Food Delivery Trends: Comparing the Top Apps

Nov 18, 2019

With the abundance of food delivery services in today’s market, all it takes is a couple of swipes on your phone, and your restaurant order will soon be on its way to your home.

Apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub offer a similar level of food delivery service, allowing you to order food from a variety of partnering restaurants. They allow users to see the estimated delivery time, pay using a credit or debit card or various digital wallets and then follow your delivery person’s progress from restaurant to your door – all on the app.

Let’s take a closer look at how the three most popular food delivery apps stack up.

Uber Eats

Uber Eats is following in the footsteps of the ridesharing giant of the same name, and is gaining a foothold at the top of the list of food delivery service apps.

  • Best Features: Uber Eats offers a wide selection of participating restaurants, many of which are not part of competing apps. Consumers also like the fact that you can contact your driver through the app to see what the holdup is or where they are. Tipping drivers is simple as well, and you can do it directly through the app or when the driver shows up at your door.
     
  • App Delivery Fee: There is a delivery fee for using Uber Eats, but discounts and coupon codes are common, often reducing the fee or completely covering it.
     
  • Glaring Glitches: Some users complain that Uber shares its drivers with Uber Eats, many of whom are not accustomed to delivering food. This may result in compromised quality of your food order.There is also no way to rate Uber Eats driver’s performance on the app. A common complaint that arises from this absence is late deliveries and orders that were never delivered.
     
  • Customer Service: Customer service is another issue with Uber Eats. The app lacks a chat function. If you’ve had a problem with your delivery, you’ll need to call the customer service line, which is staffed by overseas workers who may be difficult to understand. Users claim the service reps are also not very helpful.

DoorDash

DoorDash prides itself on seamlessly connecting merchants and customers in a mutually beneficial relationship.

  • Best Features: DoorDash claims it can have your food delivered to your door in an average of 45 minutes after you’ve placed your order. It also offers customers the option of ordering their food up to four days in advance.

    You can add your tip for your DoorDasher directly on the app, or do it the old-fashioned way when they deliver your order.
     
  • App Delivery Fee: DoorDash meals can be expensive. The company charges a $4.99 delivery fee for each restaurant you order from, and it also raises the prices on almost every food item it delivers.
     
  • Glaring Glitches: Users claim that some DoorDashers can be rude and unpleasant. Others complain about delayed deliveries and orders that failed to show up after hours of waiting time.
     
  • Customer Service: Customer service is also lacking in DoorDash, with a missing chat function and customer reps who are not always helpful in resolving issues.

Grubhub

With its wide range of restaurants and excellent customer service, Grubhub offer a similar level of food delivery service, allowing you to order food from a variety of partnering restaurants. They allow users to is fast becoming one of the most reliable food delivery services on the market.

  • Best Features: The Grubhub app is one of the easiest food delivery apps. There’s no need to create an account just to check out pricing or to see which restaurants the service offers. You can browse with no commitment, and even input your address to see how much a delivery will cost you before actually signing in to the app.
     
  • App Delivery Fee: Grubhub does not charge a delivery fee of its own. You’ll only pay the fee that’s set by the restaurant.
     
  • Glaring Glitches: Users complain of late deliveries and missing food items. There is also no option of cash-tipping on Grubhub, which means you may generously pre-tip a driver who ends up doing a rotten job delivering your food.
     
  • Customer Service: Grubhub offers outstanding customer service. There is a prominent live chat button on the app and a customer support number as well, complete with 24/7 assistance.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite food delivery app? Tell us about it in the comments!