Grow (30 a month on monthly billing), 600 a year on Scale at $83 a month billed yearly. Over that, $3 per piece. Extra users are $20 on Grow (up to three) and $30 on Scale. Physical mail is kept 30 days, packages 15, digital copies forever. A registered agent costs $25 a month per state.
How to move. Ask for the discount before paying: Stable offers 50% off Grow for the first year to businesses under $1M in revenue, or that use the address to register the company.
- Our score
- 4.0 / 5
- Price
- Grow $49/mo billed yearly
- Best for
- check deposits
- Catch
- pricey under 10 items a month
US Global Mail: generous scanning and an API for teams
TeamsWhy switch to US Global Mail. It keeps what teams liked about Earth Class Mail (shared access, an API, check handling) while bundling far more scanning. Envelope scans are unlimited and free. The Scale plan includes 360 open-and-scans a year for one user and up to 10 recipients; Teams includes 1,200 a year, with API and webhooks. Check deposits carry no processing fee, there is no long commitment, and a 30-day refund is advertised.
Who it fits. Small teams that receive steady mail, want it read by several people, and plan to pipe it into their own tools.
Who it doesn't fit. A solo owner with a few letters: the entry price is in the same range as Stable.
The catch. Prices depend on the address and on how you pay: Scale is listed between $49 and $65 a month, Teams between $99 and $129. Check the exact figure for your location and billing cycle on the pricing page. Each open-and-scan beyond your allowance costs $3. Physical storage is 30 days on Scale and 60 on Teams.
How to move. List every recipient you need before you choose a plan, because Scale caps them at 10.
- Our score
- 3.7 / 5
- Price
- Scale $49 to $65/mo by address and billing
- Best for
- teams, API, steady volume
- Catch
- $3 per extra open-and-scan
Anytime Mailbox: pick your city, address by address
Location choiceWhy switch to Anytime Mailbox. Earth Class Mail offers a limited set of addresses. Anytime Mailbox works like a marketplace: a large network of mail centers across the US and abroad, each one setting its own plans. If your LLC needs an address in a particular state, or you want Manhattan instead of a suburban office park, this is the most flexible option.
Who it fits. Owners who care about the exact location, and people who need addresses in several countries in one app.
Who it doesn't fit. Anyone who wants one predictable price: the company states that pricing and inclusions vary per mailbox location.
The catch. Two addresses in the same city can have very different plans. In New York State, most addresses start between $8.99 and $20 a month, but you have to read the listing for your address: items included, scans, forwarding fees, storage. Billing is monthly or yearly.
How to move. Same as elsewhere: Form 1583, two IDs, then a gradual switch. Before you sign, look the address up on a map to see what kind of building it is.
- Our score
- 3.7 / 5
- Price
- from $8.99/mo at some locations
- Best for
- choosing a city or state
- Catch
- pricing differs at every address
Earth Class Mail vs the alternatives, side by side
For a sense of scale, take an LLC receiving 20 letters a month and opening half of them. At Earth Class Mail, Essentials at $59 covers the 20 items (25 included). At PhysicalAddress, Plan 50 at $10.98 covers 50 envelopes and 25 content scans. At PostScan Mail, Standard at $20 covers 60 pieces and 5 scans; the other 5 cost $2 each for short letters, so about $30. Against PhysicalAddress that is a gap of more than $500 a year (about $576) for the same mail; against PostScan Mail, about $350.
| Included volume | Entry price and watch-out | |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Class MailWhere you start | 5 items on Starter, 25 on Essentials, scans up to 20 pages free | $39/mo; $3 per extra item, forwarding $1.25 + postage + $1 |
| PostScan MailClosest replacement | 30 pieces on Starter, no content scans | About $10/mo; open and scan $2 per 10 pages |
| PhysicalAddressCheapest | 30 envelopes and 10 content scans on Plan 30 | $7.98/mo; $0.20 per extra scan |
| StableChecks | 360 pieces a year on Grow, contents scanned at no cost | $49/mo billed yearly; checks from $3 |
| US Global MailTeams | Unlimited envelopes, 360 open-and-scans a year on Scale | $49 to $65/mo by address and billing; $3 per extra scan |
| Anytime MailboxLocation choice | Set by each mailbox location | From $8.99/mo at some locations |
Entry prices listed by each provider in 2026, subject to change. Always price your real monthly mail volume.
Leave Earth Class Mail in seven steps
Switching virtual mailboxes is not a data export. You are changing your official business address everywhere it appears. Order matters: each step keeps an important letter from landing in a box you no longer pay for.
List everywhere your address appears
Day 1Open a sheet and write down every sender that mails your Earth Class Mail address: your state of formation, the IRS, your bank, your registered agent, clients, vendors, insurers, subscriptions. Scroll through the last 12 months of scans: every sender is a row.
This is the step that prevents the classic surprise: an IRS notice mailed six months later to an address you have closed.
- Time
- one to two hours
- Risk if rushed
- lost government mail
Download your scan archive
Before anythingEarth Class Mail keeps scans in unlimited cloud storage while the account is live. Download everything before you cancel: formation documents, tax notices, statements, contracts. File them by year and sender. Have the paper originals you may need forwarded too, such as certificates or checks not yet deposited.
- Keep
- legal and tax originals
Open the new mailbox and file Form 1583
RequiredEvery new provider needs its own USPS Form 1583, which authorizes that mail center to receive mail for you. It must be notarized (most providers accept online notarization) and comes with two IDs: one photo ID and one proof of address. Plan one form per recipient. Customers often find the notary part confusing, so set aside half an hour, not five minutes.
- Documents
- photo ID + proof of address
- One form per
- recipient
Update your state first, then the IRS
Suggested orderStart with your Secretary of State, usually an online filing, so public records match. Then notify the IRS with Form 8822-B, the change of address form for businesses. Those two senders are the ones whose letters come with response deadlines.
- IRS form
- 8822-B
Update your bank, carefully
SensitiveSome online banks reject commercial mail receiving agency addresses or flag them for manual review. If your bank verified you with the Earth Class Mail address, call before you change it and ask what proof it wants. A common workaround is keeping a verification address separate from the mailbox where your mail lands.
- Risk
- account held for review
Run both addresses in parallel
One or two cyclesKeep Earth Class Mail open for one or two months after the switch: mail keeps arriving at the old address while senders update their records. You cannot rely on USPS mail forwarding from a commercial mailbox. Every letter still arriving at the old address tells you who you forgot.
- Length
- one to two months
Cancel last, after reading the terms
LastOnce nothing important arrives at the old address, read your account's cancellation terms, forward or shred whatever is still on hold, then cancel. Every plan auto-renews, so cancel before the renewal date to avoid paying another month.
- Check
- renewal date
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What makes an Earth Class Mail move go wrong
The same mistakes show up in former customers' stories. None of them is technical: they are oversights, and each costs more than the time it would take to avoid it.
Comparing envelopes with scans
Pricing pages mix two things: the envelope photographed on arrival and the contents opened and scanned. PostScan Mail Starter receives 30 pieces and scans none; PhysicalAddress Plan 30 receives 30 envelopes and scans 10. Count what you actually need opened each month.
Cancelling before the state and IRS catch up
An IRS notice sent to a closed address is a missed deadline. Keep both addresses alive until your state and the IRS confirm the change.
Forgetting packages on hold
At Earth Class Mail, a package not forwarded costs $15 per pound per month after 10 days. Clear the shelf before you leave: forward or shred.
Not checking the address on a map
Before signing, look the new address up on a map. A suite in a real office building goes down better with banks and clients than an address that points at a warehouse.
Paying for checks the expensive way
If you deposit one or two checks a month, $10 each at Earth Class Mail beats a $39 check plan. From about four a month the plan wins. Elsewhere, Stable starts at $3 a check and US Global Mail charges no processing fee.
- Sender list from the last 12 months
- Scan archive downloaded, key originals forwarded
- New mailbox open, notarized Form 1583 for each recipient
- Secretary of State, then Form 8822-B, then the bank
- Both addresses running for one to two months
- Packages and held mail cleared, cancellation before renewal
Earth Class Mail alternatives: frequently asked questions
Who owns Earth Class Mail now?
LegalZoom. It bought Earth Class Mail in 2021, and the service now runs as LZ Virtual Mail; earthclassmail.com redirects to LegalZoom's page. Existing customers keep their address, and plans run from $39 to $299 a month.
Is Earth Class Mail legit?
Yes. It is a real mail center service owned by a public company, with scanning, forwarding and check deposits. The complaints are about price, slow handling and hard-to-reach support, not about the service being fake. Weigh those against your own mail volume.
What is the cheapest Earth Class Mail alternative?
PhysicalAddress, with Plan 30 at $7.98 a month for 30 envelope scans and 10 content scans. PostScan Mail follows at about $10, with no content scans on that first plan. Our ranking of the best virtual mailboxes covers more options.
Can I use a virtual mailbox address for my LLC?
Usually yes for mail and as a business address, but your registered agent address must be in the state of formation and staffed during business hours. Several providers sell a registered agent service alongside the mailbox; our guide to registered agent services compares them.
Do I need a new Form 1583 when I switch?
Yes. The form authorizes one specific mail center, so every new provider asks for its own, notarized, with two IDs, and one form per recipient. Most accept online notarization.
Do banks accept virtual mailbox addresses?
Not always. Some online banks reject commercial mailbox addresses or review them by hand. Call your bank before switching, and keep a separate verification address if needed.
Where can I deposit checks after leaving Earth Class Mail?
Stable lists check deposits from $3 each and US Global Mail charges no processing fee. Earth Class Mail itself charges $10 per check without a plan, or $39 a month for 5 checks then $2 each.
What happens to my scans and held mail when I cancel?
Do not count on getting them later. Download your full scan archive and forward the originals you need before cancelling, because mail on hold does not follow you once the account closes. Read your cancellation terms too, since fees may apply.
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One tool to leave, one destination, one move plan. Nothing else.