With so many food delivery apps available, a lot of people are asking: What is the best food delivery service to work for? Working for on-demand food delivery services has become the hottest and most widely available side hustle of 2023. More people are choosing the convenience of ordering in while they stay home, which means an increased demand for new drivers. But what we love is that food delivery is a flexible and legitimate way supplement your income and make extra money.
Our top picks are DoorDash and Instacart because they offer higher than average driver pay. You can make upwards of $25/hour! Our full list of the best delivery apps to work for in 2023 explains what kind of things you’ll deliver, driver requirements, how much drivers can expect to make, and the pros and cons of each company.
Best Food Delivery Service to Work for in 2023 | 13 Delivery Apps to Try
1. DoorDash
Earning potential: $20 to $25/hour
Since DoorDash was launched in 2013, it’s grown to reach a market of more than 75 million Americans and has become the largest delivery service by market share according to Bloomberg Second Measure. DoorDash delivers meals from chain and local restaurants, and it’s begun delivering from convenience stores and drugstores, like CVS, in some markets.
Dashers — what delivery drivers for DoorDash are called — can schedule their hours in advance. There are no minimum hours to drive, which is the same as the rest of the food delivery services on this list.
Make $20-$25/hour with DoorDash
DoorDash drivers work flexible hours, can cash out whenever they want, and you can bring a friend on deliveries.
Join DoorDash
DoorDash Driver Requirements
- Drivers must be 18 years old or older
- Access to a car, scooter, or bike in some markets
- Valid driver’s license number
- Auto insurance
DoorDash has a simple driver pay formula called the Dasher Pay Model, and base pay ranges from $2-$10. You always see this amount before accepting the order. DoorDash is currently piloting a new pay option called Time Earnings Mode, and drivers have the option to earn a guaranteed hourly rate while delivering plus 100% of tips.
DoorDash acquired another one of the best food delivery services, Caviar, in 2019. Caviar is seen as a high-end service, delivering for a more curated list of restaurants. Caviar is still operational, but it’s begun to operate under DoorDash’s branding. For example, signing up to deliver for Caviar takes you through the Dashers’ sign-up process.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for DoorDash:
Pros
Cons
Want to know more about DoorDash? We have a lot to say!
- DoorDash Driver Review
- How Much Can You Make From DoorDash in 2023?
- When Are the Best Times to DoorDash?
Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and 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) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
2. Instacart
Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour
Instacart has become one of the most well-known grocery delivery services since it was launched in 2012. One of the reasons it’s among the best food delivery services to work for is because there are two options when working for Instacart: full-service and in-store shoppers.
Full-service shoppers take customer orders in the app, shop for them, and deliver the order. These shoppers have the most flexibility because you can pick the days and times you work, plus how often you work.
In-store shoppers take orders in the app, shop for them, and then stage them for pick-up. These shoppers are limited to 29 hours a week or less and are considered part-time employees, not independent contractors like full-service shoppers.
Get paid $15-$20/hour with Instacart
Instacart shoppers are paid to deliver groceries, and you can work in thousands of cities across the U.S.
Join Instacart
Instacart Shopper Requirements:
- Drivers must have access to a car, valid driver’s license, and car insurance
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be eligible to work in the U.S.
- Able to lift 50 lbs
Instacart shoppers are paid based on the size and difficulty of the order, plus how busy the app is. Instacart shoppers can now see their estimated earnings before deciding if an order is worth their time.
Learn more in our full Instacart Shopper Review.
Pros and Cons of Delivering Food for Instacart:
Pros
Cons
3. Shipt
Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour
Shipt was founded in 2014 as an on-demand grocery delivery service. It was purchased by Target in 2017, and it's since expanded to over 5,000 cities nationwide. Shipt started as a membership-based platform, and while that’s still an option, you no longer need to be a member to order from Shipt. This opens it up to more users, meaning more work for Shipt shoppers.
Shipt shoppers are expected to wear a Shipt shirt when they work so that store employees can identify shoppers.
Earn $15-$20/hour delivering for Shipt
Target-owned Shipt has dramatically expanded its services, and is growing to become one of the most popular food delivery services in the U.S.
Join Shipt
Shipt Shopper Requirements:
- Drivers must be 18 years old or older
- Have a valid driver’s license and insurance
- Have a reliable vehicle — 1997 model or newer
- Capable of lifting 40 lbs or more
- Have insulated cooler bags
Shipt is one of the best food delivery services to work for because it allows shoppers to accept and shop for more than one order at a time. It can be a more efficient use of your time to earn more money.
Shipt updated its pay model in the fall of 2020, and some drivers have reported slightly lower pay because the new pay model is much more complex and accounts for “dynamic variables” including drive time, total order items, time of day, and road traffic. The app shows you estimated earnings before accepting an order.
Previously, drivers were paid based on a commission, which was $5 plus 7.5% of the order amount.
Learn more in our updated Shipt Shopper Review.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Shipt:
Pros
Cons
4. Uber Eats/Postmates
Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour
Owned by rideshare giant Uber, Uber Eats was launched in 2014 and is now available in over 6,000 cities across 45 countries. Uber Eats allows customers to order food from their favorite restaurants, and (in certain markets), from convenience stores and grocery stores.
In 2020, Uber Eats purchased Postmates for $2.65 billion, and it began transitioning drivers from Postmates to Uber Eats in 2021.
Uber Eats Delivery Driver Requirements:
- Drivers must meet the minimum age to drive in your city
- Have at least one year of licensed driving experience (if you’re under 23 years old, you need 3 years of experience driving)
- A valid U.S. driver’s license
- Eligible vehicle (this varies by city, but you can expect requirements for a 4-door vehicle that is at least a 1998 model or newer)
- Provide proof of residency in your city or state
- Have vehicle insurance
Uber Eats delivery drivers earn a base fare for every delivery, which includes pay for pick-up, drop off time, and distance. UberEats has also added a new earnings component (called a trip supplement) to account for both time and distance.
One of the reasons some people find Uber Eats to be one of the best food delivery service to deliver for is because you can have someone else in the car while you’re delivering. In theory, you can bring a friend along to keep you company. This is pretty uncommon in the food delivery industry!
Uber Eats delivery drivers are paid weekly, but if you sign up for an Uber Eats Visa debit card, you can instantly cash out your earnings for free. It normally costs $0.50 to cash out early.
See how Uber Eats compares in DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Which is Better for Drivers?
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Uber Eats:
Pros
Cons
5. GrubHub
Earning potential: $12 to $15/hour
GrubHub is considered the OG among these food delivery services — it was founded in 2004. It now serves more than 4,000 U.S. cities and partners with more than 225,000 restaurants.
This on-demand delivery service mainly delivers for restaurants, but it’s expanded to include convenience stores in some markets.
Grubhub drivers are encouraged to schedule their shifts in advance, but you can also open the app and drive whenever you have extra time.
GrubHub Delivery Driver Requirements:
- Drivers must be at least 19 years old (at least 21 in Chicago and Las Vegas)
- Have a valid driver’s license and car insurance
- Have a cell phone with a data plan (iOS 11 or higher or Android 5.0 or higher)
Grubhub uses what might look like a complicated pay model (below), and while it does vary by market, it clearly explains how your pay is determined.
Learn more in Grubhub vs. DoorDash: Which is Best for Drivers in 2023?
Pros and Cons of Delivering for GrubHub:
Pros
Cons
6. Amazon Flex
Earning potential: $18 to $25/hour
Amazon Flex is an Amazon service that outsources drivers for Prime Now, AmazonFresh, and Amazon Restaurant Delivery. Because you can deliver packages too, that makes it pretty different from the rest of the best food delivery services on this list.
Drivers can pick when they work, but you will need to drive for 3-6 hour-long blocks. You’ll also need insulated bags or coolers to keep refrigerated or freezer items cool.
Amazon Flex Delivery Driver Requirements:
- Drivers must be at least 21 years old
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Drive a 4-door, mid-sized or larger vehicle
- Have car insurance
Amazon Flex drivers are paid based on the number of orders the complete: more orders = more pay. Having a larger vehicle means you can complete considerably more orders.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Amazon Flex:
Pros
Cons
7. Caviar
Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour
Caviar was originally known as a higher-end food delivery app. But since DoorDash purchased Caviar in 2019, customers can now find a diverse selection of food on Caviar. A quick search of Caviar's options and you'll find everything from donuts, fast food, sushi, Indian food, etc.
Caviar couriers are technically employed by DoorDash, and when you sign up, you’re brought through DoorDash’s sign-up process.
Caviar Driver Requirements:
- Must be 18 years old or older
- Access to a car, scooter, or bike in some markets
- A valid driver’s license number
- Auto insurance
Caviar couriers are paid using the same formula DoorDash uses, which is Base Pay + Promotions + Tips = Total Earnings.
Base Pay varies based on where you’re delivering and can range from $2-$10 per order. The promotions are one of the reasons this is one of the best delivery apps to work for. You can earn extra for driving during Peak Pay hours, and you earn extra for Challenges (completing so many orders in a certain time).
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Caviar:
Pros
Cons
8. Favor
Earning potential: $18 to $20/hour
Favor is a Texas-based food delivery service that operates for restaurants in major markets like Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and a bunch of cities like Odessa, Amarillo, Temple, San Antonio, and more. Favor is actually owned by H-E-B — a popular Texas-based food retailer.
Favor calls its delivery drivers Runners, and you can deliver in a car, truck, motorcycle, and scooter.
Favor Delivery App Requirements:
- Drivers must be at least 18 years old
- Have an Android or iOS device
- Active U.S. driver’s license
- Personal vehicle and insurance
- Bank account to process direct deposit
Runners in Austin can deliver via bicycle, and you don’t need a driver’s license or vehicle insurance to deliver by bike, but you will need an official ID. Favor Runners also need to pass a background check before they start delivering.
Drivers earn 35% of the delivery fee plus 100% of your tips. This is one of the best food delivery apps to work for in Texas because Favor offers hourly guarantees of $9-$10/hour as incentives for delivery drivers who schedule your hours in advance.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Favor:
Pros
Cons
9. Saucey
Earning potential: Approximately $10/hour
Saucey is an alcohol delivery service that operates in only a limited number of cities in the U.S., but it’s expanding. So watch out for this delivery app if it isn’t available in your city yet.
Here are the cities where you can currently sign up to deliver for Saucey: Akron, Albany, Arlington, Atlanta, Austin, Binghamton, Boston, Buffalo, Champaign, Chicago, Cleveland, Connecticut, Dallas, Des Moines, Fort Worth, Fresno, Houston, Inland Empire, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Midland, Minneapolis, New York City, Omaha, Orange County, Orlando, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Portland, Rochester, SF East Bay, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Silicon Valley, South Bay LA, St. Louis, Tampa, Toledo, Tucson, Washington DC, & Youngstown. They also offer 2-day and ground shipping in California and New York.
Requirements to Deliver for Saucey:
- Drivers must be at least 21 years old
- Reliable car that’s a 2007 model year or newer
- Smartphone
- Insurance
- Clean driving record
Saucey drivers are expected to check IDs for every order they deliver — probably obvious, but worth noting because it’s a little different than some of the other best delivery apps mentioned on this list.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Saucey:
Pros
Cons
10. goPuff
Earning potential: $10 to $15/hour
goPuff is one of the best delivery apps for essentials, groceries, snacks, cleaning supplies, drinks, over-the-counter medicine, and even electronics. goPuff is currently in 1,000 cities in the U.S. and Europe and is rapidly expanding.
What’s unique about goPuff is that when customers place orders, the goods come from one of goPuff’s 200+ warehouses, so it's not delivery drivers shopping at stores for each order. Drivers need to schedule orders in advance, and all deliveries are within a 30-minute radius of the warehouses.
goPuff Driver Requirements:
- Drivers must be at least 21 years old
- Access to an insured vehicle and vehicle registration
- Valid driver’s license
- Smartphone
- Pass a background check
Drivers for goPuff are paid a commission for each order plus 100% of their tips. You’re also guaranteed an hourly minimum pay, and this varies by market.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for goPuff:
Pros
Cons
11. Eaze
Earning potential: $18 to $26/hour
Eaze is a cannabis delivery service — yes, you read that correctly! Eaze only operates in California right now, but it’s one of the best delivery apps to work for because drivers make anywhere from $18-$26/hour.
Driver Requirements for Eaze:
- Drivers must be at least 21 years old
- 2004 model year vehicle or newer — and your car must have a working car alarm
- Smartphone
- Vehicle insurance
- Clean driving record
- Pass a criminal background check
The way Eaze works is that licensed cannabis dealers pay Eaze drivers an hourly rate, plus mileage reimbursement of $0.545 for every mile you drive. For example, if you drive 50 miles, that’s $27.25 that you’re reimbursed, which is why you’re paid so much more.
Besides the fact that you’re delivering weed, another difference is that drivers fulfill orders from the supply they carry in their car. So you spend less time driving back and forth between pick-up and delivery locations.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Eaze:
Pros
Cons
12. Bite Squad
Earning potential: $10 to $15/hour
Bite Squad is a smaller restaurant delivery service that’s currently available in 14 states, including Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Requirements to Deliver for Bite Squad:
- Drivers must be 18 or older
- Clean driving record
- Valid license and insurance
- iPhone or Android
- Pass a background check
Delivery drivers use the Bite Squad app to schedule blocks of time they want to deliver. When you’re scheduled to work, you open the app to find orders, pick them up from the restaurants, and deliver them to the customer's house. So, it’s a really similar process to many of the other best delivery apps on this list.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Bite Squad:
Pros
Cons
13. Delivery.com
Earning potential: Up to $15/hour
Delivery.com is a New York City based delivery app that specializes in delivering food, laundry services, alcohol, and groceries. What's unique for customers is that they can earn points for every dollar spent, and the points can be redeemed for cash or be donated to a variety of charities.
This is actually the oldest delivery services on our list of best delivery apps — it was founded in 1995!
Delivery.com is currently available in over 2,400 cities and works with over 19,000 merchants in the U.S.
Requirements to Deliver for Delivery.com
- Drivers must be 18 or older
- Valid driver's license
- Proof of auto insurance
- Smart phone
- Pass a background check
When you sign up to delivery for Delivery.com you'll be asked which hours you prefer to work. It asks this to make sure they don't get oversaturated with drivers who all want to work the same hours.
Pros and Cons of Delivering for Delivery.com:
Pros
Cons
Best Food Delivery Services to Work For — The Final Word
These companies are all incredibly similar, and that’s a great thing for anyone who wants to make money fast. There are fewer and fewer surprises, and it means no matter which one you sign up for, you know you’ve chosen a solid company.
One tip you’ll get from seasoned drivers is to sign up for more than one company at a time. Being an independent contractor means you can work for multiple companies, and many even encourage it. We've mentioned that already, but it’s seriously worth doing.
To decide who to start with, we highly recommend checking out DoorDash. They recently contacted me about a higher-than-average need for drivers.
FAQs
Eaze is the highest paying app on this list – drivers earn $18-$26/hour on average. But Eaze isn’t available outside of California. Amazon Flex also pays drivers well at $18-$25/hour, but Amazon only hires new drivers based on need.
Instacart, DoorDash, Shipt, and Uber Eats drivers all earn in the $15-$20 range, and these companies are constantly looking for new drivers.
The pay is very similar between Doordash and Postmates at around $20 per hour. Go here to learn how the two delivery apps compare.
- Location: You can only deliver for the apps that operate in your area. Checking to see if it’s available in your area should be the first thing you do. But don’t completely rule out the smaller companies for the future, because most of them are growing and will need lots of new drivers when they expand to a new market.
- Requirements: All of the delivery apps on this list have similar requirements, but if you’re 18, you have fewer options. For couriers who want to deliver by bike, pay attention to which apps allow it and the cities where this delivery option is available.
- Flexibility: Delivery apps are inherently flexible, but some of the apps require you to schedule hours in advance and others let you take orders whenever you have extra time.
About Millennial Money Man
Bobby Hoyt is a former band director who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in 18 months on his teaching salary and then left his job to run Millennial Money Man full-time. He helps other Millennials earn more through side hustles, save more through budgeting tools and apps, and pay off debt. He is a personal finance expert who has been seen on Forbes, Reuters, MarketWatch, CNBC, International Business Times, Business Insider, US News, Yahoo Finance, and many other personal finance and entrepreneurship media outlets.
