The best food delivery apps let you effectively and efficiently manage customer orders.
A win-win for everyone.
Customers get a great selection of food and improved services.
Food businesses solve their last-minute-delivery problems. They expand availability and provide food services to those who cannot come to the shop in person.
Deliverers earn money where the essential skill required is to quickly and safely deliver food orders.
Not all food delivery apps are equal. Below we have collected the best apps for food delivery for your inspiration and top tips on on-demand food delivery app development. Check out ideas behind delivery apps, monetization models, business development directions, and more.
Best food delivery apps launched by startups
Check out these 11 top food delivery apps launched by startups.
These include both food and grocery delivery.
An important note. Most food delivery apps tend not to disclose exact numbers on fees and commissions. Also, all operators regularly review their offerings, terms, and conditions. Hence, all information below are estimates.
Most up-to-date information can usually be found on official company websites.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
- 15% – 30% for delivery orders
- 6% for pickup orders
Transaction commission
2.9% of the total transaction amount +
$0.30 per orderOther fees
Flat delivery fee for delivery service only
Users
Delivery fee
$1.99 - $5.99
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
$2.00
Delivery radius
~5 miles; longer for premium plans
Delivery time
Up to 1 hour
Available countries
4,000 cities across the USA, growing presence in Canada and Australia
Subscription: DashPass @ $9.99/mo.
DoorDash is the most popular food delivery app in the USA.
It provides a marketplace for 450,000 catering merchants and 20+ millions users worldwide.
DoorDash offers a range of services via its tech platform to help merchants operate and promote their businesses among customers. It makes sense to start app development for startups as soon as possible and launch the first version of your food delivery app quickly to get valuable feedback from real customers. Food businesses can choose among different commission plans, depending on the amount of marketing support and size of delivery area.
Customers can apply multiple search filters to find the best option among local businesses. They can pay and track order status via the app.
For deliverers, a.k.a. DoorDashers, the company offers flat rates. Customers can also leave tips if they choose to. Tips are not included in what a customer pays.
The app charges restaurants a percentage from each order. Customers pay for the delivery. A special fee applies to small orders.
A special DashPass subscription gives end users the option to order from DashPass-eligible merchants by paying $9.99/mo subscription.
DoorDash has extended its business to grocery delivery.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
30% from each order
Activation fee
$350
Transaction commission
Undisclosed
Pickup commission
0% (13% after July 31st)
Users
Service fee
10% from order subtotal
Delivery fee
Varies
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
$2.00
Delivery radius
~5 miles; may vary from restaurant to restaurant
Delivery time
Up to 1 hour
Available countries
6,000 cities across 45 countries, including North America, South America, and Europe
Subscription: Eats Pass for $9.99/mo.
UberEats is the second-largest food delivery service in the USA. Founded by the Uber company, UberEats is now merging with its taxi app.
UberEats offers similar functionality as DoorDash. To help users choose the best meal, the app provides users with multiple sorting options based on their previous orders, plus popularity and ratings of particular dishes, delivery fee, etc.
UberEats boasts having the fastest delivery. It promises to deliver your order within 30 minutes or less. To fulfill orders, Uber deliverers use cars, scooters, bicycles, or on foot.
Food businesses pay a one-time $350 activation fee plus marketplace fees for every order that is processed through the platform. .
As with DoorDash, UberEats charges users a delivery fee or small order fee. Delivery costs for customers depend on distance and time of the day. Deliveries within non-peak hours are substantially cheaper. Subscription is also available. The small order fee is higher than that of DoorDash. However, UberEats regularly offers free or $ 0.99 deliveries. Tips are welcome.
UberEats has announced an alliance with Gopuff, a delivery startup, to expand essential items such as grocery, alcohol, beauty and pet products, and medication.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
- 25% – 35% from each order
- 5% for pickup orders
Onboarding fee
Temporarily removed
Pickup commission
0% (temporarily)
Other fees
Flat delivery fee for using only delivery service
Users
Service fee
£0.49
Delivery fee
£0.99 – £10
Minimum order
£10
Delivery radius
~2.2 km (ca. 1.4 miles); restaurants can set up longer distances
Delivery time
Up to 1 hour
Available countries
800 cities across 12 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and the United Kingdom.
Subscription: Deliveroo Plus £11.45/mo. for individuals; £25+/mo. for groups
In 2017 and 2018, Deliveroo, a UK food delivery app, won Deloitte’s UK Technology Fast 50 awards for its tremendous growth rate. The company enjoys serving over 115,000 restaurants in 12 markets.
Initially, the startup focused on the near lack of food delivery services by London restaurants.
For restaurants of all sizes and street-food businesses with tech, the Deliveroo service provides a means for reaching more customers. Some restaurants exist exclusively on Deliveroo.
The Deliveroo Edition helps restaurants expand their businesses in locations with high demand. Deliveroo identifies areas with heightened interest in specific cuisine and helps featured restaurants launch delivery-only kitchens. Restaurants need invest nothing up-front for store-front/delivery-only kitchens.
To help users order any type of cuisine at available locations, this service is available on all major platforms: Web, iOS, and Android.
The company charges restaurants a commission fee. Users pay three fees: a distance-based delivery fee, an app service fee, and a small-order fee, if applicable.
UK customers enjoy subscription-based Deliveroo Plus—unlimited free deliveries.
Deliveroo is expanding its business to grocery delivery. It is in partnership with Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. And has a deal with Dija, a dark-store delivery startup.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
22% – 30% for delivery orders
Transaction commission
2.9% of the total transaction amount + €0.30 per order
Entrance fee
Free; €150 for Glovo Prime partnership
Users
Delivery fee
Depends on region, type of restaurant, distance, and urgency.
Minimum order
No
Delivery radius
Anywhere within one-hour delivery
Delivery time
0.5 – 1 hour
Available countries
21 countries across Southern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Subscription: Glovo Prime (available in Kenya)
Barcelona-based startup Glovo promises to deliver anything in less than an hour.
The app connects users with an assigned courier who makes a purchase in the name of the user and delivers it. On-demand food delivery is the top request from platform users.
Glovo couriers use only motorcycles or bicycles, so delivery has size and weight restrictions. Long-distance delivery (over an hour away) is not an option.
Delivery costs are based on distance between the customer and store. When the store does business with Glovo, the price can be pre-calculated. Prices might vary from those in the app. If the price is 30% higher, the courier contacts the customer and asks to confirm the purchase.
Glovo Prime subscription offers free delivery from selected stores.
Glovo is expanding to other industries such as groceries and pharmacy.
Deliveries between two users are also possible.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
Undisclosed; estimated between 14% – 30%
Setup fee
Undisclosed; estimated €500
Subscription fee
Undisclosed; estimated €15.00
Users
Delivery fee
Undisclosed; estimated range €2.99 to €3.49
Minimum order
Depends on restaurant
Delivery time
Between 20 minutes and 1 hour
Available countries
EU and North America
Through local brands in South and Eastern Europe, Middle East, South America, and South-Eastern Asia
Important note. Delivery Hero operates a variety of local brands. Pricing policy as well as delivery terms vary between different jurisdictions.
This Berlin-based startup focuses on creating a marketplace for small to medium-sized local restaurants that want to expand their customer base.
For Delivery Hero users, the food delivery app provides access to a self-servicing platform where they can order food for the same or a slightly higher price as going to the restaurant. Delivery Hero’s couriers pick up the prepared and ready-to-go order and deliver it in less than an hour.
Kitchens and restaurants pay a subscription fee for using the system plus a commission for order processing.
To date, Delivery Hero has entered 40+ markets by partnering with different companies and acquiring local service providers (Foodora, FoodPanda, Talabat, and many others.) In May 2021, Delivery Hero completed the acquisition of Woowa as a part of its expansion strategy in the South Korean market. It plans to return to Germany after selling its business to Takeaway.com in December 2018.
Also, Delivery Hero sold part of its business in Balkan states to Glovo in May 2021.
The company invests heavily in grocery delivery. It has opened 600 dark stores and offers delivery from 80,000 traditional supermarkets.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
- 15 – 30% for delivery orders
- 6% for pickup orders
Transaction commission
3 – 6% for non-partnering merchants
Tablet and hardware rentals
5%
Users
Delivery fee
- $0.99 – $3.99 for Partner Merchants
- $5.99 – $9.99 for all other merchants
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
$1.99
Delivery radius
Normally ~2.5 miles
Delivery time
30 minutes – 1 hour
Available countries
USA, Canada, and Mexico City
Subscription: Postmates Unlimited @ $9.99/mo. or $99.99/yr.
Postmates online food delivery app helps small businesses across the USA compete with giants such as Amazon. Users can order anything from the local store and get it delivered within an hour via couriers, a.k.a. postmates. The service is available 24/7. Online food delivery makes up a substantial portion of all orders in the system.
When a customer places an order in the system, a courier/postmate receives the order notification and picks the order up at the place of business. The customer can track the postmate’s location throughout the delivery process. A pick-up option is also available.
Postmates charges its users reasonable delivery fees. The percentage is lower for platform partners. Also, merchants can integrate Postmates’ API, thus offering instant delivery from a branded app.
Postmates was acquired by Uber in 2020, although the former continues to operate as a separate service.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
- 20% marketing fee for getting listed and promoted
- Additional 10% for using delivery services
Transaction commission
3.05% + $0.30
Users
Delivery fee
Set by restaurants; estimated to range between $4 – $8
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
$2
Delivery radius
70 miles
Delivery time
30 minutes – 1 hour
Available countries
USA, Canada
Subscription: GrubHub+ @ $9.99/mo.
GrubHub, once the market leader across the USA, comes in 4th behind DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates. GrubHub initially focused on non-delivery orders offering an alternative to Yelp and similar review services. GrubHub was among the first to let users browse through electronic menus, make online orders, and pay online with credit cards.
Although GrubHub still generates revenue through takeaway orders, it has also established a delivery service in response to newly emerged competitors.
The service charges restaurants a commission for order processing. Restaurants pay an additional commission for using GrubHub delivery system.
GrubHub does not require any subscription fees or discounts on their menu.
As of 2020, GrubHub had 265,000 restaurants and 31.4 million users in its database. Subscription-based GrubHub+ offers free delivery for end users.
In 2020, Just Eat Takeaway, a Netherlands-based company acquired GrubHub hoping to capture part of the US food market.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
- Up to 30% for delivery orders
- 12% for pickup orders
Transaction commission
2.9% of the total transaction amount + $0.30 per order
Other fees
Flat delivery fee for using only delivery service
Users
-
Delivery fee
$1.99 – $8.99
-
Service fee
18%
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
Depends on workload
Tips
Preselected on 18%
Delivery radius
Depends on location
Delivery time
30 minutes – 1 hour
Available countries
USA
Subscription: Via DashPass @ $9.99/mo.
Caviar is an excellent example of a successful food delivery app for a niche audience. Caviar is an upmarket app providing its platform to expensive restaurants.
Like other online food order apps, Caviar is a marketplace where users find restaurants, place an order, and wait for a courier to deliver it.
The app charges a commission for order processing from restaurants. Customers pay service and delivery fees. Splitting bills, so-called shared charts, is possible for user convenience.
The essential difference with Caviar is high quality. The app has distilled an audience willing to pay a premium for food from the best restaurants. Caviar has a strict onboarding system. This ensures they offer the finest cuisine to their discerning audience.
Moreover, the company has built a strong relationship partnering with food businesses, so that most of them are available only in Caviar. This leaves end users with little choice.
Caviar pays its drivers relatively high hourly rates. They receive payment immediately and enjoy more reliable deliveries knowing any risks with delivery or a non-paying client are slim to none.
No surprise that Caviar was purchased by DoorDash in 2019. End users can order from Caviar app or use their DoorDash account.
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Restaurants
Setting up 15+% rate for non-partnering shops
Users
Delivery fee
2-hour delivery:
- $3.99 for $35+ orders
- $5.99 for under $35 orders
1 hour delivery:
- $5.99 for $35+ orders
- $7.99 for under $35 orders
Service fee
- 8%
- 1.9% for small orders under Instacart Express program
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Minimum order
$10
-
Tips
Added automatically
Delivery radius
Depends on location
Delivery time
30 minutes – 1 hour
Available countries
USA, Canada, and EU
Subscription: Instacart Express @ $99/yr. – $149/yr.
Instacart operates in 5,500+ cities across Canada and the USA beating its competitors in on-demand grocery delivery. Both local groceries and large national chains, such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, etc., are on the list.
The service lets its users receive the best online grocery shopping experience. For it, Instacart connects the user with a personal shopper who picks up items on the list, packs, and delivers them within a designated timeline. Instacart offers its users several options such as instant delivery, same-day delivery, and order pick up.
Users can track order progress and communicate with the shopper via website or mobile app.
Fees start at $3.99 for delivering $35+ orders within 2 hours and at $5.99 for delivering within 1 hour. Pickup fees also apply. Subscription-based Instacart Express gives users free deliveries for $35+ orders and lower fees for small orders.
Instacart charges partnered grocery stores 3% of each order. Charges are much higher for customers at shops that do not participate in the partnership program.
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Restaurants
Commission rate
Undisclosed
Users
Delivery fee
$4.99
Minimum order
No
Small order fee
$2
Delivery radius
Depends on location
Delivery time
30 minutes
Available countries
major US cities
Saucey, an LA-based, on-demand alcohol delivery startup, keeps expanding its services to major US cities. Via its app, the service offers on-demand, 30-min delivery or 2-day shipping.
Deliveries are 16 hours a day, between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. Scheduling in advance is also possible. The service charges $4.99 for each delivery and encourages users to leave a tip. Saucey also charges a small-order fee.
The Saucey app startup focuses on converting users from curious into loyal customers—a challenge even for the best mobile food delivery apps. The Saucey startup constantly works on improving customer experience.
For alcohol retailers, the app offers a detailed analytics system with advanced audience segmentation. This system helps track conversion and measure promotional campaigns. Retailers can focus on creating effective messages.
In October 2020, the merger of Saucey and Emjay, the leading on-demand cannabis delivery service, was announced to further scale and expand business.
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Pricing
Commission rate
15% of the total price excluding reimbursement
Trust & Support fee
15%
Delivery radius
Upon agreement
Delivery time
Upon agreement
Available countries
USA, Canada, UK
On-demand marketplaces are serious rivals for online food order apps. Constant market growth is a perfect reason to expand.
Taskrabbit is among the most successful on-demand apps offering a wide range of services. Service providers, a.k.a. taskers, can do anything: grocery shopping, breakfast delivery, baby food delivery, and more. Taskers are even willing to wait for a delivery.
Users assign a task and add a description. Then, they search through a list of taskers with matching skills, check their price and schedule, and get in touch to discuss details. Once parties reach the agreement, taskers complete the task. Customers pay and leave a review.
When it comes to pricing, there are no prearranged costs. Unlike food delivery apps, taskers set their own prices for the services they provide. Users can filter results based on price range or they can negotiate.
Taskrabbit’s success has not gone unnoticed. The service was acquired by IKEA in 2017. It still operates under its own brand.
Best food delivery apps launched by established businesses
Established businesses are not sitting idle.
Read how some prominent chains have responded to challenges:
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Pricing
Delivery fee
Depends on location
Small order fee
Depends on location
Delivery radius
Upon agreement
Delivery time
Up to 30 minutes
Available countries
Worldwide
Domino’s pizza invests heavily in both customer service and digital technologies to ensure the best experience for its 85+ million active users.
The company already had its own online food order app and delivery network. Responding to the challenges created by online food delivery apps, it has introduced new improvements.
Domino’s Pizza app guides users through the entire ordering process. Users can quickly place orders. They can choose different tastes and combinations with a few taps. Domino’s Pizza Chef AR (Augmented Reality) configurator adds fun: It lets users visualize their order and see exactly what they will get.
Users can request delivery or choose to pick up their order. Multiple payment options are available.
Pizza tracker can send push notifications to a smartwatch or smart TV to keep users up-to-date. Live GPS delivery tracker enables real-time order tracking.
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Pricing
Setting up 15+% rate for non-partnering shops
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Delivery fee
- $0 for orders over $35 – $50
- $5 to $8 for small orders
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Service fee
8%
-
Minimum order
$35 – $50
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Tips
Added 10% to an order
Delivery radius
Within areas where service operates
Delivery time
Within a preselected two-hour slot window
Available countries
USA, Germany
Subscription*: Amazon Prime membership @ $119/yr. or $12.99/mo.
*User must subscribe to Amazon Prime to benefit from Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh is an additional service for Amazon Prime subscribers. With it, Amazon responds to the growing competition from online food delivery apps. The service is available across large US and European cities, in India, and Singapore.
Features are similar to those in top food delivery apps. Users sign in on the Amazon website or mobile app and choose food from the catalog. Once the order is finished, users choose delivery date and a two-hour window. Two delivery options are available: doorstep and attended delivery. The choice depends on whether the customer is at home or not.
Users count on the same product offering they can find in a grocery store, from cereals through frozen food to alcoholic drinks.
Amazon Fresh operates from its own local fulfillment centers. Amazon drivers are responsible for timely shipments.
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Pricing
-
Delivery fee
- $14.99 in Manhattan
- $9.99 elsewhere in other parts
- <$19.98 with membership
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Service fee
8%
Minimum order
$30
Delivery radius
Within NYC
Delivery time
Within a preselected, one-hour time slot, at least in one hour after an order has been made
Available countries
NYC
Subscription: DeliveryPass for $79/ea. or $129/yr.
FreshDirect is one of the earliest grocery delivery services. It focuses on reducing the amount of time the food needs to get from the farm to the end customers. Unlike popular food delivery apps, FreshDirect operates its own distribution centers and delivery fleet.
The company keeps pivoting its business towards e-commerce. Users can quickly pick up offers via website or a mobile app and schedule a delivery time. FreshDirect prepares the order, packs it, and delivers it to your home or office. The price ranges between $5.99 and $7.99. DeliveryPass provides unlimited deliveries—semi-annual, subscription-based.
In order to respond to the challenges of same-day delivery, FreshDirect acquired FoodKick in 2020. Express delivery is also available on a per-delivery or subscription basis. Delivery time is up to 2 hours.
A Dutch retailer, Ahold Delhaize, bought the majority shareholder of FreshDirect as part of its growth strategy in the US market. FreshDirect continues to operate under its own brand.
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-
Pricing
-
Delivery fee
- $7.95 – $9.95 for next day delivery
- Extra $10 for two-hour delivery
- Free for Walmart pickup
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Minimum order
- $35
- No minimum order for Walmart+ members
Available countries
USA
Subscription: Walmart+ @ $12.95/mo. or $98/yr.
Walmart strives to make the most of its existing brick-and-mortar stores by pivoting to e-commerce. The company focuses its efforts on on-demand grocery delivery as a key part of its Walmart+ program. Customers enjoy the same prices as in stores. This way, the company hopes to maintain customer loyalty.
Same-day delivery is now available from 3,000+ stores with 800 more stores to come on board by the end of 2021. Users who pay $99/year for Walmart+ membership get unlimited free deliveries for $35+ purchases. First, they need to make sure delivery is available from the store in their area. Delivery times vary.
Walmart grocery app has been integrated into the Walmart mobile app. This ensures users can order all items they have on their shopping list. When users have completed their online shopping, they can choose curbside pickup or home delivery.
Users can pay via the app and track order progress. For express deliveries, Walmart promises delivery within two hours.
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Five important points when designing a food delivery app
All food delivery apps have both benefits and drawbacks. An effective app is a game changer.
Are you a startup planning on-demand app development?
Or a business wanting to cut processing and commission costs when providing your clients with a food delivery app?
Consider the following points:
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Customer pains
Answer these questions:
What makes users feel unhappy: High commissions? Lack of exposure? Inconsistent food quality? Long delivery times?
Make sure your avatar’s life is better with your app than with any of the best apps for food delivery in your niche.
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Revenue model
A vast majority of online food delivery apps charge a commission from both business and customer. Restaurants/groceries pay for order processing. Customers pay for order delivery.
As a startup, you need to carefully calculate and not ask too much.
As a restaurant or a grocery business, you need to work out how you can charge the same or slightly higher prices as in your brick-and-mortar store.
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MVP development
Figuring out users’ real needs can take more time than anticipated. It makes sense to launch the first version of your food delivery app quickly and get valuable feedback from real customers. Then, you adjust your software to customer needs and scale after it gets traction. Start your MVP now. Finish your app fast.
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Conversion
Convincing customers to download the app is challenging. When you provide promotions and discounts, you ensure they can try out what you offer at no risk to them.
It is easier for restaurant businesses to promote an app since the restaurant quality is already a known fact to customers.
Attract potential customer attention via your website and social media profiles. Spread news on packages and via delivery couriers.
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Retention
Repeat customers are your only chance of survival. As a startup, you need to satisfy three user groups.
- Food businesses require stable, predictable amounts of orders and expect to receive their payments as soon as possible.
- Customers need quality for acceptable prices.
- Deliverers need regular, stable payments.
As a food business, you need to connect all three offerings: fast, convenient, error-prone workflow.
In conclusion
Here is what makes food delivery apps so popular:
- Customers see all options at a glance.
- They place an order within minutes
- They can track the order and get it within an hour or sooner
- Food business receives an order and starts preparing it.
- Customers can pay using different options.
- Both the food business and deliverer receive their payments fast.
Delivery businesses face tough competition. To win, they need a reliable tech savvy and super reliable partner capable of providing users with seamlessly running UX and access to the service in no time.
FAQs
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