For eCommerce sellers in Saudi Arabia, choosing the right domestic shipping company means balancing cost, speed, reliability, and service features. What looks “cheapest” on paper may end up costing more if delivery is late, returns are difficult, or the courier lacks cash-on-delivery (COD) support. This 2025 guide compares five of the most affordable domestic shipping companies in Saudi Arabia, looks at their delivery rates, coverage, COD options, and customer sentiment — plus how logistics tech like PostEx can help automate shipping and keep costs low.
What the Data from PostEx Tells Us
The PostEx blog “The Cheapest Domestic Shipping Company in Saudi Arabia for All Shipping Needs (2025)” emphasizes an aggregator model that allows merchants to access flexible rates from multiple couriers without long-term commitments.
Key features PostEx highlights:
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Flexible usage-based pricing: pay more cheaply when you ship more; no locked-in large monthly minimums.
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Multiple courier integrations: allows selecting couriers with lower rates depending on zone, parcel size, etc.
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COD / payment upon delivery options: essential for many Saudi buyers.
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Real-time tracking, returns, and automation to reduce overhead cost.
PostEx positions itself as a cost-efficient aggregator / domestic shipping company option (among others) for eCommerce brands.
Top 5 Cheapest Domestic Shipping Companies & How They Compare
Here are five couriers / shipping companies often considered among the cheapest domestic shipping companies in Saudi Arabia. These are not ranked strictly cheapest-to-most-expensive because rates vary a lot by weight, distance, COD, speed, etc., but these are among the best options to consider.
| Company | Approx Base Rates / How Cheap | Coverage / Delivery Speed | COD & Payment Options | Customer Reviews & Pros/Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostEx | Flexible rates via aggregator model; because they integrate multiple couriers, merchants can often access lower rates than using direct large couriers | Wide coverage; they integrate many local couriers. Delivery times depend on which courier is used. Use of automation helps route via best-cost courier. | Supports COD / pay on delivery; multiple payment methods. | Customers appreciate flexible rates and automatically selecting cheaper courier; some businesses note savings versus using big brand couriers. Product is still relatively new in Saudi, so some variability in experience with support/time in remote areas. |
| Zajil Express | Starting around 30 SAR for a regular shipment (<= ~5 kg) in standard service. For fragile or special items, price rises. | Good inter-city coverage. For distances <500 km, delivery often in 1 day; further distances take 2-3 days. | Typically has COD; many customers use it with COD. Zajil is used frequently by eCommerce stores that offer COD. | Customers like the cost and decent speed. Some complaints around customer service or delays for very remote areas. But generally viewed as among the cheaper “big names.” |
| SMSA Express | Rates vary; for example in a store “Samahome.sa”, domestic shipping within Riyadh costs ~25 SAR, while to more remote / larger cities or 330+ cities, the cost climbs (e.g. ~75 SAR) for more distant location | Very wide network; fast delivery in main cities; service available in many towns as well. They also have many service centers. | Supports COD / “payment upon receipt” for many orders. Many shops using SMSA offer COD via it. | Good reputation for speed in major routes; more expensive for remote or small volume shipments. Also fuel surcharges and surcharges sometimes affect final cost significantly. |
| Saudi Post (SPL) | Very competitive for lighter parcels, small weights. For example, domestic shipping for small mail / economy parcels starts from ~SAR 14-33 depending on weight (100g to 1kg) in some service classes. | Coverage everywhere that SPL operates; good for both rural and urban areas. Delivery speeds are slower than express couriers but acceptable for non-urgent shipments. | Offers home delivery; COD options depend on specific service. Some express or plus services may have fixed higher price. | People praise its low cost especially for lightweight parcels. Downsides: slower delivery, sometimes less tracking detail or slower customer support. But for many eCommerce sellers, it's a go-to for low value, low urgency items. |
| Other / Boutique or Local Couriers (e.g. “Alma Express”, etc.) | Some local / smaller couriers market themselves with very low base rates (e.g. in regional/local zone shipments). For example, per teqani101, rates for “normal” internal shipping can start from 10 SAR for very local/short distance deliveries. | These often have limited coverage or slower service in remote areas; often best within city or between nearby cities. | COD may be available but sometimes with higher agreed-fee or as a special arrangement. | Mixed customer reviews: good cost when it works, but reliability, tracking, and pickups can be less consistent than major providers. Best suited when you ship locally or have consistent volumes. |
What To Consider Beyond Just “Cheapest”
While price matters a lot, to choose a truly good domestic shipping company, you should also weigh:
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Transit / Delivery time: If a cheaper courier takes too long, customers may cancel or complain.
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Pick-up cost vs drop-off: Some couriers charge for pick-ups; sometimes cheaper to drop parcels to courier’s hub if feasible.
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Packaging & handling fees: Fragile items or non-standard shapes may have added costs.
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Fuel surcharges / surcharges: These can fluctuate and surcharges for special services (e.g. remote area, after hours, etc.) can bump up cost. SMSA, for example, has stated fuel surcharge rules.
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COD fees & collections: COD is popular but collecting and remitting COD funds has cost and risk. The COD fees a courier charges (and the time it takes you to receive money) matter.
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Tracking, customer service, and returns: A cheap courier that loses many parcels or is hard to contact can ruin your brand reputation.
Integrations & Automation: How PostEx Helps Reduce Costs
One of PostEx’s big advantages is helping merchants optimize shipping by automating parts of the process:
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It aggregates multiple courier options and dynamically chooses the one with the best cost / performance for each order, which can substantially cut your average shipping cost.
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Real-time courier integrations allow instant rate calculation, label generation, status tracking, etc., reducing manual work and errors.
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Because PostEx allows usage-based pricing (you pay for what you ship) and no long term minimum contracts, for many sellers, this leads to lower overhead and better cash flow.
Final Thoughts: Who Should Use Which
| Scenario | Best Domestic Shipping Company Choice |
|---|---|
| Selling light/low value items, non-urgent, over wide area | Saudi Post or small local courier via PostEx aggregator |
| Need good speed in main cities, mid-size shipments | Zajil Express or SMSA Express |
| Offering COD heavily, need good tracking, low failure rates | Evaluate PostEx (for lower cost via switching among couriers) or SMSA/Zajil but check their COD rates closely |
| Branch / field / returns heavy operations | Prefer courier with good returns handling / pickup support; PostEx or SMSA may work better |
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the cheapest domestic shipping company options in Saudi Arabia in 2025, PostEx is turning into a compelling solution because of its aggregator model and automation. But depending on your order volume, parcel weight, and delivery speed needs, Zajil, SMSA, Saudi Post, or local couriers (for short-distance delivery) may still offer competitive rates.
When evaluating, always ask for full quotes including all surcharges, COD fees, and the real “door-to-door” cost. Sometimes paying a bit more for faster or more reliable service becomes worth it in customer loyalty and fewer refunds.
