YouStock: the alternative to The Box Co for storage in London
Looking for an alternative to The Box Co? YouStock offers the same effortless idea, storage that comes to you, with a few differences worth knowing before you book. Here is an honest side-by-side comparison of the two, so you can pick the right fit for storing in London in a couple of minutes.
Both collect and deliver to your door
Both YouStock and The Box Co are built around the same promise: storing your belongings should not mean lifting, driving and queuing. With either service, you book a collection slot online and a team comes to your address to pick everything up. When you want your things back, they are delivered to your door. It is a world away from traditional self-storage, where you arrange the transport, drive across town and carry every box yourself.
With YouStock, the whole journey is managed for you, from the first collection to each return, so you can store a few boxes or an entire flat without ever hiring a van. If convenience is what you are after, both services deliver, quite literally.
Only YouStock gives you an online photo inventory
This is the feature that really sets YouStock apart. When YouStock collects your belongings, each item is photographed and added to an online inventory that you can view any time from your account. You always know exactly what is in storage, and you can request the return of a single item or your entire collection in a few clicks, without scrolling through a text list or trying to remember what went where.
The Box Co lets you book and manage your order online, but does not offer this item-level photo inventory. If seeing your things at a glance and picking exactly what you want back matters to you, this is a clear point in YouStock’s favour.
Both save you money by charging only for what you use
Storage should not mean paying for space you are not using, and both YouStock and The Box Co are built around that idea. Instead of renting a fixed unit and paying for every empty corner, you pay for the space your belongings actually take up. Your bill reflects what you store, and nothing more. With YouStock, your quote is based on your real inventory, so it stays in step with what you keep in storage.
The savings go beyond the monthly price too. Because both services collect and return your belongings for you, there is no van to hire, no fuel to pay for and no day lost driving across London. For anyone storing on a budget, or storing for the long term, those everyday costs add up, and not having to pay them is a real part of the value both services offer.
YouStock stores across Europe, not just the UK
This is where the two services start to differ. The Box Co focuses on storage within mainland UK, with international shipping available on request. YouStock runs storage facilities in several countries: the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Monaco.
For London’s international community, that footprint is genuinely useful. If you are a student heading home for the summer, an expat between countries, or simply planning a move abroad, your belongings can be handled within YouStock’s own European network rather than shipped out and passed to a third party. One provider, several countries, the same way of working throughout.
| YouStock | The Box Co | |
|---|---|---|
| Doorstep collection and delivery | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pay only for the space you use | ✅ | ✅ |
| Packing materials and moving help | ✅ | ✅ |
| Online photo inventory of your items | ✅ | ❌ |
| Secure, insured storage | ✅ | ✅ |
| Storage facilities across the UK and Europe | ✅ | ❌ |
The Box Co vs YouStock: the comparison at a glance
Both services do a lot of the same things well. Here is where they line up, and where they differ.
Still weighing it up? A quick chat is often the fastest way to decide.
Trust YouStock, the storage service rated Excellent by its customers
Thousands of customers have trusted YouStock with their belongings, and their reviews speak for themselves.
If you are comparing YouStock and The Box Co and are not sure which suits you best, we are happy to talk it through, with no pressure. Get a free quote based on what you actually need to store, or speak to an expert who can walk you through how YouStock works and whether it fits your situation.
Compare YouStock with other storage providers
Weighing up a few options? See how YouStock measures up against other UK storage companies:
The Box Co vs YouStock FAQs
YouStock is a strong alternative to The Box Co for anyone storing in London. It works in much the same way, with doorstep collection, secure storage and delivery back to you, and adds an online photo inventory of your items plus storage facilities across the UK, France, Belgium and Monaco. The best choice depends on your needs, so it is worth comparing both on the points that matter most to you.
YouStock and The Box Co share the same collect-and-deliver model, so the day-to-day experience is similar. The two main differences are that YouStock photographs each item and lists it in an online inventory you can browse from your account, and that YouStock operates its own storage facilities in several European countries rather than the UK alone.
Yes. Like The Box Co, YouStock collects your belongings from your address and delivers them back when you ask, so you never need to hire a van or visit a storage unit yourself.
Both services charge you only for the space you actually use, so the more affordable option depends on your exact volume, how long you store and your location. Rather than a headline price, YouStock gives you a personalised quote based on your inventory, which is the most reliable way to compare the two like for like.
Yes. YouStock photographs each item it collects and adds it to an online inventory in your account, so you can see everything you have in storage at any time and request individual items back. This item-level photo inventory is one of the features that distinguishes YouStock from The Box Co.
Both offer flexible, affordable storage that suits students, with collection and delivery and short-term options. YouStock’s online photo inventory and its storage network across the UK and Europe can be particularly handy for international students who travel home between terms. The best fit depends on your dates, budget and where you are heading.