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

talabat vs Careem

talabat 4.6★ · Free to download 60
Winner Careem
Careem 4.6★ · Free to download 65

Careem generally has an edge in ride-hailing services, but both apps face significant user complaints regarding pricing, customer service, and technical issues.

Full reviews: talabat · Careem

Both Talabat and Careem are free-to-download apps offering delivery and ride-hailing services, but they both struggle with consistent user satisfaction. Talabat users frequently complain about high delivery fees, app bugs, and poor customer service, while Careem users express frustration with driver behavior, payment issues, and unresponsive support. Careem's slightly higher lifetime rating and more positive comments about its core ride service give it a narrow lead.

Head to head

Features and Service Offerings tieR9R19R23R26
talabat Talabat is praised for having a wide selection of restaurants and adhering to delivery times R9. Users appreciate its ease of use and speed for food orders R23R26. However, some users report issues with seeing closed stores R19 and a lack of discounts for non-plus members R9.
Careem Careem is primarily known for its ride-hailing service, with users appreciating its ease and reliability when it works . It also offers food delivery, but some users report issues with order cancellations and no refunds . A significant missing feature mentioned is the inability to add multiple stops in a ride .
Ease of Use and Reliability tieR4R8R26R27
talabat Talabat is described as easy to use by some R8R26, but many recent reviews highlight significant app bugs, crashes, and issues after updates R4R8. Users also report problems with payment processing and account blocking R27.
Careem Careem is noted for being smooth and easy to use by some , but others find it complicated and experience frequent glitches, disconnections, and slow loading times . Users also report issues with drivers accepting rides but not arriving .
Pricing and Value tieR1R9R15R16
talabat Talabat users frequently complain about high delivery fees and service charges R1R9R15. Many also note that food prices on the app are higher than in the actual restaurants R1R16R44. Discounts are often limited to plus members or are perceived as fake R9.
Careem Careem users express concerns about pricing, with some asking for lower prices . There are complaints about prices not being fixed for taxi options and promotional codes not working . Some users feel that discounts are misleading or that extra fees are added .
Customer Service and Support tieR7R12R13R19
talabat Talabat receives widespread criticism for its customer service. Users report difficulty getting in touch, slow responses, and unhelpful support R12R13R19R48. There are numerous complaints about money being taken for cancelled orders without refunds, with generic responses from support R7R19R31R42.
Careem Careem's customer service also faces significant negative feedback. Users describe it as awful, useless, and unresponsive R66. Similar to Talabat, there are many reports of being charged for cancelled rides or food orders without refunds .
Driver/Captain Experience edge: talabatR9R13R53R63
talabat Talabat users complain that drivers often do not follow delivery instructions R9. Some report drivers never arriving or cancelling orders R13. However, some positive experiences mention fast and nice drivers R53.
Careem Careem users frequently criticize drivers, describing them as unprofessional, dirty, scammers, and having no work ethics R63. There are specific complaints about drivers cancelling rides, not arriving, or taking alternative routes . Users also wish for an option to block specific drivers and request non-smoking cars .
Pick talabat if

you prioritize a wide selection of restaurants and generally fast food delivery, and are willing to overlook potential app bugs and high delivery fees R9R23R26.

Pick Careem if

you primarily need a ride-hailing service and value a generally smooth booking experience, despite potential issues with driver quality and customer support .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews, particularly concerning payment issues and customer service, making it challenging to find clear advantages in these areas. The free-to-download nature likely contributes to a broader range of user experiences, including those frustrated by free-tier limitations or general service issues.

Frequently asked

Are Talabat and Careem reliable for payments and refunds?
Both Talabat and Careem have significant user complaints regarding payment processing and refunds; many users report being charged for cancelled orders or rides without receiving their money back, and customer service is often unhelpful in resolving these issues (R7, R19, R31, R42, for Talabat; , , , , for Careem).
Which app has better customer service?
Neither Talabat nor Careem stands out for good customer service; both apps receive widespread criticism for being difficult to contact, slow to respond, and generally unhelpful in resolving user problems (R12, R13, R48 for Talabat; R66, , for Careem).
Are the prices on Talabat and Careem competitive?
Users frequently report that prices on Talabat, including delivery fees and food costs, are often higher than in physical restaurants or on other apps R1R16R44R60, and Careem users also express concerns about high prices and misleading discounts .

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. [R9] talabat 3/5 · US Need improvement: Drivers never follow delivery instructions, no one follows the notes that I wrote. High delivery fee and they don’t offer discounts (only for plus members) A good things that We could find most of the restaurants there , also they adhere to delivery time and respond to customer service
  2. [R19] talabat 1/5 · US thieves and scammers: took my money paid online then didn’t refund it after order cancelled. generic customer service response don’t answer why they won’t return the money, they copy and paste same response like robots. fraud, why would they show closed stores??? do i have to enter one by one to see their closed?
  3. [R23] talabat 5/5 · US My review: Better than Toters by a million times and faster
  4. [R26] talabat 5/5 · US Rare: A very easy to use app and fast with requests. · translated
  5. [R4] talabat 2/5 · US Out of order: After the last update, the program keeps kicking me out of the app when I go into restaurants. Please look into this issue. · translated
  6. [R8] talabat 5/5 · US Excellent, but…: The program is excellent and very easy to use, but please fix it. There are a lot of crashes and bugs, especially since the last two updates. · translated
  7. [R27] talabat 3/5 · GB Payments are inconsistent: Tried to pay using three different cards - credit and debit - and all three declined. Hardly the first time we have had trouble paying online - so if we don’t have cash then I guess we go hungry.
  8. [R1] talabat 1/5 · US Expensive: The delivery and service charges and the food from the restaurant is more expensive than the actual restaurant and other apps
  9. [R15] talabat 3/5 · US Delivery fee: The delivery fee is high
  10. [R16] talabat 1/5 · US Prices change: Your price is higher than the price of the same product in its local store. You are more expensive, and now there are fees and shipping fees. · translated
  11. [R7] talabat 1/5 · US Complaint: My order was not confirmed, even though I paid the full amount, and the problem has not been resolved. · translated
  12. [R12] talabat 3/5 · US Customer service: Very difficult to get intouch when you have a complain
  13. [R13] talabat 1/5 · US Terrible app: Driver never came, canceled my order, help center never helped, terrible customer service. Never again.
  14. [R53] talabat 5/5 · US Very good service: Love it so fast nicest driver
  15. [R63] Careem 3/5 · US Average level, drivers between professional and filthy: The service is average, keep your expectations average. Some drivers are extremely dirty/filthy, and you give them one star, but they still come to you the next day because the app chose them for you. So, if a driver comes with a dirty car, I refuse to ride with them and ask them to leave, then I request a new driver hoping to find one who is available, respectful, and nearby. · translated
  16. [R31] talabat 1/5 · US I pay with K-Net, they deduct the money, and then say they didn't receive the order: My rating is 0.5 out of 10. · translated
  17. [R42] talabat 1/5 · US Don’t pay with Apple Pay: Do not pay in advanced. Your order will not be delivered. And you money is gone. No matter if you complain or not. If you pay in advanced you will not receive any food.
  18. [R48] talabat 1/5 · US Customer service: Very bad and very slow in responding to a problem
  19. [R66] Careem 3/5 · US What: There's no way to contact customer service. · translated
  20. [R44] talabat 1/5 · US Prices: The prices of meals are very high. · translated
  21. [R60] talabat 1/5 · US Not all restaurants deliver, and delivery fees are exaggerated: Not all restaurants deliver, and most restaurants have exaggerated delivery fees. · translated

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