Grubhub VS Instacart: Which Is Better? [2025]

If you are not in the mood to step out for dinner, then you always have the option of ordering food online or groceries to make a dish through platforms like Grubhub and Instacart. 

Grubhub and Instacart are two of the most trusted food delivery services across the US, allowing you to choose from a wide variety of food items, and get them delivered to your doorstep within moments.

Yet, as much as we love both, you have to choose one as your ultimate choice, but which one is better for you? Get the answer in our unbiased comparison battle between Grubhub VS Instacart mentioned right below.

Grubhub VS Instacart: A Head-To-Head Comparison

Delivery Speed

Grubhub

Grubhub is primarily known for focusing on restaurant food delivery, and since it only shows you restaurants are shorter distances which are good at quickly preparing your order unless it’s very crowded, it might take less time to deliver than Instacart.

Regardless, when it comes to grocery shopping, although Grubhub guarantees that your grocery will be delivered in minutes, it can still take time, especially if the store gets crowded suddenly or the shopper finds it hard to locate the items. 

As for the exact delivery time, there is no such thing because in both cases, Grubhub will only give you an estimated delivery time because there are multiple factors that can affect delivery, including the order size, complexity, distance, traffic, and weather. 

Instacart

Starting with the food delivery service, Instacart is not very popular for delivering food, although it does have a list of options to offer, so you are not to expect the fastest delivery for food from it, unlike Grubhub.

On the contrary, if we are talking about grocery shopping, Instacart is pretty good at it, and although there won’t be a perfect time allocated for the delivery, you still have more chances of getting it delivered sooner compared to Grubhub.

Additionally, you will only get estimated timing for all your deliveries because, as already mentioned above, deliveries can be affected by a good bunch of things, which can be controlled, neither by the store or restaurant nor by the delivery person. 

Selection Of Restaurants & Grocery Stores

Grubhub

Grubhub is primarily focused on offering you a wide variety of restaurants, cuisines, and flavors so that you can choose from a selection of choices, although it will only show you local favorites and national chains near your house. 

Additionally, Grubhub has partnered with some grocery stores to deliver groceries to your doorstep along with food, but the options will be limited, especially if you don’t stay in a city or crowded area. 

Instacart

Unlike Grubhub, Instacart focuses on grocery stores, so it has partnered with a big list of grocery stores, including local markets and major changes to give you all the options available in the market.

However, it isn’t the same with food delivery because even though it is affiliated with restaurants, the selection is limited, so you won’t get as much to choose from compared to Grubhub. 

Pricing & Fees

Grubhub

Delivery fees for Grubhub differ based on restaurant or grocery store distance, location, and demand, and when it comes to demand, prices can fluctuate throughout the day or stay the same for days. 

Now, there is no exact delivery fee, but it will typically go from $1.99 to $8.99 per order and can be canceled if you have a free delivery deal or offer. 

Along with that, Grubhub charges a service fee, which is a percentage of the order total, ranging from 10% to 15%, differing based on a variety of factors. 

Lastly, restaurant markup is a term where some restaurants and stores can charge higher prices for their items and dishes ordered through Grubhub, or typically online, than they charge in-store.

Instacart

Similar to Grubhub, the delivery fee for your grocery order or restaurant delivery can vary depending on your location, distance, and demand, and you might already know this, but, if the demand is high, then so will be the price. 

Moreover, there is no exact delivery charge, but the radar typically ranges from $3.99 to $9.99 per order, varying based on the conditions mentioned above. 

As for the service fee, you have to pay that here, and they charge it through a percentage on the audit total that ranges from 5% to 10%.

Next, markup on groceries and food delivery is also a term used on Instacart where it will charge a markup on grocery prices, which means prices will be higher than their in-store rates. 

Lastly, Instacart has offered the next level of grocery shopping and food delivery through a subscription-based program called Instacart Express, where you get some benefits like unlimited free delivery on all orders above $35, for $99 per year, or $9.99 monthly as a subscription fee. 

Customer Service 

Both Grubhub and Instacart have their own set of pros and cons when it comes to customer service and overall experience, and to give you a better idea of that — we have mentioned the pros and cons of their customer service below, 

Grubhub

Pros

• They have a dedicated customer support team for restaurant partners.
• You get 24/7 customer support available through live chat, phone, and email. 
• It has a rewards program that comes with exclusive deals and benefits.

Cons

• It has received a mixture of positive and negative reviews.
• Many customers have reported long waiting times, especially experienced at the time of peak hours and festivals. 

Instacart

Pros

• You get to choose from a wide variety of support channels, including email, live chat, phone, and in-app support.
• There is a special customer advocate program for solving complicated problems. 
• Many customers have praised the customer support team for being active, responsive, and helpful. 

Cons

• You may find it difficult to reach a live agent, and it requires a bit of navigating through automated menus that can be confusing for many. 
• Although it is rated high for being responsive, experiences can defer based on different times of day and specific issues. 

Grubhub VS Instacart: For Drivers

Minimum Requirements 

Grubhub

• The driver must be at least 18 years old.
• He/she must have a reliable scooter, bicycle, or car, where requirements for a specific vehicle can differ depending on different cities. 
• They must have valid auto insurance.
• They must also possess a clean driving record and criminal background. 
• A smartphone with a good data plan, along with the Grubhub driver app installed, is required.

Instacart

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must have a reliable car, which is preferred, or a scooter or a bicycle if it is allowed in your city.
• You must have valid auto insurance if you’re using a car. 
• You must pass the driving record and criminal background check successfully.
• You must own a smartphone with a good data plan and have the Instacart shopper app installed. 

Payout

Grubhub

Firstly, Grubhub drivers get a base pay where they get a fee for every delivery day made, depending on the estimated delivery time and distance. 

Secondly, there is a tipping option where customers can tip the drivers directly through the Grubhub app, and Grubhub drivers will receive the full tip without any reduction from Grubhub.

Lastly, Grubhub frequently offers incentives like promotions and peak pay bonuses if you do a good job during busy hours. 

Instacart

When it comes to Instacart, offers batch pay, which includes a combination of different payments like mileage, base pay, and potential bonuses, depending on your work. 

You can view the total batch pay upfront, which allows you to make a good decision, whether you want to accept a certain order or not. 

Lastly, customers are allowed to dip drivers directly through the app and drivers will receive the entire tip without any deduction by Instacart. 

Grubhub VS Instacart: Which Is Better?

Starting with the delivery speed, Grubhub is good at delivering restaurant food and Instacart is best when it comes to grocery shopping. 

Now, both the platforms do offer restaurant and grocery services, but with Grubhub, grocery shopping can be limited, and vice versa for Instacart. 

Next, we have food and grocery selection in line, where — you choose Grubhub for restaurant food delivery and Instacart for grocery delivery, yes, it’s that simple.

However, if you want wide selections for both restaurant food and grocery, then neither of the two can do that, so you’ll have to use both Grubhub and Instacart for restaurant food and grocery delivery, respectively. 

Furthermore, there is no flat fee for shipping and additional costs when it comes to Grubhub and Instacart, but Instacart seems to be charging a bit more than Grubhub, although it is charging for groceries mostly and Grubhub for restaurant delivery.

Along with that, when it comes to customer support for both affiliates and customers, we think both Grubhub and Instacart have some positive and negative points, and experiences can differ based on various factors.

When it comes to drivers, both Grubhub and Instacart have almost the same minimum requirements to join them as drivers, and for payouts, the money differs based on location, the time you are working, and similar conditions. 

Final Words

In the end, the decision lies in your hands because we genuinely think that both Grubhub and Instacart are good options since they both focus on different categories, and they are good at what they do. 

But, if you are a driver, then you must compare the demand and payout for each in your area and then make a decision. 

That is all for this article, and we hope our comparison battle between Grubhub VS Instacart was helpful to you. 

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