Cheapest Food Delivery Service: 6 Affordable Food Delivery Apps

When looking for the cheapest online food delivery services, there are a few popular alternatives to consider. Unfortunately, no two applications are the same, and it can be challenging to determine which one is the most affordable. You may, however, examine the various prices associated with each app and ask, “How much does food delivery cost? Then you can be sure that you are getting the finest value on your meal delivery service.”

What’s the cheapest meal delivery service with food delivery prices to utilize when you’d instead order fast food from your favorite local restaurant than rush to the grocery store and cook? Caviar, Seamless, Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates? To uncover the solution, we conducted some studies. So if you wonder, “What are the cheap places that deliver near me?” consider using one of the delivery apps listed below.

DoorDash

If you’re new to meal delivery apps, DoorDash is an excellent place to start. Once you enter your location or zip code, DoorDash will display all participating restaurants in your region, including an estimated wait time before you even click on the business. In addition, you may narrow your search by filtering results by restaurant star ratings, restaurants that accept pickup, healthy vegetarian meals, ingredient cards, and menu pricing.

DoorDash offers a monthly membership service called DashPass, which includes free delivery on all purchases. You’ll also enjoy lower service costs on orders over $10, as well as unique member offers. Unfortunately, not all restaurants are qualified, although the vast majority are. If you believe you’ll order meals from DoorDash more than three times in a month, DashPass is a good investment. DashPass is available for a free one-month trial from DoorDash. After that, you’ll pay $9.99 each month.

In addition, the app frequently provides a special discount for first-time customers, such as free delivery or 20% off your first buy. Compared to competing for food delivery services, it received one of the highest star ratings of 4.8, offering food delivery service with lowest fees. The standard shipping price is $5.99. Using DoorDash to obtain discounts at local restaurants might be a terrific way to save money. You’ll also save time because you won’t have to drive to buy your meal.

UberEats

UberEats has changed the way it sets its rates. The final price you see when you place purchase is based on several variables. Uber Eats follows a fairly standard format for food delivery applications, including a delivery and service fee, the opportunity to tip, surge pricing on occasion, and other features.

Although they’ve labeled their cost as “variable” for a time, it’s generally been around $4.99 — an excellent value for lengthier deliveries, but not so great if you’re ordering from a restaurant down the street. Delivery rates under the new sliding scale system often vary from $2 to $8, depending on how far you live from the restaurant. There’s no UberEats minimum order amount, which is a significant perk.

You can now filter restaurants depending on how much it would cost to deliver them due to a unique new function. You might, for example, limit your search to eateries that charge a delivery cost of $5 or less. In addition, Uber Eats has an Eats Pass monthly membership package that costs $9.99 per month after a free one-month trial. You may use Eats Pass to receive a $0 food delivery fee, unique privileges, and a 5% discount on orders over $15 from qualified stores.

How you can get a better UberEats deal:

• Order ahead of time to prevent rush prices.
• Look for eateries that are near to your home and have lower delivery prices.

When you order from a restaurant using Uber Eats, you may earn restaurant-specific incentives the more times you order from them. Burger King, for example, will offer you a $10 credit if you order five times through Uber Eats. The app also includes additional discounts, in which certain companies offer a percentage or cash amount off your order or free delivery when you order a certain quantity.

Grubhub

Grubhub, which has been in business since 2004, knows it better about good meal delivery service. While you may order meals to be delivered quickly, you can also order up to four days ahead of time if you have a particular meeting. You may also keep your order to make future purchases even more accessible and more convenient. According to the company, there’s no delivery fee; instead, prices are imposed by each restaurant. As a result, Grubhub is frequently one of the cheapest solutions on the market.

GrubHub offers a monthly membership service called GrubHub+, which you may test for free for 30 days. After that, GrubHub+ will cost $9.99 per month after the free trial. In addition, you get free delivery on all purchases of $12 or more, access to special member privileges, and a free pickup meal worth $10 per month with the membership. On the other hand, GrubHub provides incentives and discounts scattered throughout the app, even for non-GrubHub+ users.

Cashback programs are available at various stores; for example, McDonald’s allows you to receive $5 if you order three times. Then there are discounts or free shipping offers from stores on occasion. If you usually order meals for less than $12, GrubHub+ may not be worth it. You’d get a free $10 pick-up dinner every month, as well as access to offers within the app, which would more than make up for the expense.

However, if you still have to pay a shipping charge with every item because it’s less than $12, it may not be worth your money. If to compare food delivery services that provide free delivery with purchases of $10 and more, Grubhub is a superb option.

Caviar

Caviar food delivery cost is $1.99 to $8.99 for delivery, depending on your location and the restaurant you chose. It also charges a fixed 18 percent service fee, which means it isn’t always the cheapest meal delivery service for large orders. The standard minimum order requirement is $15; however, during robust demand, their customer support staff may temporarily extend the minimum subtotal up to $25. “Typically, the minimum will return to normal in 10 to 30 minutes,” they claim.

Tips to get the most beneficial deal with Caviar:

• Keep your orders short to reduce the effects of the 18% service fee.
• Place your order from neighboring restaurants.

Caviar is a beautiful app for high-end establishments to consider. Aside from the increased minimum, they don’t have surge pricing, which is a pleasant bonus. And, on occasion, Caviar would provide $0 delivery fees to promote certain restaurant partners. However, it’s not the most affordable delivery service.

Postmates

Postmates is available in over 100 cities and metro regions, and it may be used for more than just meal delivery. In the summer of 2023, Postmates held around 4% of the market. Customers must pay a fixed charge to Postmates rather than a commission fee. The average food delivery cost is $3.99 when ordering from a partner restaurant. Otherwise, it’ll cost $5.99.

Postmates use blitz pricing, which is a form of rush pricing. During busy hours, you should expect to pay extra. Postmates doesn’t need a minimum order, although it does charge a $1.99 small order fee. When using the Postmates app, you may save anywhere from $10 to $25 on delivery.

Postmates not only delivers meals from your favorite local restaurants but also allows you to get kitchen essentials, party supplies, and pharmaceuticals. The app is viral among drivers, according to the brand, since there are no costs or time constraints, allowing drivers to work on their own schedule.

Postmates’ vehicle specifications are also among the most adaptable. For example, Postmates allows workers to ride a bike or scooter if they don’t have a car, depending on where they live. The app also offers an instant pay-out tool, which allows workers to get paid faster, and if they want to make more money, they may refer people to sign up and get rewarded for it.

Seamless

Seamless excels in listening to user feedback and updating its app to match consumer demand. For example, after consumers complained about the payment policy, Seamless altered its service to take cash and PayPal. The app also includes popular cuisines on the site and the ability to search for the specific dish you want.

Take notes that while some reviewers think the app has problems and isn’t always the simplest to use, customers say that the customer support is top-notch. Seamless also frequently provides fantastic promotions, such as $12 off your order.

How to Choose the Best Cheap Food Delivery Services

Consider the following factors while selecting a meal delivery app:

• Delivery fees. While most apps charge a flat delivery price, specific applications leave the fee up to the restaurants you choose to order from. If you order from a restaurant that isn’t a partner, certain meal delivery apps will charge you an additional service fee;
• Order minimum. Order minimums are usually set by restaurants, although apps may set their own minimums and charge you an extra fee if your order value falls short of the minimum;
• Payment options accepted. While most meal delivery apps accept major credit and debit cards, some also take PayPal or cash;
• User interface. Food delivery apps are intended to be convenient, and they should strive to provide a smooth purchasing experience. Look for applications that allow you to search and browse menus using criteria such as price, meal item, and user ratings. You can even track your orders in real-time with some applications;
• Workplace procedures. It’s vital to know that the person handling your food is treated well by their employers, whether they are customers or drivers.

What’s the Reason for the High Cost of Food Delivery?

Food delivery is costly since you pay for much more than just the food. You must also pay the delivery driver, and the app must turn a profit. Furthermore, if you order during peak hours, you’ll be competing with other consumers. That implies the apps may charge higher prices for your meals.

An online ordering method is extremely convenient because you don’t have to wait in line to obtain the meal you ordered. Instead of your time and effort to pick up the meal, you pay for that convenience with money.

Subscriptions to Food Delivery Services Are an Easy Way to Save Money

If you frequently order meals for delivery, you might think about getting a food delivery subscription. Most prominent meal delivery apps have some kind of program that you can join. Each membership will cost you about $10 each month. Then you may order as much food as you like and get free delivery. Some schemes provide free delivery regardless of the purchase size, while others just reduce the minimum order size to eliminate the delivery price. In any case, these services might be an excellent method for members to save money.

With delivery prices as low as $4, you’ll come out ahead after a few deliveries. So even if you just order food once a week, you can save money eventually. However, if you don’t utilize delivery apps frequently, this isn’t the ideal solution.

It’s also not a good option if you constantly move between various applications because you might not order enough to justify the subscription. Find the finest meal delivery app that works with all of your favorite local eateries if you want to save money with a membership. Then you may enroll in that program and make the most of your money.

Conclusion

It’s usually less expensive to order meals and pick them up yourself, but this is not always the most practical or tempting alternative. Food delivery apps are convenient when you’re pressed for time at work or don’t feel like leaving the house, but that doesn’t mean you should pay $15 for a $5 lunch.

UberEats and GrubHub were neck and neck, but Uber Eats came out on top, and this is the food delivery service with the lowest fees. Thus, we have UberEats as the least expensive food delivery. If you often use a meal delivery service, you would profit significantly by subscribing to a monthly membership. If you enjoy the convenience of delivery, you might want to look into additional services like Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program or supermarket delivery services.

FAQ

You could still have some queries regarding the cheapest meal delivery app. Here are a few things to consider while selecting a delivery app.

Who Is the Cheapest Food Delivery Service?

Because delivery charges vary depending on restaurant pricing, sales tax, and additional taxes, there is considerable controversy about which meal delivery app is the most affordable. Uber Eats and GrubHub were pretty on the same level, but Uber Eats won out.

Who Has the Lowest Delivery Fees for Food?

Although there’s no perfect solution to the question “what is the cheapest meal delivery service,” UberEats becomes the cheapest of the 6 meal delivery apps reviewed in this article (DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, Postmates, Caviar, and Seamless).

Is Doordash or Ubereats Cheaper?

While these two services charge a small order cost if the total sum falls below a certain threshold, DoorDash frequently has a lower minimum order amount than Uber Eats. As a result, for small orders, DoorDash is typically the cheapest alternative.