A recent survey showed that around 42% of Canadians use food delivery apps like UberEats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes.
Food delivery services opened up a whole new world of at-home dining, allowing customers to get their favourite foods from non-delivering restaurants direct to their door.
Below, I’m going to give you a brief overview of the best food delivery services in Canada.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect food delivery side job or you’re just wondering how you’re going to order tonight’s dinner, I’ll have some helpful tips for gig workers and customers alike.
What Are The Best Food Delivery Services In Canada?
Canadians can use most of the same food delivery services found in America, including DoorDash and UberEats.
However, there are also some food delivery services that are native to Canada. With that in mind, here are the best food delivery services and apps in Canada.
1. DoorDash
- Average Delivery Fee: $2 – $5, not including tip
DoorDash is one of the largest food delivery apps in America and Canada and has more users than any other food delivery service in Canada. If you’re looking for the perfect driving side gig, you’ll always be guaranteed steady work with DoorDash.
I’ve used DoorDash more times than I can count and have rarely had a bad experience. From a customer perspective, I really like how the DoorDash app is laid out.
It’s easy to find local restaurants, view menus, and order food. The app will also provide you with an average delivery time, so I can tell whether or not my food is worth the wait.
Due to the high number of “Dashers” in Canada, though, the wait times are pretty good, and I rarely have to wait more than 30 minutes for my food. The only exception is when I’m ordering during peak dinner hours (between 5pm and 7pm).
DoorDash also offers a cool program called the DashPass. If you’re somebody who orders a lot of food, then this $9.99 service gives you free orders on all orders over $15. Of course, you should still tip your driver. But it’s a good way to save on delivery fees.
2. UberEats
- Average Delivery Fee: $1.50 – $7, not including tip
Although I usually use DoorDash (mostly out of habit), I also use UberEats periodically. Sometimes, the city I’m in doesn’t have a lot of Dashers or the current wait times are just too long.
I do the same thing with Uber and Lyft. When one app’s prices or wait times are high, I always double-check the competing app to see if I can save money and time.
As far as restaurant choices go, UberEats has around the same number of choices. Very few restaurants work exclusively with just one food delivery service.
The one drawback that I’ve found with UberEats is that their delivery fees are all over the place. They used to have a flat $5 delivery fee, which made calculating my order total simple.
Recently, though, Uber switched the flat fee to a variable fee, that’s determined by algorithmic factors, such as:
- How far you are from the restaurant
- How many drivers are in your area
- The time of day/night
- The average food prep time at the restaurant
Like DoorDash, you can expect delivery fees to be more expensive during peak business hours (lunch and dinner).
If you plan your order around these times, though, you’ll usually get your food quicker and cheaper.
3. Instacart
- Average Delivery Fee: $3.99, not including tip
Instacart has become quite popular in Canada. The company has put in a lot of work to expand its footprint in the country and now claims that around 90% of Canadians can practically use the app, regardless of the province they’re located in.
Unlike DoorDash and UberEats, Instacart focuses more on grocery shopping orders (which is why the word “cart” is in the name).
Customers can choose a local store that’s partnered with Instacart, create a shopping list, and a delivery driver will go buy the items and drop them off at your front doorstep.
You can also select replacement items in case the exact item you requested isn’t in stock at the store.
That being said, Instacart also provides food delivery services as well. They don’t offer quite as many options as DoorDash or UberEats, but it’s worth trying out if other food delivery apps are busy or have higher-than-normal delivery fees.
Instacart offers a subscription program that provides fee-free delivery on all orders over $35. Personally, I don’t use them as much because I enjoy shopping for groceries.
4. SkipTheDishes
- Average Delivery Fee: $3.50 – $5, not including tip
SkipTheDishes has a very similar platform to DoorDash. They offer relatively inexpensive food delivery and have been steadily growing over the past couple of years. Currently, they have around 350,000 users.
The thing I really like about SkipTheDishes is that they’re a local Canadian company. I try to support Canadian businesses whenever I can, and I’ve used SkipTheDishes a fair amount.
That being said, they don’t have quite as large of a network as DoorDash or UberEats. They’re very reliable in larger cities, though!
SkipTheDishes delivery fees are very fair and typically range between $3.50 and $5, which is very similar to DoorDash. I’ve found that they also tend to be a bit cheaper than UberEats.
5. Honorable Mention: Tim Hortons
- Average Delivery Fee: Free delivery on orders under $9 | 12.5% service fee on all orders
There’s nothing like a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with a hot coffee from Tim Hortons on a cold morning. If you’re looking for a spot that offers all-day breakfast, donuts, and coffee that’s always fresh, you can always count on Tims.
One of the things that really sets Tim Hortons apart is their in-house delivery service. While most cafes and restaurants in Canada outsource to apps like DoorDash, Skip, or Uber, Tim Hortons delivers all of their own orders.
Because of this, customers don’t have to pay a set delivery fee. Instead, they’re just required to pay a 12.5% service fee to help maintain their delivery system infrastructure.
In short, a $10 order costs $1.25 to get delivered. This, in turn, allows me to tip my driver higher, and both of us walk away happy.
The only downside of Tim Hortons is that they only deliver Tim Hortons. I use them sometimes to order breakfast, though.
Food Delivery As A Side Gig: FAQs
Thinking about driving for a food delivery service to make extra money? Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions I’ve gotten about driving for food apps in Canada.
What’s The Best Food Delivery Service To Work For?
This is a very subjective question, because it depends on the region you’re working in. DoorDash has a higher user base than any other food delivery app in Canada, which means that it’s easier to find delivery orders. However, they’re followed closely by UberEats and SkipTheDishes.
DoorDash tends to be very reliable, though, so I’d recommend applying to them first, before branching out and working with other platforms.
How Much Money Can You Make Working For Food Delivery Services?
On average, most food delivery drivers earn between $17 and $24 per hour, after tips. You can usually earn a bit more if you exclusively work during busy hours (11am-1pm and 5pm-7pm).
Can You Work For Multiple Food Delivery Apps?
Yes, this is known as “multi-apping” in the food delivery driver culture. It’s often frowned upon by delivery apps because it can increase food wait times. This may also translate to lower overall tips at the end of the day.
However, there’s no official rule against it, since you’re an independent contractor. If you want to multi-app, I suggest perfecting a system with one app first.
Does The Delivery Fee Go To Drivers?
It depends on the app. Most apps take a small percentage of the delivery fee to maintain their platform. However, most of the delivery fee is paid to drivers.
Ordering Food Online: FAQs
Looking for the best food delivery services in Canada? Not sure if it’s worth the wait? Here are a few answers to basic questions I’ve seen.
How Long Do Food Delivery Apps Take To Delivery?
On average, most deliveries take between 20 and 30 minutes to arrive. Occasionally, during busy hours or weekends, food orders may take up to 45 minutes to arrive.
How Much Should You Tip Delivery Drivers?
On average, delivery drivers expect a 15% tip. Offering a more generous tip is a great way to ensure that your food arrives earlier (and hotter), though.
What’s The Cheapest Food Delivery Service?
This depends heavily on the city you’re in, as different apps charge different rates depending on how busy their platform is at a given hour. On average, I’ve found that DoorDash and SkipTheDishes are the cheapest food delivery apps in Canada.
This doesn’t include Tim Hortons delivery, which is free (other than the 12.5% service fee).
Which food delivery company pays their drivers the best in Canada?
It can be difficult to definitively say which food delivery company pays their drivers the best in Canada because compensation can depend on a variety of factors. These can include the number of deliveries made, the time of day, whether peak pay incentives are in place, the size of tips, and the specific city or region in which the driver is working.
Uber Eats, DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes each have its own pay structure:
- Uber Eats: Drivers earn a pickup fee, a drop-off fee, and a mileage fee for each delivery. Drivers keep 100% of their tips.
- DoorDash: DoorDash uses a model they call “Base Pay + Promotions + Tips”. Base pay ranges from $2-$10+ per delivery depending on the estimated duration, distance, and desirability of the order. Promotions include Peak Pay (during busy times) and Challenges (completing a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time).
- SkipTheDishes: Drivers earn a delivery fee plus 100% of their tips. The delivery fee is based on a variety of factors, including distance travelled and the number of deliveries completed in an hour.
Conclusion
Food delivery services have revolutionized the way Canadians eat. I love having the ability to order from my favourite local Italian restaurant without having to leave home, and it really allows me to maximize my productivity by cutting down on errands and driving.
The cost of getting my food delivered is well worth the extra time and actually helps me save on my monthly fuel spending.
Keep reading here for more great tips on how to save money on gas.
