Choosing the right food delivery service boils down to a few important criteria. Is the service available in your area? What variety of choices are available? How much does each service cost? Is the website or mobile app user friendly? While both DoorDash and Uber Eats score fairly well in all of these areas, each performs better in some ways more than others.
Overall Findings
In general, if you’re choosing between DoorDash or Uber Eats, your choice may boil down to variety or delivery status updates. In almost every other way, the two services are equal. Both have a very user-friendly ordering process and provide real-time updates on the status of your order. Not only will you know when your order was picked up, but you’ll see your driver’s location on a map as they approach your home. While Uber Eats adds a service charge on orders, delivery fees are often lower so the costs balance out. Where DoorDash and Uber Eats differ is the fact that Uber Eats still doesn’t offer as many restaurant choices as DoorDash in most areas. Since you can choose from free delivery options in DoorDash, you could save money by ordering with that service. However, if you like more detailed updates after you place your order, Uber Eats does a wonderful job breaking down the delivery process into smaller, more frequent updates.
Availability: You’ll Find DoorDash in More Places
If you live in most metro areas, you may not notice too much difference in availability between DoorDash and Uber Eats. Most restaurants in metro areas know that if they have listings with as many food delivery services as possible, it’ll have a big impact on sales. The same isn’t true in non-metro and rural areas. DoorDash is vastly more popular and well-known than other food delivery services. This means in most locations you’ll see fewer restaurants listed on Uber Eats. And if you enjoy ethnic foods or a wide variety of food choices, you’ll be limited in Uber Eats with a filter for food types that offers fewer options.
Variety: DoorDash Offers Many More Options
Since Uber Eats offers fewer restaurant choices in non-metro areas, it goes without saying that there’s much more variety with DoorDash. If you’re vegan, on any special diet, or enjoy more ethnic foods, DoorDash is the clear choice for you. However, DoorDash seems to have many more choices when it comes to filtering as well. DoorDash lets you organize browsing by ethnicity, convenience, meat type, vegan or vegetarian, and much more.
Cost: Different Fees But Costs Are the Same
At first glance, you may think Uber Eats is the cheaper option. This is because many delivery fees for some restaurants can be half the delivery fee you’ll see on DoorDash. However, this is misleading because Uber Eats adds an extra “Service Fee” on top of the delivery fee when you check out. On both platforms, the food prices for the same restaurants appear to be exactly the same. Tips for drivers work roughly the same way, and the final costs for your entire order typically come to the same regardless of which food service you go with. DoorDash also has a number of restaurant choices where there isn’t any delivery fee at all.
User Friendliness: Uber Eats Keeps You Updated Better
In general, both food delivery platforms provide a very user-friendly experience. Browsing restaurants and finding food you like is simple. However, DoorDash provides a wider range of food type options, as well as more advanced filtering on things like price, time to deliver, and more. Also, if you like to see images of the food you’re ordering, you’ll find that restaurants seem to provide much more detail on DoorDash. It’s more common to find food selections on Uber Eats that have no image. This can make it difficult sometimes to know exactly what it is you’re ordering. However, after you order Uber Eats keeps you updated with more detail. You see when the restaurant has confirmed the order, is preparing the food, and when the delivery driver has picked up the order. Both services show you the location of the delivery person. However, with Uber Eats, you’ll also see the time it’ll take for the delivery driver to get from the restaurant to your house.
Final Verdict: It All Depends What Matters To You
Everyone uses a food delivery service because it’s convenient. You don’t have to cook, you don’t have to drive anywhere, and usually, you don’t have to wash any dishes afterward. When choosing between DoorDash or Uber Eats, the DoorDash option may be a no-brainer if you live in an area where hardly any restaurants are listed on Uber Eats. You’ll also want to compare exact costs between restaurants, since you may be able to save some money if a restaurant offers a delivery-fee free option on DoorDash. If none of that really matters to you and you just want to know what’s going on with your order in detail, then Uber Eat’s detailed order status updates may offer exactly what you want in a food delivery service.
