12 Best Food Delivery Services To Work For (High-Paying Gigs!)
When it comes to making money with the gig economy, food delivery apps are one of the most popular methods.
This is for good reason. These types of side hustles are flexible, pay well, and don't require any experience to sign up for.
However, there can be massive differences in pay and availability between the different companies. And stacking a few delivery apps is also one of the best ways to make more money per hour.
That's why this post is sharing some of the best food delivery services to work for.
After writing and testing out these types of gigs for years, I'm sharing my opinions about these apps. I'm also sharing salary data and testimonials from other gig workers so you can make the right decision.
The Best Food Delivery Services To Work For
From restaurant deliveries to grocery store pickups, there are lots of high-paying delivery app jobs you can use to get quick money.
But one of the biggest advantages you have as a gig worker is the ability to use multiple apps in a day and maximize your earning potential. And that's why I'm covering some of the best food delivery services you can use to earn as much as possible.
1. Uber Eats
Uber Eats is one of the largest food delivery gigs in the entire world, operating in over 6,000 cities and 45 countries.
It's the best food delivery service to work for for many global gig workers because of this widespread availability. And it's also flexible, letting you deliver with your car, bike, scooter, or even by foot depending on which city you’re in.
Like most food delivery gigs, Uber Eats drivers are responsible for delivering food, groceries, and everyday essentials to people in their cities.
Driver requirements vary by country. In the United States, you just have to be 19 or older, have a bike or vehicle, and pass a background check to get started.
The typical hourly rate for an Uber Eats driver ranges anywhere from $10-$25 per hour. Plus, you get to keep 100% of your tips.
My friend Grant made money with Uber Eats when we were in college. It was a flexible gig, and when he delivered at busy Uber Eats times, he could easily clear $20 an hour.
Drivers get paid weekly but can get paid daily for a small fee. And you can also qualify to drive for Uber, which is another reason Uber Eats is one of the best food delivery apps to work for. The same goes for delivering for Postmates, which Uber also owns.
Start making money with Uber Eats!
2. Instacart
Instacart is the best food delivery gig to work for if you live in North America and want to get paid to shop for people's groceries.
This leading grocery delivery service is available in over 15,000 cities throughout the United States and Canada. And what makes Instacart unique is that it has two different roles you can apply for.
One of these roles is a gig worker position, while the other is a W-2 role:
- In-Store Shopper: This W-2 job involves shopping for groceries in-store and preparing orders for pickup by full-service Instacart shoppers.
- Full-Service Shopper: This gig job involves shopping for groceries, checking out, and delivering to customers.
The full-service shopper role is the main way to make money with Instacart. You can generally make $12 to $20 per hour, and you keep 100% of all tips.
You can make more if you get enough Instacart batches. And I like that Instacart uses less gas than most food delivery services because you spend more time shopping. Plus, it's a nice way to get paid to walk as you shop for groceries.
Start making money with Instacart!
3. DoorDash
DoorDash has the largest market share in the United States, making it the best food delivery service in many U.S. markets due to order volume.
Like Uber Eats, DoorDash lets you deliver via bike, car, scooter, and on foot in some markets. And you can sign up if you're 18 or older and pass a background check.
You keep all tips you make, and you can earn more during busy DoorDash times. I also like that DoorDash gives you the ability to schedule work hours in advance so you can guarantee orders without worrying about other competition.
Plus, DoorDash has a new Earn by Time mode that lets you get paid hourly instead if you want steadier pay. If you're not getting DoorDash orders, this mode still lets you get paid a decent hourly wage, which is a unique selling point in slower markets.
4. Shipt
Shipt is a popular job like Instacart that's one of the best food delivery services to work for if you want a minimum hourly pay guarantee.
This is because this U.S. grocery delivery company guarantees that you make at least $16 per hour. But you can earn more with high-paying orders and through tips.
You have to be 18 or older to apply. And like Instacart, this isn't a good side hustle without a car since you need a vehicle to deliver all the groceries you shop for.
But I like Shipt since it's a bit better on gas than many food delivery gigs. And the base rate of $16 per hour is its unique selling point.
5. Grubhub
Grubhub is one of the oldest food delivery services around, and the company began in 2004.
Since then, the company has grown to over 4,000 cities, and it's a similar food delivery service to work for if you're already working with Uber Eats or DoorDash.
Grubhub drivers earn about $14 per hour on average, but you can earn more with tips. And just like jobs like Uber Eats and DoorDash, you get paid weekly for your deliveries.
The main downside of this food delivery gig is that many drivers get put on Grubhub's waitlist in busy markets. But you can always stack this app with other food delivery services and use it as a backup.
6. Amazon Flex
While this isn't exactly a food delivery app, Amazon Flex is still one of the best ways to make money delivering food, groceries, and packages to people in your city.
This driving gig pays $18 to $25 per hour. And you can deliver all kinds of things, from Amazon.com packages to Amazon Fresh orders.
The main downside is that you have to be 21 or older to apply and pass a background check. Many drivers also get placed on Amazon Flex's waiting list, so keep this in mind.
Furthermore, getting more Amazon Flex blocks, which are what shifts for this gig are called, is competitive. This is why many gig drivers stack Amazon Flex with other food delivery services.
That said, even a few shifts per week can mean hundreds of dollars because of the high hourly pay.
7. Caviar
Caviar was founded in 2012 with the idea of providing high-end food delivery services to customers. Since then, the company sold to DoorDash and now offers regular meal deliveries.
And with DoorDash being one of the best food delivery services to work for, there’s no question that Caviar is also worth signing up for since it's run by the same company and has similar pay.
Similar to DoorDash, Caviar pays between $15-$20 per hour and you keep 100% of your tips. You can also deliver via car, scooter, truck, and on your bike.
The only downside to consider is that you have to schedule hours ahead of time in the app if you want work. However, peak hours still pay out more if you can manage to fill those slots early.
So definitely consider Caviar if you want a DoorDash alternative that pays just as well!
8. Walmart Spark
Walmart Spark is a package delivery gig where drivers can make money by delivering orders made by customers on the Walmart app.
If you live close to a Walmart, have access to a vehicle, and are at least 18 years old, you should definitely consider delivering for Spark.
The average Walmart Spark driver earns a little over $15 per hour and you get to keep 100% of your tips. But on a good day, you can clear $20 per hour.
Payments get sent out every Tuesday, so it's a nice way to get steady income. And unlike many popular food delivery gig apps that require scheduling shifts, Walmart Spark lets you work whenever you want.
You can also sign up if you're 18 or older, but you need a vehicle to deliver packages.
9. Gopuff
Gopuff is a delivery app that lets people order food, drinks, cleaning supplies, home needs, medication, and other small products right to their home.
It's also one of the best food delivery gigs to work for if you want to try something a bit different than gigs like Uber Eats or Grubhub.
This is because Gopuff purchases inventory and stores it across its own fulfillment centers. So when a customer makes an order, all you have to do as a driver is go to the center and deliver it straight from there.
That said, Gopuff is one of the smaller food delivery services out there, operating in around 1,000 cities. But the company keeps expanding into new markets.
The average GoPuff driver makes approximately $15 per hour. This rate can change depending on the market and what city you’re in.
Consider an app like this if you don’t want to run around to a ton of different locations in order to complete deliveries.
10. Saucey
Saucey is purely an alcohol delivery service that operates in a few hundred cities in the US. So you can try out this gig to have a bit of variety from just delivering food.
Since you're delivering alcohol, you have to be 21 or older to sign up. You also need a vehicle that's 2007 or newer and have to pass a background check like most delivery app jobs.
Saucey also pays around $12 per hour on average, which is lower than some gigs. But there's a guaranteed minimum pay when you schedule time slots.
Plus, driving for Saucey is still a pretty untapped market, so you could take advantage of this if it’s in your area. In contrast, most popular food delivery services are highly competitive.
And if you can only drive at night, driving for Saucey will be perfect for you!
11. Bite Squad
Bite Squad is a newer food delivery service to work for that's currently available in several states, including Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Despite being in around 200 cities, Bite Squad has a lot going for it.
For one, drivers earn about $15 to $20 per hour on average, which is a competitive hourly rate. You can also sign up if you're 18 or older and pass a background check.
You also schedule shifts you want to work and then deliver restaurant meals and fast food to customers. If you prefer a schedule, this could be the perfect food delivery gig to work for.
Drivers also get paid weekly like the other gigs on this list, and you keep all of your tips.
12. Favor
One final food delivery service to work for is Favor.
This Texas-based company pays you to deliver food, groceries, everyday essentials, and even things like dry cleaning. In reality, Favor Runners are more like assistants and can help with a range of deliveries, not just food.
You can sign up if you're 18 or older and have a clean driving record and pass a background check.
Drivers earn about $12 to $15 per hour on average. And the main downside of this delivery gig app is that it's only available in Texas.
That said, any Texas gig workers can try out Favor to fill-in slow periods with other food delivery gigs.
What Do Other Gig Workers Think?
Another excellent way to find the best food delivery service to work for is to read testimonials from other delivery drivers.
Thankfully, many gig workers share their earnings and experiences on forums like Reddit. Here's what some drivers are saying in one thread about the best food delivery apps:
- RelationshipNo8047 says: “Become a driver for all of them and learn to multi-app. I muti app DoorDash and Uber during days, and from 5 to 10pm I use Grubhub… mix it up.”
- yetshi says: “GrubHub, Instacart, Roadie, Gopuff, Bite Squad, Amazon Flex, there's plenty out there.”
- wanderclt says: “Amazon Flex is decent when you want something different. Base pay is $18 an hour but try and catch surged blocks at $28+ if you can.”
- Greengrass21 says: “It's all dependent on area. You just have to keep trying till you see what works. If Uber Eats works stick with that.”
As you can see, many drivers suggest multi-apping and testing out different apps to find out what pays the most in your area.
Many drivers also suggest some of the top companies out there, like Amazon Flex or DoorDash, so you can start by signing up for some of the major companies.
This video from gig economy expert Trevor's Deliveries also shares the best food delivery apps to work for so you can make as much as possible per day.
Extra Reading – The Highest Paying Apps.
Tips For Making Money With Food Delivery Apps
Now that you know some high paying food delivery services to work for, here are some tips that I've found useful to help maximize earnings:
- Multi-App: As mentioned, using multiple apps at once, or multi-apping, helps you get more orders so you make more per hour. I've tested Instacart and DoorDash on the same day in the past, but you can stack a variety of apps.
- Track Your Expenses: Track expenses like gas, repairs, and even your phone bill to claim potential deductions when filing taxes. I suggest using Everlance to automatically track your mileage and expenses.
- Work At Busy Times: Most food delivery gigs pay the most around peak times, like lunch, dinner, and weekend rushes.
- Save Money On Gas: Keep more money in your pocket by reducing your gas bill. My favorite trick is to use reward apps like Upside to get cash back on gas.
Methodology
I used several data points to compile this list of the best food delivery apps to work for, including:
- My personal experience with making money in the gig economy
- Salary data from websites like Glassdoor and Indeed
- Testimonials from other gig workers on forums like Reddit and Quora
- Data from the food delivery companies themselves
I also considered factors like hourly pay, ease-of-use, market availability, and income potential when ranking these gigs.
That said, you should always test several apps because every market is different. And, as mentioned, creating a side hustle stack with several apps is the best way to make more money.
Extra Reading – The Best Apps That Pay You Real Money Instantly.
Final Thoughts
I hope my list of the best food delivery services to work for helps you start a new side gig and make more money each month.
At the end of the day, you have so many options. It doesn't matter if that's Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, or some similar combination of apps. As long as you pick a few reputable companies and hustle, you can make money.
Sure, you probably won't make 10k a month. But most people can make a few hundred or even thousand of dollars a month if they put in enough time.
Just make sure you set an income goal, track your income and expenses, and put in the work. And remember: as an independent contractor, you have to take care of your taxes and reporting, so stay on top of this throughout the year.
Thanks for reading!
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