The virtual mailbox alternative with no monthly subscription — $14.99 flat per shipment.
Anytime Mailbox, Traveling Mailbox, PostScan Mail, and iPostal1 all charge $10–$55 per month whether you receive mail or not. Selectido charges $0 monthly and $14.99 only when you actually forward a shipment. Photos and hand-checks are included. International forwarding to 60+ countries is built in. For most expats and digital nomads, that's roughly half the annual cost of subscription competitors.
What "virtual mailbox" actually means
Virtual mailbox services give you a real US street address you can use as your own — for mail, packages, US bank statements, IRS notices, employer paperwork, voter mail, online deliveries. The service receives everything at a US warehouse, scans the envelopes or contents, and lets you decide what to do with each piece: forward physically, shred, archive, pick up in person, or ignore.
The category exists because of three real problems:
- Expats and digital nomads who left the US but still need a US address for taxes, banking, and online shopping.
- Long-term travelers who don't have a fixed home address but still get US mail.
- Small business owners who want a separate professional address that isn't their home.
All five services covered on this page (Anytime Mailbox, Traveling Mailbox, PostScan Mail, iPostal1, Selectido) solve those problems — just with different pricing models, feature trade-offs, and geographic coverage. This page is the head-to-head: an Anytime Mailbox alternative, a Traveling Mailbox alternative, a PostScan Mail alternative, and an iPostal1 alternative — all in one comparison built around a virtual mailbox no subscription pricing model.
Most people land here searching for the cheapest virtual mailbox, the best virtual mailbox, a virtual mailbox compared head-to-head, real virtual mailbox reviews, a virtual address service for expats, a virtual mailbox for expats, a virtual mailbox for digital nomads, or specifically a virtual mailbox without monthly fee. The trade-off they're trying to resolve is the same: every legacy provider charges a recurring subscription whether you use it that month or not. Selectido is the only service in this lineup with no monthly subscription — you pay per shipment, scan, or forward when you actually use it.
Direct comparisons we get asked for most: Anytime Mailbox vs Selectido, ATMB alternative shopping (ATMB is Anytime Mailbox's stock ticker and how power users refer to it), iPostal vs Selectido, PostScan vs Selectido, and Traveling Mailbox vs Selectido. Selectido also offers scan and forward mail with the same a-la-carte pricing — no per-page scan fees inside a tier limit, no envelope-scan-only "starter" plan. It's a US mail scanning service us-based mailbox users use specifically because nothing recurs.
Selectido vs Anytime Mailbox vs Traveling Mailbox vs PostScan Mail vs iPostal1
| Selectido | Anytime Mailbox | Traveling Mailbox | PostScan Mail | iPostal1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | ✓ None | $9.99–$29.99 | $15–$55 | $10–$40 | $9.99–$39.99 |
| Per-outbound-shipment fee | $14.99 flat | Varies + carrier rate | Included in plan + carrier | Varies + carrier | Varies + carrier |
| US address selection | Minneapolis, MN only | ✓ 2,000+ cities | NC, FL, TX (limited) | Multiple states | ✓ 3,000+ addresses |
| Real street address (not PO Box) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Outside-envelope scan at intake | ✓ Free | Often included | Included in plan | Included on higher tiers | Included on higher tiers |
| Open-and-scan letters | ✓ Occasional included, ~$0 for first 5-10/mo | $0.25–$1+ per page | Included in plan (cap) | Included in plan | $0.50–$2 per scan |
| Package hand-check at intake | ✓ Free | Usually extra fee | Usually extra fee | Usually extra fee | Usually extra fee |
| International forwarding included | ✓ Built-in | Add-on, varies by location | Add-on fees | Add-on fees | Add-on fees |
| Countries forwarded to | 60+ countries | Varies | 200+ countries | Most countries | Most countries |
| Live video shopping service | ✓ $75/hr | No | No | No | No |
| Check deposit feature | No | On some plans | ✓ Built-in | Limited | On some plans |
| Storage included free | 30 days | 30 days typical | 60 days basic | 30–60 days | 30 days typical |
| Annual cost (2 shipments/yr, light scanning) | ~$30 | ~$130+ | ~$180+ | ~$120+ | ~$120+ |
| Annual cost (4 shipments/yr, moderate scanning) | ~$60 | ~$160+ | ~$180+ | ~$150+ | ~$160+ |
How each service is positioned
Anytime Mailbox
The biggest network in the category by location count. Charges a monthly subscription regardless of whether you actually receive mail that month, plus per-scan and per-shipment fees on top of the base plan.
Traveling Mailbox
Three hub locations. Plans run $15–$55 monthly with limited scans and shipments included at each tier. Offers check-deposit-by-mail as a paid extra. Subscription continues whether you're actively using it or not.
PostScan Mail
Long-established service with multiple state addresses. Tiered subscription pricing $10–$40 per month. Scan and shipment caps at each tier; users who exceed pay overage fees on top of the base plan.
iPostal1
The largest address network in the category. Subscription pricing $9.99–$39.99 monthly. Most actions — scans, shipments, photos, inspections — are charged additionally on top of the monthly fee.
Selectido (us)
No monthly subscription. You only pay $14.99 the moment you actually forward a shipment. Photos and hand-checks are included free. International forwarding to 60+ countries is built in, not an extra charge. Plus our live video shopping service ($75/hr) is unique to Selectido — no other virtual mailbox offers it.
For most expats, digital nomads, and travelers who forward mail 1–4 times a year, this works out to roughly half the annual cost of subscription competitors.
The pricing math — when subscription beats per-use and vice versa
The honest version: subscription pricing wins for heavy users; per-shipment pricing wins for light users. Here's the breakeven for typical scenarios:
| Usage pattern | Selectido annual cost | Anytime Mailbox annual cost | Traveling Mailbox annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light: 2 packages/year, 5 letter scans/year | ~$30 (2 × $14.99 + $0 scans) | ~$130 ($9.99 × 12 + shipping) | ~$180 ($15 × 12 base plan) |
| Moderate: 4 packages/year, 20 letter scans/year | ~$60 (4 × $14.99 + occasional scan) | ~$160 ($9.99 × 12 + ~$30 scan fees) | ~$180 ($15 × 12, scans included) |
| Heavy: 12 packages/year, 100 letter scans/year | ~$180 (12 × $14.99 + scan quote) | ~$300 ($25 × 12 mid-tier) | ~$360 ($30 × 12 mid-tier) |
| Very heavy: 30+ shipments + heavy scanning | Quote needed, no longer optimal | ~$600 (top tier) | ~$660 (top tier) |
So if you're a low-to-moderate user (which is most expats forwarding 1-4 packages a year and scanning the occasional IRS letter), Selectido's flat per-shipment pricing is roughly 2-6x cheaper than subscription competitors. If you're a heavy user receiving 20+ pieces of mail every month, subscription pricing becomes more cost-effective and you should evaluate Anytime Mailbox or Traveling Mailbox instead.
Where Selectido wins
Five things in our column that none of the four subscription competitors offer:
- No monthly subscription. $0 per month, every month, regardless of whether you receive any mail that month. The four competitors all charge $9.99–$55 monthly whether you're actively using the service or not. For a typical user forwarding 1–4 shipments a year, that's $120–$660 in subscription fees they paid for nothing.
- Photos and hand-check free, every package. We photograph and physically inspect every package at intake before we charge anything. Competitors charge $1–$5 each for photo requests or inspections, often per item. We bake it in.
- International forwarding built in, no surcharge. Sending a package to 60+ countries is just $14.99 + actual carrier cost. Subscription competitors typically charge additional international-handling fees on top of their base plan.
- Live video shopping — only Selectido offers this. A US-based shopper physically goes into a US store (Apple, Sephora, Target, Costco, a Swatch boutique) on your behalf via live video call. $75/hr. None of Anytime Mailbox, Traveling Mailbox, PostScan, or iPostal1 offer this. They are mail services. We are a mail-and-package service plus a personal shopping marketplace.
- The bundle waiver. Book a $75+ live shopping session in any calendar month and the $14.99 forwarding service fee is waived for that month. Customers who use both regularly get forwarding effectively free as a side effect of shopping with us.
One caveat for transparency: if your primary driver is a US address in a specific no-state-income-tax state, our Minneapolis hub isn't a fit on that one dimension. For every other use case — international forwarding, expat mail, package handling, occasional letter scanning — Selectido is built to win on total cost.
Selectido pricing
Free signup, free address assignment, free first-30-days storage, free photos, free hand-check, free occasional letter scans. You only pay $14.99 the moment you actually forward a shipment, plus the actual carrier cost (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL — we charge what they charge with no markup).
Frequently asked questions
A service that gives you a real US street address you can use to receive physical mail and packages. The service scans envelopes, lets you decide what to forward/scan/archive, and accepts packages from all major carriers.
Anytime Mailbox charges a monthly subscription ($9.99–$29.99) plus per-scan and per-shipment fees, regardless of how much mail you actually receive. Selectido charges $0 monthly and $14.99 per outbound shipment, with photos and hand-checks included. For users forwarding mail 1–4 times per year, Selectido is typically 50–70% cheaper annually.
Traveling Mailbox charges $15–$55 monthly with limited scans and shipments included at each tier. Selectido charges nothing monthly and $14.99 per shipment. For typical 1–4 shipments per year, Selectido costs around $30–60 annually versus Traveling Mailbox's $180+ minimum.
PostScan Mail charges $10–$40 monthly with scan and shipment caps that trigger overage fees. Selectido charges $0 monthly and $14.99 per shipment with no caps to worry about. For a light-to-moderate user, Selectido is typically half the annual cost.
iPostal1 charges $9.99–$39.99 monthly, with most actions (scans, shipments, photos) billed additionally on top. Selectido charges $0 monthly and $14.99 per shipment, with photos and hand-checks included. For users who don't need a specific business-city address, Selectido is meaningfully cheaper.
If you forward more than once per month or scan 10+ letters monthly, subscription pricing can be cost-effective. For the typical expat or digital nomad forwarding 1–4 times per year, per-shipment pricing like Selectido's is almost always significantly cheaper.
Most do, including Selectido. The differences are in oversized-package fees, storage limits, and whether international forwarding is built in (Selectido) or charged as an add-on on top of the subscription (most competitors).
Depends on the bank. Schwab, First Citizens, and SoFi are usually accepting. Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America sometimes flag CMRA-tagged addresses. Every virtual mailbox in the category — including Selectido — uses CMRA-flagged addresses. Confirm with your specific bank before relying on any virtual mailbox for primary banking.
Yes. Selectido's Minneapolis address works as a mailing address for LLCs receiving IRS notices, state filings, vendor mail, and bank statements. Note that some states (Wyoming, Delaware) require a separate registered-agent service for the LLC's legal address — that's distinct from the mailing address.
For most expats, digital nomads, and travelers — anyone who forwards mail a few times a year rather than constantly — Selectido is the cheapest and simplest. No monthly fee, $14.99 per shipment, photos and hand-checks included, international forwarding built in. The only reason to choose a subscription competitor is if you specifically need a US address in a no-state-income-tax state, or if you need check-deposit functionality.