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

Instacart Shopper vs Instacart

Instacart Shopper 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner Tie
Instacart 4.8★ · Free to download 68

Instacart (App B) is the better choice for customers seeking grocery delivery, while Instacart Shopper (App A) is for those looking to earn money by shopping and delivering.

Full reviews: Instacart Shopper · Instacart

Instacart Shopper (App A) is designed for individuals who want to earn money by fulfilling grocery orders, with users praising its earning potential but criticizing app bugs and support issues. Instacart (App B) is for customers who want groceries delivered, valued for its convenience but often criticized for high fees, delivery issues, and order accuracy.

Head to head

Features (App Functionality & Tools) tieR1R3R5R7
Instacart Shopper Instacart Shopper users appreciate the step-by-step guidance for new shoppers and the overall ease of access for shopping . However, many complain about persistent bugs, such as face verification issues R3R7, the app not showing item locations in stores R5, and general app crashes R21. Some also note issues with batch notifications not matching available orders and problems with the digital payment card R1.
Instacart Instacart users value the app's convenience for ordering groceries . However, some report issues with replacement options not being selectable , bugs with item pictures and 'buy again' features for certain stores , and an inability to edit orders with alcohol . Blind users find the app not user-friendly due to lack of dark mode and accessibility issues with the EBT pin pad . There are also complaints about the app automatically loading the wrong default address and difficulties searching order history by item .
Earning Potential / Value (Shopper Pay vs. Customer Fees) tieR2R5R10R12
Instacart Shopper Shoppers praise the opportunity to make extra money easily R2R17R29 and some even use it as a full-time job R26. However, many express dissatisfaction with low pay, especially for large orders or long distances R13. Shoppers also report issues with not receiving heavy item pay and claim that 'diamond' status does not lead to better orders as promised R10. The availability of jobs can be inconsistent, with long downtimes R5R12.
Instacart Customers appreciate the convenience of the service . However, a significant number of users complain about high service fees and markups . Some also report extra charges after purchase . There are instances where customers feel they lose money due to canceled orders R61 or issues with gift card usage for tips or returns .
Reliability (Order Fulfillment & Delivery) edge: InstacartR7R16R21R22
Instacart Shopper Shoppers experience issues with the app preventing them from working due to verification problems R7 or being stuck on a waitlist for a long time R16R22. They also face challenges with inconsistent job availability , orders being taken by bots or scripts , and the app crashing during active orders R21.
Instacart Customers frequently report delayed deliveries R61R64 and orders being canceled last minute R64. Many users receive incorrect items R67 or items of poor quality, such as moldy bread or expiring chicken . Some orders are not delivered at all, despite being marked as such .
Support tieR1R4R7R9
Instacart Shopper Shoppers widely criticize Instacart's support, describing it as unhelpful, slow, and difficult to communicate with R1R4R9R13. Many report being disconnected or receiving no solutions to their problems R4R9. Issues like verification problems R7 and incorrect pay often go unresolved by support.
Instacart Customers also report poor support experiences, with agents offering no solutions or credit for issues R64 and being generally unhelpful R67. Some users struggle to get in touch with anyone for issues like wrong items . There are complaints about support not taking responsibility for delayed orders and not addressing issues like moldy or expiring products .
User Experience (Shopper & Customer Interaction) tieR6R20R29R52
Instacart Shopper Shoppers enjoy the process of shopping and helping people R29. However, they face challenges with difficult customers who give low ratings for no reason R6 or don't tip R6. There are also issues with customers continuously adding items to orders R20 and unfair rating systems that penalize shoppers for out-of-stock items or legal age verification R52.
Instacart Customers generally appreciate the friendly and efficient shoppers R65. They value good communication from shoppers R65 and careful delivery . However, some report rude shoppers or shoppers who fail to deliver heavy items despite large tips . There are also instances of shoppers making multiple mistakes or delivering damaged goods .
Pick Instacart Shopper if

you are looking to earn money by shopping and delivering groceries, enjoy flexible work, and are willing to navigate app bugs and inconsistent job availability.

Pick Instacart if

you need groceries delivered to your home, prioritize convenience, and are prepared to potentially deal with high service fees, occasional delivery delays, or order inaccuracies.

Evidence note: The reviews for both apps are heavily skewed towards negative experiences, especially for Instacart Shopper, which is common for gig-economy apps where users often review when encountering problems. The free-to-download nature means many users are likely to be critical of any friction.

Frequently asked

Can I make good money with Instacart Shopper?
Yes, many users report making extra money easily, with some even earning around $200 a day or using it as a full-time job R2R17R26. However, others complain about low pay for large orders or long distances, stating they are paid 'pennies' for significant effort R13.
Are Instacart deliveries reliable?
Instacart deliveries are often praised for being prompt and efficient by some users R65, but a significant number of customers report frequent delays, with orders being pushed back or arriving the next day R61R64. Many also experience issues with incorrect, missing, or poor-quality items R67.
Is Instacart customer service helpful?
Both shoppers and customers frequently report negative experiences with Instacart's customer support, describing it as slow, unhelpful, and difficult to reach R1R4R9R13. Users often state that support agents do not provide solutions, disconnect calls, or redirect to articles without resolving the issue R4R9.

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. [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.
  2. [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??
  3. [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.
  4. [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
  5. [R2] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Use my referral code LAID085EE1: I love this app. You can make extra money easily ☺️
  6. [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!!
  7. [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
  8. [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?
  9. [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.
  10. [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 :/
  11. [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."
  12. [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?
  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. [R29] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Being a Shopper: It’s great being shopper .you get out see various amounts of food and shop for people who can’t themselves.and let’s not forget earn cash while doing it
  16. [R52] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Ratings: Customer gave 3 star rating for asking if the customer is over 21 per the law. 3 star rating for out of stock items also. Has to be a better way with the rating system
  17. [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!
  18. [R17] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Sandra Cueva: It’s amazing, great money too!
  19. [R26] Instacart Shopper 5/5 · US Love instacard: It's my full-time job! If you put your heart into it, you'll be able to move up and gain access to better opportunities, like better orders.
  20. [R61] Instacart 1/5 · US Worst app.: They can never follow throw with delivery and when they do it’s at a time I’m not available. So I have to cancel and they keep my money for days. Ridiculous terrible app
  21. [R64] Instacart 1/5 · US Orders canceled last minute TWICE: This is the second time this week I have placed an order, the order has been confirmed, and then canceled two hours later when it was supposed to be delivered. I was relying on receiving these orders and would have made other arrangements had I known the orders would not be fulfilled. On both occasions, the orders rescheduled to come the next day. Not helpful. Cu
  22. [R65] Instacart 5/5 · US Best service ever!: I had a last minute idea for dinner and the ordering process and communication and delivery were fantastic! Yulia did an amazing job and I’m so happy and thankful for the service!
  23. [R67] Instacart 1/5 · US Terrible App. Terrible Support.: I’ve used the app for awhile now and was even paying for the plus. In the time I used it, I think I received maybe two orders that were completely correct. We live in town and we watched a driver with perishable goods drive literally past our house to go 20 minutes past us in the country to deliver an order then come back. This was during summer and the perishables

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