Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Seamless vs Instacart

Seamless 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner Instacart
Instacart 4.8★ · Free to download 70

Instacart has a slight edge over Seamless due to its generally more reliable delivery and better customer support, despite both apps facing significant user complaints about high fees and occasional service issues.

Full reviews: Seamless · Instacart

Seamless and Instacart both offer convenient food and grocery delivery, but users frequently complain about high fees and service issues for both. Instacart generally receives more positive feedback regarding shopper communication and order accuracy, while Seamless users often report cold food and unhelpful customer support.

Head to head

Features and Selection tieR30R38R48R24
Seamless Seamless users appreciate the app's user-friendly interface, quick ordering, and features like remembering past orders and allowing special requests R30R38R48. However, some users report issues with saving favorite restaurants and a lack of dark mode R24.
Instacart Instacart is praised for its convenience and wide selection of stores, with users appreciating the ability to get groceries and other items delivered . Some users, however, report bugs with specific store interfaces and issues with editing orders containing alcohol .
Ease of Use tieR30R38R48R15
Seamless Seamless is generally considered user-friendly and easy to navigate for ordering food R30R38R48. However, some users find the app clunky and report issues with payment methods and location services R15.
Instacart Instacart is described as simple to use for ordering groceries and food . However, some users report issues with the app's automatic address loading, making it difficult for work deliveries, and accessibility issues for blind users .
Reliability and Delivery edge: InstacartR10R15R16R31
Seamless Seamless users frequently report issues with delayed or canceled orders, cold food, and drivers not speaking English or responding to texts R10R15R16R31. Some also mention drivers stealing items or being rude .
Instacart Instacart users experience issues with last-minute order cancellations, delayed deliveries, and incorrect or missing items . However, many users praise shoppers for being early, accurate, and professional R65R68R74R87.
Price and Value tieR1R3R6R7
Seamless Seamless users consistently complain about high and sneaky fees, including service fees, delivery fees, and inflated item prices R1R3R6R7. Some feel the service is no longer worth the cost .
Instacart Instacart users also frequently mention high service fees, delivery fees, and inflated prices, which sometimes deter them from ordering . However, some users find deals on the app that they wouldn't find in-store, offering good value .
Customer Support tieR1R4R10R16
Seamless Seamless customer support is a major pain point, with users reporting unhelpful responses, chats being ended, refusal of refunds for cold or missing food, and issues with refund caps R1R4R10R16.
Instacart Instacart's customer service also receives negative feedback for being unhelpful, offering no solutions, and refusing refunds for issues like damaged goods or late deliveries . However, some users report positive experiences with credits for incorrect items .
Pick Seamless if

You prioritize a straightforward food ordering experience and are willing to overlook potential issues with fees and customer service, especially if you find good local restaurant options .

Pick Instacart if

You need a reliable service for grocery delivery, value good communication with shoppers, and appreciate the convenience of having a wide range of store items delivered to your door R65R68R74.

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews, especially concerning fees and customer service. Instacart has a much larger volume of reviews overall, which might skew the perception of its issues compared to Seamless.

Frequently asked

Are Seamless and Instacart expensive?
Yes, both Seamless and Instacart are frequently criticized by users for being expensive due to high service fees, delivery fees, and sometimes inflated item prices R1R3R6R7.
Which app has better customer service?
Neither app consistently receives positive feedback for its customer service; both Seamless and Instacart users report issues with unhelpful support, refusal of refunds, and difficulty resolving order problems R1R4R10R16.
Are deliveries reliable with Seamless or Instacart?
Instacart generally appears to have a slight edge in delivery reliability, with many users praising shoppers for being early, accurate, and professional R65R68R74R87, although both apps have significant complaints about delays, cancellations, and incorrect items R10R15R16R31.

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. [R30] Seamless 5/5 · US User friendly with lots of features: Lots of features to choose what you want to order with special request and choose your pick up for delivery times, depending on the venue. I love the feature that remembers what I’ve ordered in the past and allows me to re-order it with one quick. I wish it had a longer memory.
  2. [R38] Seamless 5/5 · US I can order without a headache: It make it easy to get food
  3. [R48] Seamless 5/5 · US Fast and easy to find meals: Works perfect all the time
  4. [R24] Seamless 3/5 · US Cannot SAVE favorites: With recent update, there is no way to save any new restaurants I find. Each attempt to tap on the heart icon gives me a "save failed" prompts. I now save restaurants I like on another competitor's app until fixed
  5. [R15] Seamless 3/5 · US Clunky App but Worse Service: Orders constantly get delayed over an hour from their original estimate, often times they'll get delayed multiple times then cancelled completely. I have seamless+ through my CC, which is why I use it, but honestly it's not worth the hassle.
  6. [R10] Seamless 1/5 · US don’t care abt their customers: ordered priority delivery. got it 15 minutes after the window promised. food was ice cold and inedible. called to ask for a refund and was told no with no explanation as to why.
  7. [R16] Seamless 1/5 · US Terrible Terrible Terrible: I have used Seamless for many years and the service has gone way down. My last 3 orders were all late and food was cold . When you reach out to help they end the chat. The drivers do not speak English and do not respond to texts or call.s. Do not use! ;(
  8. [R31] Seamless 1/5 · US Extremely disappointed with my experience using Seamless.: My order was significantly delayed, and by the time it finally arrived, the food was cold and clearly no longer fresh. After reaching out to customer support, I expected a reasonable resolution given the circumstances. Instead, I was told that a full refund could not be provided due to company policy. What made the situation even more fru
  9. [R1] Seamless 1/5 · US Crooks. Only a matter of time now.: They give people a refund cap. After that they don’t refund holding you responsible for their operational issues like restaurant and delivery people mistakes in spite of photograph evidence and even while charging astronomical fees on top of inflated item prices. I started to walk to places again or calling restaurants directly now. It is only a matter of time b
  10. [R3] Seamless 3/5 · US Prices: Bring down the prices they are ridiculous
  11. [R6] Seamless 3/5 · US Sneaky fees: Sneaky charges, but app does work well.
  12. [R7] Seamless 1/5 · US Outrageous fees: Title
  13. [R4] Seamless 1/5 · US Not trustworthy: They cancel your order and does not compensate you.
  14. [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!
  15. [R68] Instacart 5/5 · US Fantastic Service: I have always had a great experience with every shopper. They are usually early versus ever being late and the orders are always correct.
  16. [R74] Instacart 5/5 · US Excellent Service: Service was great. My shopper was able to pick up everything that I needed. Delivery was done within timeframe and everything was bagged and placed by the door nearly.
  17. [R87] Instacart 5/5 · US Excellent & Friendly delivery: Quick and efficient. Many thanks for the nice chat too! Great job.

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