Submitted by Fred Straker on
Ordering food from your favorite restaurant has never been easier. Deliveries can be tracked in real-time as they are dropped at your doorstep hot and fresh. Just grab the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and browse the menu in comfort. Even paying the bill is effortless, with charges and tips for the driver going straight to a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay. There are many food delivery apps to choose from, but some restaurants only deal with one online system.
If you don't see your local favorite in one app, they may use another to manage their deliveries. In any case, here are the top food delivery apps for iOS and iPadOS:
- GrubHub: Local Food Delivery
- Uber Eats: Order Food Delivery
- DoorDash Currently the top rated app in Food & Drink, DoorDash offers a huge variety of cuisines, from local favorites to large chain restaurants. DoorDash is free, and offers its own subscription service called DashPass. DashPass offers free delivery from eligible restaurants, as well as reduced service fees for a cost of $9.99 per month. DoorDash users can schedule food deliveries in advance, and see real-time tracking of their orders. DoorDash menus have no minimum order, with payments sent via Apple Pay or credit card.
- Postmates
- Seamless
- Yelp
- Delivery.com - Food & Alcohol
- Caviar
GrubHub is incredibly popular, with a long list of restaurants offering delivery or pickup for takeout orders. GrubHub is free, and offers its own subscription option called GrubHub+ for $9.99 per month with a free two-week trial. Subscribers get unlimited free delivery from nearby restaurants, 10 percent cash back, access to GrubHub's Elite Care team, and more. GrubHub boasts the largest selection of restaurants nationwide, built-in ratings, real-time order tracking, and deals and specials.
Uber doesn't only provide taxi service for passengers. Its spinoff Uber Eats uses the same car tracking system to monitor local food deliveries from restaurants in your area. Food from any menu in the app can be added to your cart, then a driver will deliver to your doorstep. Food can also be ordered for pickup. Start browsing with the free Uber Eats app by cuisine, restaurant name, dish, or meal for options. Payments and tips are send through the app using a credit card or Uber Cash.
Postmates offers quick delivery with many exclusive restaurants on its roster. Features include real-time order tracking, Postmates Pickup for takeout orders, and Postmates Party, which shows trending restaurants with free delivery. Unlimited Membership is available for $9.99 per month, giving subscribers free delivery on all orders over $12. Postmates has partnerships with large chain restaurants, and delivers almost anything from any restaurant on its roster. All transactions are digital, with no need for cash.
Newest iPhone FAQs
Seamless is essentially the same as GrubHub. Not only are the apps and features remarkably similar, both companies provide virtually the same service. The reason for this is that GrubHub and Seamless merged, with the larger GrubHub comprising the parent company. After the merger, GrubHub decided to retain the Seamless brand. Seamless was earlier on the food delivery scene, with a larger customer base at the time of the merger. But at this point, both apps offer the same delivery options.
Did you know that Yelp has built-in restaurant reservations, delivery, and pickup options? Most know Yelp as the place to go when looking for a place to go, most notably while traveling. But Yelp users can also find the right restaurant to deliver food right to their doorstep. Finding the newest and hottest restaurants in your local area is simple, and Yelp indicates whether they are open for delivery or takeout. In fact, Yelp's food delivery functions are delivered in partnership with GrubHub. This means that GrubHub, Seamless, and Yelp offer a similar roster of delivery options.
delivery.com offers a twist right in the app name. Not only can customers order pickup or deliver of food, but local merchants in some places can deliver beer, wine, or liquor to your door. In fact, delivery.com offers pickup and delivery of food, alcohol, laundry, and groceries all in a single app. Earn delivery points with every order, which can be redeemed for food, prizes, or donated to charity. Future meals can be scheduled in advance for delivery at a specific time, and the app supports group and office ordering for simplifying orders made by multiple people at the same time.
Caviar is available in select cities, with easy-to-search curated collections of restaurants. Caviar has exclusive local restaurants, with online chat support. Many restaurants offer free delivery fees, and the Staff Picks section shows local favorites. Other categories include low-carb, healthy enough, dishes under $15, women-powered, pizza, and many more. New Caviar customers get free delivery for their first month.