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The best food delivery apps: DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and more compared
These days, food delivery apps make it far too easy to ditch the apron, food prep, shopping, and clean up, and simply and reach for the smartphone instead. With the touch of a button, I have access to a diverse catalog of cuisine from my comfort restaurants and local businesses alike (my thoughts go out to those poor souls outside of delivery limits).
Regardless of reason -- convenience, craving, or cooking fatigue, food delivery apps can undoubtedly make life easier (and more delicious), but not all are created equal. We considered the app's partnerships, availability, associated fees, and membership opportunities to help you in the search for the best food delivery app to curb your cravings.
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- Excellent variety
- Fast response time
- Superior customer service
- High fees
- Can have lengthy wait times
Uber Eats tech specs: Availability: 500+ cities | Memberships: $9.99/month or $99.99/year | App store rating: 4.8 | Google Play rating: 4.4
Uber Eats may not be as large as some of the other best food delivery apps, but there is no denying that it is a powerhouse. Today, its available in over 500 cities and almost 30 countries, including Italy, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Chile, and South Africa. Depending on where you live, there are options for all types of different foods from all different kinds of restaurants. Popular restaurants include favorites like Pizza Hut, Popeyes, Dunkin', Outback Steakhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sweetgreen. You also have the ability to order from popular drug stores, grocery stores, and pet shops for a well-rounded approach to food delivery.
Ordering is simple, requiring just a few taps before your order is complete and your food is on the way. You can also order through the app to pick up your food. Either way, payment is extremely flexible; you can pay with PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or even Venmo.
Uber Eats used to have Eats Pass, but its rewards program has since been replaced by Uber One, which promises savings on both your Uber and Uber Eats orders. When you subscribe, you get free delivery, plus discounts and savings off eligible restaurant and store orders. For certain orders, you can earn cash back if your order arrives after Uber's Latest Arrival estimate.
Subscribe for the year and save money on your membership.
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- Easy to use
- Friendly customer service
- New restaurants constantly added
- Savings through subscription
- Deliveries can be slower
- Subscription service can add up
Uber Eats tech specs: Availability: 7,000 cities | Memberships: $9.99/month or $96/year; Student pass $4.99/month or $48/year | App store rating: 4.8 | Google Play rating: 4.6
DoorDash might be one of the most widespread apps geographically speaking, but exclusive in its subscription options, which opens the door for dashing savings opportunities.For example, its Dash Pass membership as a way to skip on delivery fees and earn back credits on pick-up orders.
Available in 70 cities, you'll find DoorDash in most major US cities, including NYC, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, Atlanta, Vancouver, and even international hubs like Sydney, Australia. Order from places like McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A, The Cheesecake Factory, and Carraba's. There are more than 310,000 menus available from over 55,000 stores and restaurants.
In addition to your dinner, you can also order groceries, flowers, alcohol, pet supplies, and convenience store items from stores like Safeway, Aldi, Walgreens, 7-Eleven, Wawa, Sephora, PetSmart, and Tractor Supply. Another convenient bonus? DoorDash has Package Pickup, so you can send those Amazon returns over to UPS, FedEx, or USPS without delay. To make life even easier, DoorDash also allows for schedule delivery and pick-ups to work around your routine.
- Tons of options
- Bonus rewards
- Superior customer service
- Limited local restaurants
- Fees add up
Grubhub tech specs: Availability: 4,000+ cities | Memberships: $9.99/month | App store rating: 4.7 | Google Play rating: 4.5
As part of the Just Eat Takeaway team, GrubHub has enormous reach and serves as the best food delivery app for variety. The platform boasts over 365,000 restaurant partnerships, with a total of 32 million diners using the service. You will find it in over 4,000 cities, like Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and its own hometown, Chicago.
Order on the app from your favorite places and await your goodies with easy tracking. Should your order be late or incorrect, the Grubhub guarantee means that they will make it right. When you add a + subscription, you get even more perks. There is unlimited free delivery on eligible orders, and you get access to exclusive rewards and offers that your average user won't be privy to. You earn points with your orders that you can later redeem for real Grubhub cash. For example, when you accumulate 10,000 points, you get $10 in earnings.
Plus, Grubhub harnesses a real "team player" mentality, giving back to the community through its Restaurant Strong Fund. Make a donation to join them in their goodwill.
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- Personal shopper
- Several delivery options
- Senior support
- Live chat is easy and helpful
- Not ideal for takeout
- Almost exclusive to groceries or bulk orders
Instacart tech specs: Availability: 14,000 cities | Memberships: $9.99/month or $99/year | App store rating: 4.8 | Google Play rating: 4.3
When your pantry needs stocking, Instacart is the best food delivery app for groceries. Currently available in the U.S. and Canada, this service partners with leading supermarkets and grocers around the country to offer you a wider variety of markets to choose from. It has more than 900 partners total, with recognizable names like ALDI, Costco, Publix, Sam's Club, Sprouts, and Wegmans. You can order for immediate delivery, or you can schedule your delivery out several days. Either way, your delivery window is wide and generous, with hours running from 9 a.m. to midnight. If you prefer to pick your groceries up yourself, there is an easy pick-up option right in the store.
Join Instacart+ to skip the delivery fees on your orders over $35 and benefit from reduced service fees. There is also 5% credit back on eligible pick-up orders, so you are rewarded for that extra bit of exercise you fit into your day.
Another service unique to Instacart is its Senior Support Service. This service is designed specifically to help seniors order their groceries and manage their orders. Should you hit a snag, friendly customer service is available to help.
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- Perfect for pizza
- Helpful customer service
- Loyalty program
- Restricted to pizzerias
- UX is limited
Slice tech specs: Availability: 3,000+ cities | Memberships: None | App store rating: 4.9 | Google Play rating: 4.5
If you love Italian food, Slice is the best food delivery app for pizza, pizza, and more pizza. It focuses on this small niche, partnering with 19,000 pizzerias in all 50 states to bring their best slice to your door. It's all about shining a spotlight on your local pizzerias so you can support small business without setting foot outside your door.
Slice is a bit unique in that it differs from self-operating apps like Uber Eats and GrubHub. Slice does not do the delivering and stops short at the ordering process, leaving the restaurant itself to process, make, and then deliver your order. Meanwhile, the menu prices and delivery fees that you pay depend on the restaurants themselves. Earn points the more you order, so you can earn free pizzas on your account.
If you hit a snag, you can benefit from easy 24/7 Slice Support, available by both phone and email.
What is the best food delivery app?
Uber made a splash in the ride-sharing industry, and now it has changed the game in food delivery. This best food delivery app makes great use of Uber's expansive network, guaranteeing that there is always someone out on the road when you need a ride or a meal. Uber Eats has partnered with a wide variety of restaurants and stores, as well, offering an all-in-one approach that is hard to pass up.
To see how it compares, this is a look at the best food delivery apps.
Best food delivery app | Membership fee | Number of cities |
Uber Eats | $9.99/month or $99.99/year | 500+ |
DoorDash | $9.99/month or $96/year | 7,000+ |
$9.99/month | 4,000+ | |
Instacart | $9.99/month or $99/year | 14,000 |
Slice | N/A | 3,000+ |
Which is the best food delivery app for you?
In your search, you will quickly find that not all best food delivery apps are the same. Some only serve a select market, others specialize in just one type of product, and delivery can run the gamut. It can make choosing an app very difficult.
Before you decide, consider these expert suggestions to help you find the best food delivery app for your next meal.
Choose this best food delivery app... | If you want... |
Uber Eats | The overall best food delivery app with a variety of restaurant and food choices, including groceries and alcohol. It also features an excellent reward program that helps you save on both food and Uber's traditional transportation service. |
DoorDash | The best subscription service. You'll benefit from a wide selection of items, including food and other products -- and with DashPass, you'll ditch the delivery fee. |
| Grubhub | A ton of choices. This best food delivery app gives you all the variety you need with an easy UI. |
Instacart | To shop for your groceries online. Benefit from a personal shopper who shops your items the way you want them -- it's almost like you're there without the hassle. |
Slice | To order pizza. Slice works with local pizzerias to bring its love of pizza right to your door. |
How did I choose these best food delivery apps?
There were several matters of consideration when finding the best food delivery apps.
Partners: It is important to ensure that the best food delivery apps have the right partners for your family. It is not worth having access to a Korean restaurant or market if you hate Korean food. However, if a certain app has more of what you like, it will be a great backup for you when you don't feel like breaking out the pots and pans.
Availability: Some food delivery apps have a far larger reach than others, with more rural areas suffering from a lack of restaurant and driver participation. It all depends on where you live and the service you use. Uber Eats serves over 500 cities, but you will find over 14,000 cities serviced by Instacart. Check your address to see what options are available for your home.
Fees: As much as we wanted to include an itemized list of fees, the truth is that fees vary considerably by food delivery app and also by order. Your membership can impact how much you pay in delivery fees, as well as service and other fees. Before you order, check your cart for a full detailed listing of all fees and charges you may incur by using the best food delivery app.
Membership: All of the best food delivery apps offer customers the option to subscribe to a membership. This runs $10 a month or usually about $100 per year and can be an enormous source of savings on your orders. If you frequently use a certain food delivery app, this may be a cost-effective option for you.
Are there fees when using the best delivery apps?
Fees vary from service to service, but generally, you will incur some sort of fee - especially if you order expedited delivery or order from a restaurant that is farther away. Expect to pay a delivery fee if you do not have a subscription, and there are almost always service fees that the platform assesses. You may also incur other special fees like a small order fee or a delivery adjustment fee.
Is Uber Eats better than DoorDash or GrubHub?
Uber Eats is a well-known name among the best food delivery apps, and it's easy to see why. With its enormous network of drivers, someone is always available to grab an order. However, it does not serve the vast number of cities seen with other services; for example, DoorDash serves over 7,000 cities, while GrubHub services more than 4,000; on the other hand, Uber Eats only serves around 500.
What kinds of restaurants are available via the best food delivery apps?
There is no shortage of restaurants available via the best food delivery apps. There are many fast-food-style restaurants that are typically available, like McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Dairy Queen. Sit-down restaurants aren't excluded, either, with picks like TGI Friday's, Miller's Ale House, Carraba's, Applebee's, and Chili's. Expect to see local spots, too, such as your local Chinese, Greek, and Middle Eastern restaurants.
Are there alternative best food delivery apps worth considering?
Looking for something different? Consider these runner-ups for the best food delivery apps.
For other ideas, these are the best cheap meal delivery services to try at home!