American Van Lines vs. North American Van Lines (2025 Comparison)

Quick answer: In our comparison of American Van Lines vs. North American Van Lines, American Van Lines (AVL) stands out as the overall winner. With their competitive pricing, carrier model, and expertise in specialty moves like pianos and antiques, AVL is a reliable, cost-effective option. At the same time, North American Van Lines (NAVL) shines for their large moving network and personalized service.

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  • Certified crews
  • Flat-rate pricing
  • Family-owned
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  • 1,800 trucks
  • Storage available
  • Customized moving plans

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Compare customer experiences

At moveBuddha, the Better Moves Project gives a detailed look at real-life customer experiences with the nation’s top long-distance moving companies.

Here’s how American Van Lines and North American Van Lines compare based on our readers’ feedback.

American Van Lines

Some of the Better Moves participants who worked with American Van Lines said they provided an affordable move, kept them in the loop, and handled their belongings carefully.

But no mover is perfect—some readers said AVL wasn’t very timely or efficient and provided them with inaccurate quotes, which is a common pain point in the moving industry.

Customer praises

  • Low costs: After comparing companies with our moving cost calculator, Allison chose American Van Lines because it was one of the most affordable options.
  • Solid communication: Jen said AVL kept her in the loop via phone calls and texts leading up to her move.
  • Careful handling: Phoenix reported that her art, guitars, and other belongings arrived without a scratch, thanking AVL for their careful handling.

Customer complaints

  • Slow delivery: Alison’s belongings took almost a month to arrive after the delivery driver quit without notice, which was a big inconvenience.
  • Timing problems: While their communication was mostly on point, Jen wished AVL would’ve notified her sooner that her moving crew was arriving.
  • Quote accuracy: Phoenix said AVL miscalculated the weight of her stuff, which led to a last-minute price increase.
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moveBuddha logo iconrating starstarstarstarstar 4.5 / 5

89% of users select this mover

North American Van Lines

Like American Van Lines, North American Van Lines has a mix of positive and negative reviews. Some readers praised NAVL’s communication, value, and extensive selection of services, while others complained about their timeliness, high prices, and rough handling.

Customer praises

  • Overall value: Marcie said NAVL provided a positive overall experience with reasonable costs, clear communication, and convenient full-service features.
  • Full-service moves: Alexander had a glowing review of his full-service move and thanked NAVL for their careful handling of his fragile belongings.
  • Consistent communication: Kyle gave NAVL a perfect score in the communication department, thanking them for keeping him in the know.

Customer complaints

  • Punctuality: Marcie and Alexander rated NAVL a 4 out of 5 for timeliness, docking them a point for delivery delays.
  • Higher prices: While Kyle said he would move with NAVL again, he was disappointed with how steep his moving costs were.
  • Light damage: All of Alexander’s fragile items arrived safely, but he couldn’t say the same for some of his other belongings.
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moveBuddha logo iconrating starstarstarstarstar 4.5 / 5

89% of users select this mover

Compare company reputation

American Van Lines

  • BBB rating: A
  • moveBuddha rating: 4.5/5
  • Average Better Moves rating: 3.3/5

American Van Lines has earned a high rating from the Better Business Bureau, which means they’re proactive about resolving customer complaints.

They also scored well in our evaluation across the board, which suggests you can count on them to provide dependable service, while our Better Moves participants had varied experiences with them.

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Phoenix's Move with AVL
“While I felt that there could have been better communication between myself and American Van Lines, the communication I did have was courteous and informative.”
From
WI
To
CA
Cost
$4,140
Size
2 bdrms
Read The Full Story

North American Van Lines

  • BBB rating: A+
  • moveBuddha rating: 4.5/5
  • Average Better Moves rating: 4.2/5

North American Van Lines has a similar reputation, earning high marks from the BBB and the moveBuddha team in our thorough company review. They also outperformed AVL in Better Moves reviews, with participants rating their experience with the company more highly.

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Kyle's Move with North American Van Lines
“I felt truly appreciative of the hard work NAVL’s team provided and the excellent service they offered throughout, even though I felt the price tag was a bit steep. In the future, I’ll try to pack more boxes on my own to reduce overall expenses.”
From
DC
To
NC
Cost
$5,330
Size
2 bdrm apartment
Read The Full Story

Round winner: North American Van Lines wins the first round, thanks to their slightly higher BBB rating and average Better Moves ratings.


Compare services

American Van Lines

American Van Lines offers reliable local and long-distance moving services. AVL specializes in handling delicate and high-value items, such as antiques and pianos, making them a great choice if you have a complex move.

AVL also provides packing, unpacking, and custom crating services, ensuring your belongings are secure during transit.

North American Van Lines

North American Van Lines provides customizable moving solutions, including local, long-distance, and international moves. NAVL offers packing and unpacking, specialty crating, and self-packing options if you’re looking to save.

Customers appreciate NAVL’s advanced shipment tracking and guaranteed pricing, but their services can be more expensive than AVL for similar moves.


Round winner: American Van Lines takes this round for their focus on specialty handling and more affordable flat-rate pricing.


Compare state availability

American Van Lines

American Van Lines operates in 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Their widespread coverage makes them a reliable option for most long-distance moves. If you live in North Carolina, Florida, or the Dallas-Forth Worth area, you can also use AVL for your local move.

North American Van Lines

North American Van Lines handles local and international moves in all 50 states and offers international moving services through their extensive network of agents. This makes NAVL a top choice if you need to relocate to another country.


Round winner: North American Van Lines wins for their broader state coverage and international moving services.


Compare cost structure

American Van Lines

American Van Lines offers flat-rate pricing, providing customers with upfront quotes that aim to eliminate surprise fees. The company also offers discounts for seniors and military families, making it a cost-effective choice for budget-conscious movers​.

North American Van Lines

North American Van Lines also offers binding estimates to ensure customers won’t pay more than their initial quote. While this approach provides peace of mind, NAVL’s pricing can be higher than AVL’s. However, they offer military and senior discounts to help lower costs.


Round winner: American Van Lines wins again for their overall affordability, while both companies offer discounts and binding estimates to help customers save on their moves.


Compare quote process

American Van Lines

American Van Lines offers virtual and in-home walkthroughs to provide accurate, binding estimates. While some customers have reported occasional discrepancies between their quotes and final costs, AVL’s flat-rate pricing usually does a good job keeping costs predictable.

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moveBuddha logo iconrating starstarstarstarstar 4.5 / 5

89% of users select this mover

North American Van Lines

North American Van Lines provides binding estimates after going through an in-person walkthrough. They provide detailed steps online that break down the quote process. Like AVL, NAVL gets some complaints about inaccurate quotes.

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moveBuddha logo iconrating starstarstarstarstar 4.5 / 5

89% of users select this mover


Round winner: American Van Lines has the edge, with a more flexible quoting process and an optional virtual walkthrough.


American Van Lines vs. North American Van Lines: Final score

Both American Van Lines and North American Van Lines deliver reliable services, but American Van Lines wins as the overall better option. AVL’s competitive pricing and specialty handling make them ideal if you’re seeking affordability and reliability.

While NAVL excels at local and international moves, AVL’s cost-effective approach and expertise in specialty moves give them the edge for most long-distance moves. If you’re looking for value without compromising quality, American Van Lines is our top pick.

Comparison category Round winner
Company reputation NAVL
Services AVL
State availability NAVL
Cost structure AVL
Quote process AVL

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