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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Instacart Shopper vs Uber

Instacart Shopper 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner Uber
Uber 4.4★ · Free to download 65

For those prioritizing consistent earning opportunities and a more established platform for ride-sharing, Uber might be a slightly better choice, despite its own set of driver frustrations.

Full reviews: Instacart Shopper · Uber

Instacart Shopper and Uber both offer flexible earning opportunities, but both platforms face significant criticism from drivers regarding low pay, app bugs, and poor customer support. Instacart Shopper struggles with job availability and verification issues, while Uber drivers frequently complain about navigation problems and unfair pay structures.

Head to head

Earning Potential & Pay tieR2R9R10R13
Instacart Shopper Many Instacart Shoppers report that pay is too low for the effort, especially considering gas prices and the number of items or trips involved R13R42R47R50. Some also claim that promised benefits like 'Diamond' status don't lead to better orders, calling it a 'scam' R10. There are also complaints about heavy item pay being missed and general underpayment . However, some users still find it a good way to make 'extra money easily' or 'good money' R2R9.
Uber Uber drivers frequently express dissatisfaction with low pay, citing offers as low as $3 for long trips . Many feel that Uber underpays drivers while overcharging customers, with Uber taking a large percentage of the fare . Drivers also note that they need to work long hours to earn reasonable money . Despite these complaints, some drivers report making 'pretty good money' and find it a 'great earning source' .
App Reliability & Bugs tieR3R5R7R9
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper users report frequent app crashes , verification issues that prevent them from working R3R7, and general buggy behavior R9. A significant complaint is the app's failure to show item locations within stores, making shopping time-consuming R5.
Uber Uber drivers also experience app issues, including connectivity problems , navigation glitches R74R77R95R96, and the app crashing or closing down . Some drivers mention that the speed limit sensor is slow and directions can be wrong R74. There are also reports of the app not showing trip details like the ultimate destination .
Job Availability & Assignment edge: Instacart ShopperR5R12R16R19
Instacart Shopper Many Instacart Shoppers struggle with a lack of available jobs, experiencing long downtimes even in prime locations R5R12R19. New shoppers report being on waitlists for extended periods R16R22. There's a perception that orders are scarce and taken quickly by 'bots & scripts' .
Uber Uber drivers also face issues with job availability, with some reporting not getting enough trips for months . Drivers complain about being sent low-paying orders far out of the way and being punished for declining them . Some also note that after recent updates, rejecting a bad trip can lead to no new requests for almost an hour .
Customer Support tieR1R4R9R13
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper's customer support is widely criticized for being slow, unhelpful, and difficult to reach R1R4R9R13. Users report being disconnected or receiving unhelpful responses, with some issues like document verification or payment subsidies going unresolved R4.
Uber Uber's customer service also receives strong negative feedback, with drivers calling it 'absolute worst' and claiming support agents are unable to help . Drivers struggle to contact support, even those with 'Gold driver' status . Issues like failed background checks or account deactivation are reported as unresolvable through support .
Driver Experience & Policies tieR1R6R20R31
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shoppers face issues with unfair customer ratings R6, customers adding too many items to orders R20, and problems with digital payment cards not being accepted everywhere R1. Some feel undervalued by the company R31 and frustrated by policies like not allowing tips for 'shop only' orders .
Uber Uber drivers complain about unfair policies, such as acceptance rates declining for declining Uber Eats offers when they prefer rides . They also mention issues with wait time fees not being applied correctly and being accused of 'discrimination' or blamed for missing items in sealed bags . Some drivers feel unappreciated and that the app is unfair to them R74.
Pick Instacart Shopper if

You are looking for a flexible way to earn money by shopping for groceries and are willing to navigate occasional app bugs and potential downtime R2R35.

Pick Uber if

You are interested in both ride-sharing and food delivery, and value the flexibility of setting your own schedule, despite concerns about pay and app navigation .

Evidence note: Both apps receive a significant number of negative reviews, especially concerning pay and app reliability, despite their high lifetime ratings. The free-to-download model for both means many negative reviews come from users frustrated with earning potential or app friction, rather than a paid service. The evidence for both is robust and covers similar pain points for gig workers.

Frequently asked

Is it easy to get started with Instacart Shopper?
Getting started with Instacart Shopper can be challenging, as many users report being placed on a waitlist for extended periods, sometimes over a year, with no available spots for new shoppers R16R22. However, once approved, some find the app easy to use, guiding them step-by-step R35.
Do Uber drivers have issues with navigation?
Yes, Uber drivers frequently report issues with the app's navigation, including glitches, incorrect directions, and the GPS being inaccurate or slow to update speed limits R74R77R95R96. Some drivers also note that the map view can be zoomed out too far or that the app directs them to incorrect entry points for addresses .
Are the pay rates fair for Instacart Shoppers?
Many Instacart Shoppers feel the pay rates are not fair, citing low offers for high item counts, long distances, and heavy items, especially when considering gas prices R13R42R47R50. Some also report issues with not receiving heavy item pay or being generally underpaid .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Use my referral code LAID085EE1: I love this app. You can make extra money easily ☺️
  2. [R9] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Issues and bugs: The opportunity to make good money out of shopping from Instacart is amazing and thanks for that. Why the shopper service is so bad? They literally never know how to solve a situation apart from communication being difficult with them. Also the app has been having issues since 6 days ago. Hello? Can we fixed?
  3. [R10] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Horrible: Horrible app, horrible company, always has issues, and when you make diamond you won’t see good orders like they claim you will, it’s all a scam!!
  4. [R13] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Terrible service: Way to long to speak with a customer representative way to long! So it’s definitely you all fault for the customers ice to be melted, also gas prices has skyrocketed and you all still paying pennies! No way I have a 50 item order and you all paying. $7 that’s highway robbery!
  5. [R3] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Face scanner is awful!: Face verification scan barely works. It’s incredibly frustrating. If you let people have multiple accounts and have these massive shopping rings anyways and not do anything when they’re reported why have this face scanner that doesn’t work??
  6. [R5] Instacart Shopper 4/5 · US Almost a 5: Overall, a good app however it doesn’t tell you where things are inside the store which makes it more time-consuming and it doesn’t have as many jobs as you would like. There’s a lot of downtime in between when the JOBS show up even when you’re close to a prime location that would give you a lot of JOBS.
  7. [R7] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Verification Fails: Instant used to be much better but the reoccurring “verification” issue is draining. every time the app prompts for photo verification, i get a pop up that says i need to finish my verification call first. never received a call, no option to reset, just an endless loop preventing me from going online. i just want to make my extra cash like everybody else, why must it be so diff
  8. [R12] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Más Pedidos: Tienen que mejorar los lotes y enviar más ya que se demoran en enviar y cuando lo hacen son pocos y cada vez que hacen actualización se pone mal
  9. [R16] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Cannot Get Job-NO SPOTS available??!: Just joined was put on waitlist. No full time shoppers available?? Why is there no room for me to see potential gigs?
  10. [R19] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Shopping: I’ve been a shopper since the beginning (march) of the 2020 pandemic. It used to be fun to do with lots of orders!! And you used to have to be put on a wait list (i was for over a YEAR) to become a shopper! Now when i do decide to get out and do a few scarce orders (they are LITERALLY FEW & FAR BETWEEN) i see new shoppers all the time, even when i’m just out doing my normal shopping i se
  11. [R1] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Bad company: So I have a digital card because my other card just expired waiting for it in the mail so I go to a merchant store called total wine and they only accept the physical card so I waste my time when I call Instacart for help. They tell me that I get a negative remark on my file and no pay. Thanks for wasting my time.
  12. [R4] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US 🤔: Tengo un problema grave con el sistema automático de la app. Está rechazando repetidamente mis documentos válidos de COBRA para el estipendio médico de California, a pesar de que el trimestre pasado me lo aprobaron sin problemas. Soporte técnico no me da soluciones y el bot me rechaza de mil formas. Necesito que un agente humano revise mi caso de inmediato y apruebe mi subsidio."
  13. [R6] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Troll.. Bad Fait Reviewers.. Serial Complainers are detrimental for this app!: I gave 3 stars for this app, and there’s valid reasons why. I make money on this app but it comes with having to do orders for terrible customers! These customers are the ones that give 1 star ratings for no reason, even though I go above and beyond. These same customers are the ones that don’t tip but get merged with
  14. [R20] Instacart Shopper 4/5 · US Customers adding to there order: Customer should not be continuously adding items to the order exceeding 5 items.
  15. [R31] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US They don’t value their shoppers: Instacart does not care about or value you as a shopper for them. They hide behind not having a phone number to contact with issues and when trying to contact them through the app via support chat, they just don’t answer. Horrendous shopper support, terrible company.
  16. [R22] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Waiting list: Been waiting to get off the waiting list…it’s been a year and I’m still on the list :/
  17. [R35] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Easy Access for Shopping: Just started and all features are just a click away! App guides you step by step on what’s next.
  18. [R74] Uber 4/5 · US Uber app good/bad: I wish the app would let us defend our selves (ie hard breaking ect. This app (driver platform) is very in fair to drivers) I really wish the gps was more accurate the speed limits are wrong most of the time and the directions are wrong many times. Only other thing is it does not factor in traffic or road delays so this is a problem. The good it’s easy to use
  19. [R77] Uber 4/5 · US Bad GPS: Good app to make money as I’m a full time Uber driver but please fix your GPS It cliches while I’m on rides. Sometimes it takes you to the wrong address too. Fix the issue that’s why I’m giving 4 stars.
  20. [R95] Uber 5/5 · US Fix: Can you please fix map because same time is hard look were address are.. but I love this app just only thing guys need to fix is maps
  21. [R96] Uber 3/5 · US Having issues: They make two more legs sometimes doesn’t work properly sometimes doesn’t show the navigation right away Sometimes the absolute looks good, but most of the time is getting so much hard time for everything They need to fix the system well☹️
  22. [R42] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Instacart review: It’s ok. The pay can be much better. Shopping for 75 items and delivering to 3 people. Taking 2 trips and walking up to the 2nd and 3rd floor just to make $20 is crazy. Sometimes you got to carry cases of water as well. Not to mention the gas.
  23. [R47] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US High miles, LOW pay: I started shopping with Instacart as a way to make some money between Dashes. First order, 40 minutes of driving. Less than 20 bucks. Second order, half the cart wasn’t even legal to sell in that city. My last order? A little under 19 bucks to drive FORTY MILES for an hour after a 25 minute store visit. This is not an app to make money with, it’s the most effective way to burn
  24. [R50] Instacart Shopper 4/5 · US Need to increase pay: Gas prices are outrageous for the low offers for the mileage

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store