With technology completely upending the delivery industry, a new food delivery trend has emerged. Today, delivery is no longer limited to UPS or the Post Office. Thousands of apps are now offering delivery to independent contractors – and just anyone can sign up with very minimal requirements. With that in mind, there are a ton of options so it's hard to determine what are the best delivery apps to consider.
In most cases, all you need is a car with auto insurance and a valid driver's license and you're well on your way to making money.
While entry is easy, there are tradeoffs. We’ve noticed trends in driver reviews, and feedback isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. The truth is, a delivery gig can be tough: cars fail, competition is stiff, and apps can glitch.
Your pay varies based on factors that are outside your control and if your location isn't favorable, you may earn less than minimum wage.
Despite its many downsides, there's a real demand for a delivery gig and with good reason: users love the freedom these delivery apps provide.
With hard work, it can be a solid side hustle for people looking for extra income.
Here at Financial Wolves, we took a deep dive into the best delivery app gigs like Uber in the market, paying close attention to those with the highest wages, driver reviews, pay frequency, and easy requirements.
Our current top pick is DoorDash due to their tipping policy, ease of use, treatment of drivers and pay.
$10-$14 per hour
DoorDash is one of the best ways to make money delivery food. DoorDashers earn approximately $10 to $14 per hour and get to keep 100% of your tips. In some cities, you can earn on your bike or by walking. There are no dress codes required to be a DoorDasher. BECOME A DASHER
If you're looking to make extra money, you can get paid to deliver groceries with these 12 best delivery app gigs.
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DoorDash Best Overall 👑
Estimated earnings: $10 to $14 an hour
Founded in 2013 by three Stanford students, DoorDash is an on-demand food delivery service based in San Francisco. Catapulted to success with its purchase of food delivery app Caviar which focused on higher-end restaurants, this delivery service trumped Grubhub in 2019 as the top meal deliverer in the United States.
If you're looking to make money delivering food, this app is one of our top picks.
DoorDash offers its customers access to more than 300,000 local and national restaurants across Canada and the United States. Its couriers, which the company endearingly calls DoorDashers, mainly average $10 to $14 an hour.
A new guideline in 2019 allows DoorDashers to receive 100% of their tips with an increase in their base pay per order.
To be a DoorDasher, requirements are low. You must be at least 18 years old with a properly insured vehicle and not more than three moving violations within the last three years. Couriers must have driving records without major violations such as assault or DUI.
There are no dress codes required to be a DoorDasher.
DoorDash operates in thousands of cities across Canada and the United States. While the company mostly requires deliveries to be sent by car, some cities allow deliveries by bike, scooter, or by walking.
| Hourly Pay | Tip % | Delivery Volume | Next Steps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10-$14/hour | 100% | Excellent | SIGN UP | Read Review |
The number of options for delivery makes it one of the best food delivery services to earn with.
Check out the Doordash website for delivery options for your city.
"For Illustrative purposes only, actual earnings may differ and depend on expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives."InstaCart
Estimated earnings: $10 to $14 an hour
Instacart, founded in 2012, is a grocery delivery and pick-up service based in San Francisco, California. The platform offers two gigs: you can serve part-time as a shopper, or as an independent contractor working on deliveries.
Shoppers are tasked with preparing goods in grocery stores for delivery drivers, who are then tasked with bringing the prepared goods to the customers. Depending on the order, delivery drivers may be tasked with shopping as well.
Based on our review, drivers may earn anywhere between $10 and $14 an hour and get to keep their tips. The platform pays its drivers on a weekly basis.
To become an Instacart driver, you must have an insured vehicle, be at least 18 years old and eligible to work in the United States. The company doesn't offer additional insurance coverage.
| Hourly Pay | Tip % | Delivery Volume | Next Steps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10-$14/hour | 100% (Check Policy) | Decent | BECOME A SHOPPER |
You must be able to lift at least 50 lbs with or without accommodation. There is no dress code required.
Shipt
Estimated earnings: $10 to $14 an hour
Founded in December 2017 and owned by Target Corporation, Shipt is an American delivery service that delivers groceries and other household essentials.
To qualify, drivers need to be at least 18 years old and have an insured vehicle that's from 1997 or later.
Based on driver reviews, you can expect to earn anywhere between $10 to $14, but this largely depends on your location. Shipt drivers get to keep all of their tips.
The platform pays weekly through direct deposit, and drivers cannot access their funds before this duration.
As for uniform requirements, all drivers are required to wear a branded Shipt shirt, provided for free by the company.
| Hourly Pay | Tip % | Delivery Volume | Next Steps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10-$14/hour | 100% | Fair | GET STARTED | Read Full Review |
Insulated bags and reusable grocery bags are also required, which Shipt doesn't shoulder.
See Related: Shipt vs Instacart – What is Best?
GrubHub
Estimated earnings: $12 to $15 an hour
Grubhub is an online and mobile prepared food delivery and ordering marketplace that offers guaranteed wages to its drivers. The service offers access to over 350,000 restaurants in over 3,200 U.S. cities and London.
Based on our research, drivers claimed to earn around $12 to $15 an hour while also being able to keep all of their tips.
The platform pays weekly and unlike other apps, drivers don't have the option of being paid early.
To qualify, drivers must be at least 19 years old and have an insured vehicle.
A dress code isn't required, and a hot bag is required for deliveries (do note that the company doesn't provide one, so you have to get one yourself).
UberEats
Estimated earnings: $10 to $11 an hour
Wondering which food delivery gig is best? This one is owned by none other than ridesharing giant Uber. UberEats, founded in 2014, is an American online food delivery and ordering platform launched by Uber.
The company is based in San Francisco, California. If you're looking for one of the best paying delivery gigs, Ubereats is a great option.
Depending on where you reside, you can expect to earn around $10 to $11 an hour with UberEats, but this isn't guaranteed because your earnings are mostly dependent on the number of orders the tips you receive.
Just like DoorDash you'll receive 100% of the tips you make from delivering goods. UberEats pays weekly through direct deposit, or you can get paid faster with Instant Pay.
UberEats saves you the hassle of being involved in the payment process for food orders. Instead, the platform's partner restaurants are reimbursed directly by Uber.
The minimum requirement to join is based on your location, and you need at least one year of driving experience.
Vehicles should be dated from 1999 or later, while scooters and bikes are available in certain markets only. All drivers need to be properly insured.
Ubereats is present in more than 300 cities in North America with numerous offices across the United States.
Sign up here to become anUberEats driver.
Dispatch
Estimated earnings: $14 to $16 an hour
If you're looking for a side hustle idea where you can earn a lot, Dispatch is one of the best delivery app hustles with better wages. While new to the delivery scene, the service is already available in around 28 cities and poised to expand even more in the future.
We've scoured Glassdoor reviews and found out that most drivers reported earning between $14 and $16 per hour.
The platform has a weekly payment sent through the Stripe app, an online payment processing for internet businesses. The company also offers toll fee reimbursements along the driver's delivery route and provides auto insurance.
All drivers must be 23 years old to be eligible. While the age requirement is relatively high, there are zero vehicle requirements. Dispatch only requires that vehicles should be in a fair condition.
Amazon Flex
Estimated earnings: $15 to $19 an hour
Amazon Flex's attractive hourly wage makes it one of the best delivery services to earn with, hands down. Based on our research, the platform is included among the highest paying delivery gigs online, and drivers reported earning anywhere between $15 to $19.
It's possible to earn even more if you have a good grasp of time and with good tips.
Unlike other delivery apps, Amazon Flex requires its drivers to sign up for shifts for most of its deliveries. Typically, shifts run for four hours at a time, unless you're delivering a Prime Now package that requires shorter shifts.
SUVs and four-door sedans with insurance are required for most Amazon Flex deliveries, while smaller cars are allowed for Prime Now shifts.
You must be at least 21 to land a gig at Amazon Flex – no dress code is required to start delivering. These are some of the best gigs like Amazon Flex.
BiteSquad
Estimated earnings: $10 to $12 an hour
As one of the few delivery apps available that actually hires its drivers, BiteSquad employees enjoy benefits independent contractors don't, such as insurance if they're injured on the job. As a full-time job, BiteSquad also offers guaranteed hourly wages, and drivers get to keep 100% of their tips.
Based on our research, drivers reported earning between $10 to $12 an hour, but this varies on their location.
BiteSquad drivers undergo training before being sent out to the field, and all are required to wear a branded shirt and hat.
Apart from the free hot bag, drivers are also offered gas reimbursement, although we've read from reviews that the process for reimbursement can be difficult.
BiteSquad delivery jobs are available in 17 states, and you need two years of driving experience and a reliable vehicle in order to qualify.
Caviar
Estimated earnings: $11 to $19 an hour
Limited to only 28 cities, most of which are big metropolises like New York, Caviar is a high-end delivery app that offers an “expected pay” system to its drivers. Before each delivery, drivers are offered an estimate of how much they'll earn before they accept.
While this is a great way to accept only high-paying orders, online reviews from drivers noted the actual payment may be lower than the estimate.
A driver can earn anywhere between $11 and $19 an hour, and drivers are required to have two years of experience and a reliable car in order to qualify.
While payments are normally sent on a weekly basis, Caviar is partnered with Cash App, so drivers can cash out their pay whenever they wish for a small fee.
See Related: Best Side Hustle Apps to Make Money
Go Puff
Estimated earnings: $10 to $14 an hour
Founded in 2013, GoPuff is one of the newer delivery services available in over 150 US locations. This on-demand convenience store delivery service offers a wide variety of drinks, snacks, ice cream, and others.
In most locations, GoPuff operates 24/7, which means gigs will be round the clock as well making it one of the best delivery app side hustles in the market.
GoPuff doesn't require its drivers to do the shopping for customers – all goods come from local GoPuff warehouses. Once a customer orders, warehouse employees prepare the orders and schedule your shifts for you.
To qualify, drivers need to be at least 21 years old with an insured vehicle. Drivers may expect to earn around $10 to $14 per hour while keeping all their tips.
Potential applicants won't need to attend an interview, go through training, or stick to a dress code.
See Related: 8+ Best Uber Alternatives to Make Money
Favor Delivery
Estimated earnings: $10 to $18 an hour
Founded in 2013, Favor Delivery is an on-demand delivery service based in Texas. The company's selling point is its 1-hour delivery. Drivers can do it full-time or part-time as one of the company's “runners”. Runners function more like personal assistants – delivering groceries, picking up dry cleaning, or hauling over lunch. It's a great way to run errands for people and make money along the way.
Most runners earn between $10 to $18 per hour, and all scheduled hours have minimum guaranteed pay rates.
To qualify, runners need to be at least 18 years old with a reliable vehicle and a clean driving record.
What do you think are the best delivery apps?
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- How to Make Money Online
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best food delivery app to earn money with?
There are a handful of factors that you should evaluate to determine the best delivery app to earn money with, which includes pay, delivery volume, flexibility and overall usability of the app.
Which delivery app pays the best?
Based on our research conducted, the delivery apps that pay the best are DoorDash, Shipt and Instacart. The best paying apps generally depend on high delivery volumes. Delivery volumes will vary depending on your location and region.
Is becoming a delivery driver safe?
Becoming a delivery driver does not come without risks. Drivers should implement proper safety protocols to ensure security during delivery routes. Key safety tips include understanding your routes, practice safe driving and observing your surroundings.