13 Flexible Jobs Like Uber & Uber Eats To Consider Today

For many drivers (and consumers), Lyft is a clear alternative to Uber in the United States and Canada.

After all, when you place the two rideshare companies side by side, their services are practically identical.

For example, driving a standard Lyft is exactly the same as driving an UberX, while driving for Lyft Shared is just like driving UberPool — just with a different brand that you may prefer.

Lyft and Uber’s similarities run straight down to their driver requirements, so even if you’re already driving with Uber, it’s easy to make the switch.

They even both use the same third-party background check service and similar vehicle inspection checklists, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to qualify for Lyft if you’re a current Uber driver.

The biggest perk of becoming a Lyft driver is that you may end up making an average of $2 more per hour than the Uber drivers, which can be a lot of extra money in your pocket in the long run.

If you’re specifically seeking an alternative to Uber Express Pool — which has riders meet you on a set path — becoming a Via driver may be the best path for you.

This rideshare company is focused on bus line-style pick-ups and drop-offs, so you won’t have to make any major detours.

With Via, you’ll no longer have to take strange turns to meet your drivers, as long as you’re okay with having more riders at once.

Via’s requirements are fairly simple, too.

Like Uber, Via requires drivers to have a valid driver’s license, car insurance, a clean background check, a clean driving record, and similar basic necessities.

Most newer cars that are in good condition will qualify.

Via currently only operates in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., as well as a few international cities, but it may be worth it if you reside in these areas.

Via takes a smaller commission fee from rideshare drivers than Uber and Lyft, so you may be able to maximize your earnings.

Standard rideshare services (and standard rideshare passengers) aren’t for everyone.

If you’d take working with kids over adults any day, HopSkipDrive is the perfect gig for you.

HopSkipDrive is one of a handful of “Uber for Kids” apps popping up around the world, though this growing service is specifically concentrated in California, Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

As a HopSkipDrive CareDriver, you can provide safe rides for children aged 6-18 and help busy parents get peace of mind, all while setting your own flexible schedule.

Of course, since you’re working with minors, you do need to pass more than the basic Uber requirements.

Drivers must be at least 23 years old with five years of childcare experience, pass a medical exam, get fingerprinted, and attend an in-person orientation.

If you do meet these requirements, HopSkipDrive is absolutely worth the effort, since the company pays an average of over $25 per hour.

Uber’s safety issues — particularly its cases of sexual assault — are a huge deal-breaker for many rideshare drivers.

Safr is a rising platform that aims to be a more women-friendly service, allowing you to select the gender you’re more comfortable giving rides to if desired.

In addition to letting you set gender preferences, you’ll also be able to contact and send ride details to Safr, 911, or an emergency contact at any time.

Upon pick-up, you can confirm your rider’s identity by confirming a color that you’re both assigned on your phones.

Beyond this, Safr works just like Uber, though Safr does do more comprehensive background checks.

No recent criminal convictions or at-fault accidents are allowed at all.

Safr is currently available in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Though higher pay than Uber isn’t guaranteed, drivers can uniquely get access to mentorship and equity in Safr.

DoorDash is the biggest rideshare company in the United States, which means thousands of requests are placed on the food delivery app every single day.

If you want to become a DoorDash driver (known as a “Dasher”) and start earning with these requests, you can start pretty much as soon as your background check clears.

DoorDash requirements are just as simple as Uber Eats’ — you can even deliver with a bike or on foot in some cities — and average driver pay is about the same, too.

However, you’ll have the opportunity to earn more by scheduling delivery blocks ahead of time.

As you schedule more blocks and keep up your ratings and performance, you can even qualify for more large catering orders and on-time bonuses.

If you want a two-in-one gig economy job, you’ll want to consider signing up to be a Grubhub driver.

Grubhub owns both the Grubhub app and the Seamless app, another extremely popular (and identical) food delivery service, so when you drive in overlapping markets, you’ll get requests from both platforms at once.

Beyond this major perk, Grubhub works just like Uber Eats, with more relaxed requirements than rideshare apps and the ability to earn the same average pay on a totally flexible schedule.

However, much like DoorDash, Grubhub does reward drivers who schedule shifts ahead of time.

Postmates is a food delivery app that allows customers to order more than just food.

While you’ll definitely be picking up orders from restaurants more than anything else in this delivery gig, you may also find yourself heading to drugstores, office supply stores, and convenience stores for odd items.

It’s a great delivery hustle for anyone who wants to add some variety into their day, without making less money than they would through the Uber Driver app.

Postmates did recently announce an upcoming merger with Uber, so it’s unclear if it will remain its own platform, but at least until the merger is finalized, you can still earn money as part of the Postmates Fleet.

If you want to avoid visiting fast food joints as part of your side hustle, Caviar is a great way to upgrade from your Uber Eats experience.

Caviar is owned by DoorDash, but remains a separate platform that’s focused on higher-end food delivery.

Don’t worry — you don’t have to break out a suit and tie. Caviar’s only unique requirement is the need for two years of driving experience.

Just for meeting this requirement, you may gain a side gig with slightly higher pay than Uber Eats (and perhaps better tips).

Caviar is available in nearly 30 markets, including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Manhattan in NYC.

Instacart is perhaps the most well-known mobile app that’s solely focused on on-demand grocery deliveries.

As an independent contractor for this platform, you’re responsible for shopping for and delivering orders — not just driving to and from different locations.

This gig allows you to stretch your legs and spend some time outside of your car, just by claiming shifts on the app that work with your schedule, checking off a shopping list, and checking out with a prepaid card.

Instacart drivers tend to make more money than both Uber and Uber Eats drivers, and can make as much as $25 per hour if driving during peak hours.

This is partly thanks to the fact that grocery orders tend to be higher in value than rides and meal orders.

At the same time, vehicle requirements are simpler to pass than Uber’s, since you won’t have passengers in your car.

You’ll just need to be able to lift 50 pounds.

Sign up Today: How to become an Instacart Shopper

Shipt delivery is another popular grocery delivery service that’s available all across the U.S.

Owned by Target, the Shipt Shopper experience is just like that of an Instacart Shopper.

You can expect to shop for and deliver every order you accept in-app.

However, since Shipt requires all members to pay a membership fee, experienced shoppers do tend to make more money on average — around $22 per hour, though you can always make more.

When you choose to drive with Shipt, you do need to be able to lift 40 pounds and supply your own insulated bags.

Luckily, all vehicle requirements are as simple as Uber Eats and you’ll get the perk of a Shipt membership.

You’re probably pretty familiar with Amazon, the massive e-commerce company, by now.

However, it may come as a surprise that they hire independent contractors across the United States in addition to their full-time employees.

As part of the Amazon Flex program, you can start delivering groceries for Amazon Fresh or Prime Now customers just by signing up for shifts (which are usually 2-6 hours long).

On the job, you’ll simply follow a set route on your Amazon Flex app.

You can also do basic package deliveries instead of Amazon Fresh and Prime Now shifts.

You do need to have a car that’s at least the size of a sedan to qualify — pick-up trucks must have bed covers — but it’s a rewarding, simple job that pays a guaranteed $18-$25.

Uber Connect and Amazon aren’t the only package delivery services you can earn with.

Roadie is a same-day delivery service that allows you to make money by delivering anything from a box of cupcakes to furniture.

With Roadie, you can simply accept trips that are on your route to somewhere else and packages that easily fit in your car.

On the flip side, you can turn it into a consistent gig and even help with long-distance deliveries, traveling while you earn.

Local trips get drivers an average of $15 each, and you’ll always know how much you’re guaranteed to make.

Roadie has no minimum vehicle requirements, though you do need to maintain a four-star driver rating with every gig.

Driving for a scooter company may seem odd when you’re seeking jobs like Uber, but becoming a Lime charger (better known as a Lime Juicer) is actually one of the simplest ways to earn.

Zero human interaction is needed, if customer service isn’t your thing.

As a Lime scooter charger, you can commonly make $20-$30 per hour just by picking up scooters around your city, charging them overnight, and dropping them off at the end of the day.

You will likely need to purchase several charging units from Lime, but the investment will pay off pretty quickly.

Lime has the most relaxed driver requirements on this list, not even requiring a background check.

However, we do recommend driving an SUV, truck, or van if you want to take on this gig to make a significant income, since it’ll help you get more scooters in one trip.