If you’ve been driving in the gig economy for a while, you already know one truth: no two cities are alike. The traffic patterns, the customers, the tipping culture, and even the kinds of restaurants available can all shape your earnings. But here’s the twist most drivers overlook — the app you use matters just as much as the city you’re in.
New Gridwise insights shows that the “best” platform is different depending on where you drive. In one city, Grubhub might top the charts. In another, Uber Eats or Gopuff could be the most reliable money-maker. And across multiple markets, DoorDash — despite being the biggest player — often trails the competition.
That means your earnings aren’t just about how hard you work. They’re about strategy. The right app in the right city could boost your hourly rate by several dollars, while the wrong one might hold you back.
Here's what we cover:
App Earnings Vary More Than You Think
Between July and December 2024, Gridwise analyzed average gross hourly earnings across five major platforms: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Gopuff, and Instacart. The numbers included everything — base pay, tips, bonuses, and even the downtime between requests.
What the data revealed was clear: platform earnings shift dramatically depending on location. In Miami, Gopuff delivered the highest hourly earnings, while in Philadelphia and New York City, Grubhub consistently outperformed the competition. Across all three cities, DoorDash paid the least per hour.
This isn’t just a slight difference. In some cases, the gap between the highest-earning platform and the lowest was $5–$6 an hour. For full-time drivers, that can add up to hundreds of dollars a month — simply by choosing the right app for the city you’re in.
A Look at Three Cities
Miami: Gopuff Wins Out
In Miami, Gopuff drivers came out on top, averaging nearly $15 an hour. Grubhub followed at about $14, while Uber Eats and Instacart hovered closer to $12. DoorDash trailed significantly at under $10 an hour.
The numbers reflect the challenges of this market. Miami drivers often face longer distances between customers, heavy traffic, and more competition for orders. That combination drags down efficiency, making platform choice even more critical. For drivers relying only on DoorDash here, the gap is striking — you could be earning 30% less than your peers who focus on Gopuff.
Philadelphia: Grubhub Takes the Lead
In Philadelphia, Grubhub drivers earned the most, averaging about $16.50 an hour. Uber Eats followed closely at $15.40, while Gopuff came in at $14. DoorDash and Instacart both hovered near $12 an hour.
The city sits in the middle compared to Miami and New York — denser neighborhoods than Miami but less intensity than New York. That balance creates steady demand without overwhelming traffic. For drivers, the key takeaway is that Grubhub and Uber Eats clearly outperform the rest here, and multi-apping between them could help minimize downtime and maximize pay.
New York City: Grubhub Dominates
In New York, Grubhub pulled far ahead of the competition, with drivers averaging $18.60 an hour. Uber Eats followed at $16.70, while DoorDash, Instacart, and Gopuff all earned just above $13 an hour.
What makes New York different is density. Short delivery distances, constant demand, and a strong tipping culture all add up to higher earnings. With so many orders packed into tight areas, drivers can complete more trips per hour, which multiplies the impact of higher per-order tips. That’s why Grubhub’s edge in New York isn’t just a few dollars — it’s a consistent advantage that can translate into hundreds of extra dollars each month for full-time drivers.
Average Hourly Earnings by City and Platform
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how the major gig apps stacked up in Miami, Philadelphia, and New York City. These numbers include base pay, tips, and bonuses, giving a clear picture of which platforms performed best in each market.
Average Hourly Earnings by City and Platform (Jul–Dec 2024)
| City | Grubhub hourly pay | Uber Eats hourly pay | Gopuff hourly pay | Instacart hourly pay | DoorDash hourly pay |
| Miami, FL | $14.00 | $12.10 | $14.90 | $12.20 | $9.40 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $16.50 | $15.40 | $14.00 | $12.00 | $12.30 |
| New York City, NY | $18.60 | $16.70 | $13.40 | $13.20 | $13.20 |
Takeaway: The best-paying gig app isn’t the same everywhere. In Miami, Gopuff led the way, while Grubhub dominated in Philadelphia and New York City. Across all three markets, DoorDash consistently ranked lowest, showing why it’s important to compare platforms based on where you drive.
Why Platforms Perform Differently Across Markets
Several factors explain why one app pays more in one city and less in another:
- Customer demand. Each platform has different levels of popularity in different regions. If more customers in your city use Uber Eats, for example, you’ll likely see more frequent requests there than on other apps.
- Restaurant and retailer partnerships. Apps don’t all work with the same merchants. Grubhub’s strong ties with long-established restaurants in cities like New York and Philadelphia give it a steady base of high-value orders, while Gopuff’s warehouse model drives success in markets like Miami.
- Driver supply. The number of active drivers also shapes earnings. If an app is flooded with drivers in one market, wait times go up and pay per trip often falls.
- Local culture and tipping habits. Cities with higher tipping norms can boost average hourly pay on certain apps. Likewise, areas with longer delivery distances or more traffic can drag down earnings.
- Promotions and bonuses. Each platform sets promotions at the city level. Peak pay, bonuses, and challenges may look generous in one market but be nearly absent in another.
- Local pay regulations. Laws matter too. Cities like New York have set minimum pay standards for delivery workers, forcing platforms to adjust pay structures. These rules can drive up average earnings compared to cities without such protections.
The bottom line is that no single platform dominates everywhere. The app that delivers the best results in your market is determined by a mix of demand, competition, local habits, and even local laws.
How You Can Find Your Best App Match
Charts like the ones we’ve shared are a great starting point, but averages can only tell part of the story. Even in cities with minimum pay standards, such as New York, not every driver experiences the same results. Regulations can raise the floor on earnings, but they don’t guarantee you’re on the best app for your schedule, your location, or your style of driving.
That’s why it’s so important to track your own performance. Two drivers working in the same city can have completely different outcomes depending on which platform they choose, when they drive, and where they position themselves.
Gridwise makes this easy. By linking your gig accounts, you’ll see exactly:
- Which app is paying you the most per hour.
- When and where your trips are the most profitable.
- How downtime, bonuses, and tips affect your real take-home pay.
Instead of guessing whether a new law, a peak pay promotion, or a different platform is working in your favor, you’ll have data to prove it.
Ready to take your gig work to the next level?
Download Gridwise, the app that helps you track your expenses and maximize your earnings
