DoorDash

DoorDash was founded in 2013 by Stanford students Evan Moore, Andy Fang, Stanley Tang, and Tony Xu, initially launching as Palo Alto Delivery. It grew rapidly to capture the largest share of the US food delivery market — a position it has held since 2019. Today it operates in over 27 cities across the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Germany, connecting more than 27 million monthly active customers with over 700,000 merchant partners. The company went public in December 2020 and has since expanded beyond restaurant food into grocery, alcohol, flowers, and pet supplies through its DashMart convenience stores and retail partnerships. DoorDash works by matching customer orders placed through the app with independent contractors called Dashers, who pick up and deliver the food. The app experience is polished: you browse by cuisine type, restaurant rating, estimated delivery time, or current promotions. The checkout flow is clear, and the live tracking map gives you a reliable ETA. The DashPass subscription, at $9.99 per month, waives delivery fees and reduces service fees on orders above $12 from eligible restaurants, making it genuinely cost-effective for anyone who orders more than three or four times a month. Beyond restaurants, DoorDash has built a grocery delivery network with partners including Albertsons and Aldi. DoorDash is best suited for urban and suburban US customers who order frequently enough to justify DashPass. Without the subscription, fees stack up quickly — a $15 burrito can easily cost $22-$25 with delivery, service, and tip. Against competitors, DoorDash holds the edge in restaurant selection and geographic coverage over Uber Eats in most US cities, while Grubhub has faded to a distant third. Internationally, Uber Eats is the stronger choice. For users already deep in the Uber ecosystem, Uber One is worth comparing. For most US-centric users, DoorDash's restaurant catalog and DashPass value proposition keep it ahead.

Features

• →DashPass Subscription — A $9.99/month membership that eliminates delivery fees and reduces service fees on eligible orders, paying for itself in just a few orders per month.
• →Live GPS Tracking — Real-time map view shows your Dasher's exact location from restaurant pickup through front-door delivery with accurate time estimates.
• →DashMart Convenience — On-demand delivery from DoorDash-operated virtual convenience stores stocking groceries, household items, and snacks in major metro areas.
• →Ratings & Re-ordering — Per-item rating system lets you mark what you liked, powering smarter recommendations and one-tap reorders from past restaurants.

Final take

DoorDash is the best all-around food delivery app for US customers thanks to its unmatched restaurant coverage and the strong value of DashPass for frequent users. The fees without a subscription are steep, but if you order 4+ times a month, DashPass more than pays for itself. It is the default pick for most Americans.