THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURES. FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Many people have been making good money using Instacart.
But grocery shopping isn’t for everyone.
And with more and more people choosing to become personal shoppers, you might not be making as much money as you used to.
While making less money isn’t ideal, the good news is that there are many other jobs like Instacart out there.
Some are in the food industry, while others are simply delivery services.
Whether you want to deliver food, groceries, or even packages, applications like Deliv, GoPuff, and TaskRabbit have ready jobs for you.
Keep reading to learn the best delivery jobs out there so you can make the most money possible.
Table of Contents
What Is Instacart?
Instacart is one of the most popular grocery shopping and delivery service app.
The application allows clients to submit a list of groceries they want and other relevant details like coupons.
Once the shopping list is on the platform, a food delivery driver working with Instacart will take up the job and go out to shop and deliver.
Most people who use the Instacart delivery service are either too busy to find time or homebound for various reasons, including the inability to leave their homes physically.
As a delivery agent, you need to have a reliable means of transport because some delivery orders can be quite heavy.
You also need a GPS when the delivery location is outside your familiar location.
Other than that, the only requirement to start working with Instacart is you are 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license.
Drivers working for Instacart can earn between $15 and $25 per hour, depending on how big or small the orders are.
Instacart Shopper Roles
There are two main roles for Instacart shoppers:
Full-Service Shopper
The role involves shopping and delivering orders to customers through the Instacart app.
To qualify for this role, you must be 18 or older, have a valid driver’s license, and be eligible to work in Canada or the U.S.
You must also have a registered functioning vehicle that fulfills all the vehicle-related local laws and has insurance.
The full-service shopper role requires a lot of time because you are the one to do all the shopping and then deliver to respective customers.
The role has no limitations on the choice of batches to shop or the number of orders to fulfill.
Physical strength is also a requirement because the job involves lifting heavy packages and products.
However, anyone who can lift 30 pounds or more is acceptable.
The last requirement is a smartphone with a current operating system to help you see client orders on the Instacart food delivery app and communicate with the client.
You can make as much money as you want, depending on how fast you can deliver a complete order to your clients.
In-Store Shopper
The in-store shopper role is only responsible for picking items from the shelves in a supermarket and staging them.
The most significant advantage of this role is that you do not need a car or any other car-related requirements.
You only need a smartphone, be 18 years of age or older, and be eligible to work in Instacart’s business locations.
You should also be able to lift 30 pounds of groceries or more.
The main difference between a full-service shopper role and the in-store shopper one is that one is an independent contractor and the other an employee.
Full-service shoppers are usually independent contractors, meaning they have more freedom around their schedule and can decide how much they want to make in a day.
While in-store shoppers are not gig workers, they do food delivery jobs as part-time jobs, taking up shifts and working up to 29 hours a week.
25 Best Jobs Like Instacart
There are many Instacart alternatives that you can use to get food delivery jobs in your local restaurants.
Some of these apps also partner with local stores and other local businesses to facilitate delivery.
You can use the apps we list below to get delivery side hustles and start making money delivering food and other packages.
#1. Doordash
Doordash is a food delivery company operating in Canada, Australia, and the U.S.
The company partners with local restaurants to deliver food to customers through delivery drivers, usually known as Dashers.
One of the best things about Doordash is that the app displays all the money information before you take the order, including whether there is a tip or not.
The minimum amount of money you can make on one order is $6, and any tip you get belongs to you.
The company has made it possible for many people to make money delivering food by not limiting their transportation modes.
At Doordash, you can use a bicycle, a scooter, or a car to deliver food to clients.
#2. Shipt
Shipt is one of the jobs like Instacart that pay you to shop for clients from all over the country.
Delivery drivers can make up to $22 an hour or more delivering packages in familiar neighborhoods.
Shipt is a delivery service with local stores like Walmart, Petco, H-E-B, and Target.
If you have a branch in your neighborhood, you can apply for food delivery jobs with the company.
You can create your own schedule on Shipt, but you must do it five days before proper planning.
#3. Uber Eats
Uber has been in the market for a while now, but its popularity stems from driving people around.
However, they have now added food delivery services to their portfolio, making it easy for an Uber driver to make more money.
You can register as a driver and delivery driver for Uber Eats.
They have recently combined the delivery and the driver program under the name One Earner, allowing drivers to earn from both opportunities.
#4. Postmates
Postmates redefines flexibility in the delivery industry by allowing its delivery drivers to deliver groceries, food, drinks, and even office supplies.
The pay rates vary based on the city you want to work with and other factors like the car you use, the delivery time, and the distance.
You will make money based on the number of orders you deliver daily.
Postmates is one of the best jobs like Instacart because it allows you to use various means of transportation.
You can create your own schedule, make up to $18 in most cities, and choose the orders you want to deliver.
#5. Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh delivers groceries, Prime Pantry, everyday essentials, and a wide selection of frozen and fresh items.
The delivery service caters mainly to Prime Amazon members who deliver their orders for free.
However, jobs for people aged 21 and above are always available.
It is easy to get a delivery driver job with Amazon Fresh because the company operates in most cities in the U. S.
The hourly pay is somewhere between $20 and $31.
#6. Favor
Like most other delivery applications we have discussed, Favor is a food and groceries delivery app.
It is in its early stages of growth, meaning it might not be available in every city in the U.S.
However, drivers in Texas and all the nearby cities can apply for the delivery app jobs and make $10-$18 per hour.
As a food delivery driver, you also get to keep 100% of the tips you receive on the job.
Unlike established food delivery apps, Favor works with local cuisine providers and not just chain restaurants.
#7. Dispatchit
Dispatchit is a dispatch company that allows you to deliver packages using your own car and make some cash.
The requirements for the delivery driver job are simple.
You must be 23 years or older, have a car that can carry items, car insurance, a smartphone, and pass a background check.
Payment is per gig. According to estimates, you can make between $9 and $30 as a delivery driver for Dispatchit.
#8. Grubhub
Grubhub is one of the jobs like Instacart with high-paying gigs and a lot of flexibility.
You choose when to work and what jobs to take.
Like Instacart, you get to keep all your tips and deliver food to customers for hourly pay of $20 per hour.
However, that amount is paid based on each order and the miles you drive to pick up and deliver the food to the customers.
The requirements include a state ID, 19 years of age, and passing a background check.
#9. Caviar
You can be your own boss by registering as a food delivery service provider with Caviar and getting paid instantly.
Like all the other jobs like Instacart, where you can make money delivering groceries or shopping, Caviar gives gig workers a chance to work at their own hours.
With the app, you can deliver meals and earn up to $25 per hour.
Caviar hires independent drivers but expects them to offer excellent customer service to all customers.
You need a reliable vehicle and a smartphone to start accepting tasks.
#10. FreshDirect
FreshDirect is more like Instacart and gives jobs to someone with their own car and some free time to take delivery gigs.
The company has been around longer than Instacart, which is why they offer more services.
Also, each independent contractor can make multiple deliveries to make that extra cash per hour during their spare time.
Like Instacart and other apps, a FreshDirect grocery delivery driver can deliver groceries, food, and grocery shopping for clients.
The delivery shifts are flexible, making earning more money easily when you have the time.
You can earn money every two weeks with the FreshDirect gigs that pay between $17 and $20 per hour.
#11. Point Pickup
Point Pickup is one of the Instacart alternatives that offer other delivery gigs like pre-scheduled package delivery.
It works with major retailers like Walmart and Kroger to do on-demand same-day deliveries.
Like all the other delivery driver apps we have discussed, Point Pickup gives the drivers a flexible schedule.
The drivers can deliver various goods, including grocery delivery and other items like alcohol and general merchandise.
- Related: Learn how to make money with a van
You can expect to be paid weekly when working with this delivery company and make $7-$22 per hour.
#12. Kanga
If you are in Atlanta, then Kanga is your best option to earn money through deliveries.
Once you download the app and register, you can earn extra money through grocery and meal delivery gigs.
You get paid weekly through PayPal, and the amount of money you will likely make per hour is $30.
Kanga has a list of requirements to become a driver, but most are personal details and background checks.
#13. Burpy
Burpy is a delivery service in Texas where customers place orders on the web, and independent contractors deliver the ordered items to the customer.
The working hours are flexible, and a driver can make up to $25 per hour.
The app mainly focuses on grocery delivery from local shops like Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, and HEB.
The payment ranges between $15 and $20 per hour, which could be more depending on the number of jobs you take.
You can navigate the delivery challenges by using cash back apps and free gas to save money when doing deliveries.
#14. DeliverThat
DeliverThat is a food delivery app like Uber Eats but with more accountability than any other delivery app.
Drivers are required to verify a customer’s order before they deliver it by taking a photo of the food right before delivery.
That makes it easy to deliver the correct order to the client and avoid customer disappointments.
Making money is easy because drivers get between $20 and $28 per hour.
As you can see from the rates, it is one of the best food delivery jobs you can get in the food delivery scene.
#15. Bite Squad
Bite Squad is another excellent food delivery jobs app that hires drivers to take food to customers.
The delivery company works with various fast food joints and restaurants to deliver meals to clients.
They have flexible schedules for drivers, and the pay is between $17 and $24 hourly.
Like Uber Eats and many other food and grocery delivery driver jobs, you should have a driver’s license and be 18 years old.
#16. GoPuff
GoPuff delivers everything people need, from groceries to food, snacks, and alcohol.
It has reasonable pay rates and allows its drivers to work at their convenience.
With such a side hustle, you can make and save money while having a good work-life balance.
All you need is to know how to drive, have a working smartphone, and have a valid driver’s license.
#17. Dumpling
Unlike other delivery applications like Instacart and Uber Eats, Dumpling requires you to create a personal shopper profile.
You also pay a monthly subscription of about $49 per month to get a custom URL and branding.
The information on your profile should include your availability and the stores where you shop.
Dumpling also allows you to set a default tip minimum and retain 100% of all the tips you get from customers.
#18. Peapod
Peapod is a small delivery company that hires delivery workers rather than contract them.
Their main focus is grocery delivery, and the average hourly pay for the drivers is $13.53.
You can apply for the job as a delivery driver and work during your spare time to earn that extra cash.
#19. Walmart Delivery
Walmart is a high-paying grocery store.
They achieve high pay rates by limiting shoppers to one store each with no multiple locations allowed.
Therefore, you can take as many orders in your assigned store as possible.
They pay between $9 and $15 per delivery, which is way higher than all other grocery delivery jobs.
Walmart Delivery has the best rates when you compare that pay rate with other grocery shopping and delivery jobs that pay for both the distance and time taken to deliver a package.
#20. Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex works almost the same as Amazon Fresh because the same company offers both services.
To become an Amazon Flex driver, you need to have a valid license, be of 21 years of age, and be eligible to work in the U.S.
With the Flex service, you deliver packages to people in your spare time.
#21. Waitr
Waitr collaborates with local hotels to provide food delivery services for lunch and dinner.
The app is available for Android and apple operating systems and is accessible around the clock.
To work for Waitr as a delivery driver, you need a reliable car with insurance, have a clean background, and be available to work 20 hours a week.
Waitr hires drivers as both employees and independent gig workers.
You can also decide to do the job full-time or part-time.
Whatever working plan you pick, the company allows you to have a flexible schedule where you can work when convenient.
#22. Relay
Relay delivery providers connect local food joints to customers and provide earning opportunities to people in New York, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.
Working hours are between 7 in the morning and 11:30 at night.
You can do the job part-time, full-time, as a contractor, or temporarily.
You have the flexibility to work during the time you want within the delivery timeline and do the number of deliveries you want.
Apart from the usual delivery job requirements, Relay requires you to have a pizza basket on your bike if it is your preferred mode of transportation.
#23. Mr. Delivery
Mr. Delivery delivers almost everything you need from the store.
A driver working at the company will therefore deliver drinks, food, groceries, and even laundry.
You can find the sign-up form online, where you fill in all the relevant details to get a delivery job with Mr. Delivery.
Payment information is available on the driver app dashboard, and the rates are between $9 and $12 per hour.
They do not have the best rates, but you could make extra cash to help you cater to some of your recurring bills.
#24. Roadie
The service is about delivering packages and is available nationwide.
This gig economy job allows you to work flexible hours and make extra money without infringing on other jobs or life activities.
Roadie partners with various transportation companies like Delta Airlines and Home Depot to make delivery a success.
Drivers take groceries and other big packages like bikes and gear to customers all over the country.
Payment is per delivery, and customers can also give tips to the drivers.
#25. Deliv
Last but not least, we have Deliv, a delivery company that operates in many states in the U.S.
Unlike other delivery apps, drivers work with scheduled shifts to ensure there will always be someone available to work.
They pay a per-minute and per-mile rate through a direct deposit, and the rates differ in different cities.
Final Thoughts
There are so many gig economy jobs like Instacart that you can do to boost your income and achieve your financial goals.
Whether you decide to work full-time or part-time, most of these jobs will give you enough money to cover some of your bills or boost your savings.
The flexibility and easy application processes are some of the perks of working for a delivery service app.
Even if you decide to dedicate only two hours in a day, high-paying delivery hustles like Doordash and Grubhub will give you significant earnings.
Now that you know the requirements and the pay rates for each job we listed, you have many choices for your next side gig.
Try any of the above jobs to see whether you can increase your earning potential by working during your free time.