Instacart vs DoorDash: A delivery rider’s perspective

Are you looking to become a delivery rider, but don’t know what company to work for? Since you’re here, you’re probably wondering about choosing between Instacart and DoorDash.

Instacart and DoorDash are some of the largest food delivery companies you can find. This makes them an appealing choice for prospective delivery riders.

However, as choosing a proper company to work for is one of the most important aspects of getting into the food delivery business, many people are overwhelmed when faced with the choice of Instacart vs DoorDash.

What makes things even more challenging is the fact that most reviews are focused on customers and not workers.

Whizz is here to help you out. We’ve talked to numerous delivery riders and did some research to find the best company for workers.

Here’s what we’ve found out.

Instacart vs DoorDash

Making a quick decision between the two companies is a nearly impossible task. Both companies are highly regarded for their good work ethics and a large number of customers.

Still, both Instacart and DoorDash have their good and bad sides, and many of them are quite subjective.

Here’s what we’ve found out:

Flexibility and acceptance rate

Flexibility is one of the most important reasons why many workers choose food delivery as their part-time gig. This is a good way to combine work and private life while also earning some extra buck.

Instacart provides a very flexible work environment for its drivers, sometimes referred to as "full-service Shoppers." They are independent contractors, and that means they have total control over their hours.

There are no set hours, nor is it mandatory to work the shifts. This indeed gives the driver the freedom to simply log in using an app and then decide whether they will be accepting any batches of orders.

However, Shoppers should be in zones with high demand, and order availability can be quite variable.

Thighs are similar for DoorDash, as their riders – dubbed Dashers – can have some of the most flexible working hours available. The company realizes that 84 percent of their Dashers use DoorDash as a side gig, so they allow them to make a schedule they can work around.

DoorDash gives the freedom to their rider to work as long as they want and whenever they want. You can even take a break from working for a few weeks if this is what you want!

In fact, according to research done by DoorDash, the average worker spends around 4 hours riding.

When it comes to acceptance rate, it is a bit more challenging to determine. Most companies don’t openly disclose just how big a percentage of orders you should accept. However, with the help of other delivery riders, we’ve managed to get the answer.

Instacart does not have an official acceptance rate for full-service shoppers.

While drivers can freely accept or decline orders, the understanding is that the more orders a driver accepts, the higher the earnings; conversely, rejecting orders consistently lowers the priority on higher-value batches.

Still, many Shoppers have reported that they’ve seen no difference in their order density, whether their acceptance rate is high or low.

With DoorDash, there is no minimum requirement for an acceptance rate. However, if you continuously decline orders, this will leave you with offers that don't pay that much; better offers go to riders with a better rate.

Most of the Dashers reported that they were only being prioritized for the high acceptance orders when their acceptance rate was over 50%, which is pretty useful when the market is not too busy.

The winner is: Both companies are flexible, but Instacart offers more freedom when it comes to acceptance rate, making it a winner.

Order volume

Order volume is one of the crucial aspects for those wanting to earn money with an e-bike fast.

A high order volume can increase your hourly rate by providing you with more orders each hour. This is why workers prefer companies with high order volumes.

Order volume depends on many factors, not just the company in question. This is why it’s nearly impossible to say with certainty whether one company has a high number of orders or not.

Instacart usually has a decent order volume, especially in areas with high demand for grocery delivery, such as NYC. However, this can greatly fluctuate depending on time of the day and week.

DoorDash, on the other hand, typically has quite a large number of people looking to order, not just from grocery stores but various restaurants as well. In fact, according to Bloomberg, it is the largest food delivery company in the U.S.

The winner is: DoorDash, as its order volume is almost unbeatable.

Training and resources

For new delivery riders, training is extremely important to fully understand what it’s like to work in food delivery.

Unfortunately, this is something many companies forget. They hire delivery riders as independent contractors and don’t think much of it. This can negatively impact the chances of prospective workers, who might not know how to do their job properly.

This is also something Instacart lacks, as it provides minimal training to its new employees.

However, the company still tries to provide materials onboarding like tutorials, guides, and best practices available on the app that will help new drivers understand the process of accepting orders, shopping for items, and making deliveries.

Most learning is, therefore, done on the job, with in-app tips to help one get through.

By contrast, DoorDash takes its Dashers through some formal training. They estimate, on the app, about 5 to 7 business days to get trained; however, many riders quoted this takes roughly ten business days.

The app and forums provide quite a few resources any Dasher could want, as it is within DoorDash's interest to have as knowledgeable a populace of riders as possible.

The winner is: DoorDash, as, out of the two, it is the only one that offers formal training.

Pay and payment methods

Income is one of the most important factors when choosing a company that you’ll work for. It’s easy to understand why this is one of the first things most delivery riders ask about.

According to Indeed, the average hourly salary of an Instacart delivery rider in NYC is $15.58.

Instacart pays its full-service shoppers once a week through direct deposit. That usually includes the earnings from Monday to Sunday of the previous week and gets deposited every Wednesday.

However, shoppers can access their instant cash out anytime and get their earnings instantly; for that, there's a small transaction fee, usually around $0.50.

Per DoorDash's website, Dashers delivering in NYC will make a minimum of $29.93 per hour of active time. That is almost double the minimum wage in NYC!

Set earnings are usually deposited on a weekly basis, especially through the Food With Delivery deposit system. DoorDash allows an "Instant Pay" feature for which you will be able to access your earnings immediately if you wish, for a fee of $1.99.

If you have a DasherDirect card, this is a free instant transaction.

The winner is: DoorDash has a higher pay, making it the winner of this round.

Which one is better, Instacart or DoorDash?

As you can see, both companies have their good and bad sides. It is impossible to say that one company is definitely better than the other one, as it all comes down to your own preferences.

However, according to most people, DoorDash seems to be the winner, at least when it comes to NYC.

It pays better, offers great flexibility, has a high order volume, and offers training for Dashers who are just starting in the business.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Indeed isn’t a good option, as well.

It is very flexible, to the point where most people don’t notice any difference in order volume and quality regardless of their acceptance rate, and pays more than most other food delivery companies.

In the end, it all comes down to your own preferences and expectations. We are certain you won’t go wrong with either choice.

Related: Gopuff or Doordash for delivery riders

FAQs

What is the difference between working for Instacart and DoorDash?

Instacart focuses on grocery deliveries, so its drivers-who are called full-service shoppers-must spend some of their time shopping for items in the store before delivery.

Instacart riders often handle larger orders, which raise potential tips but require them to put in more effort to navigate stores, find products, and sometimes interact with store staff or customers if there's an issue with the product.

By contrast, DoorDash primarily focuses on restaurant deliveries. Drivers, or Dashers, pick up prepared food and then deliver it to customers.

This is usually faster because there's no in-store shopping involved. Dashers also tend to handle more orders per hour, so the flow of work often goes smoother.

The orders are often smaller, and the tips might be lower compared to large grocery orders on Instacart.

What is the downside of Instacart?

Instacart shares many downsides with plenty of other food delivery companies, including DoorDash.

This includes variable earnings, which means that one gets more depending on the volume of the orders, tips, and other factors such as location and time of the day. Some areas may have relatively lower order volumes; hence, there is a long wait.

On the side of Shoppers, they pay for gas, wear and tear, and vehicle insurance, which lowers the net earnings.

The pay rate for some orders, especially smaller batches, may feel a little low considering the effort one has to put in. Not having benefits or job security is a big drawback since full-service Shoppers are considered independent contractors.

What is the best e-bike for delivery riders?

Getting a proper electric bike can greatly increase your chances of a large profit.

As independent contractors are typically responsible for travel expenses, such as gas, choosing a vehicle such as an e-bike greatly reduces your costs.

Whizz creates superior electric bikes specialized for delivery riders.

One of these bikes is Storm-2, which allows you to ride for up to 85 miles per single charge.

This is more than most other bikes currently on the market.

You can choose various options, from buying your new electric bike, renting, using split payments, or even trading your old e-bike for a new Storm-2!

Contact Whizz to get your brand new e-bike and start earning money as a delivery rider today.