The three nationals side by side
Each of the three nationals is a public-market-tracked enterprise with multi-decade operating history. They price near regional market averages, offer the standard contract menu (auto-fill, will-call, pre-buy, capped, budget billing), and operate cylinder-exchange brands in parallel with bulk delivery. The key differences are scale, geographic coverage and corporate financial position.
| Company | Customers | States | Parent / ticker | Cylinder brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriGas | ~1.4M | 50 | UGI Corp (NYSE: UGI) | AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange |
| Suburban Propane | ~1M | 41 | SPH (NYSE: SPH) | — |
| Ferrellgas | ~700K | ~50 | Ferrellgas (OTC: FGPR) | Blue Rhino |
When each national is the right pick
AmeriGas is the safe default when you need a supplier that definitively operates at your address — coverage in all 50 states gives the widest service availability. UGI's financial backing means the parent is stable. The trade-off: pricing rarely beats local independents, and service quality varies district by district.
Suburban Propane is the strongest pick for Northeast and Mid-Atlantic customers, where its long-tenured local operations show in service quality reports. The MySuburbanPropane digital portal is the best of the three. Trade-off: 9 states (mostly Plains/Mountain West) have no service.
Ferrellgas tends to be situationally competitive depending on local depot quality. Post-Chapter 11 (2020-2021) the company's financial position is weaker than competitors, but the operating business has stabilised. For Blue Rhino cylinder exchange, Ferrellgas is the default at most US retail locations.
Nationals vs regionals — which wins?
For most US residential customers, the right approach is to compare a national against a regional rather than pick one tier exclusively. Strong regional operators by territory:
- Northeast: Paraco Gas, Superior Plus Propane
- Southeast: Blossman Gas, ThompsonGas, United Propane Gas
- Midwest: Cenex (CHS), MFA Oil, Lakes Gas
- South-Central: Pinnacle Propane
In most cases the regional alternative beats the national on service quality but matches or slightly undercuts on price. The full picture is on the full list of US propane companies.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest US propane company?
AmeriGas, with approximately 1.4 million customers across all 50 states. Suburban Propane is #2 (~1 million, 41 states) and Ferrellgas is #3 (~700,000).
Which national propane company is best?
No single national is "best" universally — service quality varies by local depot. For most US residential customers, the best approach is to get itemised quotes from at least two nationals plus one regional or local independent, then compare apples-to-apples on all-in annual cost.
Which national is cheapest?
None is reliably cheaper than the others. All three price near regional market averages. The cheapest national for your specific account depends on local depot pricing — get quotes from all three to find out.