A Battle of Ride Request Apps: Lyft vs. Uber

driving for lyft vs uber


Over the last few years, ride request apps have come and made getting a ride easier than we all thought it could get. But that’s not all; as they gained momentum, gig opportunities were created not just for the nerds at Silicon Valley.

Two of the most popular ride request apps at the moment in the US are Uber and Lyft. As someone looking for ways to make some extra money or a main gig driving with any of these apps, it is entirely reasonable to get muddled on which app is better than the other.

I mean, they both offer one an opportunity to have a flexible schedule. If it is the freedom of a self-employed individual you are after, then both Lyft and Uber provide that much. Both companies have been around for a while; although Uber is older. However, they both perform well.

To help you make up your mind on the debate of driving with Lyft vs. Uber, we have compiled an in-depth analysis of both apps- from their pricing to vehicle requirements and so much more.

Read more on how to make money with Uber.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Driving with Lyft Vs. Uber- Pricing

As you can imagine, both companies happen to be a bit competitive when it comes to pricing. However, the rates for Uber and Lyft can be similar. The difference in prices can vary from one city to the other.

From Ridester’s Lyft Pricing Tool, one can see that Lyft charges around $1.00 when starting a ride and $1.50 for every mile.

At times of high demand, rates may change. There may be a multiplier that changes based on location.

Lyft refers to it as Prime Time. Lyft’s prime time charges some extra fee during peak hours, which is in the form of a percentage. The additional fee is added to the amount of the base ride. For example, if at one peak moment their percentage is 50% and a regular ride costs $8, then during prime time, the total fare will increase to $12.

However, Lyft does have other rush hour opportunities like Power Zones for their drivers to earn more. Lyft caps the Power Zone rides per ride at a rate of $195.

That said, when it comes to pricing, Lyft is your go-to ride-hailing app during peak hours. On regular hours, both companies may charge almost the same.

2. Customer support

The more support you get as a driver, the better the experiences you could have in using the app. So, when signing up with either Lyft or Uber, one needs to be keen about their customer support systems.

Driver-partners for both companies get in touch with customer service through:

❖    In-app support

❖    Emails

❖    Through the phone helpline

❖    Through their website

3. App experience

The app experiences matter a lot when it comes to any of these companies. The easier it is for you as a driver-partner to use the app the better and quicker you might be able to operate your business.

The most common thing about both apps is that they connect riders to drivers. All a rider has to do is input their current location and destination. The apps will connect them to a driver-partner within their vicinity.

Driver-partners are also able to rate their riders. Both apps have a rating system that works both ways. Once the ride is over, both the passenger and the driver can rate each other’s experiences of the trip.

As a driver-partner, if you have both apps, you can use one app when the other is not as busy and vice versa. This might minimize your chances of losing on business.

4. Coverage

Driving with Lyft vs. Uber will also depend on the availability of either of these in your city. Uber has broader global coverage than Lyft. With a presence in countries around the world, and with over 200 cities being in the United States, it is not hard to see why.

Lyft, on the other hand, has its presence in 51 states in the United States. Outside of the US., it is only available in Canada.

The apps are available 24/7. However, small states might not have as many driver-partners or riders available throughout the night, and one might have to wait for a while before getting a customer. Also, in such small states, demand may not be as high as it is in the bigger states.

Anyone hoping to sign up to drive with either Uber or Lyft and is outside of the United States and Canada has a better chance of signing up to drive with Uber. You can see cities in the U.S where Lyft and Uber are available by clicking on these links.

5. Driving with Lyft vs. Uber- Vehicle requirements

Of course, there are vehicle requirements when signing up with either Lyft and Uber.

With Uber, riders get a wide variety of rides to choose from. For a driver-partner, it means you get to choose a ride category that fits within your car model. With their wider variety, there are chances of you signing up on either of their categories. Lyft also typically requires drivers to have newer car models compared to Uber.

Some of the available categories on Uber for drivers are:*

❖    UberPool- Where riders share rides. It also tends to be the cheapest.

❖    UberX- This is an everyday car that can fit up to four people.

❖    UberXL- This is an SUV that fits up to six people.

❖    Uber Select- This is a luxury sedan car that fits up to four people.

❖    Uber Black- this is the original Uber ride option that features high-end luxury vehicles. It fits up to four people.

❖    UberSUV- This is a high-end SUV that fits up to six people.

*Not all categories are available in all locations.

Lyft has fewer options, which are:

❖    Lyft Line- This is their cheapest option, and it’s all about sharing rides.

❖    Lyft original- This is an everyday car that fits four people.

❖    Lyft Plus- This is an everyday car that fits six people.

❖    Lyft Premier- This is a better-class vehicle that fits four people.

❖    Lyft Lux SUV and Lyft Lux- This offers premium services with high-end vehicles like a town car, a limousine, or high-end SUV’s. The vehicles in this category carry up to six people.

Driver-partners also must complete the background checks for both companies.

Other requirements vary from one city to the other, but you can find the requirements for Uber and Lyft here.

6. Driving with Uber vs. Lyft- Innovation

Both Lyft and Uber are very competitive, and in today’s market, one needs to be innovative enough to be one step ahead of competitors.

If you do not want to drive people with Uber, then you could become an Uber Eats delivery partner. Also, if you have already partnered with Uber as a driver, you can still opt for the Uber Eats delivery by just navigating through your app and signing up as a delivery partner. On the other hand, Lyft only has the option of driving people from one point to the other.

While on innovation, both companies have ensured that there is a rating system for driver-partners and riders. Additionally, there is a built-in tipping feature in both where riders can tip driver-partners through.

7. On perks

Drivers on both Lyft and Uber can get other perks, Uber, for example, has special discounts for their drivers with companies that they have partnered with. These perks may help drivers to cut their costs and keep more of their revenues. The perks can vary from one city to the others.

You can learn more on perks available to Uber driver-partners and if they are available in your city here.

Lyft too does have perks for their drivers. With their accelerate rewards program, one can get into a particular tier and saves on fuel and discounts on roadside assistance. The tiers are Gold, Silver, and Platinum. Learn more about perks from Lyft here.

8. Work-life balance

Driving with either Uber or Lyft, especially as your main gig means that you are your own boss. The schedule is flexible You get to decide when is the best time for you to relax and when you should get back behind the wheel.

9. Your character

To survive as a driver-partner with both Uber and Lyft, it’s helpful to be a people’s person. If you come off as rude driver-partner, it could reflect on your rating, and that may not be good.

That said, both Uber and Lyft might offer you an opportunity to earn extra money. They have their differences, especially on pricing, earning, innovations and perks. Uber has more presence globally compared to Lyft.

With both, one might have to be prepared for some long days behind the wheel if you choose. Also, it helps to be well prepared as a driver-partner to manage your schedule

In the end, it all boils down to what you want as an individual as well as what you are looking for in such a gig environment. It also does no harm is having both apps.




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