Uber Eats vs DoorDash: Which Food Delivery/Rideshare App is Best?

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Is Uber Eats Better or DoorDash?

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Between Uber Eats and DoorDash, the latter is the better option if you’re looking to maximize your earnings while working flexible hours. DoorDash lets you earn up to $25 per hour, plus customer tips. In comparison, potential earnings at Uber Eats is around $8 to $12 per hour only.

Food deliveries require special gear, such as a hot bag – DoorDash provides it, and Uber does not. With DoorDash, this gear comes in a free Welcome Kit and your Red Card that you can use to pay for orders after completing your first order. As Uber Eats doesn’t provide a hot bag, you’ll need to purchase it yourself because delivering without it could affect the food quality.

DoorDash also offers opportunities for people in the gig economy to become delivery drivers. After all, it’s available in more than 7,000 cities. Whereas Uber Eats is only available in over 500 cities.

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash Comparison

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	Uber Eats	DoorDash
Earning potential	$8 to $12 hourly	Earn up to $25 hourly
Tips	15% to 20% of the food bill	At least 15% of the food bill
Schedule	Flexible schedule	Flexible schedule
Average delivery distance	2 miles	2 to 4 miles
Availability	More than 500 cities	Over 7,000 cities
Delivery methods	Car, motorbike, and bicycle or by foot in selected cities	Car, motorbike, scooter, bicycle, Ebike, Pizza bicycle
Payments offered	Bank transfer	Direct deposit,
Payout	Daily, Weekly, Instantly	Daily, Weekly, Instantly
Driver reviews	4.6	4.7

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash Requirements Comparison

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Requirements	Uber Eats	DoorDash
Type of car	2-door or 4-door vehicle, motorbike under 50cc	Any car
Min age	19 years old	18 years old
Driving license	Valid driver’s license	Valid domestic driver’s license and clean driving record
Insurance	Not specified	Personal Auto Insurance
Social security number	Required	Required
Background check	Required	Required
Gear	Not provided	Provided (hot bag and Red Card)
Additional requirements	Proof of residency in some cities	None

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash Earning Potential

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How Much Can You Earn With Uber Eats?

Overall, you can expect to make $8-$12 per hour, plus customer tips with Uber Eats.

However, how much you make per delivery with Uber Eats depends on several factors, which vary across cities. To give you an idea, here are the factors taken into account when you check your earnings statement: 

• Pickup flat fee and multiplier if you’re picking up orders from more than one restaurant
• Dropoff flat amount for every order
• Distance or per-mile rate from the restaurant to your customer’s location
• Time or per-minute rate from the time you arrive at the restaurant to when you complete the delivery

Additionally, Boosts are promotional zones where you can earn 2.5x the base amount, and surges can also affect Uber Eats earnings. Finally, Uber Eats lets you keep 100% of your tips. 

You can find a sample earnings breakdown on the Uber Eats website. If you want to maximize your earnings on the platform, pick up orders during peak hours, usually during lunch and dinner. 

You can make an average of $440 in a 40-hour work week. However, you’ll need to deduct maintenance costs, which can add up to $30 daily. So, you’re looking at a $290 weekly average.  

How Much Can You Earn With DoorDash?

Generally, as a Dasher, you can make $25 per hour, plus customer tips.

Similarly to Uber Eats, DoorDash earnings are computed based on the following:

• Base pay (based on time, distance, and desirability)
• Promotions (peak times and challenges)
• Tips (100% of it)

Base pay is typically around $2 to $10+ per order. On top of tips and promotions, you can make up to $25 per hour or $1,000 per 40-hour work week. You’ll need to deduct some maintenance costs, amounting to $10 daily. 

If you’re only working five days weekly, you’re looking at a $950 possible weekly earnings.

Verdict: Compared to Uber Eats, DoorDash offers a higher earning opportunity. While you can earn on average $25 per hour with DoorDash, Uber Eats only offers $8-$12.

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash Driver Requirements

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Uber Eats Requirements

To start working as an Uber Eats delivery driver, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a valid driver’s license
• Have a social security number for background checks

Additionally, you’ll need a 2-door or 4-door vehicle if you choose to deliver by car. If you prefer to deliver by a scooter, note that your motorized scooter should have below 50cc. 

You can sign up as a delivery driver by bicycle or foot in some locations. Besides the apparent low maintenance costs when choosing these options, the minimum age requirement to deliver this way is only 18. Just note that you must submit a government-issued ID instead of a driver’s license. 

Besides these requirements, driver applicants in specific cities might also need to submit proof of residency.

DoorDash Requirements

To become a DoorDash Dasher, you only need to meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record
• Have a social security number for background checks
• Have a personal auto insurance

Once you meet these, you can choose any vehicle to drive, such as a car, motorbike, scooter, or bike.

Verdict: DoorDash is more accessible to start working with as it allows you to deliver customer orders with any vehicle. Meanwhile, Uber Eats has specific vehicle requirements – it only allows 2 or 4-door vehicles and motorized scooters below 50cc.

Related: 18 Food Delivery Service to Work For

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash Payout Structure

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How Do You Get Paid With Uber Eats?

Uber Eats offers three options to cash out your earnings. The first is through a weekly bank transfer that Uber Eats processes automatically. This option is free of charge, and the processing times can take up to 3 business days. 

But to give you an idea, earnings up to Sunday will be processed by the next day, Monday. Then, you can expect the money to show in your bank account by Tuesday at the earliest. 

Another option to cash out your earnings with Uber Eats is through Uber Pro Card, which is a debit card and checking account. Here are some perks you can enjoy with this card:

• Get your earnings after every trip, with only up to 5 seconds of delay
• Use your card to gas up and enjoy cashback on selected gas stations, restaurants, and car maintenance
• Withdraw your cash in over 55,000 ATMs for free

Finally, you can cash out your earnings with Uber Eats through its Instant Pay feature. It allows you to transfer your payments to your bank account via direct deposit whenever you want. 

But you can only do this up to five times daily. The Instant Pay feature charges a $0.85 processing fee and can take up to 2 business days. After completing your first order, you can only use the Instant Pay feature.

How Do You Get Paid With DoorDash?

DoorDash also sends payouts through direct deposit, and you can choose whether to receive it: weekly, daily, or instantly.

In the weekly option, you’ll receive your earnings every Monday, consisting of your total revenues from Monday to Sunday of the previous week. This option is free. 

If you prefer to receive your earnings daily, select the Fast Pay option, subject to a $1.99 transaction fee. To choose this option, you’ll need to link a debit card to your account and must meet the following requirements:

• Have completed 25 or more deliveries
• Have been on the DoorDash platform for at least 14 days
• Have set up Fast Pay and added your debit card over seven days ago
• Haven’t updated your debit card details within the last seven days

Finally, getting your earnings instantly is also possible with DasherDirect, which is a Business Visa card where you can receive your payments every after the trip. How it works is quite similar to UberEats Pro Card. 

Besides being able to withdraw your earnings in over 20,000 ATMs for free, you can also enjoy a 2% cashback when you use it to get gas. 

Verdict: Between Uber Eats and DoorDash, Uber Eats provides better payout methods due to the following reasons:

• It has a lower transaction fee for instant payments
• If you opt for its UberEats Pro Card, you’ll have access to more no-fee ATMs across the country
• The Instant Pay feature at UberEats is available to you after completing your first order

In comparison, you’ll need to complete several orders before you can start using DoorDash’s Fast Pay feature.

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash: How to Start Earning Money?

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Uber Eats Sign-up Process

Here are the steps to sign-up with Uber Eats:

1. Go to their website and enter the following details:

• Full name
• Email and preferred password
• Location and phone number
• Preferred type of vehicle

2. Undergo a background check.

3. Provide photo ID and other required documents. 

4. Upon passing the background check, sign the Driver Agreement.

5. Download the Uber Eats driver app through the link provided in the sign-up process. 

DoorDash Sign-up Process

You can start working as a Dasher through the following steps: 

1. Go to the DoorDash website and enter the following details

• Email address
• Phone number
• Zip code

2. Complete and submit your profile.

3. Choose your vehicle type and provide additional details. 

4. Go through the identity verification process. 

5. Submit a background check.

6. Select your preferred payout method and add bank account information.

7. Download the Dasher app on your smartphone.

8. Complete your first dash and enter your mailing address in the app to receive your Welcome Kit.    

Verdict: The two delivery platforms have a similar sign-up process, from an online application to identity verification to a background check. However, DoorDash is the better option as it provides a Welcome Kit, unlike Uber Eats, where you can only have delivery gear if you purchase it.  

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash: Which is Better for Customer?

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	Uber Eats	DoorDash
Availability	Over 500 cities in the US	Over 7,000 cities in the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia
Number of restaurants	Over 400,000 merchants in the US	Over 1,000 participating restaurants
Average delivery time	36 minutes	40 minutes
Trustpilot reviews	3	1.2
Google Play reviews	4.4	4.6
Apple Store reviews	4.8	4.8

Verdict: For customers, Uber Eats seems to be the better option. Its average delivery time is faster by 4 minutes. It also has an overwhelming number of partner merchants, providing customers with outstanding choices to get their food.

Uber Eats & DoorDash Alternatives

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GrubHub

Sites like GrubHub, UberEats, and DoorDash allow people to get food without the hassle of driving anywhere. It’s also one of the platforms to consider if you’re looking for delivery jobs. 

Additionally, you’ll need a checking account to cash out your earnings, and it can take up to 5 days to receive your payments.

Finally, GrubHub doesn’t offer instant payment options like UberEats Pro Card or DoorDash Direct.    

GoPuff

GoPuff is one of the excellent alternatives to Uber Eats and DoorDash if you’re looking to work flexible hours. 

But compared to the two platforms, GoPuff focuses more on grocery deliveries than food deliveries. Additionally, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old to start working here. 

Instacart

Another company you should check if you’re looking for jobs similar to Uber Eats and DoorDash is Instacart. You have two options to work here: full-service shopper or in-store shopper. 

If you want to work on your own time, being a full-service shopper is the way to go. But compared to UberEats and DoorDash, how much you can earn might be slightly lower, at $10 per order average. 

And since you’ll be delivering groceries, some heavy lifting might be involved if you work as a shopper for Instacart. To be specific, the company requires shoppers to be able to lift at least 30 pounds.