Best food delivery services: Grubhub vs Uber Eats vs Doordash

Best food delivery services
(Image credit: shutterstock)

With the best food delivery services, you can order whatever you want to eat with just the click of a button. Pizza, sushi, burritos, a dish from your favorite local restaurant — they can all arrive right on your doorstep. No need to dine in or even drive anywhere to pick up the meal.

Food delivery services have become very popular in recent years, but never more so than during the pandemic, when dining out was a no-go for many. Even now, though, food delivery apps are in no danger of being deleted from our smartphones anytime soon.

This guide takes a close look at the food delivery apps that promise to bring you meals when you don’t want to — or can’t — leave the comfort of the couch. These are the best food delivery services you can use on your computer, iPhone or Android device and what each one brings to the table.

The best food delivery services you can try today

best food delivery services GrubHub

GrubHub (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

1. Grubhub

Best food delivery service overall

Specifications

Availability: 4,000 U.S. cities and London, UK
Fees: Varies by restaurant
Minimum order: Varies by restaurant for delivery
Subscription option: GrubHub+ for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Extensive reach
+
Delivers from both local restaurants and national chains
+
Supports multiple payment methods

Reasons to avoid

-
Service from some restaurants includes delivery fees

There's a reason Grubhub is one of the first names to come to mind when you think of best food delivery services. Grubhub partners with an incredible variety of restaurants, from nationwide chains to your neighborhood mom-and-pop diner, for a selection that can satisfy just about every food craving you can think of, all on demand.

Using Grubhub, you can search for restaurants by cuisine or location, quickly order food from the menu and track your order from the app, all hassle-free and without any extra charges. (Individual restaurants may have order minimums and other fees.) Grubhub users can order delivery or takeout and take advantage of special deals available only within the app. And the app's delivery instruction box lets you tell the driver where to leave your meal if you'd prefer a no-contact delivery.

While the app is free to use, signing up for Grubhub+ — a $9.99-per-month subscription — lets you enjoy free delivery.

View all offers at Grubhub here

best food delivery services: doordash

DoorDash (Image credit: ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

2. DoorDash

Great food delivery service with helpful recommendations

Specifications

Availability: 4,000 U.S. cities in U.S., Canada and Australia
Fees: Varies by restaurant
Minimum order: None
Subscription option: DashPass for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Good recommendation engine for discovering restaurants
+
Serves a wide array of local eateries and national chains
+
Monthly DashPass subscription reduces service fees

Reasons to avoid

-
Reach not as extensive as Grubhub
-
Delivery fees can vary

DoorDash now boasts operations in 4,000 cities across North America in Australia (though GrubHub can claim a more extensive reach). Featuring a wide range of cuisines from sushi to fast food, DoorDash features easy ordering (including quick reordering of your favorites), with options to track your delivery, pick up your food or schedule your deliveries for the most convenient times.

The app includes a "Yum Score" that rates food quality and how well a restaurant works with DoorDash to get your food out quickly — a helpful feature if you want your food delivered nice and hot. DoorDash also lets you order alcohol and mixers from local wine and liquor stores where local laws allow. And as with other best food delivery services, a delivery instructions box in DoorDash enables you to specify where you'd like your meal dropped off for contact-free delivery. A $9.99-per-month DashPass lets you save on delivery fees.

View all offers at DoorDash here

best food delivery services Seamless

Seamless (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. Seamless

A mirror image of Grubhub

Specifications

Availability: 4,000 U.S. cities and London, UK
Fees: Varies by restaurant
Minimum order: Varies by restaurant for delivery
Subscription option: Seamless+ for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Extensive reach
+
Delivers from both local restaurants and national chains
+
Supports multiple methods of payments

Reasons to avoid

-
Service from some restaurants includes delivery fees

Another one of the best food delivery services under the Grubhub banner, Seamless ferries around food from a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines, with full-menu options and without any extra fees, plus contact-free delivery if you prefer. As with GrubHub, there's a $9.99-per-month membership if you want to save on delivery costs; otherwise using the app is free.

Customers can browse by food or location, and have their grub delivered at work or home; they can also arrange to have their meals ready for pickup. Though Seamless operates in a number of U.S. cities, it has the best coverage in New York City, partnering with everyone from big chain restaurants to neighborhood food joints to offer some of the best food on the go or delivered to your doorstep in the Big Apple.

best food delivery services: Uber Eats

Uber Eats (Image credit: Uber Eats)

4. Uber Eats

The best food delivery service if you already use Uber

Specifications

Availability: 500-plus cities in 24 countries
Fees: 15% of order subtotal
Minimum order: $2 to $3 fee for orders less than $10 to $15
Subscription option: Eats Pass for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Integrated with Uber in some cities
+
Real-time delivery tracking
+
Supports cashless ppayment

Reasons to avoid

-
15% service fee

Uber's entry into the food-delivery-app wars feels like a natural extension of its ride-sharing app, bringing the company's on-demand touch to the world of food delivery. Uber Eats users can easily search for their favorite restaurant or discover new food places nearby.

Then, with just a few taps, users can place an order for immediate or scheduled delivery and track the order in real time, just as if they had booked an Uber ride. You can pay either with a credit card or through credits on your Uber account, and from within the app, you have the option to tip the person bringing you your food as well as leave instructions for contact-free food delivery.

Another plus is Uber's global reach, giving you good odds of being able to order food on demand across major cities worldwide. And the $9.99-per-month Eats Pass lets you enjoy free delivery, with an additional 5% discount on orders over $15.

Best food delivery services: Instacart

Instacart (Image credit: Instacart)

5. Instacart

Food delivery when you need groceries

Specifications

Availability: 5,500 cities in the U.S. and Canada
Fees: Starting at $3.99 with minimum order of $10
Minimum order: $10
Subscription option: Instacart Express for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Serves extensive list of grocery stores
+
Instacart Express membership provides faster deliveries

Reasons to avoid

-
Service fees can add up
-
Can be difficult to get time slots

No one can live on fast food alone. If your menu calls for actual groceries, you may want to turn to Instacart instead of the other best food delivery apps.

Instacart specializes in delivering groceries as well as household goods and — in the case of some stores — alcohol. (In fact, we consider Instacart to be one of the best grocery delivery services you can use.) The service boasts partnerships with more than 20,000 retailers across North America, and if your local store offers ready-to-eat meals, Instacart’s an option for getting those items delivered straight to your door. In fact, Instacart has just added a drop-off feature to minimize contact with the person delivering your groceries.

If you do plan on using Instacart for delivering groceries or prepared food you plan to eat right away, you’ll want to consider an Instacart Express membership, which costs $9.99 a month. That’s a way to get your food faster. Otherwise, Instacart has no membership fees, though you’ll have a delivery fee tacked on to each order.

best food delivery services: caviar

Caviar (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

6. Caviar

Best food delivery service when you don't want fast food

Specifications

Availability: 28 U.S. cities and regions
Fees: $1.99 to $8.99
Minimum order: Varies by restaurant for delivery
Subscription option: None

Reasons to buy

+
Focuses on local restaurants
+
Real-time GPS tracking

Reasons to avoid

-
Reach isn't as extensive as other services

Available in 28 cities and regions across the country, Caviar was bought by DoorDash in late 2019.  Order on the app from a rich selection of local restaurants, with real-time GPS tracking for deliveries as well as the option to pick up your food to save on delivery-and-service fees.

Caviar offers a number of in-app exclusive deals, and it focuses less on fast food compared with other apps. Instead, Caviar emphasizes other types of restaurants, and it lets you leave instructions for no-contact delivery when you checkout for your order.

best food delivery services: postmates

Postmates (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

7. Postmates

Round-the-clock food delivery service

Specifications

Availability: 4,200 U.S. cities
Fees: Varies by restaurant and subject to surge pricing
Minimum order: Varies by restaurant for delivery, $1.99 on small cart orders
Subscription option: Postmates Unlimited for $9.99 a month

Reasons to buy

+
24/7 deliveries, depending on restaurant operating hours
+
Extensive reach
+
Deliveries extend beyond food

Reasons to avoid

-
Surge pricing can drive up the cost

Even though it's now owned by Uber, Postmates remains ready to satisfy your food cravings 24/7 with the option to have just about anything delivered from local stores to your doorstep. You can order pizza, burgers, groceries or even things like clothing or cellphone chargers from local restaurants and retail partners. The company just introduced no-contact delivery options as well.

Postmates does include a delivery charge and surge pricing during peak hours, but a $9.99-per-month Postmates Unlimited service removes surge pricing and delivery charges for orders greater than $15.

View all offers at Postmates here

best food delivery services: chownow

(Image credit: ChowNow)

8. ChowNow

Local eats, with a focus on pickups

Specifications

Availability: 18 U.S. cities and regions
Fees: Varies by restaurant
Minimum order: Varies by restaurant for delivery
Subscription option: None

Reasons to buy

+
No hidden fees
+
Focuses on local restaurants

Reasons to avoid

-
Delivery limited to select cities
-
Not as extensive as other services

ChowNow isn't strictly a food delivery app — while delivery is available in select locations, ChowNow is largely focused on letting you place orders for food that you pick up at local restaurants. So if you're looking for the convenience of having meals dropped off at your door, consider one of the other best food delivery apps.

Still, there are compelling reasons to turn to ChowNow, starting with the service's focus on local eateries, instead of chains. That allows you to discover good, local eats that are close by, even if you're stuck at home. Secondly, ChowNow promises commission-free ordering so that your final bill isn't loaded down with unexplained fees. If you'd like to fill your belly while also helping out local restauranteurs, this is the app to check out.

best food delivery services: delivery.com

Delivery.com (Image credit: Delivery.com)

9. Delivery.com

All-purpose delivery service

Specifications

Availability: 100-plus U.S. cities
Fees: Varies by location
Minimum order: Varies by location for delivery
Subscription option: Delivery Points reward program for free

Reasons to buy

+
Delivers laundry, groceries and alcohol in addition to food
+
Extensive reach

Reasons to avoid

-
Some restaurants tack on delivery fees

Delivery.com wouldn't seem to be a likely candidate for the best food delivery services since it offers a broad range of delivery options, including the ability to schedule pickups and drop-offs for laundry and dry cleaning. But food delivery is very much a part of Delivery.com's bag of tricks.

In addition to ordering your favorite munchies for delivery or takeout, Delivery.com also can bring you groceries, beer, wine and spirits, so think of it as a one-stop source for all your food needs. In addition, a group ordering feature lets you split orders with neighbors and roommates to minimize the number of deliveries coming and going. 

best food delivery services: goPuff

goPuff (Image credit: GoPuff)

10. GoPuff

Get more than just food delivered

Specifications

Availability: 170-plus areas
Fees: $1.95 per delivery
Minimum order: None
Subscription option: Fam membership for $5.95 a month

Reasons to buy

+
Deliveries include cleaning supplies and over-the-counter medicine in addition to food
+
Flat delivery fee

Reasons to avoid

-
Food deliveries veer more toward snacks than full-fledged meals

GoPuff takes a quirkier approach to food delivery, offering snacks, ice cream, alcohol and other items, including over-the-counter medicine and cleaning supplies. Those last two items may be of particular interest for people staying in because of the coronavirus outbreak, and GoPuff offers no-contact delivery options.

Think of this app as a mobile convenience store that brings you exactly what you need, day or night, without requiring you to hoof it to a corner store. GoPuff features a catalog of more than 2,000 products and  charges a convenient flat delivery fee of $2. (Pay for a $5.95-per-month Fam membership, and you'll get free delivery, which will save you money if you turn to GoPuff more than three times each month.)

How to find the best food delivery service

When evaluating which food delivery service to use, look into how extensive a reach a particular service has where you live and whether it can bring you food from restaurants where you like to eat. Consider which service charge extra fees, though that can be hard to look up, as many deliver fees are at the discretion of the restaurants from which you order.

If you plan on using a service extensively, see if there's a monthly membership program. In many cases that membership fee can wipe out any delivery charges or reduce other fees. In some cases, you can even expect faster delivery if you've got membership status.

What you plan to order can determine what service you use. Grubhub, DoorDash and UberEats specialize in meals from restaurants. Postmates, Delivery.com and GoPuff handle other types of food delivery, while InstaCart focuses nearly exclusively on grocery stores.

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John Corpuz
John Corpuz flip-flopped between computer science and creative writing courses in school. As a contributor to Tom's Guide he's found a happy middle ground writing about apps, mobile gaming and other geekery.