DoorDash vs. Shipt: Which Is Better for Drivers in 2024?

Choosing between driving for DoorDash vs. Shipt is like choosing between chocolate and vanilla. They’re both great, so how do you pick?

Whether you’re looking to pay off debt or just want some extra money fast, both DoorDash and Shipt offer flexible ways to boost your income.

DoorDash specializes in restaurant food delivery, while Shipt’s primary service is shopping for and delivering groceries. Both have their perks, but to help you choose, let’s look at the details like earning potential, driver requirements, scheduling, getting paid, and more.

What are DoorDash and Shipt?

What is DoorDash?

DoorDash has 66% of the market share, making it the biggest food delivery service by far. Even though food delivery exploded during the pandemic shutdown in 2020, DoorDash has been around since 2013. 

So, they’re connected to more than 300,000 local and chain restaurants across the U.S., Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Those connections and market share translate to the most access to orders for you, so many drivers choose DoorDash for that reason alone.  

DoorDash also allows its drivers, called Dashers, to deliver via car, bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle, and they offer more than restaurant food delivery. They have recently expanded to Package Pickup, convenient store pickup from 7-11, and WaWa, for example, and they partner with Tractor Supply for orders of poultry feed, home improvement tools, firewood, and more.

For a more detailed look, put our articles about DoorDash on your reading list.

• How Much Can You Make on DoorDash in a Day?
• Is DoorDash Worth It? 7 Things Drivers Can Expect
• What Are the Best Times to DoorDash for Money?

What is Shipt?

Shipt drivers shop for and deliver groceries and similar items. Since 2017, most of us think of Target when we think of Shipt. That’s because Target bought the grocery delivery service that year, although Shipt has been around since 2014. 

Shipt now operates in more than 5,000 cities throughout the U.S. with 300,000+ shoppers nationwide. According to Bloomberg Second Measure, Shipt holds approximately 6% of the grocery delivery market share. 

That number may sound small, but Shipt’s website claims their Shoppers reach over 60 million households nationwide. And like DoorDash, as they’ve grown they have expanded their services to delivery of more than just groceries. They partner with CVS, Costco, HEB, Meijer, and more to deliver home products and even electronics.

Shipt also dove into the package delivery world recently, which is a great option for side hustlers who don’t want to go inside a store and shop. You just pick up the packages at Target and go.

Bottom line: DoorDash drivers pick up and deliver food and convenience items. Shipt drivers shop for and deliver groceries and home products. DoorDash has around 66% of the market, which may mean they are more available for making money in your area.

DoorDash vs. Shipt Pay: Which Drivers Make More?

What most prospective drivers really want to know is: who pays better – DoorDash or Shipt? 

The short answer is: it depends. To help you understand how per order pay works, let’s take a look at how each service calculates driver pay. We’ll also explain how and when drivers are paid.

First, it’s important to know that neither service pays by the hour. Instead, Dashers and Shoppers get paid per delivery, and your pay will vary depending on factors like working during peak hours or taking on complex orders.

Shipt Shopper Pay Formula

Shipt’s pay formula works like this:

Offer pay + Bonuses + Tips = Total Shipt Shopper pay

• Offer Pay: Shipt pays shoppers based on the estimated time and effort required for each order, typically ranging from $6 to $20+ per order.
• Tips: Shoppers keep 100% of the tips, which can significantly boost earnings.
• Bonuses: Shipt offers bonuses for working during peak times or completing a certain number of orders in a specific period.

On average, Shipt shoppers can make between $16 to $22 per hour, factoring in tips and bonuses. Shipt also promises pay will be at least a certain amount they call their “earnings standard.” They guarantee that “no offer will be less than $16 per hour, in every single market across the country, based on Shipt’s time and effort estimates.” 

For some markets, they pay as much as $27 per hour. They determine offer pay based on the time and effort it will take Shoppers to complete the order.

DoorDash Driver Pay Model

DoorDash’s pay model works off a similar formula: 

Base pay + Promotions + Tips = Total earnings

Here’s how that formula works:

• Base pay: It’s the guaranteed minimum drivers are paid per order. It varies by order and ranges from $2-$10. Drivers see this amount in the Dasher app before accepting an order, and you always keep 100% of this amount.
• Promotions: DoorDash offers opportunities to increase your earnings. There are Peak Pay times when certain delivery areas in the Dasher app light up red with a plus dollar amount, which is the additional amount you’ll earn on top of the base pay. This is typically between $1-$4 extra per delivery.
• Challenges: These incentives include parameters like, “Complete X number of deliveries in a set amount of time and earn an extra $50.” If you complete the challenge, you’ll receive bonus pay. Dashers can earn challenge bonuses on top of Peak Pay.
• Tips: DoorDash drivers always keep 100% of the tips they earn from customers. 

Bottom line: Both DoorDash and Shipt let drivers keep 100% of their tips. Shipt offers a minimum pay guarantee, but you may be able to complete more DoorDash orders per hour since you don’t have to shop. This might make DoorDash a higher-paying gig.

DoorDash vs. Shipt Driver Requirements

Shipt and DoorDash have similar driver requirements. The biggest difference is that for Shipt, you must have a vehicle, and it must be a 1997 or newer model year. For DoorDash, any vehicle that runs qualifies you for Dash, and you can also deliver DoorDash via a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle. 

DoorDash Driver Requirements

• Be at least 18 
• Have an iPhone or Android smartphone
• Any car, scooter, or bicycle (in select cities)
• Valid driver’s license
• Auto insurance, if driving
• Social Security number if delivering in the U.S.
• Consent to a DoorDash background check

Getting started with DoorDash is easy. Download the Dasher app, have your driver’s license and social security number handy, and in about 10 minutes you can fill out the application. 

Before you start Dashing, they’ll run a background check, which takes 1 to 3 business days. DoorDash will notify you once you’ve been approved.

Shipt Driver Requirements

• Be at least 18
• Have a reliable vehicle model year 1997 or newer
• Be able to lift 50 pounds
• Have a valid U.S. driver’s license and auto insurance
• Know your produce 

Signing up with Shipt is a lot like DoorDash. After you download the app, it takes about 15 minutes to fill out the required information including your driver’s license and social security number. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get approved while Shipt completes a background check and assesses their needs in your market.

Bottom line: It’s a bit easier to qualify to drive for DoorDash because Shipt requires you to have at least a 1997 model car and the ability to lift 50 pounds. DoorDash doesn’t.

DoorDash vs. Shipt Availability

Hands down, DoorDash is the giant in food delivery. They serve more than 7,000 cities in the U.S. alone, plus Canada and parts of Australia and New Zealand. Shipt boasts a 6% market share, but comparing DoorDash vs. Shipt is a little bit like apples and oranges. 

Shipt is mostly a grocery/home goods delivery company connected to Target, Meijer, HEB, and CVS. DoorDash is primarily a prepared food delivery service. So, DoorDash is available in smaller towns that don’t have a Target, making it easier for you to find work with them. 

Bottom line: If Shipt is in your area, then your access to orders may be similar to DoorDash. But without question, DoorDash delivers in more markets, so depending on where you live, that may mean you have more access to making money with DoorDash.

DoorDash vs. Shipt: How it Works for Drivers

The process for both apps is more alike than different. Both Shipt and DoorDash let you schedule shifts in advance, see how much the order pays (minus tips) before you commit to it, and take advantage of bonuses and promotions.

DoorDash also allows you to “Dash Now” in busy areas and times of day. That makes it easy if you have unexpected free time or want to pick up an order on your way home, or want to stack a DoorDash order on a timeframe when you’re also working other gigs.

Both DoorDash and Shipt offer subscriptions to save customers delivery fees and both apps allow customers to tip you. If a Shipt customer gives you a 5 star rating, they will get an option to designate you a preferred Shopper for them, which means you may accrue “regular” customers who like your customer service and tip well.

Bottom line: For a driver, the process feels pretty similar on both platforms – use the app to view orders, decide whether to accept them and then complete them to get paid. 

DoorDash vs. Shipt: How Drivers Are Paid

Both Shipt and DoorDash have multiple options for getting paid. They differ slightly, so let’s look at the details. 

How DoorDash Pays Drivers

• Direct deposit on Mondays: DoorDash sends a direct deposit to your bank on Mondays. They’re paying you for orders you completed the preceding Monday through Sunday. Most Dashers say their funds are in their account by Wednesday.
• Fast Pay: If you are already set up for direct deposit, you can choose Fast Pay to get your daily earnings transferred over to your bank account for a fee of $1.99 (in Australia, there’s no fee). You’ll need to link a debit card to your Dasher account for this option.
• DasherDirect: You can direct earnings to a Dasher debit card after every completed order. After you Dash, click a button on the app to get the payout loaded to the DasherDirect card. Link this debit card to your Google Pay or Apple Pay account to use anywhere those payment methods are accepted.

How Shipt Pays Drivers

• Direct deposit on Fridays: Shipt pays via direct deposit on Fridays for orders completed the preceding Monday through Sunday.
• Instant pay: For a small fee you can get paid instantly once per day. 

Bottom line: Both platforms offer flexible payout options, but DoorDash has the DasherDirect Visa card that you can link to Apple Pay or Google Pay, giving you fast access to your earnings with no fee.

Doordash vs. Shipt: Driver Support

Both DoorDash and Shipt want to attract drivers for food, grocery, and package delivery. But drivers take on some costs like gas prices, wear and tear on your car, and a desire for safety while delivering. 

Here’s how they help support their independent contractors:

DoorDash Driver Support

To offset rising fuel prices, DoorDash offers a gas rewards program. Anyone who chooses the DasherDirect card (no credit check required) can earn a minimum of 2% in cash back on gas. 

The Dasher app home screen, also called the Dasher tab, includes a shield icon you can tap to access safety measures such as instant location sharing and calling 911. For non-emergencies, you can chat with customer service directly through the app.

If you prefer company when you drive, DoorDash allows Dashers to have passengers along for the ride.

Shipt Driver Support

Shipt created Shopper Perks like GasBuddy to incentivize drivers. When you sign up for a GasBuddy card and swipe it at the pump, you can save up to 25 cents per gallon. Other perks like discounts on mileage tracking apps, tax prep services, and a free Shipt membership can help ease the cost of doing business.

You can reach Shipt for questions 24/7, and they make contactless deliveries available to promote safety. Shipt strictly forbids having passengers in the car while you’re on duty.
Bottom line: Both Shipt and DoorDash claim to be committed to driver incentives and safety and provide several options for discounts and customer service.

How To Maximize Your Pay on DoorDash and Shipt

For both apps, you’ll most likely make more money if you work during peak hours, especially in larger cities. Because peak hours are usually lunchtime and dinnertime, that may help you fit in driving around your busy schedule.

You can also earn peak pay, bonuses, and challenges more frequently when driving in the most popular time slots.

Shipt orders with a large number of items that will take more time to shop for and deliver can boost your pay, especially if you provide excellent customer service. And you may appreciate not driving quite as much because you’re spending time shopping.

But many drivers report making better money when they accept as many orders as they can squeeze in on DoorDash. Or they accept stacked orders by picking up two from the same restaurant and delivering them to different customers.  

No matter which side gig you choose, keeping track of your mileage, cell phone bill, and any other business expenses will save you money when it’s time to file your taxes.

The Final Word: Is DoorDash or Shipt Better for Drivers?

DoorDash drivers can get started faster, may make higher pay, and can take advantage of DoorDash’s huge share of the food delivery market when compared to Shipt. If you’d rather skip the shopping and just grab the food and go, DoorDash is a solid side hustle for fast extra money. Plus, if you prefer to Dash with a buddy, DoorDash does not restrict having passengers with you.

If you love to shop, Shipt might just satisfy your dopamine craving all while making bank. With Shipt, you may incur less wear and tear on your car and become a preferred Shopper for repeat customers.