17 Best Driving Apps to Make Money with Your Car

DoorDash is the largest food delivery platform in the US, so it controls more of the food delivery market than any other app. It delivers both food from restaurants and shopping from retailers.

We’ve given DoorDash the top spot in our list because it’s the most popular delivery platform in the country. Moreover, if you’d prefer a driving side hustle that doesn’t require you to invite strangers into your car (or recycle the same small talk 10 times a day), DoorDash will be right up your street.

How much can you earn?

As a DoorDash driver, you get paid per delivery, and you’ll usually get tipped by customers (though this is never a guarantee). However, in general, a DoorDash driver’s earning potential amounts to $15–$20 per hour on average. This means you can expect your daily earnings with DoorDash to be around $120–$160 (for an 8-hour workday).

You can bump up your earnings by delivering during DoorDash’s peak hours, which generally fall between lunchtime (10:30 am–2:30 pm) and dinnertime (4:30 pm–9:00 pm).

How to earn more tips as a food delivery driver

To earn more tips on food delivery apps, select more lucrative orders, make yourself available during peak hours, and operate in high-income areas.

You can also try to work out which restaurants’ customers tip the most generously. Of course, it also never hurts to be friendly, prompt, and professional.

Is it a good way to earn?

If you like the idea of making money by delivering food, the dominance of DoorDash in the food delivery market makes it a good app to deliver for. However, as mentioned, you needn’t limit yourself to just one app; you can use multiple apps at the same time to maximize your earning potential.

For example, if you sign up for DoorDash, try using Uber Eats, too, so you can pick up orders on Uber Eats during slow periods on DoorDash, and vice versa.

One downside with DoorDash is that you’ll initially need to preschedule shifts in advance. However, once you’ve spent a while on the app and have earned a high enough rating, you’ll be allowed to start and stop working whenever you like.

Uber was the first app to pioneer ridesharing services. It allows users to choose a destination and then connect with someone who is willing to drive them there.

If you want to become an Uber driver but don’t own a vehicle, there’s also the option of renting a car with Uber.

Drivers can accept or reject ride requests as per their preference, and they can also set destination preferences in such a way that they find passengers who want to travel in a specific direction or within a specific area.

Uber ranks second in our list of driving apps because it operates across the country, and its sheer popularity means you can find consistent work. Just be aware that its popularity also means it’s become quite saturated in some areas.

How much does it pay?

The hourly rate for Uber drivers is around $20–$30 per hour, although it can be more. The exact rate you’ll make will depend on the length of the rides you accept, your location, the times you drive, and other factors.

Note that you can get a bonus as a new Uber driver in the form of an earnings guarantee, and if you like, you’re allowed to sell products to passengers to make some extra money. In addition, if you have a luxury vehicle, you may qualify to drive for Uber Black, which generally comes with higher pay.

Is it a good way to earn?

Uber is a decent way to earn if you don’t mind welcoming strangers into your car (which may be a concern for women or other vulnerable groups). Uber has tens of millions of users, meaning plenty of opportunities to earn. However, as mentioned, there is also a lot of competition. You can use Uber in combination with its main competitor, Lyft, to maximize your rideshare earning potential.

Consider looking into how much rideshare insurance is and whether it’s worth getting it if your personal auto insurance doesn’t cover commercial driving. It’s also a good idea to take some time to understand how taxes work for Uber drivers.

Lyft is Uber’s main competitor, and many people drive for both apps at the same time. Lyft’s driver requirements are similar to Uber’s, and the two apps work in much the same way.

We’ve given Lyft third place in our list because it’s available in every state, and it’s fairly easy to sign up as a driver. However, the fact that Lyft is less popular means that you might not be able to get as much work from it.

How much does it pay?

Reports online suggest that Lyft drivers earn similar rates to Uber drivers (around $20–$30 per hour, although it can be more or less). As with Uber, the exact rate you’ll make will depend on the length of the rides you accept, your location, the times you drive, and other factors.

Is it a good way to earn?

Driving for Lyft has many of the same advantages and disadvantages as driving for Uber. As mentioned, they’re best used in tandem for the best possible rideshare earnings.

Uber Eats has the second-largest share in the food delivery app market, so it’s another top choice for anyone who wants to make money with on-demand deliveries. Like DoorDash, Uber Eats delivers both food from restaurants and shopping from retailers.

As Uber Eats is part of Uber’s network, it means you can sign up as both a rideshare and food delivery driver at the same time, which is handy.

How much can you earn?

Like DoorDash delivery drivers, Uber Eats delivery drivers get paid per delivery. The hourly rates of Uber Eats drivers also tend to work out at around $15–$20.

Is it a good way to make money?

Uber Eats isn’t as widely used as DoorDash in the US, but as we’ve already mentioned, it still accounts for a substantial portion of the food delivery market. As such, becoming an Uber Eats delivery driver is definitely a worthwhile way to start a side hustle if you like earning via food delivery apps.

Amazon Flex allows drivers to earn money delivering packages for Amazon, including Amazon.com, Amazon Prime, and groceries via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods.

In most cases, Amazon Flex drivers (also called “delivery partners”) sign up to work for distinct blocks of time—usually 2–4 hours, although they can sometimes go up to 6 hours. Blocks are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

However, there are also some instant offers or on-demand delivery opportunities similar to the other gigs we’ve looked at so far. These allow you to accept orders on the spot, so you can sign on and sign off whenever you want.

How much can you earn?

Unlike many other delivery apps, Amazon Flex doesn’t usually pay per delivery but, rather, per block. For instant offers or on-demand deliveries, payment is per delivery.

According to the Amazon Flex website, drivers’ earnings work out at around $18–$25 per hour (with other sites and reports from delivery partners citing similar rates). Amazon also guarantees a minimum hourly base pay. According to their FAQ, this is currently $15–$19 per hour.

Is it a good way to earn?

Amazon Flex is a good way to earn if you want to drive for cash but prefer to minimize contact with your customers (which could be a big advantage for women or other vulnerable people). The prescheduled pay system might also be preferable for many people who don’t like the insecurity of the “pay per delivery” or “pay per ride” model.

Instacart was originally just for shopping deliveries from retailers, although it now also provides restaurant deliveries via Uber Eats. However, if you become an Instacart delivery driver (known as an Instacart Shopper), you won’t deliver restaurant food—only groceries and other items from supermarkets and similar retailers.

How much can you earn?

Hourly rates for Instacart Shoppers work out at around $20–$25.

Instacart employs two types of shoppers: one works in stores, picking out groceries, and another drives groceries from the store to people’s homes. Shoppers who drive deliveries are known as full-service shoppers, and they get paid more than in-store shoppers.

As a full-service shopper, you’re paid on a per-order basis. Instacart guarantees at least $7–$10 per order, claiming that this works out at around $25 per hour. However, based on what we’ve heard from actual Instacart gig workers, the real rate is probably closer to $20 per hour.

Is it a good way to make money?

The pros and cons of Instacart are mostly the same as for the food delivery apps we’ve already mentioned. Although it’s considerably less popular than it used to be, it’s still on the radar for shopping delivery apps.

Whether Instacart shopping is worth it will depend on how many people in your area use the app for shopping. If it’s quite a few, we’d recommend keeping Instacart on your phone to use in combination with DoorDash or other driving apps. You can combine as many apps as you want to maximize your shopping delivery earnings, so there’s no reason to limit yourself.

Shipt is another delivery gig that involves delivering only shopping and groceries on demand. This service is owned by Target, so drivers deliver from Target and other stores that partner with them (e.g., 7-Eleven, Best Buy, Costco, Safeway, and Walgreens).

How much does it pay?

Shipt pays per delivery, but it also guarantees minimum hourly earnings of $16 across the country (at least for the time you spend actively delivering). 1

Usually, Shipt shoppers make a bit more than that—around $20 per hour on average.

Is it a good way to earn?

Whether Shipt is worth it depends on a number of factors. Again, it has the usual advantages that apply to most food and shopping delivery apps (e.g., flexibility and instant payout options). The minimum pay guarantee is also nice.

However, it doesn’t have a huge part of the market share for online grocery companies, so it may be less worthwhile than some of the other food delivery apps on this list, depending on how popular it is in your area.

HopSkipDrive was designed to help parents with the school run. It focuses on providing safe transportation services for children, so drivers need specific experience in caring roles.

Drivers also have to undergo a lot of checks to sign up for this app, so onboarding will be more lengthy and onerous than for many of the other apps on this list.

How much can you earn?

HopSkipDrive claims you can make twice as much driving for them compared with other driving gigs. We’re not sure whether this is quite true, but HopSkipDrive does seem to typically pay higher rates than the other rideshare services we’ve mentioned so far (as it demands more responsibility from drivers, who have to look after kids).

HopSkipDrive says you can earn up to $50 per trip. 2 Many reports online cite lower rates, but generally estimate that you’ll earn around $20–$50 per hour.

Is it a good way to make money?

If you like kids and have experience with them, HopSkipDrive will be a good way to make money, as it’s potentially more lucrative than other rideshare apps.

However, as mentioned, there are some fairly strict requirements to drive for this app: You’ll need at least five years’ experience either as a professional caregiver (e.g., as a teacher, a nurse, a counselor, or a nanny) or as a parent or carer.

HopSkipDrive also runs a driving record check plus a variety of third-party online background checks, including:

• A Social Security trace
• A national criminal records check
• A county criminal records check
• Sex offender checks

Because HopSkipDrive registration will involve a bit more hoop-jumping compared with the other rideshare apps we’ve mentioned, it might not be the best choice if you’d like to get started asap.

Finally, another point to note is the slightly longer wait for payment. Unlike Uber and Lyft drivers, who can get paid instantly, HopSkipDrive drivers get paid on a weekly basis via direct deposit.

Grubhub delivers both food from restaurants and shopping from retailers. It’s on the decline, but Grubhub deliveries might still be worth it in a small number of cases, as it’s still the third-largest food delivery service in the US.

Grubhub drivers can take deliveries on demand, or they can preschedule blocks of hours that they want to work (which might pay more).

How much can you earn?

In theory, you can earn $15–$20 per hour through the GrubHub app. Although Grubhub pays per delivery, if you preschedule blocks of hours you want to work, they’ll also guarantee a minimum hourly pay rate (which will vary depending on where you drive) as long as you take 90% of order requests. 3

Is it a good way to earn?

There are better food delivery apps available, so Grubhub probably isn’t a good way to earn for most people—at least not on its own. However, the earning potential for you will depend on how popular the app is in your area and other factors. If it’s relatively popular near you, it may still be worth downloading it to your phone to use in tandem with other driving apps.

Spark Driver is a delivery platform owned by Walmart that you can use to get paid for delivering groceries and other goods to and from Walmart (and some affiliated non-Walmart stores such as Sam’s Club).

This app is primarily for on-demand deliveries but also has scheduled deliveries, whereby drivers accept delivery offers in advance for a specific time slot.

How much can you earn?

You can earn about $15–$20 per hour delivering for Spark Driver. However, like most of the other apps on this list, they pay per delivery rather than per hour, so the hourly rate isn’t guaranteed.

Is it a good way to earn?

Spark Driver may be worth it if you live in an area with numerous Walmarts. In general, though, it’s probably best used as an add-on or backup alongside more popular apps like Uber and DoorDash.

Roadie is a delivery platform that provides local same-day delivery of “just about anything.”

The platform offers both local gigs and long-distance driving gigs. As with Amazon Flex, you can either pick up orders on the spot or sign up to work blocks (usually around 4–5 hours). If you preschedule, you’ll get an earnings guarantee, although you won’t find out how much this is until you set your schedule.

How much can you earn?

Roadie’s website says you can earn $12 per local trip. 5 Other online estimates cite rates of $9–$15 per hour.

Is it a good way to earn?

Although it has all the usual perks of earning via driving apps—flexibility, speedy payouts, and easy signup, Roadie is only worth it if you use it in combination with other apps on this list.

It’s also not the best way to earn tips, although drivers can still earn them sometimes.

GoShare is an app that provides same-day delivery and moving services—meaning it could count as a package delivery app as well as a moving app. Many drivers use trucks or vans, although you can also carry out deliveries in a small vehicle (or even work as a helper if you have no vehicle at all).

GoShare isn’t ubiquitous like DoorDash and Uber, for example, but it’s still available in a good number of cities nationwide.

How much can you earn?

GoShare pays per project but provides estimates of the hourly rates you can earn through the app. The claims GoShare makes about your potential earnings are quite impressive, as it estimates you can earn $45–$168 driving for the app. 6 7

However, most gigs like these tend to be overoptimistic with the rates they promise, so take these figures with a pinch of salt.

Is it a good way to earn?

You’re likely to earn more from GoShare than from many of the other apps on this list, especially if you have a larger vehicle, so it’s worth investigating if you’re located in or near one of the cities where the app will work.

The Dolly app connects people with local drivers who offer moving and delivery services in 45 cities across the country.

Dolly drivers help with full apartment moves and deliveries of large bulky items like furniture and household goods (including store deliveries, junk haul away, and more).

How much can you earn?

Dolly pays per delivery and claims you can make $1,000 a week or more on the app. For hourly rates, they cite $35–$50 as the average, with top performers earning up to $60–$90 per hour. However, other reports online cite lower hourly rates—sometimes as low as $15 or even less.

Is it a good way to earn?

Dolly has the potential to be hard work, and it isn’t guaranteed to pay more than many of the easier gigs on this list. As such, it won’t usually be a great way to earn. Payments are twice a week, so it’s not a long wait to cash out, but there aren’t any instant pay options as with some of the other apps on this list.

Nonetheless, it may still be worth adding Dolly to your arsenal of driving apps if you’re located in one of the cities where it operates. You can use the app to keep an eye on gigs available in your area; you may find some that work well with your schedule (e.g., you can complete a delivery during a trip you were already planning).

The CitizenShipper app is for delivering pets and other specialty items to and from “every corner of the country.” Many of the deliveries on this app are long-distance, which could make for good earning potential (although long-distance driving can also be taxing).

How much can you earn?

Like most of the apps on this list, CitizenShipper pays per delivery. The company website gives various estimates of how much their drivers (or “animal transporters”) can earn. Companies tend to provide overoptimistic estimates of how much their contractors can earn, but the earning potential for CitizenShipper still looks decent.

One blog page says you can earn $1,000–$3,000 per month. 8 Another help page says that active drivers completing 15–20 shipments per month earn $8,000–$10,000 on average (or $6,000–$8,000 after adjusting for expenses). 9

CitizenShipper says that you can bump up your earnings even more by undertaking multiple jobs, specializing in transporting certain types of animals, or traveling longer distances. They believe that experienced, established transporters operating multiple vehicles can get an average monthly income as high as $20,000 after expenses.

Is it a good way to earn?

CitizenShipper is a good way to earn money if you like animals, as you may be able to earn higher rates than with some of the other apps on this list.

However, you may need to be okay with driving long distances if you want to make the most of the app.

Lugg is another on-demand moving and delivery company that operates in a number of large cities across the country. It offers help with house moves and similar services, such as furniture delivery.

Lugg requires you to sign up in advance for blocks of hours or shifts instead of working when you want. Shifts comprise 8-hour blocks during Lugg’s hours of operation (which are between 8 am and 9 pm Monday to Saturday or between 9 am and 8 pm on Sundays).

How much can you earn?

Lugg claims that you can earn between $28 and $42 per hour driving for their app, depending on the type of vehicle you have.

However, we estimate that the real hourly rate will work out much lower than this—potentially around $5–$30 per hour. This is because shifts frequently include downtime if there are no orders. You won’t earn anything during this downtime, but you still have to remain available.

Is it a good way to earn?

Because of how its terrible payment system works, Lugg will not usually be worth it. We would only suggest it as an option if you have something you want to do during downtimes (e.g., studying or using microtasking websites to make extra money).

Rinse is a delivery app for laundry and dry cleaning services. As a Rinse driver (or “valet”), you take laundry to and from cleaning facilities.

Rinse is an unusual driving app in that, unlike the others on this list, it properly employs its drivers on a part-time basis instead of hiring contractors or freelancers—a unique selling point. Drivers work evening shifts from 7:15 pm to 10:45 pm.

Rinse works in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, the Washington DC metro, Boston, New York, New Jersey, Seattle, Austin, and Dallas. You’ll have to be in or near one of these areas to drive for them.

How much can you earn?

Rinse offers predictable shift-based income of $20 per hour and up plus tips and mileage reimbursement ($0.67 per mile). 10

Is it a good way to earn?

Yes, if you’re in one of the places where Rinse operates, Rinse is a good option, as driving apps go. Because drivers get part-time employee status (W-2), they don’t have to pay employer taxes and enjoy other benefits of working part-time.

However, Rinse is less flexible than some of the other gigs on this list, and employees work evening shifts, which may not suit everyone.

Favor is an app for same-day delivery of food, drinks, household essentials, and more.

It’s a bit different from the other food delivery apps on this list in that it’s only available in Texas and only in a few dozen specific cities.

You can use the app to pick up on-demand orders, but it no longer offers the option to preschedule shifts like you can with Grubhub, for example.

How much can you earn?

Favor itself claims that its drivers make an average of $12–$18 per hour, but this claim may be a bit optimistic.

Is it a good way to earn?

Although Favor has the same advantages as the other delivery apps we’ve mentioned (e.g., great flexibility, fast payouts, and an easy signup process), it definitely isn’t a good way to earn if you live outside Texas.

Even if you live in Texas, Favor may not be as lucrative as other food delivery apps you can use, so it’s probably only a good option if you live in a part of Texas where the app is popularly used by big tippers.

In general, driving apps can be a good way to make money. However, there are some downsides to consider with this type of work:

• Most apps require background checks: These take time to complete—potentially several days or even longer—so you’ll have to wait to complete this process before you can start earning.
• Additional wear and tear for your vehicle: As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to allocate part of your earnings for the expenses this creates.
• Other additional costs: You’ll also have to pay for gas, oil changes, and other driving-related costs from your earnings, meaning that your real hourly rate will be considerably lower than the rates cited in this list.
• You’ll usually be responsible for your own taxes: With most of the apps on this list, you’ll be working as an independent contractor. This means your earnings will be subject to self-employment tax.
• Lack of other employee benefits: Contractor status also means you lose other important benefits that proper employees get, such as sick pay and holiday pay.
• Inconsistent earnings: For many of the apps on this list, the amount you can earn will fluctuate based on demand, location, time of day, and platform algorithms. There may be times of high demand but also many slow periods during which it’s a struggle to cover expenses, even.

Don’t worry if you feel like becoming a delivery driver isn’t the best job option for you. There are a plethora of other side hustle ideas out there you can explore, such as becoming a dog-walker, pet sitter, babysitter, or tutor, to name just a few.