Key Takeaways
- DoorDash leads US market, extensive coverage, Postmates offers wider city range.
- Both boast vast restaurant networks, DoorDash slightly behind Postmates’ merchant count.
- Pricing similar, subscription services available, tipping encouraged for excellent service.
- DoorDash app rated higher, suggesting more satisfactory user experience overall.
When you’re in the mood for ordering in, a few taps on your phone can get the job done in seconds!
Whether it’s takeout from your favorite restaurant or groceries from your local shop, hundreds of food delivery services are available to make your life easier.
Two of the most popular are DoorDash and Postmates. But which one can better serve your foodie needs?
Today’s article offers a comprehensive DoorDash vs Postmates comparison to help you find out!
- DoorDash Vs Postmates [At a Glance]
- Overview of DoorDash
- Overview of Postmates
- Service Availability and Area Coverage
- Restaurant and Menu Variety
- Pricing Structure and Delivery Fees
- User Interface and App Experience
- Delivery Speed and Reliability
- Customer Service and Support
- Loyalty Programs and Discounts
- Environmental and Community Initiatives
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up
DoorDash Vs Postmates [At a Glance]
| Category | DoorDash | Postmates |
|---|---|---|
| Market Presence | Largest in the US, operational since 2013 | Acquired by Uber in 2020, merged with Uber Eats |
| Coverage | Present in all US states, slightly fewer cities than Postmates | Serves over 4,200 cities, larger coverage than DoorDash |
| Service Variety | Extensive variety, including restaurants, groceries, and more | Broad range, over 600,000 merchants including a wide array of stores |
| Pricing and Fees | Similar pricing structure, offers DashPass subscription | Comparable pricing, offers Postmates Unlimited/Uber One subscription |
| User Experience | High app ratings, user-friendly interface | Good app ratings, intuitive layout |
| Delivery Speed | Average delivery time 30-45 minutes | Average delivery time 40-60 minutes |
| Customer Support | Multiple contact methods including phone and live chat | Primarily live chat, no listed contact number |
| Loyalty Programs | DashPass with free delivery and promotions | Postmates Unlimited includes Uber ride discounts |
| nvironmental Initiatives | Focus on low-emission transport, recyclable packaging | Part of Uber’s zero-emission mobility plan |
Overview of DoorDash
Serving the US market since 2013, DoorDash is the country’s biggest food ordering and delivery platform. It has a food delivery market share of 65%, dominating the industry with a $78 billion US GDP contribution.
In 2022, DoorDash had $13 billion in revenue, $38 billion in global sales, and about 1.74G of orders worldwide.
DoorDash is an online service hosting thousands of restaurants, grocery stores, pet stores, and convenience stores.
DoorDash mainly relies on quick order fulfillment and affordable prices in its marketing strategy. It’s the number one food delivery app in cities like San Francisco and Houston.
Once you place yours, a nearby Dasher will accept it. They’ll then go to your chosen restaurant or store to pick up your order and deliver it to your doorstep.
Overview of Postmates
Sam Street, Sean Plaice, and Bastian Lehmann founded Postmates in 2011.
It started as a local food, grocery, and goods delivery service in San Francisco. Now, Postmates has expanded to cover the entire country.
The growing popularity of Postmates caught the eye of Uber. The rideshare company moved to acquire Postmates in 2020, merging it with Uber Eats.
Now operating as one, Uber Eats and Postmates strive to deliver whatever you need, whenever and wherever you need it. Thanks to the collaboration, Postmates could leverage Uber Eats massive network of partners and delivery routes.
How Postmates works is similar to DoorDash. Customers order through the app and a courier accepts the order. Then they pick up the items from the restaurant or merchant and bring them to the specified address.
Service Availability and Area Coverage
Doordash and Postmates are both household names in the food delivery industry.
The two services are in fierce competition, which is great news for customers as both apps focus on improving their availability.
As such, it’s not surprising that both DoorDash and Postmates offer extended coverage throughout the USA. Their presence is solid in all US states and major cities.
As far as numbers go, Postmates serves more than 4,200 cities whereas DoorDash is behind only by a couple of hundred cities. Both services conduct their deliveries using cars, scooters, and bikes.
Which Has Better Coverage?
The larger number of cities doesn’t necessarily give an edge to Postmates. Doordash is far more popular in many of the cities that both services cover. It’s also more accessible in smaller regions.
The wider availability of Postmates is overshadowed by the usability of DoorDash. This means that, overall, DoorDash takes the win when it comes to coverage.
Restaurant and Menu Variety
One of the aspects that played a central role in the popularity of DoorDash is the ability to order items from a wide variety of places.
It goes beyond food; you can order groceries such as dairy, fresh produce, fish, meat, and eggs. You can order household products from local DashMarts or convenience stores.
Also, you can order flower bouquets, pet essentials, and even alcohol (where it’s legally allowed).
This is possible thanks to DoorDash’s diverse network of partners. Restaurant-wise, Doordash had nearly 60,000 options in 2017, expanding to more than 500,000 in 2023.
The company also carries over 100,000 non-restaurant shops to cater to your non-takeout needs.
As for Postmates, its US restaurants and shops network is wider than ever, especially since the 2020 UberEats merger.
Postmates has a massive offering of more than 600,000 merchants, including restaurants, c-stores (grocery stores), convenience shops, and retailers.
Its variety is one of the best in the industry, enabling customers to order anything from ready-made meals to household products to personal items.
Which Has a Better Variety?
Restaurant and menu variety is a strong point for both DoorDash and Postmates.
The two services have partners in the hundreds of thousands, covering all aspects of customers’ food and non-food needs.
As such, it’s a tie.
Pricing Structure and Delivery Fees
The delivery cost using either DoorDash or Postmates depends on your location and the restaurant/shop you’re ordering from.
That said, the cost of using DoorDash and Postamates should appear on your screen before you finalize the payment. Try creating the same order on both apps and comparing the prices to figure out the more cost-effective option.
Besides charging you for the food, Doordash and Postmates include a service fee and a delivery fee. At busy hours, an additional charge may also apply.
The similarity in the pricing structure extends to the subscription services.
DoorDash offers its customers the option to subscribe to DashPass for a monthly fee of $9.99.
Perks include free delivery and lower service fees from eligible restaurants and stores when your order exceeds the set minimum. You also get exclusive promotions and no-wait customer support.
Postmates’ corresponding subscription service is Postmates Unlimited or Uber One. Like DashPass, it costs $9.99 per month or you can pay a yearly fee of $99.99 (around $8.33 per month).
Perks include no delivery fees on all eligible merchants and up to 10% discount on pick-up orders. Besides premium customer support, you also enjoy member pricing on Uber rides.
Which is Cheaper?
With such similar pricing systems and fees, no one can declare a service cheaper than the other.
The answer will come down to your location and the restaurant/shop you’re ordering from. A side-by-side comparison of the same order in both apps will show the better price.
This is a good chance to remind you of tipping.
Although it’s optional, most DoorDash drivers expect tips since it’s the only part of the fees they keep 100% of. Tipping 10% is the standard for average service and up to 25% for challenging deliveries or great service.
The same goes for Postmate couriers who also rely on tips to earn a living. Tipping Postmates drivers should be at least 10% and up to 25% depending on delivery conditions and the driver’s attitude.
User Interface and App Experience
Whether you’re using DoorDash or Postmates, the ordering experience is more or less the same. Customers can order online from the website or through an app.
The DoorDash website offers a simple, easy-to-figure-out experience. Navigation is a piece of cake and you won’t run into trouble trying to locate a restaurant or place an order.
The Postmates website is straightforward, leaving little to no room for confusion. Whether you’re trying to browse nearby restaurants or want to place an order, the process is no hassle.
As for the app, both platforms have a user-friendly interface with an intuitive layout.
The DoorDash food delivery app for customers currently has a 4.8-star rating on the Apple App Store from a total of 17.3 million reviews. On the Google Play store, the app has a 4.7-star rating from a total of 4.07 million reviews.
By comparison, 2 million users currently rate the Postmates food delivery app 4.8 stars on the Apple App Store. Its current rating on Google Play is 4.3 stars from 220,000 reviewers.
Which is Easier to Use?
Based on the similar designs and ratings, we can conclude that both platforms are easy enough for the average customer.
The higher number of reviewers of the DoorDash app reflects its greater popularity. But it also suggests a higher likeliness of a pleasant user experience.
Delivery Speed and Reliability
When it comes to speed, you can rely on both DoorDash and Postmates to deliver your order in under 60 minutes.
After all, these services pride themselves on their quick delivery and strive to be faster to get ahead of the competition.
The delivery time depends on the distance from the merchant to your address. Still, customers of both platforms report good timing, but the average delivery speed leans in favor of DoorDash.
That said, the average service speed of DoorDash ranges between 30 to 45. The average delivery time of Postmates ranges from 40 to 60 minutes.
Which Offers Faster Delivery?
Although delivery speed depends on the distance between your address and the restaurant/store, we’re giving this one to DoorDash. The shorter average service time gives it an advantage over Postmates.
Customer Service and Support
DoorDash customer service offers multiple contact routes to provide customers with the support they need as soon as possible.
The fastest way to get in touch with DoorDash customer support is the in-app option. Look for the Get Help option in your account menu and follow the prompts.
You can also reach DoorDash customer service by phone. The US number is 855-431-0459 or 855-973-1040.
You also have the option to join a live chat with a customer support agent. Open help doordash.com and select customer support then live chat.
If you’re fine waiting a few days to resolve your issue, you can send an email outlining the problem to support@doordash.com.
Postmates customer service offers multiple communication routes as well. Customers can get help via the app or the website.
You can access in-app support from the Help tab in your account menu. Choose the order with the problem and start chatting with a customer support representative. The queue typically takes a few minutes for you to connect.
A similar process is available on the website that results in a live chat with a customer support agent. Don’t be confused when you click Get Help and the help.uber.com window opens, that’s a merger effect.
Postmates doesn’t list a contact number for customers on their website or app. But you can request a phone call from the live chat.
Which Has Better Customer Support?
Contact channels are similar across the DoorDash and Postmates platforms, with live chat being the main method.
As far as responsiveness goes, both apps deliver an average performance. Live chat offers the fastest response, requiring a few minutes depending on the number of people in the queue.
However, both companies need to work on their issue resolution efficiency. Many people report unsatisfactory outcomes.
Loyalty Programs and Discounts
DashPass and Postmates Unlimited represent loyalty programs in DoorDash and Postmates. They offer free delivery fees, reduced service fees, and member-only promotions.
There are also ways to get free DoorDash such as first-time order promo codes, new/existing users promo codes, and referral programs.
You can also get a Postmates promo code if you’re a new user on a certain number of first orders.
Which Has a Better Loyalty Program?
The perks of DashPass and Postmates are almost identical, but Postmates Unlimited throws in discounts on Uber rides. This tips the scale towards Postmates.
Environmental and Community Initiatives
DoorDash is working on accelerating its shift to low-emission transportation. It also teams up with local businesses to use recyclable and reusable packaging.
Since its Uber merger, Postmates has been involved in the parent company’s plan to move its platforms to an all-electric, zero-emission mobility operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a couple of common questions you may be wondering about Doordash vs Postmates:
Which One is Better: DoorDash or Postmates?
Both services offer a similar level of availability, store variety, delivery speed, and customer support. However, DoorDash is more popular than Postmates with a larger user base.
Is Postmates Owned By DoorDash?
No, Postmates isn’t owned or run by Doordash. Postmates started as an independent food and grocery delivery platform in 2011. It later joined the operation of Uber following a $2.65 billion acquisition in 2020. Uber merged Postmates with Uber Eats as a strategic move to improve both services.
Wrapping Up
Choosing between DoorDash and Postmates turns out isn’t simple.
These two food delivery platforms are neck to neck in almost all evaluation aspects. This means that your preference makes the deciding difference.
Your best bet is to find out which service has more promotions and lower fees for your favorite restaurants/shops.
