Which Food Delivery Service Makes More Money

Working for a food delivery app is a great way to earn a few extra dollars. The hours are flexible, signing up is easy, and demand is strong. Whatever the economic outlook, delivery apps provide a solution to generate revenue on the side.

For many, the consideration isn't whether they'll do delivery, but which app they'll choose to drive for. There are dozens of apps to consider, and it's not easy to know which service is right for you.

To help you decide, we've highlighted the top three delivery apps by pay and evaluated their pros and cons.

Remember That Profits Aren't Everything

It's tempting to choose a delivery app based on highest average pay alone. After all, money pays the bills, and most people don't drive for the sheer joy of it. Yet, the highest-paying app isn't necessarily the best for everyone.

Some delivery apps provide more flexible working conditions. For instance, DoorDash allows drivers to work immediately with a simple button tap, whereas other apps require scheduled work. For those with unpredictable availability, then, DoorDash may be the better fit.

Demand in geographic service areas also differs. For example, data from the research platform Second Measure shows that if you live in Miami, you're more likely to get orders working for Uber Eats because its sales represent 53 percent of the market. In contrast, DoorDash is king in San Francisco, commanding a whopping 73 percent of all sales. In this case, market share might be your big influencer.

These are just a couple of factors to weigh. We'll dive into more aspects as we look at top performers. However, it's also helpful to sign up for multiple apps to test what works best in your specific situation.

How We Ranked Delivery App Income

Below is a list of the three highest-paying delivery apps. The national ranking comes from 2020 earning data taken straight from the 150,000-plus drivers that use GridWise, an app that analyzes delivery driver performance. The direct data provides a better snapshot than surveys or company estimates—sources that can inflate earnings.

For estimates based on your specific area, it's helpful to look at salary sites like Glassdoor or Indeed that use survey data. To do this, just search for the delivery service with the job title of "delivery driver."

1. GrubHub: $16.71 Per Hour

Grubhub started in 2004, and its food delivery network has grown to more than 300,000 restaurants in 4,000 cities. As with its competitors, food pickup and delivery are its two primary functions. However, GrubHub has a few differences that set it apart from other apps.

Those driving for GrubHub are actually working for two food delivery services: GrubHub and Seamless. The two companies merged in 2013, and ever since, all Seamless orders head to GrubHub drivers. This delivery system can generate more orders for drivers working in one of Seamless' areas.

Some drivers can also qualify for an hourly pay guarantee. While they must achieve specific local delivery goals in work time and accepted orders, hourly pay can of course be a huge boost. If order requests grind to a halt, your hourly wage helps fill in the gaps.

While GrubHub driver reviews are mostly positive, there are a few complaints. Drivers complain about last-minute orders popping up just before their scheduled shift ends. Like DoorDash, GrubHub allows drivers to plan their working times. It's not uncommon for a driver to receive a 20-minute order in the last five minutes of a shift.

The lack of foresight can cause frustration, but you can easily avoid this problem if you schedule shifts to end 30 minutes ahead of time.

Pros:

Highest average pay, at $16.71 per hour
Guaranteed pay in specific locations
Detailed order information
Drivers keep 100 percent of tips, a practice highly encouraged for customers on the app
Fantastic driver support, with live US-based phone support (some services only offer chat or text)

Cons:

Low opportunities for incentives
Pressure to schedule delivery shifts, rather than doing them on the fly
Deliveries limited to specific geographic areas or zones

2. Uber Eats: $14.81 per hour

When Uber launched Uber Eats in 2014, it enjoyed instant brand recognition from the rideshare giant's success. Yet both its customers and drivers know Uber Eats is more than a mere offshoot of Uber's ridesharing operations.

Drivers on the app can deliver almost anywhere; they keep 100 percent of their tips and have exceptional flexibility in working. There is no corporate push to schedule driving time. Drivers just open the Uber Driver app and press Go.

Apart from holding the second-highest hourly wage, Uber Eats is unique as it enables drivers to perform both ridesharing and delivery during a single session. You can receive requests for both services without exiting the app. However, if you prefer one or the other, you can adjust this in the app's settings.

Of course, there are downsides to Uber Eats too. You won't find any guarantees of minimum hourly pay in the US. Even in California, where rideshare companies must pay 120 percent of the state's minimum wage to drivers, this only takes effect during busy times when drivers are responding to a request.

The second big complaint is tipping. Since tipping is relatively new to the service, starting in 2017, many drivers in rideshare forums feel this needs more substantial encouragement from Uber in its app.

Overall, however, Uber Eats receives a fair amount of driver praise and is worth considering.

Pros:

Above-average pay
Uber incentives, such as surge pricing
Can do delivery and ridesharing in one app
Drivers keep 100 percent of tips

Cons:

No guaranteed minimum hourly pay
Uber could do more to encourage tipping

3. DoorDash: $14.02 Per Hour

DoorDash started as PaloAltoDelivery in 2013 and has grown to be the largest food delivery service in the US. Market data shows DoorDash deliveries represent 56 percent of all food deliveries nationwide. The breadth of market diversity is excellent news for drivers, as it opens up opportunities to work in just about any location.

With a network of more than 400,000 drivers, the DoorDash community also offers outside support benefits. Perform a quick Google search for "DoorDash tips" or "DoorDash advice," and you'll pull up hundreds of pages with specific tips just for DoorDash drivers. There are even groups for particular cities and states to offer guidance for your area.

Driver incentives are also competitive. While pay per delivery has a flat rate, there are bonuses of $3 per order during busy times like lunch and dinner.

However, there are downsides to keep in mind. As the nation's largest food delivery network, some drivers complain that DoorDash has oversaturated its markets with drivers. There are about 10,000 new drivers that sign up each week, and in certain areas, this can cause time gaps between deliveries.

Another growing pain is driver support. With so many Dashers, DoorDash support only provides its drivers with text, chat, and email support. There is no human help desk to call, and for a time-sensitive service, this isn't ideal. DoorDash has also been the target of scams and other security concerns.

Pros:

Competitive pay
Large network for advice
You can drive for DoorDash almost anywhere
Driver bonuses and incentives
Drivers keep 100 percent of tips, and tipping is encouraged

Cons:

Flat pay per order limits higher earnings
Only text, chat, and email driver support
Oversaturated markets in some areas
No hourly pay

Experiment With Food Delivery Near You

Whichever food delivery service you choose—whether it's one or a combination of apps—the job remains a great way to earn extra cash on the side. It's flexible, simple, and while you won't get rich, it's work that will keep you from starving too.

Experiment with a few apps and figure out what works best for your area and lifestyle. In the end, the best way to optimize your income when delivering food is just to take the leap and drive.

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