The best Uber Eats alternative is whichever app has your favorite restaurants and the lowest final total in your city. For most people that means DoorDash or Grubhub. For groceries it means Instacart. For repeat orders it often means skipping the apps and ordering from the restaurant directly. Below you'll find how each option works, where it wins, and how to check fees before you pay.
TL;DR
- DoorDash is the biggest US food delivery app. Grubhub suits people who like loyalty perks. Instacart leads on groceries.
- No app is cheapest every time. Fees change with order size, restaurant and city, so compare the final checkout total.
- Ordering direct from a restaurant often avoids the 15-30% marketplace commissions that restaurants pay.
- Halen is a new super app starting in Philadelphia with rides and package delivery. Food, grocery and retail delivery are planned next, with upfront pricing and no surge.
Table of Contents
- How the main options compare
- DoorDash
- Grubhub
- Instacart and other grocery-first apps
- Postmates
- Order direct from the restaurant
- Halen: one app for the whole day
- Why fees matter more than the app logo
- Which one should you choose?
- Our view: what a delivery app owes you
- Try Halen in Philadelphia
- FAQ
- Sources
How the main options compare
Here is the short version before the detail. Subscription prices come from a 2026 comparison of the big three apps, which lists DashPass, Uber One and Grubhub+ at $9.99 a month each. Check each app for its current price before you sign up.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | Widest restaurant coverage | Service fees rise with order size |
| Grubhub | Loyalty perks, restaurant-first deals | Weaker on grocery |
| Instacart | Groceries and retail | Item markups, service fees |
| Postmates (now part of Uber Eats) | Not a true alternative anymore | Same company as Uber Eats |
| Direct restaurant ordering | Repeat orders, lower total | You order one restaurant at a time |
| Store pickup or store delivery | Groceries at in-store prices | Fewer time slots |
| Halen | One app for rides, packages, and later food | Food delivery is not live yet |
DoorDash
DoorDash is the first app most people try after Uber Eats. Bloomberg Second Measure found Uber Eats in second place with 23 percent of observed sales in March 2024, which puts DoorDash ahead of it as the largest player.
That size shows up where you order. More restaurants are listed, more drivers are on the road, and smaller towns are more likely to have coverage. A published comparison citing Intouch Insight puts DoorDash fastest at about 26 minutes on average. The same summary notes the study year isn't stated, so treat it as a rough guide.
Pick it if: you want the most choices and you order often enough to justify a subscription.
Grubhub
Grubhub keeps a strong presence through restaurant-first deals and loyalty programs. It also makes sense if you already get a perk through a membership you pay for anyway.
It is worth knowing the company's record on pricing. In December 2024 the FTC announced that Grubhub would pay $25 million to settle charges that included deceiving diners about delivery costs. That doesn't mean you should avoid it. It does mean you should read the checkout screen, not the banner at the top of the menu.
Pick it if: you value loyalty rewards and mostly order from local restaurants rather than groceries.
Instacart and other grocery-first apps
If your Uber Eats orders are really grocery runs, a food-first app is the wrong comparison. Instacart is the leader for dedicated grocery and retail delivery, and it works through personal shoppers. Consumer Reports has reviewed grocery services including Instacart, Shipt, FreshDirect and Walmart, and it notes that delivered items can cost more than the same items in the store.
The FTC has also acted here. It reached a $60 million settlement with Instacart in December 2025, according to its April 2026 announcement. If you shop groceries by app, our guide to how grocery delivery totals jump 25–80% at checkout shows where the extra cost comes from. And if you're unsure how much to tip, see our grocery delivery tipping guide.
It also helps to know which services are built for restaurant meals and which for groceries. This Gulf Shores guide to grocery delivery is a good example of how a local grocery option differs from a restaurant app, especially when you're staying somewhere new.
Pick it if: you want groceries or household items delivered the same day.
Postmates
Postmates still shows up in search results, but it is no longer a separate choice. Bloomberg Second Measure groups it with Uber Eats, and CNET lists the two together as the option for people who want the most food choices and fast delivery and accept paying for it. If you're leaving Uber Eats, Postmates won't change much.
Order direct from the restaurant
This is the alternative most lists skip, and often it's the cheapest. Restaurants pay marketplaces commissions of roughly 15 to 30 percent, and this breakdown of marketplace commission rates explains why many businesses push customers toward their own ordering links. Consumer Reports also advises checking a business's own website or direct ordering link.
A workable routine:
- Use an app to discover a new restaurant.
- Save its website or direct link.
- Next time, compare the direct total with the app total.
- Order from whichever is lower, and tip the driver or staff either way.
The trade-off is convenience. You get one restaurant per order, not a single cart and one account across the city. For restaurants, RestoLabs describes the split between marketplaces that bring reach and direct systems that bring control. Its advice is to use marketplaces for discovery and direct links for regulars.
Halen: one app for the whole day
Halen is a super app being built for rides, package delivery, and then food, groceries, retail delivery, vacation rentals and flights. We want to be straight about timing: we plan to launch with rideshare and package delivery in Philadelphia, then expand into more markets and services. Food delivery is on the roadmap, not live today, so if you need dinner tonight, use one of the apps above.
What's different is how we price and pay.
- Upfront pricing, no surge. You see the price before you book.
- Drivers keep 100% of their fares. They pay a flat weekly fee instead of a per-ride commission, minus third-party fees.
- One account. Rides, deliveries and travel bookings live in the same app.
We haven't published prices for rides or the weekly driver fee, so we won't quote any here. If you run a restaurant, you can see how partnering with Halen as a restaurant works. Grocery and retail stores have their own pages for grocery partners and retail partners.
Pick it if: you live in or near Philadelphia, want one app for rides and packages, and want to be ready when food delivery arrives.
Why fees matter more than the app logo
The biggest difference between these apps is rarely the app. It's the fee stack. The FTC has described a 'pricing shell game' in which a low advertised delivery fee is offset by bundled service fees that appear clearly only at checkout. In April 2026 the FTC also sought public comment on whether a rule is needed for fee practices in online food and grocery delivery. It notes that fees can add from 25% to over 90% compared with picking up from the restaurant.
This is real money. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that households spent an average of $3,945 on food away from home in 2024. If delivery adds even a quarter to part of that, you'll feel it. Our own breakdown, U.S. food delivery fees and the new rules, goes through each line item.
A five-minute test
- Pick one real order, such as two entrees and a drink.
- Build the same cart in two or three apps.
- Go all the way to the final checkout screen without paying.
- Compare the total, including fees, taxes and tip.
- Check the restaurant's own site for the same order.
Consumer Reports makes the same point: the best app depends on local restaurant partnerships and driver availability in your city, so comparing is the best way to avoid inflated charges.
Which one should you choose?
- You want the most restaurants: DoorDash.
- You like loyalty rewards: Grubhub, with a close look at the final total.
- You want groceries or retail: Instacart, or your store's own pickup and delivery.
- You order from the same places every week: go direct.
- You want rides and package delivery in Philadelphia, with more services coming: Halen.
Many people end up with two apps and a few saved restaurant links. That's fine. Keep a subscription only if your monthly order count covers its cost.
Our view: what a delivery app owes you
We build Halen around one belief: you should know the price before you commit. That's why we use upfront pricing and no surge charges. It's also why we think drivers do better on a flat weekly fee than on a cut of every ride.
Delivery works when three groups are treated fairly. Customers need a total they can trust. Drivers need to keep what they earn. Restaurants and stores need a fair way to reach people without handing over a large share of each order. If you drive, our guide to the highest paying food delivery apps for drivers compares what drivers actually net, and how to start driving and delivering covers the legal, tax and safety basics.
When we add food, we'll hold ourselves to the test we gave you above: show the whole cost up front.
— Halen
Try Halen in Philadelphia
Need a ride or a package moved? Halen puts both in one app with upfront pricing and no surge. Food, grocery and retail delivery are coming, so create your account early and be ready when they arrive.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Uber Eats?
For most people it's DoorDash, because it has the widest restaurant coverage in the US. Grubhub is a good second choice if you like loyalty perks. The best one for you depends on which restaurants deliver to your address, so compare the final totals.
Are there apps like Uber Eats that are cheaper?
Sometimes, but no app is cheapest every time. A 2026 comparison found fees depend on order size and location. Build the same cart in two apps, check the checkout total, and compare it with ordering direct.
Is Postmates different from Uber Eats?
Not really. Bloomberg Second Measure groups Postmates with Uber Eats, so switching to Postmates doesn't give you a truly separate service.
Which app is best for groceries instead of takeout?
Instacart is the leading grocery and retail delivery app, and it uses personal shoppers. Consumer Reports suggests also checking whether your store offers its own pickup or delivery, which can keep prices closer to in-store levels.
Does Halen deliver food yet?
No. Halen plans to launch with rideshare and package delivery in Philadelphia. Food, groceries and retail delivery are planned for later.
Sources
- DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Grubhub 2026 comparison
- Bloomberg Second Measure: restaurant food delivery market share
- FTC: Grubhub settlement, December 2024
- FTC: public comment on delivery fee practices, April 2026
- Consumer Reports: grocery delivery services review
- Consumer Reports: food delivery services and apps review
- CNET: best food delivery services
- RestoLabs: Uber Eats competitors
- BLS: household spending in 2024
- Marketplace commission rates
- Grocery delivery in Gulf Shores