DoorDash and Uber Eats are two of the most popular food delivery services in the world. If you're looking for a side gig to make some extra cash, you might be wondering whether you should sign up to be a driver for Uber Eats or DoorDash. Or maybe you're just curious about which one pays more.
Both Uber Eats and DoorDash offer great opportunities for drivers looking for a side hustle, but there are some key differences that you should know about before deciding which one to go with.
So is Uber Eats or DoorDash better to work for? We've done the research so you don't have to.
In this blog post, we're comparing Uber Eats and DoorDash side by side to help you decide. Let's take a look at each app in more detail to see which one might be the best fit for you.
DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Requirements
Uber Eats and DoorDash are both food delivery apps that allow people to order food from their favorite establishments and have it delivered right to their doorsteps.
As more and more people are adopting this method of buying food, the demand for food delivery drivers is also rising.
This has opened up opportunities for drivers to earn extra as an Uber Eats or DoorDash delivery driver. But before you can start driving for either company, there are a few requirements you'll need to meet.
How To Sign Up as an Uber Eats Driver
To sign up as an Uber Eats driver, you can follow the steps below:
1) Check if Uber Eats is available in your area. As of this writing, Uber Eats is available in over 6,000 cities across 45 countries.
2) If Uber Eats is available in your area, download the app on iOS or Android.
3) Follow the instructions to apply as a driver. If all your document requirements are ready, the sign-up process will only take a few minutes.
4) The background check will take 3 to 4 days to finish and you can deliver as soon as you get the approval.
Uber Eats Car Delivery Driver Qualifications
- Must meet the minimum age to drive in your area or city.
- Must have a 4-door or 2-door car.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license in your name.
- Must provide your Social Security number for background screening purposes.
Uber Eats Scooter Delivery Driver Qualifications
- Must be at least 19 years old.
- Must have a motorized scooter under 50cc.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license in your name.
- Must provide your Social Security number for background screening purposes.
- Must select “Delivery by scooter” under transportation methods during sign up.
Uber Eats Bicycle Delivery Driver Qualifications
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must have a government-issued ID.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license in your name.
- Must provide your Social Security number for background screening purposes.
- Must select “Delivery by bicycle” under transportation methods during sign up.
How To Sign Up as a DoorDash Driver
To sign up as a DoorDash driver, you can follow the steps below:
1) Check if DoorDash is available in your area. As of this writing, DoorDash is available in 7,000 cities across the United States (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico), Canada, Australia and Japan.
2) If DoorDash is available in your area, download the app on iOS or Android.
3) Follow the instructions to apply as a driver. DoorDash states that the signup process will take only a few minutes if your requirements are ready.
4) The background check will take 5 to 10 days (sometimes longer) to complete and you can deliver as soon as you get the approval.
Uber Eats Car Delivery Driver Qualifications
- Must be 18 years old or older.
- Must have any car, scooter, or bicycle (in select cities).
- Must provide a valid driver’s license number in your name.
- Must provide your Social Security number (the US only).
- Must consent to a background check.
Uber Eats Base Pay and Tips
The most important factor when determining which app is the better side hustle is the pay structure being offered.
You have to understand how each app calculates the pay so you can maximize your earnings. It can even help you learn How to Make $1000 a Week with Uber Eats.
So how do the base pay and tips work in Uber Eats? When you receive a delivery request from Uber Eats, you’ll see the “Guaranteed Minimum Fee” along with the estimated delivery time and the distance of the delivery.
The Guaranteed Minimum Fee consists of the following:
- Base Fare – The base fare considers the pick-up, drop-off, time, and the distance covered.
- Trip Supplement – This is on top of the base fare added to make the trip more attractive to drivers.
- Promotion -During high-demand delivery times like peak hours or holidays, there will be promotions like “Surge and Boost” in selected cities to encourage drivers to be on the road.
- Tips – 100% of the tips go to the delivery driver. The customers can adjust their tips within one hour of delivery.
DoorDash Base Pay and Tips
Now let's take a look at how the pay structure for DoorDash works. What's interesting is that it's not really much different from Uber Eats. See the breakdown below as indicated in their website.
- Base Pay – this can range from $2 to $10 depending on the distance, estimated duration, and desirability of the delivery.
- Promotions – the promotions include Peak Pay and Challenge Bonuses which are added on top of the base pay.
- Tips – 100% of the tips will also go to the delivery driver and the base pay will not be adjusted based on the provided tip.
Options for Getting Paid
For side hustlers, it's also important to look at how convenient it is to get paid. You wouldn't want to wait a week or two just to receive your earnings, would you?
Fortunately, both Uber Eats and DoorDash offer various options for drivers to get paid.
With Uber Eats, you can get paid through direct deposit or if you want to get your money immediately, you can select the Instant Pay option up to 5 times per day. Each time you cash out costs $0.50.
With DoorDash, you can also get your money through direct deposit. The company has also come out with an instant cash-out option called Fast Pay, which costs $1.99 for every transaction.
DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Which Earns More Cash?
The primary reason why you're looking for a side gig is to earn extra cash. That's why it's understandable why you're interested to know which app-based food delivery service pays more – DoorDash or Uber Eats?
The answer? It's not always clear cut. Whether you'll earn more using DoorDash or Uber Eats actually depends on several factors. Keep reading as we break down the different factors that could affect the profitability of using each app.
- Popularity of the App in Your City – If you look at several driver reviews and testimonials for both apps, one of the most important factors is the popularity of the app or its market share in your area. This means that if DoorDash is more popular than Uber Eats in your area, your earning potential will be higher and vice versa.
- Size of Your City – Is the population of your city large or small? If you're in a smaller city, there may not be enough requests to go around and you could end up waiting long periods of time between each request.
- Number of Food Establishments in Your Area – The number of food establishments in your vicinity will also affect the number of requests you'll receive. If there are more restaurants, it's likely that you'll have more opportunities to deliver. Cities like New York or San Francisco with a high number of restaurants will have more delivery requests than smaller towns.
- Demand for Food Delivery – Are you living in an area where residents and workers frequently order lunch or dinner? If so, you're more likely to get delivery requests. Businesses located in office towers or residential areas are good examples of places with high demand for food delivery.
- Time of Day – The time of day also plays a role in how many requests you'll receive. If you deliver during peak hours, you're likely to get more orders.
So again, to answer the question “Which pays more?”, it depends. If we look at data available online, however, here are some salary ranges to give you some idea.
Average Hourly pay for Uber Eats and DoorDash
According to Indeed, DoorDash drivers in the United States earn an average of $16.12 per hour, with a minimum of $7.25 and a maximum of $34.95 per hour.
On the other hand, Indeed lists Uber Eats delivery drivers earning $18.66 per hour, with a minimum of $7.25 and a maximum of $40.40 per hour.
If we go by these figures, you can probably deduct that on average, you can earn more with Uber Eats. But the reality on the ground is that there are a lot of other factors that could affect your earnings on either platform.
DoorDash vs. Uber Eats: Driver Reviews
It's also important to be aware of the different thoughts and feedback from delivery drivers who are already using the app. By reading their testimonials, you can get a better sense of what it's like to drive for each company and how the companies treat their drivers.
Let's look at some reviews on Reddit regarding the two apps.
From Snickers_Diva on DoorDash:
“… the app having so many extra steps. 4 things I have to do to decline an order. Everything has to be confirmed, submitted, verified etc. So many extra steps instead of pressing one button for each step.”
From Purple_unicorn_89 on Uber Eats:
“Uber always has better tips, and the base pay is always higher than DoorDash. It really depends on your market. I've had bad days with Uber, but the good days are really good. I prefer Uber. If the orders were more consistent I would primarily use them.”
From MeowsicalVon:
“I used to prefer UE over DD but since UE took the destination points away and gave less orders, DD has been 1st choice.”
From dunksquad23:
“Some days DD is better and some days UE is. Run both apps and be fast and smart with what you accept and you stay at 25-40 an hour!”
Based on these reviews, it's clear that DoorDash and Uber Eats are neck and neck when it comes to earnings. It really depends on your market, how many orders you can complete in an hour, and whether or not you're able to take advantage of surge pricing and promotions.
Pros and Cons of Uber Eats
Now that we've looked at how much you can earn with each app, it's time to take a closer look at the pros and cons of each one.
Let's start with Uber Eats.
PROS:
- The app is easy to use and navigate.
- The background check only takes 3-5 days so you can immediately start working.
- You can work as an Uber driver at the same time.
- The Boost feature will let you know the best times to deliver.
- Instant Pay fee only costs $0.50 per cash out, lower than the DoorDash Fast Pay fee.
CONS:
- You can get penalized for declining too many orders.
- You can get easily penalized when customers leave bad reviews.
Pros and Cons of DoorDash
Now let's look at the upsides and downsides of DoorDash.
PROS:
- It has a 58% market share in the US so there’s potentially more customer demand
- DoorDash is more driver-oriented than customer-focused
- More focused on completion rate than the acceptance rate
- Makes sure that you’re busy and get orders during your schedule
- Not limited to restaurants because they have partnered with groceries and pharmacies too
CONS:
- The Fast Pay fee costs $1.99 per cash out, which is 4 times higher than Uber Eats' fee.
- The app interface is more difficult to use compared to Uber Eats.
How To Make More Money on DoorDash and Uber Eats
Many new drivers for DoorDash and Uber Eats always ask how to make more money using these delivery apps. Is there a way to maximize your earnings?
The good news is that there are a few things you can do to make more money on both platforms.
- Try Multi-Apping – Multi-apping means downloading multiple apps and working for both Uber Eats and Doordash. This is a great way to maximize your earnings because you can switch apps during slow periods or when the requests are far or too cheap. Trying both apps will also give you an idea of which is more in-demand in your area.
- Take Advantage of Promotions – Promotions like Surge and Boost will add a considerable amount of money to each order. Make sure to check the app frequently for any promotions in your area.
- Work During Peak Hours – This one is pretty self-explanatory. The more orders you can complete during peak hours, the more money you’ll make.
- Choose Higher Priced Orders – Avoid wasting your time with orders below $5 that will take you more time to fulfill, unless these are multiple orders that you can deliver in one go.
Conclusion: Which One Is Better?
Both Uber Eats and DoorDash are amazing side gig opportunities. Let's have a quick recap of the different factors we discussed in this article.
- Sign-up Requirements – Tie because they have almost the same requirements.
- Approval Process – Uber Eats because the background check and approval process take a shorter time.
- Base Pay and Tips – Tie because it depends on the driver's location and demand in the area.
- Options for Getting Paid – Uber Eats because the Instant Pay Fee is 4 times cheaper.
- Customer Demand – DoorDash because it has a 58% market share so there is more customer demand.
- Driver Reviews – Tie because it really depends on the driver's experience.
- App Interface – Uber Eats because drivers say it's easier to use.
- Payment (as per Indeed.com) – Uber Eats because the average hourly pay and maximum pay is higher.
If you're considering working for Uber Eats or DoorDash, we hope that this article gave you the info you need to decide which one is better for you. If you're looking to maximize your earnings, our best advice is to try both platforms and see which one works better in your area.
Aidan has been writing about personal finance for over 6 years. Prior to this, he worked as a Corporate Finance Analyst where he specialized in Due Diligence, Company Valuations and more. He is a CFA charterholder.
