The receipts, side by side
PostOwl vs PrintPigeon vs ModernMail — UK online letter prices compared
Sending a one-page letter online in the UK costs £1.79 with PostOwl. ModernMail lists the same letter at £1.99 and PrintPigeon from £2.99, at the time of writing. Same Royal Mail, same envelope — different bill. Here's the honest breakdown.
One letter, three prices
Everything below is a one-page A4 letter to a UK address, printed and posted by Royal Mail.
| PostOwl | ModernMail | PrintPigeon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 page, B&W, 2nd class | £1.79 | £1.99 * | £2.99 * |
| 1 page, B&W, 1st class | £2.69 | £2.99 * | from £2.99+ * |
| Account required | No — guest checkout | Yes * | Yes * |
| Payment | On-site card form (Stripe) | Hosted checkout * | Hosted checkout * |
| Live dispatch cutoff shown | Yes — live on every page | Not shown * | Not shown * |
| Document deleted after posting | Yes — PDF deleted after dispatch | Unclear * | Unclear * |
* Competitor figures are as listed on modernmail.co.uk and printpigeon.co.uk at the time of writing. Prices checked July 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it — honesty is cheaper than lawyers.
How we compared
We priced the most common job — one page, black & white, Royal Mail 2nd class — straight from each service's public pricing page. No bundles, no subscriptions, no "from" asterisks on our side: £1.79 is the price you pay at checkout.
What the table doesn't show
→ PostOwl shows a live dispatch cutoff — you know before paying whether your letter goes out today.
→ Your PDF is deleted after dispatch. We keep the order record, not your document.
→ No account. Upload, pay, done — about two minutes, start to postbox.
Price questions, straight answers
What is the cheapest way to send a letter online in the UK?+
PostOwl is the cheapest UK online letter service we know of, at £1.79 for a one-page black-and-white letter sent Royal Mail 2nd class. ModernMail listed the same letter at £1.99 and PrintPigeon from £2.99 at the time of writing (prices checked July 2026).
Do I need an account to send a letter online?+
Not with PostOwl — upload a PDF, type the address, pay by card. No sign-up, no password, no marketing emails. ModernMail and PrintPigeon both required an account at the time of writing (July 2026).
How fast will my letter be posted?+
PostOwl prints and hands your letter to Royal Mail the same working day if you order before the daily cutoff, which is shown live on the site. First class costs £2.69 for a one-page letter and usually arrives the next working day.
Snail mail, minus the snail — and minus the markup.
Send a letter for £1.79 →