11 Jobs Like DoorDash That Make Money

The gig economy offers a number of ways to make money as a side hustle, including doing work for companies such as DoorDash.

DoorDash delivery isn’t the only way to get paid doing this type of driving job. There are other delivery gigs such as DoorDash that can help you learn how to make money on your own schedule.

You might know that Uber offers the chance to make money as a rideshare driver. However, Uber also offers a food delivery service. If you’re already an Uber driver, it’s relatively easy to sign up: Go to the Work Hub on your Account page and sign up to deliver food.

You can also sign up directly to be an Uber Eats driver without being an Uber driver who takes passengers.

As with many similar jobs, you need to have a reliable vehicle and meet other criteria. Uber Eats will let you deliver on a bike or scooter as well as with a car, so if you aren’t a car driver, you can still make extra money through this program. You can choose weekly payouts or even get payouts throughout the day using Instant Pay. There is a small fee for using Instant Pay, however.

Find out more in our full guide to Uber Eats.

Grubhub is a food delivery app. As a Grubhub delivery driver, you can use a car or bike. You can also choose to receive branded items, such as decals and warming bags, to help your efforts.

It’s relatively easy to make money as a Grubhub driver as long as you’re at least 19 years old and have a smartphone. Plus, you can cash out daily (for a small fee) and, as with similar apps, keep 100% of the tips you earn.

Visit Grubhub.

Although other jobs on this list focus on restaurant food delivery, Instacart focuses more on grocery shopping. Instead of picking up restaurant orders, you shop at a grocery store on behalf of another.

To work as an Instacart shopper, you must be 18, have access to a smartphone, and have reliable access to a vehicle.

You do need to go through an approval process, but after that, you can start earning. You’ll learn how much you get paid for each shop, and keep the tips you earn.

Check out our full guide to shopping with Instacart for more info.

Shipt offers two options for earning money. One is a service similar to Instacart, where you shop and deliver items to customers who order from certain stores. Shipt shoppers are paid by order.

In certain cities, Shipt also allows you to deliver packages from Target, and you don’t have to do any shopping. Instead, you’re provided with a route. You pick up the packages at the designated Target store and then drop them off at the correct locations.

With Shipt, you need a valid driver’s license, a reliable vehicle, and you need to meet other criteria. You have the flexibility to review your route and work as often as you want. You also have the option to receive weekly payment for each completed route or to receive payment with daily cashouts. There may be a fee for cashing out daily.

Learn more in our full guide to Shipt.

This is another of the jobs like DoorDash that doesn’t focus on food, but instead focuses on package delivery. Amazon Flex sets up its delivery system in blocks, so you will deliver the packages based on the time it takes in the block. You’re also eligible to receive tips as an Amazon Flex driver.

As with many of these types of jobs like DoorDash, you need regular, reliable access to a mid-size or larger vehicle and a driver’s license. You need to be 21 years old or older, and you also need a smartphone so you can stay up to date and take orders.

Check the list of cities where Amazon is recruiting Flex drivers for more information about whether you’re in an eligible area.

Visit Amazon Flex.

Postmates is another service that focuses on food delivery. You can review a list of cities in your state to see if you’re in an area served by Postmates, and then sign up. Postmates allows you to use a car, bike, or scooter to make deliveries, as long as you meet their other criteria.

As with other food delivery jobs such as DoorDash, you can set which hours you're available and choose which deliveries to accept. You’ll see how much you’re likely to get paid and be able to earn tips.

Learn more in our Postmates review. 

Gopuff touts its on-demand ability to get you just about anything. Gopuff has its own locations, so deliver from its locations rather than driving to multiple stores or restaurants. As with many of these jobs, you need to have reliable transportation and be willing to deliver items to various locations. You’ll also need to pass a motor vehicle record and criminal background check.

Visit Gopuff.

Roadie takes the concept of delivery driving to the next level by allowing you to schedule driving and deliveries around trips you’re already taking. This can be a short trip across town, or you can sign up to make deliveries as part of a cross-country road trip.

On top of that, you get tips on top of your guaranteed payout. Plus, Roadie has agreements to help you earn rewards and discounts at various other chains, like Waffle House.

You can set your route and let Roadie know, or you can choose to accept a commission from Roadie, with all the information you need to make a choice about whether the delivery makes sense for you. You need a reliable vehicle, but there are no minimum requirements for the type of vehicle or its age.

Visit Roadie.

Drizly is a little different from the other jobs on this list in that you’re not being hired by Drizly. Instead, Drizly is a service that helps connect local alcohol and liquor stores to deliver to those in their area. You actually get work through the liquor store that uses Drizly.

You can fill out a form that can help you connect to liquor stores in your area looking for delivery drivers. You do need to be at least 21 to drive for Drizly, as the company only handles beer, wine, and liquor.

Visit Drizly.

This is another delivery/courier service that offers just about everything. Its delivery drivers are called runners and can deliver dry cleaning and other items as well as groceries, restaurant food and fast food. You can earn a portion of the delivery fee plus tips, as well as earn money when you refer others to become runners with Favor.

To sign up, you need a reliable vehicle, clean driving record and to be at least 18 years old. This service is primarily located in Texas, so if you don’t live in the Lone Star state, you’ll need to opt for another option on this list.

Visit Favor.

Similar to Drizly, drivers for Eaze are actually hired by retailers. In this case, those retailers are licensed to sell cannabis. If you live in an area where it’s legal, you can apply to bring these products to consumers looking for them.

For now, Eaze is only available in California, but it might spread. So, if you’re in California and meet the age and driving requirements, you might be able to pick up extra hours as a cannabis delivery driver.

Visit Eaze.

If you decide that being a successful delivery driver is the right move for you to make extra money, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Know the vehicle requirements. Some have specific vehicle requirements. It might be based on how old the vehicle is, or you might not be allowed to deliver on a bike in some areas. Understand those requirements before going forward.
• Have an up-to-date phone. To use these apps, you’ll want to have a phone capable of running the latest version of iOS or Android. It doesn’t have to be the newest phone — just one that can stay updated.
• Understand the insurance requirements. In some cases, if you’re using your vehicle for a business purpose, like delivery driving, you might need to get additional car insurance. Check to see what type of insurance is required before you move forward. In some cases, jobs such as DoorDash offer some level of insurance coverage as part of the gig.
• Know how you get paid. These apps typically offer a combination of base pay and tips. Be sure you know the ins and outs of how you get paid and when you can access your pay and cash it out to your bank account.
• Track your mileage. When you’re driving for business purposes, the IRS allows a certain amount per mile. In 2023, you can claim a deduction of 65.5 cents per mile for business tasks. So, keep track of your mileage on each trip you take.
• Sign up for more than one app. Don’t limit yourself to just one app. You can sign up for multiple apps and that can increase the chances of getting gigs. Be careful, though. You might not be able to double-dip, so you might need to turn off the other apps or set yourself as unavailable when you’re fulfilling a commission for a different app.
• Pay attention to high-demand times. Track your times to see when there’s greater demand. For example, prior to a big event such as the Super Bowl, you might be able to get more commissions from people looking to get last-minute and forgotten items delivered to their homes.
• Make sure it’s worth it. Sometimes it’s not worth it if you’re just driving around and aren’t getting commissions or if the pay doesn’t match the time it takes. Be aware of how much time it takes you to go shopping and what tips you get. For some drivers, signing up for Amazon Flex makes more sense than the time it takes for Instacart, for example.

How much do DoorDash drivers make?

How much you actually make as a Dasher depends on how many deliveries you make, as well as the amount in tips you receive.

What apps pay better than DoorDash?

It’s hard to say what would pay better than DoorDash because your hourly pay as an independent contractor with a delivery app depends largely on how long you take and how many orders you can complete.

Do jobs like DoorDash pay for gas?

Generally, you’re expected to pay for your own gas. The amount you pay for gas can eat into your overall earnings. However, you can claim mileage on your taxes, which can offset a portion of the gas, auto insurance, and maintenance costs for using your car.

Getting a primary or side gig as a delivery driver could be a good way to earn extra cash that helps you meet other financial goals. And because you can set your own hours and work part time or full time, these gigs are flexible. Another perk is not having to worry about entertaining passengers.

Carefully research different opportunities to see what’s likely to work best for you, and whether it makes sense to sign up for multiple apps.

You can also check out our article on best side hustles to find other ways to make extra cash.