7 Best Food Delivery Apps to Make Money in [2024]

Food delivery apps have surged in popularity over the past few years, allowing drivers to make their own hours and keep 100% of the tips they earn, but are they really a great way to make money? I compared the top food delivery services, finding that well-known options such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats offer the most schedule flexibility and city options. If you want to dip your toe into food delivery to see if it is worth your time, try these three.

I also found that Shipt and Gopuff might pay more per hour since they offer opportunities outside of fast food delivery, but they are also both limited to major city areas. Are food delivery services a good way to make extra cash? It all boils down to your location and the opportunities you are able to grab while working.

How we evaluate products

In curating the most popular food delivery services for a side hustle, I focused on the most important qualities for drivers, including geographic availability, pay, flexibility, and driver support/perks. Here’s how each category was measured:

• Geographic availability: Companies with more opportunities nationwide ranked higher than those companies that were available in only major cities. This is why DoorDash with 7,000 city locations made the list whereas Hungry with only 13 city locations did not.
• Pay: I looked at potential and average pay for each company. The companies with higher pay averages and instant pay out without fees ranked higher than companies without instant payment options.
• Flexibility: I only chose companies that allowed workers to choose their own schedules. Several companies also allow deliveries 24/7, making it easier to grab hours when you are free.
• Driver support and perks: The companies that made the best of list had driver support services and perks that made working for them even better. For example, driving for Uber Eats/Postmates means you can get full tuition coverage from Arizona State University and driving for Shipt unlocks community social events exclusive to Shipt’s contractors.

7 best food delivery services

• DoorDash
• Uber Eats
• Instacart
• Postmates
• Shipt
• Grubhub
• Caviar

Best food delivery services compared

Delivery App	Earning potential	When do you get paid?
DoorDash	$17-24/hr	Daily deposits (via Fast Pay) or weekly deposits
Uber Eats	Varies	Weekly deposits
Instacart	Varies	Instant deposits (with fee) or weekly deposits
Postmates	Varies	Instant deposits (with fee) or weekly deposits
Shipt	$16-35/hr	Weekly deposits
Grubhub	$21-29/hr	Weekly deposits
Caviar	$9-24/hr	Daily deposits (via Fast Pay) or weekly deposits

7 best food delivery services to work for

1. DoorDash

The nice thing about DoorDash is that even though you have to be 18 years of age or older and pass a background check, there are no vehicle inspections for new drivers. Plus, if you don’t have a car, it’s not a problem — some cities allow delivery by bicycle.

You will keep 100% of your tips, but DoorDash does not reimburse for any expenses, including tolls and parking fees. Plus, you need to maintain your own insurance policy. Make sure you consider these costs when you average your hourly earnings. If you incur an injury while driving for DoorDash, you may be eligible for disability payments and medical expense coverage.

DoorDash pays an average of $17 to $24 an hour, according to Glassdoor. You might get additional incentives through things like peak pay.¹ Earnings can vary widely by location — some areas, such as college towns might have more frequent orders, while higher-income areas might offer better tips.

Visit DoorDash | Read our DoorDash review for more details.

2. Uber Eats

With Uber Eats, you can deliver by car, scooter, bike, or even by foot in some locations. Although Uber provides liability insurance coverage, you’ll maintain your own state minimum insurance policy. The top perk for driving for Uber Eats is that you can receive discounts if you buy gas with the Uber Visa Debit Card.²

Another advantage of using the Uber Visa Debit Card is that you can cash out your earnings up to six times per day at no charge. Although you can receive Instant Pay on your personal debit card, you’ll be charged $1.25 per transaction.

Uber Eats doesn’t provide hourly estimates, as pay varies by location. However, delivery drivers keep 100% of their tips. Each delivery fare is calculated based on time, distance, and any promotional pay. Uber subtracts a service fee from the total.

Visit Uber Eats | Read our full Uber Eats review here.

3. Instacart

One thing I love about Instacart is that you have the option to deliver or work in-store. The in-store shopper’s schedule is not as flexible as the delivery driver, but it is an option for those who don’t have access to a vehicle full time.

As a full-service shopper, you’ll get paid per delivery batch, and the amount will depend on the number and type of items, delivery distance, and the level of effort involved. Instacart sometimes runs promotions that allow you to earn extra cash, and delivery drivers also keep 100% of customer tips. Shoppers are provided with injury protection that will help pay medical bills for on-the-job accidents, savings on health insurance, and free access to Care.com.

Instacart scores points with me because they have a tip protection feature that guarantees you a tip up to $10 if a customer zeroes out your promised tip after delivery without reporting anything wrong. Tips are the bread and butter to food delivery service, so knowing what your tip will be before you take on an order can help you plan your trips.

Visit Instacart | See if Instacart is right for you with our full review.

4. Postmates

Postmates was acquired by Uber in 2020, so you can expect the same level of requirements and perks that Uber drivers receive. It offers a wide-range of delivery options, including by bicycle or foot, which can be helpful for those in busy and close-connected cities.

Reaching UberEats Pro status is when the perks become worthwhile, with 100%-covered tuition from Arizona State University and discounted dental and vision insurance and tax preparation. If you were looking for an alternative to student loans, this could be a good solution, and unlike other company’s tuition programs that limit degrees in management, you can choose from 150 degrees or up to $3,000 for CareerCatalyst courses.

Pay rates will vary based on your area and when you deliver. Delivering during the peak hours allows you to take on multiple orders in the same area at once which increases your per hour rate.

Visit Postmates | See the full Postmates review to learn more.

5. Shipt

Shipt is a grocery delivery service that allows you to shop for orders at Target and other big box retailers and grocery stores on your own schedule. Perks include a free Shipt membership and the opportunity to attend Shipt shopper community events. Although Shipt is limited to big cities, I think it offers the most promising side hustle opportunity since it has a guaranteed minimum pay rate and the option for larger deliveries. With some of these apps, it can feel hit or miss on how many opportunities you will get based on how many fast food orders are put in and how many other drivers you are competing against.

Shipt does not reimburse for mileage, so you’ll be responsible for gas and vehicle maintenance costs, but you will get exclusive discounts on auto insurance, maintenance, gas, and more. Your vehicle size determines how many packages and hours of work you can secure at a time — for example, a larger vehicle will allow you to deliver up to 50 packages with a route time of five to seven hours. Since Shipt is flexible with how many hours you work, you can view your route, stops, and estimated pay before committing for the day.

Expect to make between $25 and $35 per hour, according to Shipt. While this is an average, Shipt guarantees that shoppers will never make less than $16 an hour.

Visit Shipt | See the full Shipt review to learn more.

Grubhub

Grubhub is one food delivery service that becomes more worth it the longer you stay invested in the job. Drivers with higher ratings get better scheduling priorities — you will be able to block off the time you want to work, making it easier to get the delivery jobs you need.

Eligible drivers will also be able to do catering orders and orders over $150. If you can get to this level where you can do these higher-paid orders, you might be able to have less competition and earn more per hour. While Grubhub doesn’t give details on when a driver becomes eligible, it is most likely when they have successfully delivered over 100 orders and have a good rating.

Grubhub doesn’t reimburse for mileage, but the company does offer perks like 15% off at Jiffy Lube and cashback rewards for gas purchases through GasBuddy. One worthwhile perk that makes Grubhub stand out from the rest is that it offers drivers milestone rewards. Drivers can earn gift cards and gear after 50 or 100 deliveries. And if you have a Chase bank account or sign up for one, you can get instant payouts.

Expect to earn an average of $24 an hour according to Glassdoor, though your earnings can be more or less based on your area and how many orders you fulfill. Seattle and New York have guaranteed pay rates.

Visit Grubhub

Caviar

Caviar is a part of DoorDash, so when you sign up for one, you can accept delivery opportunities from both. When customers order from Caviar, they’re selecting from a curated list of restaurants. Caviar tends to cater to higher-end restaurants so these deliveries could result in better tips, but that’s not necessarily always the case. The signup process, requirements, pay structure, and perks are the same as with DoorDash.

While I do appreciate that Caviar might give you opportunities for higher-end restaurants, it is a bummer that it was acquired by DoorDash because it gives you fewer companies to rotate between.

You’ll receive base pay plus extra if you drive during peak hours or complete a challenge. According to Ziprecruiter, you could earn an average of $17 per hour. Like the other companies on this list, you’ll also keep 100% of your tips.

Visit Caviar

How to make more money with food delivery services

• Keep your finances organized. As an independent contractor, you’ll need to pay quarterly taxes, and there are certain expenses you can deduct to reduce your overall tax burden. Using a service like Keeper can help you keep your income and expenses organized.
• Make sure you’re insured. If you deliver by car, you’ll need an auto insurance policy. And because you’ll be driving for business, you’ll need to either choose one of the best car insurance companies that offer a rideshare endorsement or purchase commercial car insurance.
• Earn rewards on gas. Because you’ll be driving a lot, you might want to get one of the best gas credit cards so you can earn rewards, along with a cashback app like GetUpside.
• Be aware of the requirements. Know that you’ll likely be required to submit to a background check, but in most cases, not every conviction will preclude you from employment. If you made a mistake in the past and your record reflects that, be prepared to explain the circumstances. Too many infractions on your driving record might also hurt your chances of getting hired.
• Get a working smartphone. If your phone is too old or unreliable, it’ll prevent you from reaching your full potential in a delivery job. Make sure you have a working smartphone, either Android or iOS, and a way to display it on your dash so you can follow GPS directions easily. Plus, you'll need a decent data plan.
• Work for multiple services. Many delivery drivers choose to work for more than one of the best food delivery apps. Deliveries could be slow on one app while another is offering a bonus, so getting on board with more than one company could make it easier to potentially earn $100 a day on a consistent basis.
• Work peak hours or drive to larger cities. All of these delivery apps offer flexible scheduling, but if you want to make the most per hour, you will need to work the hours and locations with the most opportunities. If a busy city or college town is 30 to 60 minutes away, it might be worth the drive if you plan to work several peak hours.
• Provide great customer service. A FinanceBuzz survey found that Americans tip 16% on average when they order delivery, and though many customers may automatically tip that amount, it’s possible to get more or less depending on the service you provide. Be prompt, always follow instructions, and if you’re providing no-contact delivery, follow up with a friendly phone call or text to ensure the customer received their items.

FAQs

Delivery apps we didn’t include in our list

Food delivery service jobs continue to be popular, with more companies starting to compete against the giants of Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub. Not all companies are a great fit for earning money or starting your delivery driving career. Here are a few companies that did not make the list:

Gopuff

Gopuff offers a different type of delivery service where shoppers will choose from a network of micro-fulfillment centers that stock everything from snacks to essentials to alcohol. The three main reasons Gopuff did not make the best of list is because drivers need to be 21 or older and pass an alcohol delivery training. Additionally, Gopuff is not as widely available across the U.S. It is available in more than 500 cities, which seems like a lot until you compare it to DoorDash’s 7,000 city locations and GrubHub’s 4,000 location areas.

Hungry

Hungry is another different type of food delivery service connecting chefs to business and event catering. The reason why it might not be a good fit for all drivers is because it is a niche market and delivery areas are limited. If you are in the delivery area, Hungry is worth looking at and can lead to higher pay opportunities since businesses typically tip higher than individuals on a budget.

Bottom line

Like most contract positions, your mileage may vary — not just your car mileage but how much you can make based on your efforts, time, and location will vary. There are mixed reviews for all of the companies from drivers. Some make a decent living but also take advantage of a busy city and company driving bonuses. Others complain that despite a lot of effort, they average low or inconsistent earnings.

Most of these companies are quick to get started with, and you can drive for multiple companies at a time. If you need a creative way to make money without worrying about resumes and job interviews, try out delivery driving.