Looking for a comprehensive list of all the delivery apps to work for? We have rounded up the best of the best, including the best delivery jobs for part-timers, weekend drivers, and more below.
Delivery driver jobs are pretty self-explanatory—you pick up items from one location and deliver them to another. They vary from restaurant food to groceries to packages, depending on which company you’re working for.
Most delivery apps allow you to work for other delivery companies, so you can utilize more than one to create a full day week, or month of earnings for yourself.
Always sign up for more than one delivery service! Once you’re signed up for a couple, you can choose the highest-paying gigs and ignore the lower-paying ones. This is one of the benefits of being an independent contractor!
13 Best Delivery Apps to Work For
- Instacart
- Uber Eats
- DoorDash
- Amazon Flex
- Grubhub
- Shipt
- Caviar
- Bite Squad
- Favor
- Eaze
- Saucey
- Delivery.com
- GoPuff
1. Instacart
As an Instacart shopper, you purchase and deliver groceries to customers in your area.
In some markets, you can sign up as just an in-store shopper, just a deliverer, or as a full-service shopper where you deliver the food after you shop for it. The faster and more efficiently you can shop, the better your earnings can be.
To accept Instacart requests, you need to schedule your shifts through the app and be online during your shift. You can accept or reject requests as they come through.
Some drivers recommend sticking to a handful of stores that you know really well when you first start out. This will allow you to get the hang of things while being efficient.
Instacart Requirements:
- 18 years or older
- Eligible to work in the US
- Access to a reliable vehicle
- Access to a smartphone (iPhone 6s or Android 5.0 or newer)
- Ability to lift 50 lbs
Pros:
- Shows estimated earnings
- Can shop without a car
- High earning potential
Cons:
- Might require heavy lifting
- Requires advance scheduling
2. Uber Eats
With Uber Eats, you’ll be delivering restaurant food to customers. The company acquired Postmates in 2021, integrating it fully into the Uber Eats system. You’ll likely earn more during popular eating times—think lunch and dinner—so make sure you plan your day accordingly.
If you’re a current Uber driver, you can opt-in to delivering for Uber Eats within your driver app. If you’re new to it altogether, you can sign up for Uber Eats only, which has a more relaxed vehicle requirement than regular Uber driving. In some cities, you may even be allowed to deliver for Uber Eats using a scooter, motorcycle, or bicycle.
Depending on where you live and how busy it is, there are opportunities for batched or stacked orders. This means that you can pick up more than one customer’s order from the same restaurant and deliver each order.
One Uber Eats driver we spoke with suggests keeping a marker in your vehicle so you can mark who gets which bag to ensure you’re handing over the right goods to the right people.
When you drop off an Uber Eats order, you’ll need to take a photo of you dropping it off at the customer’s door and submit that photo through the app. You can decline a delivery if you choose. You do not need to accept every delivery request that comes through the app.
Uber Eats Requirements
Car Delivery
- Meet varying minimum age requirements in your city
- 2-door or 4-door vehicle
- Valid driver’s license and car insurance in your name
- Minimum one year of driving experience
- Background check
Scooter Delivery
- Be at least 19 years old
- Motorized scooter under 50cc
- Valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance in your name
- Background check
Bike Delivery
- Be at least 18 years old
- Government-issued ID
- Background check
Pros:
- Competitive pay
- Can deliver with car, bike, or scooter
- Easy integration with Uber app
Cons:
- Incentives are limited to some cities
- Pay formula varies
3. DoorDash
DoorDash is a delivery app where you pick up restaurant orders and deliver them to the customers who placed the orders. How much you can earn as a DoorDash driver depends on your market, and what time you’re available for deliveries.
As a Dasher, you’ll likely have more jobs available during lunch and dinner than early morning or mid-afternoon. DoorDash will sometimes give you bonus periods where you can earn more for being out-delivering during that time period. Use these bonus opportunities to earn more.
You can also get stacked orders, or orders added to your current job. This will help you earn more and be more efficient. You’d be picking up more than one order from the same restaurant and delivering to multiple customers.
DoorDash Requirements
- 18 or older
- Access to a car, scooter, or bicycle (in some markets)
- Valid driver’s license, insurance, and clean driving record
- iPhone or Android smartphone
- Background check
Pros:
- High earnings
- Incentives at peak delivery times
- Offers day-of payouts
Cons:
- Limited customer support
- Demand varies by market
4. Amazon Flex
Delivering for Amazon Flex is more like a traditional delivery job. You take an available time block and deliver the packages assigned to that block, preferably within the block of time given to you.
You receive the money assigned to that block whether it takes you the whole time or less—or more—so be efficient and get through your deliveries to really make it worth your while.
To get an Amazon Flex delivery job, simply apply on their website here. You’ll have videos to watch to get you ready for your first day of delivery after you pass your background check.
It may take 1-2 weeks to hear back about your application, so keep that in mind when wanting to start.
Amazon estimates you’ll earn anywhere from $18-25 an hour, and this includes optional tips that customers may give you—of which you’ll keep 100%. With Amazon Flex, you’re paid twice weekly for your work.
Amazon Flex driver Hillarie noted that she can make up to about $28 an hour on Amazon Flex.
Since she drives a car, she’s limited to smaller batches and therefore shorter blocks of time. She typically sees anywhere from 3 to 4.5-hour time blocks she can sign up for and mentioned, “I can work Amazon Flex for 3 hours and make around $90.”
Organize packages in your car by zip code and/or address to make finding the right box easier for you.
Amazon Flex Requirements
- 21 or older
- Live in a city where Flex operates
- Valid US driver’s license and Social Security Number
- 4-door mid-size sedan or larger vehicle
- iPhone or Android smartphone
Pros:
- High hourly rate
- Steady demand
- Flexible scheduling
Cons:
- Not available in some areas
- May require heavy lifting
5. Grubhub
GrubHub is another food delivery app where you’ll be tasked with picking up people’s restaurant orders and delivering it to them.
As a Grubhub driver, you have the flexibility of when and where to start your day of deliveries.
Once again, how much you can earn may depend on your market and when you’re deciding to drive. Since you’re delivering restaurant orders, think of when people are often wanting food—lunch, and dinner—and focus on being out on the road during those time periods.
With GrubHub, you have the choice of setting your schedule around when you plan on being online, or you can simply switch your app to “online” when you’re ready to start accepting orders.
GrubHub Requirements
- Car/bike in select areas
- Valid driver’s license and car insurance for drivers
- Valid state ID for bike riders
- Smartphone
Pros:
- Encourages generous tipping
- Has live phone support
- Shows order info up front
Cons:
- Less competitive pay
- Rarely offers incentives
6. Shipt
Shipt is a popular delivery app owned by Target. When you sign up with Shipt, you can get paid to shop and make deliveries from Target and grocery stores in your area.
Shipt has pretty widespread availability nationwide, and you can check whether it’s in your area by entering your zip code on the Shipt website or app.
The Shipt app lets you schedule your available hours up to seven days in advance. Once you get some experience, you can increase your Shipt earnings by completing multiple orders at once. Just be careful not to overload yourself.
Shipt shoppers get a free Shipt membership, and the company routinely offers sign-up and referral bonuses. All in all, it’s definitely worth considering if you live in a city where Shipt operates.
Shipt Requirements
- At least 18 years old
- Valid current mailing address
- Valid U.S. driver’s license and car insurance
- 1997 or newer vehicle
- Ability to lift 45 pounds
- Knowledge of produce selection
- iPhone (iOS 10 or newer) or Android (5.1 or newer)
Pros:
- Offers instant cashouts
- Lets you complete multiple orders at once
- Flexible scheduling options
Cons:
- Mediocre pay
- Low demand in some cities
7. Caviar
Caviar started out as an exclusive app designed to deliver food from upscale restaurants. That meant higher pay than other delivery apps, but it also meant there was limited availability and lower demand.
But since DoorDash acquired the business in 2019, now Caviar has widespread availability. Instead of being limited to a small selection of high-end restaurants, Caviar drivers can make deliveries for DoorDash orders, too, which opens up the market to fast food restaurants.
Caviar’s payment structure looks a lot like DoorDash’s—you see your estimated earnings before accepting a pickup, including the base pay, tip, and any bonuses you’re eligible for.
Caviar Requirements
- 18 years or older
- Car, scooter, or bike in select cities
- Driver’s license and Social Security Number (in the US)
- Background check
Pros:
- Shows earning potential before delivery
- Optional instant payout
- Extra pay at peak hours
Cons:
- Estimates can vary from actual pay
- Requires you to schedule hours in advance
8. Bite Squad
Bite Squad operates pretty similarly to DoorDash and the other restaurant delivery apps in this review. You can schedule times when you’re available, pick and choose which orders you want to take, then get paid for deliveries.
Bite Squad’s biggest drawback is that it’s only available in 14 states—Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
But if you live in one of these states, you can enjoy solid pay, flexibility, and discounts from retailers like Verizon, Jiffy Lube, Good Year, and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The company pays out by direct deposit every two weeks and lets you cash out instantly at any time in the app.
Bite Squad Requirements
- 18 years or older
- Reliable vehicle with auto insurance
- Valid driver’s license
- Smartphone
- Background check and MVR report
Pros:
- Guaranteed base pay
- Peak pay at rush hours
- Discounts for delivery drivers
Cons:
- Limited to select states
- Reports of poor communication
9. Favor Delivery
If you live in the Lonestar State, you may want to make deliveries for Favor Delivery. While the platform is less known and used than other delivery apps in Texas, it’s gaining popularity and expanding to more cities.
The app is a good fit if you want to deliver more than just food. Favor markets its Runners as “personal assistants, not delivery drivers.” That means you could wind up picking up takeout, grocery deliveries, or dry cleaning on the job.
In some areas, Favor lets you deliver with a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle, so you can still make money with the platform if you don’t have a car.
Favor says you can make deliveries whenever and wherever you want, within its available locations. You can also increase your earnings when you refer a friend to make runs in the app. Favor lets you keep one-third of the delivery fee and 100% of customer tips, with a guaranteed minimum base pay.
Favor Requirements
- Reliable transportation
- iPhone or Android
- Clean driving record
- 18 years or older
Pros:
- Competitive pay
- Hourly guarantees
- Quick driver approval process
Cons:
- Only available in Texas
- Less popular than other apps in its area
10. Eaze
If you live in California or Michigan and you want a slightly less conventional delivery job, take a look at Eaze. The app helps people buy weed and have it delivered to their door.
As a (fully legal) marijuana deliverer, you get paid for the deliveries you make. But you also get reimbursed for mileage, a major expense that most delivery services don’t cover.
Between the hourly rate and reimbursement, you can make more driving for Eaze than with most of the delivery apps in this review.
Deliveries run from 9 am to 10 pm, and drivers work directly with dispensaries to get the job done.
Eaze Requirements
- iPhone 5 or newer, or Android 3 years or newer
- 21 years or older
- Valid license, registration, and auto insurance
Pros:
- Solid guaranteed hourly pay
- Reimburses mileage
- Competitive earnings
Cons:
- Only in Michigan and California
- Lengthy approval process
11. Saucey
Saucey is another delivery app that specializes in something other than food—alcohol. The company guarantees delivery of wine, beer, and spirit orders within 30 minutes, from 8 am to 2 am. If you’re a night owl looking for a late-night gig, this gig could be a good fit.
Unfortunately, we’ve found that the pay isn’t as much on average as some of the other delivery apps in this review. Still, it could be worth considering if you want a flexible, unique delivery gig and live in a major city.
Just note that since you’re delivering alcoholic beverages, you can’t just leave them outside the door at the customer’s home. Instead, you’ll be required to check the customer’s ID at every delivery point before you give them their order.
Saucey Requirements
- 21 years and older
- Reliable vehicle (2007 or newer)
- Valid driver’s license
- Clean record with no DUIs in the past 5 years
- Smartphone
Pros:
- Guaranteed minimum with advanced scheduling
- Extra hours available on weekends
- Lets you map out your delivery area
Cons:
- Only available in select major cities
- Lower pay than other apps
12. Delivery.com
Delivery.com may not be as well-known as some of the big names on the list, but it’s actually been in the delivery business since 1995. It’s headquartered in New York and has locations in 250 cities.
As a delivery.com driver, you can accept orders for food from local restaurants, alcohol, groceries and home essentials, and laundry.
Delivery.com gives customers the option to pay for deliveries or schedule orders through the app to pick up themselves. Either way, they earn points for spending money in the app, which can be redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.
The company’s website doesn’t provide many details on the ins and outs of driving for the platform, but it does have a quick, easy online application.
Delivery.com Requirements
- 18 years or older
- Valid driver’s license
- Proof of car insurance
- Smartphone
- Background check
Pros:
- Oldest in the business
- Flexible scheduling
- Versatile delivery options
Cons:
- Negative driver reviews
- Slow demand in some areas
13. Gopuff
Gopuff is available in more than 1,000 cities nationwide and in the UK. What makes it different from most of the delivery platforms in our roundup is that it has centrally located warehouses. Rather than traveling to stores and restaurants to pick up orders, you pick everything up at Gopuff’s fulfillment centers.
That can save you time, gas money, and the stress of worrying about parking for pickups. The company fulfills orders for just about every product you could imagine, from medicine to groceries to electronics and pet supplies.
The app offers flexible scheduling—you can book hours in advance in some locations or schedule pickups on demand. And the company provides a guaranteed base pay and gives drivers 100% of their tips.
Gopuff Requirements
- 21 years or older
- Valid U.S. driver’s license
- Vehicle insurance and registration
- Smartphone
- Paid alcohol delivery training (where required)
Pros:
- One centralized pickup location
- Pays a guaranteed minimum
- No-contact pickups and deliveries
Cons:
- Only pays out weekly
- No peak pay incentives
Strategies for Working Delivery App Jobs
If you’re looking to get into this kind of work, you might want to consider the following strategies before logging in for your first deliveries.
Keep in mind, not all strategies will work for all markets or for all platforms. There is some inherent on-the-job training that you’ll pick up on as you go.
1. Track Your Mileage
If you’re not getting paid upfront for your mileage, be sure to use a tracking app such as Stride or Triplog in order to make sure you’re tracking all of your business expenses and miles you’re putting on your car for business purposes. This will come in handy when tax season hits.
2. Keep Organized
If you have multiple deliveries in your vehicle at one time, you’ll need to develop a system to keep things organized. With multiple orders, you’ll typically get a manifest or some other tracking system telling you how many packages are in one order and typically which order you’ll be delivering packages in. That way you can organize by order and address to make a more efficient trip
3. Utilize Your Front Seat
If you keep your next delivery in your front seat, you’ll complete it that much faster. You’ll be able to scan all of the items quickly as you’re heading to the door for the drop-off. Then, open your trunk to grab the next batch before moving on to the next location.
4. Have a Friend or Significant Other Help You
The more efficient you can be, the more money you can earn. If your significant other wants to ride along with you, you two can tag team to get deliveries done even faster. One person can be dropping off, while the other gets the next order ready to go.
Before doing this, just make sure the company or platform you’re working for allows you to do this. Don’t break the rules to make things faster for you. It’s not worth losing your job over.
How to Maximize Your Earnings
Want to earn extra money as a delivery driver? Here are some tips to boost your bank account, whether you want to deliver as a part-time side hustle or a full-time venture:
- Choose apps wisely: If you want to deliver takeout from restaurants, partner with one of the best food delivery apps. Read reviews, compare average pay, and choose an app that will allow you to make the most of your time.
- Be a customer: Try having food delivered yourself to see what the experience is like. Note anything your driver does that stands out (good or bad) and incorporate it into your own business approach.
- Double-check your orders: Review the customer’s order and the items you’re delivering to ensure no items are missing or prepared wrong.
- Provide a great customer experience: Top-notch customer service will take you far in the gig economy. When you make deliveries, be kind and friendly to customers. It could pay off in your tips and customer reviews.
- Keep communication open: If a restaurant is running late on your customer’s order and you’re a few minutes behind, don’t leave them hanging. Keeping your customers in the loop with a quick text is an easy step that could pay off at tip time.
- Choose your hours strategically: Most delivery apps let you set your own schedule and choose your own hours. Take advantage by driving at peak times when you’re likely to pick up the most orders. You may be able to get higher pay at those times, too, since some apps offer surge pricing.
- Know your routes: To maximize your time (and avoid headaches on the road), get familiar with your area, factor in traffic, and choose the fastest routes for your deliveries. Set up traffic alerts so you can avoid accidents and construction work.
Pros and Cons
While it seems great to not have to interact with passengers or even deliver food, there are some cons to driving non-food delivery gigs. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Pros
- Pay: These gigs typically pay well for your time and effort, as long as you know what you’re doing. If you’re new to the concept of delivering items, you might want to research tips and tricks on how to be more efficient at it before you get started.
- Reliability: For the most part, these jobs allow you to work whenever is best for you, but there is some planning ahead involved in most of them. Make sure if you need to sign up for a schedule that you’re able to stick to it. With these kinds of jobs, you’ll know that you’ll keep busy and get paid for your efforts in the end.
- Ease of use: These apps are easy to use and the concept of delivering items is pretty straightforward. Even if you don’t have the greatest people skills, you should be able to handle these delivery jobs with minimal issues.
Cons
- Lack of flexibility: There is some flexibility inherent in these jobs, but not as much as drivers are used to with Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Grubhub. It’s not typically a job where you can just log on and be ready to receive requests. You have to have some kind of prior planning to do most of these delivery jobs, so be sure to think ahead.
- Wear and tear on your car: Like all delivery app jobs, there’s going to be wear and tear on your vehicle. You just need to make sure you’re tracking your mileage to ensure you get the deduction you deserve when tax time rolls around.
- Wear and tear on your body: It almost goes without saying that delivery app jobs will require you to lift things, carry things, and most likely go up some stairs. If you’re capable and willing to do this, it’s a good chance to get some exercise. But be aware, some of these deliveries can be heavy, so if you have back or knee issues, this might not be a great option for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pays more—Grubhub or DoorDash?
On average, we’ve found that DoorDash pays slightly higher than Grubhub, but Grubhub and DoorDash have similar pay ranges and let their drivers keep 100% of their tips.
Does DoorDash pay for gas?
Unfortunately, DoorDash does not pay for its delivery drivers’ gas. In fact, most rideshare apps don’t cover this cost. In our review, Eaze was the only delivery company that reimburses drivers for mileage.
Which delivery apps pay the most?
If you live in California or Michigan, Eaze is the highest-paying delivery app. If you live elsewhere in the country, DoorDash, Amazon Flex, InstaCart, and UberEats have the highest average pay.
Can you drive for multiple delivery apps?
Most delivery apps consider their drivers to be independent contractors. That means you can drive for multiple delivery apps at once.
Just be sure to plan properly so you don’t take on an unrealistic amount of deliveries and consider how it might increase expenses like mileage and car maintenance.
Which Delivery Apps Should You Work for?
Now is a great time to get started as a delivery driver. There’s no need to have any other person in your car (unless you want or need to take along a family member or friend), and the whole process is pretty straightforward.
Yes, you may run into some tricky apartment buildings or have to wait for a slow restaurant, but in general, delivering is a simple and easy way to make quick extra cash.
