DoorDash vs Grubhub: Which Is Better In 2023

DoorDash and Grubhub are two of the most popular food delivery services around. But which one is better?

Below, we’ll take a look at what these services are, what they offer for customers and drivers, their similarities, and their differences  to help you make an informed decision when choosing your next delivery meal.

DoorDash vs GrubHub Overview

DoorDash and GrubHub are two of the most popular food delivery services.

Both companies offer a wide selection of restaurants and allow customers to track their order in real-time.

However, there are some key differences between the two services.

What is DoorDash?

DoorDash is a food delivery service that connects customers with independent restaurants.

Customers can order meals through the DoorDash app or website and choose from a variety of delivery options, including delivery by car, bike, or scooter.

DoorDash partners with a network of well-known restaurants such as Chipotle, Chili’s, and Olive Garden, as well as with smaller local restaurants and independent contractors to make deliveries.

When a customer places an order, the nearest DoorDash driver is notified and picks up the food from the restaurant.

The driver then delivers the food to the customer’s door.

DoorDash customers can also order groceries and other items through the service.

DoorDash is available in select cities across the United States.

What is GrubHub?

GrubHub is an online food ordering and delivery service.

It connects people with local restaurants, allowing them to order and pay for food without having to leave their homes.

GrubHub was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

As of 2019, it had a network of over 115,000 restaurants in more than 1,600 U.S. cities and in London.

GrubHub offers a variety of features that make it convenient for users, including the ability to search for restaurants by location, cuisine, or name; view menus and order history; and track the status of their orders.

It also offers discounts and promotions from time to time.

In addition to its website, GrubHub also has mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.

DoorDash vs GrubHub Availability

Both services have a wide range of restaurant options, but there can be some differences in terms of availability.

For example, DoorDash may be available in more areas than GrubHub.

And while both services offer a variety of food options, DoorDash may have more restaurants to choose from.

Ultimately, it’s important to check the availability of both services in your area before deciding which one to use.

Where is DoorDash Available?

DoorDash is available in all 50 states in the United States along with some availability internationally.

For instance, customers in Montreal, Canada in North America, and Sydney in Australia can order from the popular delivery app.

Some of DoorDash’s most popular delivery cities include:

• Atlanta
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Chicago
• Las Vegas
• San Antonio
• Washington D.C.

Where is GrubHub Available?

GrubHub is operational in over 1,600 cities across the United States and London in the United Kingdom and continues to expand its restaurant partnerships and services every day.

Our Take

It doesn’t matter how wonderful a food ordering service is if it isn’t available in your area. How do the two apps stack up based on this?

In terms of availability, Grubhub is the clear winner. Not only does Grubhub have wider availability than DoorDash, but it has one of the largest market shares of any food delivery app, working with 85,000 local takeout restaurants in over 1,600 U.S. cities and London.

DoorDash, in contrast, is available in a few dozen U.S. cities and Canada. So unless you’re trying to get food delivered up in the land of maple leaves, you’re probably going to have more luck with Grubhub.

DoorDash vs GrubHub User Experience

Both DoorDash and GrubHub offer mobile apps to order from, but how do the two differ in terms of usability?

DoorDash User Experience

The DoorDash app is easy to use and the delivery process is usually quick and reliable.

You only need to scroll around for the food you want, add the items to your cart following the appropriate steps, and pay.

From there, you can track your order and get notifications sent directly to your phone for continuous updates and peace of mind.

GrubHub User Experience

The GrubHub app is straightforward and user-friendly, and it’s really easy to find the restaurants that are available in your area.

You can also filter your search by cuisine type, so if you’re in the mood for Italian food, you can easily find all of the Italian restaurants that are available on GrubHub.

Plus, once you’ve found a restaurant that you want to order from, it’s easy to browse their menu and place your order.

DoorDash vs Grubhub: Ease of Use

Which app is easier to use? We evaluated both the number of steps necessary to place an order and the overall intuitiveness of the mobile app.

From the very beginning, Grubhub is easier to use. We especially like how the app doesn’t require you to immediately create an account before you can browse available restaurants.

You begin your order by inputting your delivery address. From there, you can see a list of available restaurants and browse menus.

Only when you go to check out do you have to create (or sign in to) an account.

For both apps, you’ll be able to view an estimated delivery time before placing your order.

Time estimates will vary based on your city, the time, and your distance from the restaurant.

You also have the option to pay with a variety of standard options such as credit cards and debit cards, or more innovative options like Venmo and Android/Apple Pay.

For what it’s worth, both apps have equal 4.5-star ratings on the Google Play Store.

On the Apple App store, Grubhub has a higher rating, with 4.8 stars to DoorDash’s 4.3.

These ratings are based on many reviews, so they’re a fairly accurate representation of what people think of these apps.

DoorDash vs GrubHub: Food Options

Just about everyone has used a food delivery app at this point – and there are plenty of them to choose from.

But when it comes to DoorDash vs GrubHub, which one is the best for customers?

DoorDash Food Options

DoorDash is a food delivery app that offers a wide variety of cuisines from different restaurants.

When you open the app, you can browse through the different restaurants that are available in your area either by browsing the main food hub menu, searching for a restaurant directly, or perusing the many food types, including chinese, healthy, seafood, pizza, quick-service, and many more.

If you’re more in the mood for a snack instead of a restaurant meal, you can also order your favorites from a local or chain convenience store.

DoorDash also offers some discounted rates for first-time users, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a cheap meal.

GrubHub Food Options

There’s nothing quite like a delicious meal to hit the spot, and with GrubHub, you have plenty of great options to choose from.

Whether you’re in the mood for some comfort food or looking to try something new, GrubHub has you covered.

With thousands of chain and local restaurants to choose from, you’re sure to find something to your taste.

Plus, thanks to GrubHub’s convenient search filters, it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

So why not take a look and see what’s on offer? You may just be surprised at what you find.

Our Take

In terms of available partner restaurants, the two apps are equal. Both have worked to form partnerships with purveyors of popular foods in the cities where they operate.

While Grubhub has more restaurants available overall, this is due to its larger geographic reach. Within a given city, the two apps are going to have the same number (and variety) of restaurants for you to choose from.

Of course, there’s a chance your favorite restaurant is available for one service and not the other, but that’s up for you to discover.

DoorDash vs GrubHub: Delivery Fees

DoorDash Delivery Fee

If you’re thinking about getting your next meal delivered by DoorDash, you might be wondering about the delivery fee.

Delivery fees can vary depending on a number of factors, including the restaurant you’re ordering from, the time of day, and the delivery location.

However, in general, the delivery fee ranges anywhere from $0 to DoorDash is $5.99.

In some cases, there may be an additional service fee charged by the restaurant.

For example, if you’re ordering from a popular restaurant that tends to be busy, they may charge an additional service fee to help cover the cost of DoorDash’s services.

However, this fee is typically no more than $3.

GrubHub Delivery Fee

Whether you’re ordering in for lunch at the office or trying to get a quick dinner after a long day, there’s nothing quite like the convenience of delivery.

And with food delivery apps like GrubHub, it’s easier than ever to get your favorite dishes brought right to your doorstep.

However, one downside to using a service like GrubHub is that there’s usually a delivery fee tacked on to your order.

Fortunately, GrubHub’s delivery fee tends to be a bit cheaper than DoorDash’s but still varies from restaurant to restaurant.

Or, if you prefer to skip the fee all-together, you can pay for a GrubHub subscription to get $0 delivery on all orders.

Our Take

Food delivery isn’t free, but is it more expensive with Grubhub or DoorDash?

In general, Grubhub is the cheaper option. This is because you only pay the delivery fee set by the restaurant; you don’t have to pay any additional fees to Grubhub itself.

With DoorDash, in contrast, you pay a delivery fee to the company as well as a service fee to the restaurant (in some cases). This can make delivery charges go quite high in some cases.

While Grubhub does tend to be cheaper, note that their partner restaurants often have minimum order amounts, which can cause you to pay more than you want.

This especially true if you’re ordering for just one person. To save money on your DoorDash and Grubhub orders, check out our guide to DoorDash promo codes, as well as the official list of Grubhub promo codes.

DoorDash vs Grubhub: Customer Service

When analyzing the customer service of each company, we asked ourselves the following:

• How does the delivery experience compare between Grubhub and DoorDash?
• Does one have better delivery drivers or more helpful customer service?

Grubhub Customer Service

When it comes to customer service, Grubhub wins hands down.

The main reason for this is that they have a customer support phone number that’s clearly available on their website.

Furthermore, they have a prominent live chat button and overall are more transparent about their customer support options than DoorDash. Oh, and did we mention their support is 24/7?

DoorDash Customer Service

DoorDash, in contrast, just has a support email address available, and even that is difficult to find (we had to visit third-party site GetHuman to locate it).

They have limited chat support available, but only if you have a specific order problem. You can’t just chat them directly via their website as you can with Grubhub.

Here are some further tips about getting support from DoorDash.

Hopefully, of course, you’ll never need to contact customer support, but it’s good to know your options just in case you do have to. For this, Grubhub is without a doubt the winner.

DoorDash vs GrubHub for Drivers

Even though the concept of DoorDash and GrubHub is essentially the same, both companies have different ways of managing and paying employees.

DoorDash Driver Duties

As a DoorDash driver, your primary duty is to deliver food orders to customers.

However, there are a few other things you should keep in mind while on the job.

First, review the order carefully before you leave for the delivery destination.

This will help ensure that you have all of the necessary items and that you know the route you will need to take.

Second, be courteous and professional when interacting with customers.

Remember that they are trusting you with their food, so it is important to handle their orders with care.

Finally, be sure to double-check the delivery address before leaving.

This will help to prevent any misunderstandings or delays in getting the food to the customer.

GrubHub Driver Duties

Being a Grubhub driver is a pretty easy gig.

You basically just pick up food from restaurants and deliver it to customers.

Of course, there are a few things you need to do in order to be successful.

First, you need to be able to read and follow directions.

Grubhub will send you an order with all the details of where to pick up the food and where to deliver it.

If you can’t follow simple instructions, this probably isn’t the job for you.

Second, you need to be timely.

Customers are expecting their food to arrive hot and fresh, so if you can’t make delivery in a timely manner, you’re going to have some unhappy customers.

DoorDash Scheduling

DoorDash drivers can choose their own hours, which is a great perk of the job.

However, it can also be a bit of a scheduling nightmare.

Because DoorDash relies on an algorithm to match drivers with orders, there is no guarantee that you will get the order you want.

This can be frustrating when you are trying to plan your day around specific appointments or errands.

To maximize your chances of getting the order you want, it is important to understand how the DoorDash driver scheduling system works.

Drivers are given a “dash window,” which is the time period during which they are available to receive orders.

Order requests are then sent out to drivers based on their location and dash window.

GrubHub Scheduling

Grubhub drivers are able to set their own schedules, which gives them a lot of flexibility.

However, it can also be challenging to find enough hours to work each week.

One way to maximize earnings is to be strategic about when you log on to the app.

For example, many restaurants are busiest during the lunch and dinner rush, so these times are often the best for finding orders.

However, there can also be more competition from other drivers at these times.

Another option is to log on during off of peak pay hours, when there are fewer drivers on the road and restaurants may be willing to pay higher prices for delivery.

Ultimately, the best time to drive for Grubhub depends on your availability and preferences.

DoorDash Pay

DoorDash offers a service called Fast Pay, which allows drivers to withdraw their earnings once per day.

Fast Pay costs $1.99 per transfer.

DoorDash drivers earn $25 per hour, including 100% of tips.

This makes it one of the highest paying delivery jobs available.

In addition, the company offers other benefits, such as free meals, gas reimbursement, and flexible scheduling.

If you’re looking for a flexible job with good pay, DoorDash is a great option to consider.

GrubHub Pay

GrubHub is a food delivery service that no longer offers a base pay rate like GrubHub but instead offers its drivers the Instant Cash Out feature, which allows them to cash out their earnings up to $500 a day.

The Instant Cash Out feature is free for Chase Bank customers and $. 50 each for all other bank customers.

If you do not wish to use the Instant Cash Out feature, payments are sent on Thursdays to your bank via direct deposit.

Conclusion: Overall, Grubhub Wins

In this comparison of on-demand delivery companies, Grubhub is the winner. It beats DoorDash for its availability, ease of use, pricing, and customer support.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try DoorDash, too, however. After all, it’s possible you’ll like the specific selection of DoorDash restaurants available in your city more than what Grubhub offers.

Or, perhaps you’ve already maxed out the Grubhub promos available and want to get some discounts on another platform.

Both of these platforms are excellent options, consistently ranking top of the Android and Apple app stores for food delivery.

Therefore, you can be confident with either service that your order will reach you the way you wanted it.

DoorDash vs. GrubHub Final Thoughts

DoorDash and Grubhub are both food delivery services that allow you to order from local restaurants and have the food delivered to your door.

They’re similar in a lot of ways, but there are some key differences that may make one or the other better for you depending on your needs, including the customer and driver experiences.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for the cheaper option, you might want to check out GrubHub if it’s available in your area.

Otherwise, you’re probably better off as a driver for DoorDash.

However, the choice is up to you and the only way you’ll know which is best is to try them for yourself.