What Food Delivery Makes The Most Money

With so many food delivery services, I know a lot of people are asking: what is the best food delivery service to work for?

Working for on-demand food delivery services has become the hottest and most widely available side hustle of 2021. More people are choosing the convenience of ordering in while they stay home, which means an increased demand for new drivers.

What I love about these options is that they're all flexible and legitimate ways to make money in 2021.

This list takes a look at the best delivery apps to work for in 2021. You'll learn what kind of things you'll deliver, driver requirements, how much drivers can expect to make, and the pros and cons of each company.

Best Food Delivery Service to Work for in 2021 – 13 Delivery Apps to Try

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1. DoorDash

Since DoorDash was launched in 2013, it's grown to reach a market of more than 75 million Americans. DoorDash delivers meals from chain and local restaurants, and it's begun delivering from convenience stores and drugstores, like CVS, in some markets.

Dashers – what delivery drivers for DoorDash are called – can schedule their hours in advance. There are no minimum hours to drive, which is the same as the rest of the food delivery services on this list.

Driver requirements to sign up for DoorDash

Must be 18 years old or older
Access to a car, scooter, or bike in some markets
A valid driver's license number
Auto insurance

DoorDash has a simple driver pay formula called the Dasher Pay Model:

Doordash Dasher Pay Model

Base ranges from $2-$10, and you can always see the base pay amount in the app before you take the order.

DoorDash acquired another one of the best food delivery services, Caviar, in 2019. Caviar is seen as a high-end service, delivering for a more curated list of restaurants.

Caviar is still operational, but it's begun to operate under DoorDash's branding. For example, signing up to deliver for Caviar takes you through the Dashers sign-up process.

Drivers on DoorDash average $15-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering food for DoorDash:

Pros

DoorDash has several driver incentives, including Peak Pay (higher pay when you drive during busier hours) and Challenges (completing a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time)
DoorDash has a default tip amount of 15% to encourage tipping
You can choose which orders you turn down and accept

Cons

You have to schedule your hours in advance, meaning you can't just log in to the app and drive if you happen to unexpectedly have a couple of extra hours
Driver support only operates via chat

2. Instacart

Instacart has become one of the most well-known grocery delivery services since it was launched in 2012. One of the reasons it's among the best food delivery services to work for is because there are two options when working for Instacart: full-service and in-store shoppers.

Full-service shoppers take customer orders in the app, shop for them, and deliver the order. These shoppers have the most flexibility because you can pick the days and times you work, plus how often.

In-store shoppers take orders in the app, shop for them, and then stage them for pick-up. These shoppers are limited to 29 hours a week or less and are considered part-time employees, not independent contractors like full-service shoppers.

To become an Instacart shopper, the requirements are:

Access to a car, valid driver's license, and car insurance
Be at least 18 years old
Be eligible to work in the U.S.
Able to lift 50 lbs

Instacart shoppers are paid based on the size and difficulty of the order, plus how busy the app is. Instacart shoppers can now see their estimated earnings before deciding if an order is worth their time.

Full-service Instacart shoppers can make up to $20/hour during busy times and average $12/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering food for Instacart:

Pros

Instacart shoppers have two options for work: full-service and in-store shoppers (who don't need a car to work)
You can schedule your hours in advance to plan out your week
You can see estimated earnings before accepting orders

Cons

Scheduling hours in advance means you can't just open the app and start working
You may have to carry heavy bags because you're delivering groceries

3. Postmates

Postmates is known as the "we-deliver-anything-service". Their slogan is actually "anything, anytime, anywhere."

And when they say "anything", they mean it. Postmates has become famous for some bizarre orders, including a drum set, $1,000 worth of Taco Bell, and ping pong balls. I bring this up because you can find yourself delivering more than just meals and groceries.

Since it was founded in 2011, Postmates has grown to reach more than 350,000 cities and 600,000 million merchants. Even though Uber Eats acquired Postmates in 2020, it still operates as its own brand.

Postmates driver requirements

These are the requirements to sign up as a Postmates driver:

You must be 18 years old
Access to a reliable vehicle, scooter, or bike
Car insurance if delivering by car
A valid driver's license if using a vehicle

One of the reasons that Postmates is one of the best delivery services to work for because there are so many options for couriers. You can deliver via car, bike, scooter, motorcycle, or on foot. These options depend on the market you're in, but it makes this service accessible to more people.

Postmates uses a formula to calculate how much drivers make per delivery that includes: pick-up, drop-off, mileage, and minutes in the store or restaurant. Rates for each vary by location.

Postmates couriers make $15-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of working for Postmates

Pros

Lots of incentives for drivers to earn more: Bonuses, Crushers, and inviting new drivers and/or customers
New Postmates drivers get a Starter Guarantee – this guarantees you'll make a certain amount in a set number of weeks (varies by location)
The amount of time you spend waiting to pick up orders is factored into your pay
You can open the app and find deliveries at any time of the day

Cons

Support is lacking a little for both drivers and customers
Because people can order anything on the app, drivers can get low-value orders that don't pay well (like drug store orders or one cup of coffee), but you can always pass over those orders

4. Uber Eats

Owned by rideshare giant Uber, Uber Eats was launched in 2014 and now partners with over 9,500+ merchants delivering food from your favorite restaurants. It also delivers for convenience stores and grocery stores in certain markets. Since the start of 2020, Uber Eats has seen orders through the app increasing by 197%.

To sign up as an Uber Eats driver, you must:

Meet the minimum age to drive in your city
Have at least one year of licensed driving experience (if you're under 23 years old, you need 3 years of experience driving)
A valid U.S. driver's license
Eligible vehicle (this varies by city, but you can expect requirements for a 4-door vehicle that is at least a 1998 model or newer)
Provide proof of residency in your city or state
Have vehicle insurance

Uber Eats drivers earn a base fare for every delivery, which includes your pay for pick-up, drop off time, and distance. It added a new earnings component called a trip supplement to account for time and distance.

One of the reasons some people think that Uber Eats is the best food delivery service to work for is because you can have someone else in the car while you're delivering, so you could bring a friend with you to keep you company. This is pretty uncommon in the food delivery industry.

Uber Eats drivers are paid weekly, but if you sign up for an Uber Eats Visa debit card, you can instantly cash out your earnings for free. It normally costs $0.50 to cash out early.

Drivers for Uber Eats earn an average of $10-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Uber Eats:

Pros

Integrates well with the Uber app if you're interested in rideshare driving too
As long as you're not driving for Uber at the same time, Uber Eats drivers can have someone else in the car while they deliver
Offers incentives for drivers to earn more, like Quest (reaching certain trip goals), Boost (multipliers during busy times), and Surge (higher pricing during busy times)

Cons

One of the incentive programs, Quest, is being phased out in some cities
Uber has been known to refigure driver pay, which can be confusing once you start driving

5. Shipt

Shipt was founded in 2014 as an on-demand grocery delivery service, and it now reaches over 260 grocery stores nationwide. Shipt started as a membership-based platform, and while that's still an option, you no longer need to be a member to order from Shipt. This opens it up to more users, meaning more work for Shipt shoppers.

Shipt shoppers are expected to wear a Shipt shirt when they work so store employees can identify shoppers.

Requirements to sign up and deliver for Shipt:

Must be 18 years old or older
Have a valid driver's license and insurance
Have a reliable vehicle – 1997 model or newer
Capable of lifting 40 lbs or more
Have insulated cooler bags

Shipt is one of the best food delivery services to work for because it allows shoppers to accept and shop for more than one order at a time. It can be a more efficient use of your time to earn more money.

Drivers are paid based on their commission, which is $5 plus 7.5% of the order amount – you see this amount in the app before taking the order.

Shipt shoppers can expect to make around $15-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Shipt:

Pros

Shipt Shoppers get a free Shipt membership
You can see how much you'll make (minus tips) before accepting orders
Shoppers can shop for more than one order at a time

Cons

You must shop alone
Not as widely available as some of these other best food delivery services

6. GrubHub

GrubHub is considered the OG among these food delivery services – it was founded in 2004. It now serves more than 4,000 U.S. cities and partners with more than 225,000 restaurants.

This on-demand delivery service mainly delivers for restaurants, but it's expanded to include convenience stores in some markets.

Grubhub drivers are encouraged to schedule their shifts in advance, but you can also open the app and drive whenever you have extra time.

To sign up and deliver for GrubHub, here are the requirements:

Be at least 19 years old (at least 21 in Chicago and Las Vegas)
Have a valid driver's license and car insurance
Have a cell phone with a data plan (iOS 11 or higher or Android 5.0 or higher)

Grubhub uses what might look like a complicated pay model (below), and while it does vary by market, it clearly explains how your pay is determined.

GrubHub Pay Model

Drivers for GrubHub average $12-$15/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for GrubHub:

Pros

GrubHub has live phone-based support for delivery drivers in the U.S.
Customers are encouraged to tip generously – default tips are set at 15%
You see very detailed information about orders in the app before taking orders, including total payout (minus tip), pickup location, and drop off location

Cons

Not as many incentives as other restaurant-based deliver services
Drivers are required to sign up for certain delivery locations

7. Amazon Flex

Amazon Flex is an Amazon service that outsources drivers for Prime Now, AmazonFresh, and Amazon Restaurant Delivery. Because you can deliver packages too, that makes it pretty different from the rest of the best food delivery services on this list.

Drivers can pick when they work, but you will need to drive for 3-6 hour-long blocks. You'll also need insulated bags or coolers to keep refrigerated or freezer items cool.

Here are the requirements to sign up and deliver for Amazon Flex:

Be at least 21 years old
Have a valid driver's license
Drive a 4-door, mid-sized or larger vehicle
Have car insurance

Amazon Flex drivers are paid based on the number of orders the complete: more orders = more pay. Having a larger vehicle means you can complete considerably more orders.

Amazon Flex drivers average $18-$25/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Amazon Flex:

Pros

Payouts are twice weekly, instead of once a week like most of the other services on this list
One of the higher hourly pays
You earn the same amount even if you complete your deliveries early

Cons

A limited number of openings available
You will probably have to lift heavier packages

8. Caviar

Caviar was originally known as a higher-end food delivery app. But since DoorDash purchased Caviar in 2019, customers can now find a diverse selection of food on Caviar. I did a quick search and found everything from donuts, fast food, sushi, Indian food, etc.

Caviar couriers are technically employed by DoorDash, and when you sign up, you're brought through DoorDash's sign-up process.

Here are the requirements to start working for Caviar:

Must be 18 years old or older
Access to a car, scooter, or bike in some markets
A valid driver's license number
Auto insurance

Caviar couriers are paid using the same formula DoorDash uses, which is Base Pay + Promotions + Tips = Total Earnings.

Base Pay varies based on where you're delivering and can range from $2-$10 per order. The promotions are one of the reasons this is one of the best delivery apps to work for. You can earn extra for driving during Peak Pay hours, and you earn extra for Challenges (completing so many orders in a certain time).

Caviar couriers average $15-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Caviar:

Pros

You can see the details of each order before you accept it, including pay
No penalties for low order acceptance rates
Smaller delivery areas, which can result in less dead miles (miles between orders)

Cons

Now that Caviar is owned by DoorDash, you're not just delivering from high-end restaurants, which means driver pay has decreased some
Must schedule hours in the app – not great for drivers who want extreme flexibility

9. Favor

Favor is a Texas-based food delivery service that operates for restaurants in major markets like Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and a bunch of cities like Odessa, Amarillo, Temple, San Antonio, and more. Favor is actually owned by H-E-B – a popular Texas-based food retailer.

Favor calls its delivery drivers Runners, and you can deliver in a car, truck, motorcycle, and scooter.

Here are the requirements to become a Favor Runner:

Be at least 18 years old
Have an Android or iOS device
Active U.S. driver's license
Personal vehicle and insurance
Bank account to process direct deposit

Runners in Austin can deliver via bicycle, and you don't need a driver's license or vehicle insurance to deliver by bike, but you will need an official ID. Favor Runners also need to pass a background check before they start delivering.

Drivers earn 35% of the delivery fee plus 100% of your tips. This is one of the best food delivery apps to work for in Texas because Favor offers hourly guarantees of $9-$10/hour as incentives for delivery drivers who schedule your hours in advance.

Favor drivers average $18-$20/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Favor:

Pros

You can deliver by bike in some areas, which means you don't need a car or license
Driver pay is on the higher end
Higher than average hourly guarantees

Cons

Only available in Texas as of now
Not as well known as the larger companies, even within Texas

10. Saucey

Saucey is an alcohol delivery service that operates in only a limited number of cities in the U.S., but it's expanding. So watch out for this delivery app if it isn't available in your city yet.

Here are the cities where you can currently sign up to deliver for Saucey:

The requirements to deliver for Saucey are:

At least 21 years old
Reliable car that's a 2007 model year or newer
Smartphone
Insurance
Clean driving record

Saucey drivers are expected to check IDs for every order they deliver – probably obvious, but worth noting because it's a little different than some of the other best delivery apps mentioned on this list.

Saucey drivers make around $10/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Saucey:

Pros

There's guaranteed minimum pay if you're willing to schedule time blocks in advance

Cons

Lower than average driver pay
The hours are a little more limited – think about when people would typically want to have alcohol delivered

11. goPuff

goPuff is one of the best delivery apps for essentials, groceries, snacks, cleaning supplies, drinks, over-the-counter medicine, and even electronics. goPuff is currently in 500 cities across the U.S. and is rapidly expanding.

What's unique about goPuff is that when customers place orders, the goods come from one of goPuff's 200+ warehouses, not stores. Drivers need to schedule orders in advance, and all deliveries are within a 30-minute radius of the warehouses.

Here are the requirements to deliver for goPuff:

Must be at least 21 years old
Access to an insured vehicle and vehicle registration
Valid driver's license
Smartphone
Pass a background check

Drivers for goPuff are paid a commission for each order plus 100% of their tips. You're also guaranteed an hourly minimum pay, and this varies by market.

goPuff drivers average $10-$15/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for goPuff:

Pros

You're not driving all over to pick up deliveries – they all come from one central delivery hub
There's a guaranteed minimum pay

Cons

Not as well known, so there may be fewer openings for new drivers
Because orders can be paid for in cash, you may have to deal with carrying large amounts of cash on you

12. Eaze

Eaze is a cannabis delivery service – yes, you read that correctly! Eaze only operates in California right now, but it's one of the best delivery apps to work for because drivers make anywhere from $18-$26/hour.

Here are the requirements to sign up and deliver for Eaze:

Be at least 21 years old
2004 model year vehicle or newer – and your car must have a working car alarm
Smartphone
Vehicle insurance
Clean driving record
Pass a criminal background check

The way Eaze works is that licensed cannabis dealers pay Eaze drivers an hourly rate, plus mileage reimbursement of $0.545 for every mile you drive. For example, if you drive 50 miles, that's $27.25 that you're reimbursed, which is why you're paid so much more.

Besides the fact that you're delivering weed, another difference is that drivers fulfill orders from the supply they carry in their car. So you spend less time driving back and forth between pick-up and delivery locations.

Eaze drivers average $18-$26/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Eaze:

Pros

Higher than average driver pay
Drivers are reimbursed for their mileage

Cons

Tightest driver requirements
It can take several weeks to be approved – one driver reported that it took 5 weeks after submitting their applications

13. Bite Squad

Bite Squad is a smaller restaurant delivery service that's currently available in 14 states, including Florida, Arkansas, Hawaii, Minnesota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

If you live in one of those states and are interested, here are the requirements to deliver for Bite Squad:

18 or older
Clean driving record
Valid license and insurance
iPhone or Android
Pass a background check

Delivery drivers use the Bite Squad app to schedule blocks of time they want to deliver. When you're scheduled to work, you open the app to find orders, pick them up from the restaurants, and deliver them to the customer's house. So, it's a really similar process to many of the other best delivery apps on this list.

Bite Squad drivers average $10-$15/hour.

Pros and cons of delivering for Bite Squad:

Pros

There is a guaranteed hourly pay amount for the lunch and dinner rush, meaning you make a certain amount no matter how many orders come in
Drivers schedule their hours in advance so you can plan out your week

Cons

Some drivers report that even though they schedule blocks of time in the app, they may have to work slightly longer than expected
Drivers report poor communication with dispatch (the app)

FAQs

Which delivery app pays the most?

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Eaze is the highest paying app on this list – drivers earn $18-$26/hour on average. But Eaze isn't available outside of California. Amazon Flex also pays drivers well at $18-$25/hour, but Amazon only hires new drivers based on need.

Postmates, DoorDash, Shipt, and Uber Eats drivers all earn in the $15-$20 range, and these companies are constantly looking for new drivers.

How do the best delivery apps compare?

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Which pays more, Doordash or Postmates?

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Which is the best food delivery app to drive for?

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All of these delivery apps are a little different – where they're available, requirements, what the job is like. Because of that, I don't think it's possible to say one is thebestin all situations.

Sorry if that's what you came for. I'm just being honest.

Rather than telling you what the absolute best food delivery service to work for, here's what you should look for:

Location:You can only deliver for the apps that operate in your area. Checking to see if it's available in your area should be the first thing you do. But don't completely rule out the smaller companies for the future, because most of them are growing and will need lots of new drivers when they expand to a new market.
Requirements:All of the delivery apps on this list have similar requirements, but if you're 18, you have fewer options. For couriers who want to deliver by bike, pay attention to which apps allow it and the cities where this delivery option is available.
Flexibility:Delivery apps are inherently flexible, but some of the apps require you to schedule hours in advance and others let you take orders whenever you have extra time.

The reality is that you don't have to pick just one app to deliver for – most successful drivers deliver for a couple of services. For example, you could schedule hours in advance for DoorDash but have the Postmates app open and pick up orders if you have downtime.

The best food delivery services to work for – the final word

Listen, these companies are all incredibly similar, and I think that's a great thing for drivers. There are fewer and fewer surprises, and it means no matter which one you sign up for, you know you've chosen a solid company.

One tip you'll get from seasoned drivers is to sign up for more than one company at a time. Being an independent contractor means you can work for multiple companies, and many even encourage it. I know I've mentioned this already, but it's seriously worth doing.

To decide who to start with, I highly recommend checking out DoorDash. They recently contacted me about a higher-than-average need for drivers.