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

Instacart Shopper vs DoorDash

Instacart Shopper 4.8★ · Free to download 45
Winner DoorDash
DoorDash 4.7★ · Free to download 50

While both apps face significant user complaints regarding pay and app glitches, DoorDash has a slight edge due to more frequent positive mentions of customer service and fewer critical issues with core functionality compared to Instacart Shopper.

Full reviews: Instacart Shopper · DoorDash

Instacart Shopper and DoorDash both offer opportunities for gig work, but both also draw heavy criticism from users regarding low pay, app glitches, and poor support. Instacart Shopper struggles with basic app functionality like verification and in-store navigation, while DoorDash users report issues with GPS and order assignment.

Head to head

Earning Potential & Pay tieR13R30R42R47
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper users frequently complain about low pay, with some stating they receive as little as $7 for a 50-item order or $19 for a 40-mile drive, making it difficult to cover gas expenses R13R42R47R50. Many feel the pay is not fair for the effort, especially for large orders or multiple deliveries R30R42. Some users also report issues with not receiving heavy item pay . However, others find it a good way to make extra money or even a full-time job, with some claiming to make $200 a day .
DoorDash DoorDash users also express significant dissatisfaction with low pay, citing offers as low as $4 for 8 miles and feeling that the company doesn't care about their earnings R61. Many believe they are making less than 45% of what they should and that DoorDash supplements minimum wage with tips . There are reports of making only $70-80 for 10-12 hours of work, making it a waste of time and gas . Some users, particularly those with higher 'platinum' status, feel they are still sent on long, low-tip orders . Despite this, some users still find it a good way to earn money and appreciate the flexibility .
App Reliability & Glitches tieR3R7R21R24
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper users report numerous app glitches, including issues with face verification scans failing repeatedly, preventing them from going online R3R7. The app is described as buggy, crashing constantly, especially during orders, leading to lost work R21R27. Users also complain about the app no longer showing item locations in stores, making shopping inefficient, and notifications for batches appearing when none are available R5R24.
DoorDash DoorDash users also experience frequent app glitches, such as the app freezing during orders, preventing acceptance of stacked orders, or randomly kicking them off routes . There are reports of the app not updating location correctly, leading to zero order offers . Other issues include the app not allowing access to certain features after updates, problems with push notifications, and the GPS being unreliable, especially in apartment complexes . Some users also note issues with the 'avoid tolls' feature not working .
Customer Support edge: DoorDashR1R9R13R18
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper's customer support is widely criticized for being slow, unhelpful, and difficult to reach R1R9R13R18. Users report long wait times, being disconnected, and agents not knowing how to solve problems R1R13R18. Some users mention being told to refer to articles instead of receiving direct help, even for critical issues like tier status changes .
DoorDash DoorDash customer support receives mixed reviews. Some users praise it as helpful and friendly, especially for 'platinum' dashers R62. However, many others describe it as the 'worst support ever,' with agents being unhelpful, rude, and unresponsive to emails . Users report being hung up on, receiving the runaround, and facing difficulties with identity verification issues .
Job Availability & Assignment tieR5R12R16R19
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper users often report a lack of available jobs or 'batches,' with significant downtime even in prime locations R5R12. New shoppers sometimes face long waitlists R16. Experienced shoppers note a decline in order frequency compared to previous years and difficulty competing with bots or scripts that claim high-paying orders instantly R19.
DoorDash DoorDash users also experience issues with job availability, with some reporting zero offers even in populated 'red zones' or 'hotspots' . The app's 'busy' indicators are sometimes false positives, leading to long waits without orders . Users also complain about being forced to accept low-paying orders to avoid penalties to their acceptance rate, and the app sometimes sends orders for stores that are closed .
Pick Instacart Shopper if

you are looking for a flexible way to earn money through grocery shopping and are prepared to deal with potential app glitches, inconsistent order availability, and frustrating customer support .

Pick DoorDash if

you prioritize a potentially better customer support experience for some users and are looking for delivery work, even if it comes with similar challenges in pay and app reliability as Instacart Shopper R62.

Evidence note: The evidence for both apps is heavily skewed negative, reflecting the nature of gig work reviews where users often report problems. Many positive reviews are very brief or include referral codes, suggesting they might not be comprehensive endorsements.

Frequently asked

Do Instacart Shopper and DoorDash pay enough to cover gas?
Many users for both Instacart Shopper and DoorDash report that the pay is often too low to cover gas expenses, especially with high gas prices and long distances for low-paying orders R13R47R50R61.
Are there common app issues with Instacart Shopper and DoorDash?
Yes, both apps have common issues; Instacart Shopper users frequently report problems with face verification, app crashes during orders, and incorrect item location information R3R7R21R27, while DoorDash users experience glitches with location tracking, GPS navigation, and the app freezing or kicking them off routes .
Is customer support reliable for Instacart Shopper and DoorDash?
Customer support for both apps is frequently criticized; Instacart Shopper users report long wait times, unhelpful agents, and disconnections R1R13R31, while DoorDash support is described as mixed, with some positive experiences but many complaints about unresponsiveness, rudeness, and lack of resolution for critical issues R62.

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. [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!
  2. [R30] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Subir pago por lote: No están pagando lo justo por lote :(
  3. [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 $20 is crazy. Sometimes you got to carry cases of water as well. Not to mention the gas.
  4. [R47] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US High miles, LOW pay: I started shopping with Instacart as a way to make some money between Dashes. First order, 40 minutes of driving. Less than 20 bucks. Second order, half the cart wasn’t even legal to sell in that city. My last order? A little under 19 bucks to drive FORTY MILES for an hour after a 25 minute store visit. This is not an app to make money with, it’s the most effective way to burn
  5. [R3] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Face scanner is awful!: Face verification scan barely works. It’s incredibly frustrating. If you let people have multiple accounts and have these massive shopping rings anyways and not do anything when they’re reported why have this face scanner that doesn’t work??
  6. [R7] Instacart Shopper 1/5 · US Verification Fails: Instant used to be much better but the reoccurring “verification” issue is draining. every time the app prompts for photo verification, i get a pop up that says i need to finish my verification call first. never received a call, no option to reset, just an endless loop preventing me from going online. i just want to make my extra cash like everybody else, why must it be so diff
  7. [R21] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US The App crashed the first time I used it!: Super frustrating and I wasted over an hour only to have to scrap all the work I had done.
  8. [R24] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Bugs: The app is just now for the first time after 3+ months on the app showing me batches from 40-60$, however i keep getting these notifications maybe 1 or so every minute more or less but the app shows no batches available. “We’ll show you batches when their ready” ok well i keep getting 50$ orders that I can’t take, when im used to getting 15. The customer support line has been on hold 23 minu
  9. [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.
  10. [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?
  11. [R18] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Support Chat: Overall the app works okay except for the support chat. It’s slow and sluggish. My batch was moved away while I was waiting for support
  12. [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.
  13. [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
  14. [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?
  15. [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
  16. [R50] Instacart Shopper 4/5 · US Need to increase pay: Gas prices are outrageous for the low offers for the mileage
  17. [R61] DoorDash 1/5 · US Not worth it: Save your gas and time, they'll pay you $4 to go 8 miles and the tip will be $5, they don't care how much money you make nor the situation the world is in. They just want all their money and want you to suffer, as soon as you pass a restaurant or store they give you an order to turnback. It's not worth it
  18. [R27] Instacart Shopper 3/5 · US Crashes constantly at the worst times: The app crashed again today on me, I’m at the store for an hour, with 3 orders, still nothing. This is ridiculous.
  19. [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.
  20. [R62] DoorDash 5/5 · US Helpful customer service: I was having issues with multiple things. I was helped by friendly people who helped me solve all my issues. Thank you Jesus!!

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