Instacart allows customers to order groceries from nearly anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection or smartphone.
Instacart arguably dominates the on-demand food delivery game, but some worthy competitors also make grocery delivery a breeze.
This list of 9 apps like Instacart makes ordering groceries even easier and more convenient than before.
Table Of Contents
What is Instacart?
Instacart is a convenient tool that allows customers to shop at local grocery stores from a smartphone or computer.
Shoppers connect to a mobile app or the Instacart website and construct a virtual shopping cart.
Instacart enjoyed increasing popularity in 2020 because COVID-19 restricted many people from leaving the house.
Instacart does not maintain an inventory of food.
Instead, the company connects you with existing grocery stores.
The convenience of grocery delivery makes it a popular option among those who dislike going to grocery stores and it looks like the service isn’t going anywhere.
How it Works
A “personal shopper” fulfills the order according to the provided instructions.
If the grocery store does not have an item in stock, the personal shopper will communicate alternatives to the customer.
After purchase, the shopper delivers the groceries to the Instacart customer.
Instacart provides delivery time windows, informing customers of how long the grocery delivery will take.
Customers can pay a higher fee to get groceries delivered more quickly.
How Much Does Instacart Cost?
There are costs associated with using Instacart, including higher grocery costs, additional delivery fees, and tipping.
Grocery Costs
Individual grocery stores set the prices displayed on the Instacart app and website.
Food is usually a bit more expensive on Instacart than shopping in real life.
Delivery Costs
Delivery is free for the first order, and sometimes Instacart does promotions offering multiple free delivery orders.
You do not have to sign up for a membership to shop with Instacart.
You can sign up for Instacart Express, which costs $99 yearly or 9.99 monthly.
Instacart Express membership offers free delivery on orders more than $35.
Tipping Costs
The company recommends tipping, as personal Instacart shoppers make a living from tips.
Application guidelines advise a 20 percent tip, but users can give more for exceptional service.
There are apps like Instacart that offer different features and functionality.
9 Apps Like Instacart In 2023
1. Shipt
Shipt is a popular Instacart competitor that offers quite a variety.
About Shipt
Shipt is an online delivery service that permits users to order groceries and other goods from the comfort of home.
The application is free to download, and so is account creation.
Unlike many other grocery delivery apps, you have to get a Shipt membership to use the service.
Delivery is not limited to groceries– Shipt also features partnerships with office supply and pet stores.
Shipt Comparison to Instacart
Shipt is different from Instacart because you cannot order from Shipt without paying for a membership.
Membership fees are the same for the two platforms– annual Shipt memberships cost $99.
Delivery fees between Shipt and Instacart are also similar– $35 orders carry no fee, while small orders carry a $7 fee.
How Shipt Works
After you order through the website or on the app, a personal shopper picks up your items.
The personal shopper will notify you via the app if anything is out-of-stock.
Your delivery will occur according to the delivery window you choose.
You cannot order items from Shipt without paying for a subscription.
You can also purchase a Shipt Pass or a one-time fee for delivery that you can use with any available retailer on the Shipt app or Shipt.com.
If you buy Shipt passes in bundles, you get a discount, and the passes never expire.
2. GoPuff
GoPuff is a new name in the on-demand food delivery business, but don’t underestimate this company.
GoPuff keeps an inventory in a warehouse, different from many other grocery delivery options.
Because GoPuff maintains its inventory, delivery is much quicker than if they were to use other stores.
About GoPuff
GoPuff keeps an inventory in a warehouse, different from many other grocery delivery options.
Because GoPuff maintains its inventory, delivery is much quicker than if they were to use other stores.
GoPuff has hundreds of facilities and delivers to over 1,000 cities.
GoPuff Comparison to Instacart
GoPuff is different from Instacart in that the service maintains an inventory.
Instead of contracting shoppers to scour stores, GoPuff buys directly from suppliers and keeps a warehouse.
Because GoPuff buys in bulk, they do not mark up prices as high as other suppliers.
Users can join the Gopuff Fam for a $5.95 monthly subscription, cheaper than Instacart.
GoPuff fam memberships unlock free shipping on all orders.
How GoPuff Works
The user downloads the app GoPuff or creates an account on the site.
The user then looks through an inventory curated by GoPuff that features snacks, makeup, alcohol, household items, and other goods that GoPuff houses in a warehouse.
The delivery costs $1.95
3. Walmart Delivery
Walmart Delivery is a grocery delivery service by the retail giant.
Walmart Delivery is a service that allows you to order just about anything.
A perk of Walmart Delivery is that it does not feature the upcharges that most other delivery platforms have.
About Walmart Delivery
Walmart Delivery is a service that allows you to order just about anything.
A perk of Walmart Delivery is that it does not feature the upcharges that most other delivery platforms have.
Walmart does not increase the prices on items ordered through the delivery service.
Users can join Walmart plus for a monthly fee of $12.95 and receive free delivery.
If you do not join Walmart plus, there is a $9.95 delivery fee or $19.95 for express two-hour delivery.
Walmart Delivery Comparison to Instacart
Walmart delivery is different from Instacart in that prices are the same in-store and on the delivery platform.
Walmart delivery works directly with its stores rather than using a middle-man like Instacart.
How Walmart Delivery Works
Use the Walmart site, or download the Walmart app, to place an order.
When you place an order with Walmart Delivery, a Walmart employee shops for the groceries, and a DoorDash driver delivers them.
4. Amazon Fresh
Amazon Prime members have access to Amazon Fresh, the online retailer’s fresh food delivery service.
Amazon Fresh partners with Whole Foods to provide grocery delivery to customers.
You must pay a $9.95 delivery fee for grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh.
About Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh partners with Whole Foods to provide grocery delivery to customers.
You must pay a $9.95 delivery fee for grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh.
Your Amazon Prime membership allows you access to Amazon Fresh.
Enter your zip code here to see if Amazon Fresh services your area.
Amazon Fresh Comparison to Instacart
Free grocery delivery was a previous perk of Amazon Prime members that is no longer.
Now the online retail juggernaut charges $9.95 per delivery to cover operating costs.
Instacart food delivery works with numerous grocers, but Amazon Fresh only works with Whole Foods.
You do not need to have a membership with Instacart to use its services, but you need an Amazon Prime membership to use Amazon Fresh.
How Amazon Fresh Works
Amazon acquired Whole Foods and partnered with the grocer to offer grocery delivery.
Users can peruse the Whole Foods grocery delivery through the Amazon site.
Simply click on the item you want and add it to your cart.
Select delivery or pickup and a shopper will put together your order.
5. Peapod
Peapod is a unique grocery delivery service that reduces fees as order prices increase.
About Peapod
Peapod maintains warehouses around the country that allow people to order groceries without using a middle-man.
Because Peapod has warehouses, the website offers items for the same or cheaper than other grocery delivery services.
Peapod also features its own line of products at a lower price than name-brand items.
Peapod does not require a subscription, so you only pay a fixed delivery fee.
Peapod Comparison to Instacart
Peapod is different from most grocery delivery services including Instacart, in that the fee for grocery delivery reduces as the order goes higher.
A $100 order comes with a $6.95 delivery fee.
Peapod is also different from Instacart in that it hosts items in a warehouse and cuts out the middleman.
How Peapod Works
Peapod has inventories of groceries from which you can choose.
You place an order through their site, and a shopper gets the items from the warehouse and delivers them to your home for a fixed fee.
Peapod offers wider delivery windows because Peapod trucks deliver from the warehouse to your door.
The more costly your order, the cheaper the delivery fee.
Peapod is a perfect grocery delivery service if you want to buy large quantities of food, and are flexible about when you can receive the goods.
6. Postmates
You can order pretty much anything from Postmates, making it a viable alternative to other grocery delivery services.
About Postmates
Postmates will deliver a wide assortment of items to your doorstep with very few restrictions.
Customers can join Postmates Unlimited, which costs $9.99 monthly and unlocks free delivery on all orders over $15.
Postmates Comparison to Instacart
Postmates is different from Instacart in that it offers a wide variety of items to clients.
Instacart focuses on grocery delivery, whereas Postmates delivers anything within reason.
How Postmates Works
You first log into your Postmates account through the app or website.
Choose your address, and a list of stores will display.
Choose from listed items and make additions to your cart.
Postmates allows you to add a custom item if you do not see what you want.
You must be very exact in your description of the custom item.
Like other grocery delivery services, you checkout once you fill your cart to your liking.
Postmates offers a variety that many other delivery services do not.
Related: How does Postmates work?
7. DoorDash
DoorDash is breaking into the grocery delivery world with exciting new developments.
DoorDash is an on-demand service that works with local restaurants to provide businesses and homes with food delivery.
Their fees for food delivery vary by each restaurant but typically range from $1.99-$5.99.
About DoorDash
DoorDash is an on-demand service that works with local restaurants to provide businesses and homes with food delivery.
Their fees for food delivery vary by each restaurant but typically range from $1.99-$5.99.
DoorDash is similar to Uber in that it raises fees during peak hours.
DoorDash is expanding its services to include grocery delivery, an exciting development for the business.
Comparison to Instacart
DoorDash’s bread and butter is food delivery from restaurants, a slight difference from Instacart’s niche of grocery delivery.
DoorDash is breaking into the grocery delivery industry with DashMart.
In December 2021, they announced the introduction of DashMart in NYC, a one-stop virtual shop.
DoorDash plans to continue to partner with convenience and grocery stores in 2023, and buyers with a DashPass get free shipping.
How DoorDash Works
When a customer orders food from a restaurant with DoorDash, drivers for the company receive a notification.
A dasher, the name of the drivers for the company, can accept the order, drive to the restaurant, collect the food and deliver it to the customer.
If a client orders from a restaurant not partnered with DoorDash, the Dasher goes to the restaurant, places the order, and delivers the food.
8. Grubhub
Grubhub is one of the biggest names in on-demand food delivery.
About Grubhub
The Grubhub app has more than 20 million members and is growing.
Grubhub allows users to track orders in real-time, so they know precisely when the food will arrive.
Grubhub accepts money from restaurants that wish to promote their company, offering prime placement to these businesses on the app itself.
Grubhub+ members get free delivery of $12+ from restaurants in the Grubhub+ network.
A Grubhub+ membership is $9.99 monthly.
Grubhub Comparison to Instacart
Grubhub is similar to Instacart in that users can pay a monthly fee to receive free delivery.
Grubhub is different than Instacart because it focuses on food delivery from restaurants rather than grocery stores.
How Grubhub Works
You must create an account with your email and a password to use the app.
The application will ask for your zip code and credit card information for restaurant purchases.
Once you log in, a list of restaurants close by will appear, along with ratings and menus.
You can place an order for delivery or pickup based on the restaurant’s preferences.
If a user chooses delivery, a driver will grab the food from the restaurant and bring it to the customer; charges are determined by the restaurant and Grubhub.
Related: How does Grubhub work?
9. Uber Eats
Uber Eats offers limited grocery delivery, a service the company may increase in 2023.
About Uber Eats
Car sharing service Uber acquired Postmates in 2021 but still maintains a separate service called UberEats.
Frequent customers of Uber Eats may find the UberEats Pass appealing, at $9.99 monthly.
The Uber Eats Pass gives customers free delivery.
UberEats also charges a service fee, independent of the delivery fee or tip.
Uber Eats Comparison to Instacart
Uber Eats does not employ personal shoppers to grocery shop, but uses the drivers to deliver food from restaurants.
Similar to Instacart, the price on menus on Uber Eats are often more expensive than prices at the restaurant to account for costs associated with delivery.
How Uber Eats Works
To order food from Uber Eats, a user opens the app or uses the website.
The customer can choose from various restaurants, place the order, pay, and wait for arrival.
Uber Eats encourages all customers to tip drivers for the delivery, as the delivery and service fees do not count as a tip.
Which Grocery Delivery Apps Are Best to Work For?
The grocery delivery apps that are best to work for depend on a variety of factors.
The highest paying grocery delivery app in one city could be the lowest paying in another.
That is why a lot of gig workers use multiple grocery delivery apps to get the chance to see how each one operates.
Gopuff
Gopuff gives drivers a base rate and allows them to keep 100 percent of the tips.
The novelty of this app makes it appealing to many gig workers.
Instacart
Instacart is one of the biggest companies in on-demand food delivery and employs shoppers and drivers.
An “Instant Cash Out” feature permits shoppers and drivers to receive instant payment for a $0.50 fee.
DoorDash
DoorDash offers a $2 to $10 base pay and allows drivers to keep all tips, averaging $20-25 hourly.
Shipt
Shipt drivers receive payment per order and keep all tips, averaging $22 hourly.
The best advice is to sign up for multiple grocery delivery apps to maximize your total earnings.
An established name like Instacart has a ton of clients but also a lot of gig workers.
Saturation could contribute to lower earnings for workers.
The Bottom Line
No two grocery delivery apps are exactly the same– each offers a unique twist and features.
Most apps offer perks like free delivery for your first orders, so it is in your best interest to give these grocery delivery apps a shot!
