You want your food delivered to your house as soon as possible. You tap your phone and see a couple of options staring back at you: DoorDash and Instacart.
Which one do you choose?
This article helps you answer that question.
However, it is not the only question we will answer here. Both DoorDash and Instacart use freelancers as the backbone of their businesses. If you are a budding driver, you need to know which company offers you the best return on your time investment.
This article also helps you answer that question.
So which is better between DoorDash and Instacart? Let’s find out for both consumers and drivers.
Instacart versus DoorDash for consumers
Since both apps are available on Android and Apple devices and accept Apple and Android Pay, there appears to be little separating Instacart and DoorDash. However, they differ in several ways, including the specific markets they serve.
DoorDash is a restaurant food delivery service that offers access to more than 110,000 restaurants across the United States and Canada. Instacart is more like a personal shopping app, connecting you to local grocery stores instead of restaurants. Still, both have the core offering of delivering food at an affordable price. Let’s delve into the details of each app’s service for consumers.
Variety of food
Both apps offer a wide range of food varieties. By allowing consumers to order from Taco Bell, Buffalo Wild Wings, Baskin-Robbins and many more, DoorDash offers a full selection of restaurant-quality food.
However, Instacart offers access to many grocery retailers, including Whole Foods, Safeway, and Costco. In addition, you can add any food to your order, including fresh fruit and even treats for your pets.
For sheer variety, Instacart stands out. However, DoorDash still offers many options, including access to vegan and gluten-free restaurants for people with specific dietary needs.
Delivery tracking
Both apps allow users to track their orders in real time through their apps. In the case of Instacart, you receive a notification when your driver is on the way. Opening the app displays a map that you can use to check the driver’s progress. You can even give instructions to your driver by tapping the “Chat with buyer” option.
DoorDash works similarly: A map appears in the app as soon as a driver agrees to deliver your order. You can also communicate with your driver using the “text” or “call” buttons in the app. However, some restaurants use their own delivery drivers, whom the app may not track.
Both Instacart and DoorDash do a great job of informing users about the delivery status of their orders.
Shipping charges
DoorDash attracts customers by offering delivery for $1 for the first month of using the service. After that, delivery returns to a standard price of $5.99 per order, although some restaurants may charge up to $8 per delivery. You may also have to pay additional fees, such as an extra $2 for small orders.
Instacart offers free delivery on your first order. Afterwards, their rates start at $3.99 for orders over $35, with additional fees for small, same-day, and in-club deliveries. However, you can also sign up for Instacart Express, which offers unlimited deliveries for an annual fee of $149. You must also pay a large order fee if the estimated combined weight of your items exceeds 50 pounds. The minimum order for an Instacart delivery is $10, while DoorDash has no minimum delivery requirements.
Since both services offer similar delivery prices, it’s hard to pick a winner in this category. DoorDash practically stands out thanks to its simpler pricing structure.
Coverage
Both Instacart and DoorDash cover thousands of cities in the United States and Canada, and DoorDash also offers services in Japan and Australia. In total, DoorDash currently operates in more than 7,000 cities. Instacart is a little more reticent about its coverage areas. However, you can use the option “Locations” page to see if your city is covered.
Both offer nationwide coverage and serve Canadian citizens, DoorDash and Instacart are almost neck and neck in this category. However, DoorDash succeeds because it has expanded into countries that Instacart does not currently serve.
Instacart vs. DoorDash: the results for the consumer
Both Instacart and DoorDash offer fast delivery, reasonable rates, and a wide range of food options. They are also expanding companies that already cover much of the United States and large areas of Canada. Ultimately, there is little that distinguishes companies based on the quality of their service.
Instead, your choice comes down to the type of food delivery you’re looking for. If you want to order restaurant-quality pre-cooked meals, DoorDash is the service for you. However, those who want their groceries delivered, along with a variety of other items, will find what they need with Instacart.
Instacart vs DoorDash for drivers
Both Instacart and DoorDash use independent delivery drivers, taking advantage of the “gig economy” in the process. Potential drivers will want to know which of the two protects them better while they work and, crucially, which service will allow them to generate more income.
The article will now examine which service is best for delivery drivers.
Be hired
Both DoorDash and Instacart offer safety features designed to protect drivers and customers. They vet their drivers by conducting background checks before hiring them. Both also have a detailed set of requirements that a driver must meet before working for the service.
The requirements for DoorDash are:
- Drivers must be at least 18 years old.
- Drivers must own a car or scooter. Some drivers may also be able to use bicycles in select cities.
- Drivers must provide their social security and driver’s license numbers.
- The driver must consent to a background check.
For Instacart:
- The driver must be at least 18 years old.
- Drivers must be eligible to work in the United States.
- Successful applicants must be able to lift 50 pounds without additional accommodations.
- The driver needs constant access to a vehicle.
- The driver must possess a recent smartphone. Currently, Instacart specifies a minimum of Android 5.0 or iPhone 6s.
- The driver must consent to a background check.
Therefore, the hiring process for each service is quite similar, leaving little to choose between the two.
Pay
With Instacart, you have the option to be a full-service or in-store shopper.
Full-service buyers pick up users’ orders in stores and deliver them. They keep 100% of the tips that users give them and earn a fixed amount depending on the size of each order. This can equate to an average hourly rate of between $11 and $25. You are also classified as an independent contractor with this option, meaning you can set your own schedule.
As an in-store shopper, you earn an hourly wage, which is determined after your application and described in the offer letter you receive from Instacart. Work contracted shifts up to a maximum of 29 hours per week, with little flexibility.
On the other hand, DoorDash drivers receive a base pay calculated using various ordering factors. These include the cost of the order, the distance and time of the trip, and how desirable the order may be to a driver. Additionally, DoorDash drivers also keep 100% of their tips. Generally speaking, hourly pay can range from $12 to $17, and all DoorDash drivers are treated as independent contractors.
DoorDash operates during peak payment hours, during which drivers can earn more money per delivery. The service also has “Challenges” that allow drivers to earn extra money by reaching milestones, such as completing a set number of deliveries per week.
Both services allow drivers to withdraw money daily and offer similar payment structures. However, DoorDash appears to offer more stable hourly income, while Instacart offers the ability to generate higher income with more complex orders.
Driver rating systems
Both Instacart and DoorDash give users the ability to rate their drivers.
Instacart allows users to rate drivers on a five-star scale. The rating a driver sees is the average of their 100 most recent deliveries. The closer your average rating is to five stars, the more likely you are to receive desirable batch applications first. Unfortunately, having a lower rating limits the batch of applications a driver receives, causing them to earn less money.
DoorDash operates a similar 5-point rating system, and drivers’ ratings are also the average of their 100 most recent deliveries. However, having a lower rating has less impact on the number of delivery requests a driver receives, giving them ample opportunities to improve their ratings. Drivers who consistently earn high ratings are also invited to the “Top Dasher Program,” which gives them priority access to orders during slow periods.
Instacart vs. DoorDash: Driver Results
Since both services have similar hiring requirements, drivers should have no problem working as long as they are of legal age, have adequate transportation, and pass a background check.
DoorDash appears to offer a more stable salary. Their rating system also has less impact on how much a driver can earn. However, Instacart rewards its highest-rated drivers with more desirable orders, allowing them to earn more money than they could with DoorDash.
Now we would like to hear from you. As a consumer or driver of any of the services, is there any experience you would like to share? Do you think DoorDash or Instacart could make any improvements to their services? Let us know below.
