DoorDash vs. UberEats vs. Instacart: Which Pays the Most?

1/3/2025

Comparison

Not all gig apps pay the same. In fact, earnings vary heavily by city, time of day, and even customer behavior.
This guide compares the three biggest platforms to reveal which one pays best in 2025.

What This Guide Covers

  • Base pay differences
  • Promotions and bonuses
  • Mileage and route considerations
  • Customer tipping patterns
  • Market saturation and competition

You'll also learn how to use vendor-specific totals in Gig to track which apps earn you the most money over time.

Base Pay Differences

Each platform calculates base pay differently:

DoorDash

Uses a variable base pay model based on distance, time, and desirability.

UberEats

Often offers lower base pay but balances it with frequent surge bonuses.

Instacart

Pays per batch, with compensation based on item count, distance, and difficulty.

Base pay alone rarely determines which app pays the most — bonuses and tips matter even more.

Promotions and Bonuses

Each app offers different incentive structures:

  • DoorDash: Peak Pay, Challenges, high-value orders during busy hours
  • UberEats: Boost zones, Surge pricing, Quest promotions
  • Instacart: High-demand boosts, add-on batch bonuses

These promotions significantly impact hourly earnings, especially in busy markets.

Mileage and Route Considerations

Mileage impacts both earnings and expenses. Consider:

  • DoorDash tends to keep routes short in dense areas.
  • UberEats may send longer-distance orders, especially at night.
  • Instacart has the highest mileage variance due to store-to-drop-off travel.

Lower mileage generally means higher profit, even if base pay appears smaller.

Customer Tipping Patterns

Tips vary widely across platforms:

  • DoorDash: Customers often tip more on restaurant meals.
  • UberEats: Tips are inconsistent but can be high during large surges.
  • Instacart: Grocery orders frequently include strong tips, especially for large batches.

Understanding tipping patterns in your city helps you choose the most profitable app during peak times.

Market Saturation and Competition

Too many drivers reduce order frequency:

  • DoorDash markets saturate fastest in dense cities.
  • UberEats has more fluctuations depending on time of day.
  • Instacart saturation depends heavily on the number of active shoppers.

If your main app feels slow, switching platforms during busy windows can dramatically improve hourly earnings.

No single app pays the most for every driver.
The best platform depends on your market, timing, mileage efficiency, and tip patterns — and tracking your results in Gig reveals which app truly earns you the most.