Postal Buddy vs USPS Informed Delivery in 2026
Postal Buddy and USPS Informed Delivery compared for a household: what each does, what is published on price, how to start, and what to check first.
CleverDings is published by the makers of Benefit Buddy, Postal Buddy and Packing Buddy, which are compared here alongside other apps.
Explains paper letters, reads explanations aloud, and provides letter scam checks. [1] [1] [1] USPS Informed Delivery is reached through the USPS website. [2] The sources for the two describe different things, so match them to your task.
| Option | Own fee | Card fee (not stated in that option's source means not published) |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Informed Delivery | not published | not published |
| Postal Buddy | Free for the senior's side; Plus $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day no-card trial [1] | not published |
The short answer
For a person running a household, Postal Buddy explains a photographed paper letter, telling you in big print and out loud what it is. [1] USPS Informed Delivery is offered through the USPS website, with a register or sign-in option. [2] [2]
If you need help understanding a letter already in your hands, Postal Buddy explains a photographed letter. [1] If you need USPS tools such as tracking a package or changing an address, the USPS pages list them. [2] [2]
What USPS Informed Delivery is built for
- The USPS website provides access to Informed Delivery. [2]
- The USPS website provides a register or sign-in option for it. [2]
- The USPS website provides a tool to track a package. [2]
- It provides a tool to find USPS locations. [2]
- It provides a tool to schedule a pickup. [2]
- It provides a service to change an address. [2]
- It provides a service to rent or renew a PO Box. [2]
The same pages also list Click-N-Ship, a ZIP Code lookup, a price calculator, and information about Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. [2] [2] [2] [2] [2]
What Postal Buddy is built for
Postal Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site.
You take a photo of each letter you get, and Postal Buddy tells you, in big print and out loud, what it is. [1] It can read that explanation out loud. [1] For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. [1]
For a letter it treats as a scam, it says not to pay it or call the number on it, and it never calls a letter safe. [1] A free web page lets anyone check whether a letter looks like a scam. [1]
The older person does not have to sign in, while family helpers do. [1] With Plus, a Monday email covers what needs doing, what was caught and what changed. [1] Plus also includes alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter, or a bill that jumped. [1]
Pricing and fees
No price for Informed Delivery appears in the facts gathered for this page, so its price is not published here. The USPS website does list a Calculate a Price link. [2]
Postal Buddy is free forever for the senior's side. [1] Plus is $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day no-card trial when the first helper joins. [1] On the free plan, one family member gets a Monday email with how many letters came. [1] Postal Buddy's sources do not state a card fee for Plus, so that fee is not published, and the Informed Delivery sources state no card fee either.
The free scam check page costs nothing to use. [1]
Getting started
For Informed Delivery, the starting point is the USPS website, which provides access to it and a register or sign-in option. [2] [2] The facts here do not describe the sign-up steps or what you see after signing in, so check the USPS page for those.
For Postal Buddy, you can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. [1] Family helpers sign in, and the older person does not have to. [1] Once a letter is in front of you, you take a photo and read or listen to the explanation. [1] [1]
A web app is listed, and the landing page says 'Opening soon'. [1] If you want to use it on a phone today, check whether it is open yet.
Things to check before you choose
Ask these of either tool.
- What kind of mail does it cover: paper letters you hold, or something else?
- Who has to sign in, and can the older person skip it?
- What does it cost after any trial, and what is free?
- Does it warn about scams, and what does it tell you to do?
- Does it show amounts and due dates for bills?
- Who gets updates, and how often?
- Is it open to use today, or still coming?
For Informed Delivery, the facts here are silent on most of these, so read the USPS page before relying on it. For Postal Buddy, check whether the web app is open, since the landing page says 'Opening soon'. [1]
How to choose
If you want a paper letter explained in big print, Postal Buddy explains a photographed letter. [1] If you want it read aloud, the app can read its explanation out loud. [1]
For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. [1] If you want a quick scam check with no account, its free web page is described. [1]
If you want to track a package, find a USPS location or schedule a pickup, the USPS pages list those tools. [2] [2] [2] If you want to change an address or rent a PO Box, they list those too. [2] [2]
The two are not built for the same job, so some households may use both.
Frequently asked questions
Is Postal Buddy free?
Postal Buddy is free forever for the senior's side. [1] Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day no-card trial when the first helper joins. [1] A free web page also lets anyone check whether a letter looks like a scam. [1]
How much does USPS Informed Delivery cost?
No price for Informed Delivery appears in the facts gathered for this page, so it is not published here. The USPS website does provide access to Informed Delivery and a register or sign-in option. [2] [2] Check the USPS page for current terms before you sign up.
Does Postal Buddy need the older person to sign in?
No. The older person does not have to sign in, while family helpers sign in. [1] You can also try a demo with a made-up family without an account. [1]
What does Postal Buddy do with a scam letter?
For a letter it treats as a scam, it says not to pay it or call the number on it. [1] It never calls a letter safe. [1] Plus also includes an alert for a scam asking for money. [1]
Can USPS Informed Delivery track a package?
The USPS website provides a tool to track a package. [2] It also lists tools to find USPS locations and schedule a pickup. [2] [2] The facts here do not say how package tracking relates to Informed Delivery itself, so read the USPS page.
Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. [1]
Try Postal BuddySources
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