The demand for food delivery shot up during the pandemic and has remained solid ever since. Restaurants have found that it’s easier to operate with less seating and more takeout, and customers got hooked on the ease of ordering in.
This is good news for delivery drivers. There are several options, with Grubhub and DoorDash being two of the most popular. In this post, we’ll look at Grubhub vs. DoorDash pay and add other insight and information to help you determine which of these two would be best for you to drive for.
Here's what we cover:
Grubhub vs. DoorDash: structures and payouts
The pay structure for Grubhub vs. Doordash is similar. Both offer the opportunity either to schedule blocks of time or to work on demand. This flexibility is automatically offered to Grubhub drivers, but DoorDash drivers need to earn the privilege by completing a certain number of deliveries.
Drivers for both Grubhub and DoorDash are paid by the delivery, and will know how much each order will yield before accepting the trip. This video will take you through a Grubhub delivery driver’s run, so you can see exactly what it’s like to drive for Grubhub. And this video covers just about everything there is to know about the DoorDash app and how to execute deliveries.
Payout options for DoorDash vs. Grubhub.
- Dashers can get paid weekly—or, for a fee, get paid daily. They may also choose to be paid on a Visa card they obtain through DoorDash, which is attached to a bank account. In some instances, they may be paid by the customer in cash, in which case, the cash is deducted from the driver’s payout. Read more about the details of Dasher payouts on the DoorDash website.
- With Grubhub, the options are just weekly pay or daily cash-out. Daily cashout is free for Chase customers, but a fee is charged for others. Also, it’s possible to cash out directly to your debit card for a fee.
How much does DoorDash pay you? What about Grubhub?
So then, what about Grubhub vs. DoorDash pay? Gridwise recieves anonymous earnings data from drivers, which we can use to compare how well drivers do in terms of earnings for Grubhub vs. DoorDash.
For Grubhub, drivers averaged a little over $14.00 per working hour in the first half of 2023. This number is consistent with earnings from 2022, proving that Grubhub earnings are not on a downward trend. The figures below show, in fact, the earnings went up slightly from the end of the first quarter to the end of the second.
Grubhub driver earnings Q1 and Q2 2023
| Average Gross Earnings | Average Work Hours | Average Total Trips |
| Q1 $993.00 | 41 | 97 |
| Q2 $1055.97 | 43.44 | 104 |
On the whole, hourly earnings for Dashers are solid, if not spectacular. Based on Gridwise data, the average driver pulled in about $15.00 per working hour. This includes tips and incentives as well as base pay. Here are some more statistics for the first half of 2023.
DoorDash driver data for Q1 and Q2 2023
| Average Gross Earnings | Average Work Hours | Average Total Trips |
| Q1 $1,463.13 | 51 | 178 |
| Q2 $1,511.17 | 57 | 191 |
Tips and incentives: two key components of delivery earnings
Don’t forget, when you look at Grubhub vs. DoorDash driver pay, to consider the opportunities for tips, and how well the companies do at reminding customers to remember to recognize your hard work. Tips can really let your earnings add up, as can incentives. Incentive earnings consist of opportunities to make a fixed number of deliveries in a certain time period.
How much does Grubhub vs. DoorDash pay in tip earnings? In the first two quarters of 2023, both tip and incentive pay were higher for Dashers than for Grubhub drivers.
| Grubhub | DoorDash |
| Q1–Q2 2023 Average Tip Pay: $510.51 | Q1–Q2 2023 Average Tip Pay: $759.24 |
| Q1–Q2 2023 Average Incentive Pay: $41.64 | Q1–Q2 2023 Average Incentive Pay: $172.48 |
Why are DoorDash numbers for tip and incentive pay higher than those for Grubhub? A lot could have to do with the comparative popularity of the two companies and the greater number of trips Dashers make on average. Also, the DoorDash app experience presents many opportunities for customers to tip, both before and after the delivery is complete.
Incentives for DoorDash are higher, possibly also due to the demand for drivers. Especially with the many items Dashers can deliver, DoorDash needs more drivers, so they offer many enticing incentives to drive for the company.
It’s important to weigh all these considerations before making the choice of which company you would want to work for. It’s really not possible to say that one is “better” than the other.
DoorDash might be more active in your area, while Grubhub might offer more opportunities overall. Look at both carefully and consider working for one, the other, or even both! You can do that by learning the art of multi-apping. Learn more about multi-apping in this post from Gridwise.
Perks: another way to cash in on your delivery gig
There’s one more thing. It pays to get savvy to the driver rating-related privileges each company has. DoorDash and Grubhub offer similar perks for their drivers. These include discounts and priority for scheduling and being sent larger, more lucrative orders.
Most of the discounts are the same for all drivers, but the other perks require high driver ratings and a high volume of completed deliveries. Find out more about the Grubhubs perk program, or see what Dashers get on the DoorDash website.
Making the most of your delivery gig
While both DoorDash and Grubhub have a lot to offer, there’s a way to get even more out of both. Use Gridwise! With Gridwise, you can
- track your mileage and maximize your tax deductions
- get real-time airport and event information
- record your earnings and see which app is performing best for you
- make more money by discovering Where to Drive and When to Drive
- gain access to affordable insurance and health care, tax help, deals, and discounts designed for gig drivers
- get inside information on all the delivery apps in this Gridwise delivery driver guide
With all these functions and features at your fingertips, Gridwise gives you every advantage you need to do what you want to do most: make more money with your driving gig.
Ready to take your gig work to the next level?
Download Gridwise, the app that helps you track your expenses and maximize your earnings
