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Uber vs Lyft: A Side-By-Side Comparison for 2021

Last updated: June 18, 2021

When you need a ride but don’t have your own car, there’s a good chance your solution is just a few taps away.

Rideshare services are available in almost every major city in the United States these days, making transportation more accessible than ever. The only decision you need to make is choosing Uber vs. Lyft.

Both Uber and Lyft are strong competitors in the ridesharing industry and have quickly become household names.

Just looking at the surface-level differences, Uber is known to hold a significantly higher market share — nearly 70% of the U.S. market, compared to Lyft’s nearly 30% — and has a significantly larger international coverage map than its competitor.

On the other hand, Lyft has maintained a far cleaner reputation than Uber, which was plagued with scandal after scandal since the #DeleteUber backlash of 2017.

Beyond these notable differences, the two rideshare giants do offer extremely similar services, particularly in the United States and Canada.

Their customer acquisition marketing strategies are quite similar.

When Lyft introduces a new driver promotion, Uber does the same. When Lyft offers new users huge amounts of free ride credit, Uber also gives their riders account credit on the house.

When choosing between Uber and Lyft for your next ride, the smaller differences may have a big influence on your decision.

This article will compare Uber vs. Lyft in seven major categories, so you can decide for yourself which rideshare app is for you.

The next sections will compare and contrast Uber and Lyft in detail.

This is aimed to help vest you with all the important information you need to pick the rideshare app that exactly suits your transportation needs.

1. Uber vs. Lyft Services

When taking a look at the battle between Uber and Lyft, one of the biggest factors that set the two services apart is the vehicle options available to passengers.

In many cities across the U.S. and Canada, Uber and Lyft services may seem practically identical. For example, these are direct equivalents that can commonly be found:

Uber caters to businesspeople and professionals and has a broad range of vehicles to choose from.

UberPOOLThis is the cheapest ride option available. Riders share rides going the same route.
UberXAnother budget option, an everyday car with room for up to 4 people will come and pick you up.
UberXLAn SUV with seating for up to 6 people will come and pick you up.
UberSELECTThis is a 4 door luxury sedan with seating for up to 4 passengers.
UberBLACKUber’s original car service, these rides feature high-end luxury vehicles with seating for up to 4 passengers.
UberSUVThe most expensive service Uber offers, a high-end SUV with seating for up to 6 passengers will pick you up.

Lyft, on the other hand, offers fewer vehicle options than Uber.

Lyft LineRiders share rides going the same route. The cheapest option available to riders.
LyftThe budget option of the group, an everyday car with room for 4 passengers comes to get you.
Lyft PlusThis is also a regular vehicle to get you, but with room for up to 6 passengers.
Lyft PremierThese are rides in higher quality vehicles than the other Lyft options. Seating up to 4 passengers.

Aside from the vehicle options, there is a noticeable difference between the rider experiences.

Since Uber leans towards businesspeople, the drivers are professional, concise, and do the best to simply get you from point A to point B.

Lyft drivers, on the other hand, live up to their slogan “Your Friend With a Car”.

Lyft drivers tend to be friendly, open to conversation, and more fun than Uber drivers. Lyft riders are encouraged to sit in the front seat and interact with the driver.

If you’re looking for a quiet ride or a few minutes to focus on an upcoming presentation while riding from point A to point B, then Uber is the company for you.

The Uber driver is going to be dressed a bit more professionally. The driver is going to open the door for you and provide you with a more business-like ride to your destination.

However, while Uber provides an alternative to basically every Lyft service, Lyft does fall a bit short on its service offerings.

In addition to highly unique, limited location services like Uber Copter and Uber Car Seat, the company is well-known for its extensive luxury options.

This includes Uber Lux, which takes high-end to a whole new level with Rolls-Royce cars and Maserati models. Most of these luxury options are also driven by professional drivers who are commercially licensed and highly rated.

Uber also offers affordable services that act as slight upgrades between the standard Lyft and Uber tiers. For example, Uber Comfort offers more leg room without requiring an upgrade to UberXL. UberWAV is a convenient way to access wheelchair-friendly vehicles through the Uber app.

Internationally and in some U.S. cities, Uber also has traditional taxis available that can be booked through the rideshare app.

No matter which service you choose on either service, all vehicle types are fully inspected once per year by law in the U.S. Uber drivers and Lyft drivers always complete background checks to keep riders as safe as possible.

Ridester’s Take:

I use Lyft a lot, especially in times of high demand or when there is a driver close by and I need a ride in a hurry. However, I like the selection of vehicles that Uber offers.

If I need a cheap ride, UberPOOL has my back. If I’m on a business trip and want to impress a client, UberBLACK it is. I have to go with Uber on this one because there are way more types of rides available.

Drivers can expect a higher earning potential by becoming an Uber partner since there are more ride options available.

Services like UberBLACK cost much more than regular Lyft rides, so drivers will see more money in their pockets driving for the higher end services.

That said, Lyft riders tend to tip more, especially if they make you stop en route to run quick errands.

2. Uber vs. Lyft Pricing

black tesla sitting on street for uber vs lyft pricing post

One of the biggest similarities between Uber and Lyft are its local rates. While there may be cost disparities between cities, Lyft and Uber rates within the same city are almost always extremely similar. This is because both companies are in tight competition with each other to provide riders with the most competitive rates, while still offering drivers attractive pay.

Both companies also similarly charge based on your selected service, as well as the estimated time and distance to be traveled. Base fares and service fees are also typical of both Uber and Lyft, so to actually figure out the most affordable standard price in your area, you can use our price estimator tools for Uber and Lyft respectively.

Both companies charge around $1.00 to start a ride and then charge $1.50 per mile, around .25 cents per minute. When we think about the average cost per mile, it lands at about $2.00 per mile which is much more cost-effective when compared to a taxi.

Of course, rideshare costs don’t always stay steady at their standard prices. When demand outweighs supply, which often occurs during rush hour and busy events, Uber surge pricing and Lyft Prime Time pricing kick in. This is what can cause rideshare costs to greatly differ.

Uber surge pricing multiplies time, distance, and base fares during its busy hours, displaying the amount of surge as the given multiple (for example, 1.5x or 2x). This surge pricing has been known to multiply fares by as much as seven or eight times.

Lyft instead uses percentages to represent how much is added to base fares (time and distance fees remain unaffected). For example, if Prime Time pricing is at 100% and base fares are $10, the Prime Time fares would be $20. While Lyft has eliminated its maximum threshold for Prime Time, the company is less frequently known to have extreme multipliers, which can make the ridesharing service more affordable during busy times.

Ridester’s Take

When the two companies compete on price, passengers come out ahead. Since Lyft typically doesn’t hit the high multiples that Uber riders have come to dread, many riders will choose Lyft, especially in times of high demand.

However, when drivers become dissatisfied with their income, passengers take the hit. Thankfully, drivers that provide poor service will eventually be weeded out by the rating systems that the two companies have put in place, maintaining a high quality driver pool.

3. Lyft vs Uber: Driver Earnings

Uber and Lyft compete heavily for market share, resulting in no really big difference on price. So it makes sense that drivers earn about the same for both services.

In our 2018 Independent Driver Earnings Survey that polled over 2,600 drivers to measure both satisfaction and earnings, our team found that the average rideshare driver was making about $13.70 per hour. If you factor tips into the equation, the median income rises only slightly to $14.73 per hour.

Overall, drivers gave a failing grade when asked about the amount of money they’re making when driving.

Ridester’s Take:

From a driver’s perspective, Lyft takes a smaller cut than Uber. Uber drivers make $13.70 per hour, and Lyft driver drivers will average $17.50 per hour.

Uber’s signup bonuses are massive, but the buck stops there. Along with Prime Time, Lyft also has other rush hour opportunities where drivers can earn more. Power Zones is one such example.

Uber’s take on commission fees is outrageous, and now with their new upfront pricing strategy, it’s even worse. Take a look at the comment sections on our posts and you’ll see that drivers are very displeased.

I wish drivers made more money for the effort they put into driving. Most riders don’t realize that drivers are using their own car, paying for their own expenses, and sacrifice a lot of personal time to drive.  However, Uber and Lyft are so big that they’re able to charge whatever they want and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

4. Uber vs Lyft Safety

police car on busy city street - uber vs lyft safety

Safety is a hot topic when it comes to ridesharing these days, with a significant amount of sexual assault cases and other crime-related issues making headlines throughout the years. Just in recent months, Uber’s safety report recognized that over 3,000 sexual assaults were reported in their rides in 2019 (in the U.S. alone). Lyft hasn’t gotten off scot-free either, having been hit with a massive lawsuit from a handful of sexual assault victims.

Luckily, Uber and Lyft take driver and passenger safety seriously, taking proactive measures to keep riders as safe as possible. This manifests itself in a variety of features and policies that each platform has.

To start with, all Uber drivers and Lyft drivers must undergo a variety of driver screening processes. The first part of this is a criminal history background check, which ensures that drivers don’t have convictions for felonies, sexual offenses, or violent crimes. Potential drivers also have to pass a driving history check, have a valid driver’s license, and possess valid liability insurance.

Vehicles must also meet year requirements set by each state and be inspected every year. And only newer vehicles are allowed on the platforms in general, so you know you won’t be riding in a car that doesn’t have airbags or other standard, modern safety features.

On both apps, you’ll always see your driver’s name, vehicle model, vehicle color, ratings, and license plate number before you get in the car.

During your trip, Uber and Lyft drivers are both covered by liability insurance. Due to high demand, both companies have also installed in-app emergency or panic buttons in most major U.S. markets. These allow you to dial 911 from your app and get your ride information automatically shared.

Both Lyft and Uber driver requirements ensure drivers:

  • Pass a background check with no violent, sexual, or drug-related offenses
  • Pass a DMV record check with no major moving violations in the past three years
  • Have a valid driver’s license and Social Security number
  • Have valid car insurance and vehicle registration
  • Are at least 21 years old with at least one year of licensed driving experience

Uber and Lyft App Safety Features

When you’re using either platform, the app contains additional features to help keep you safe.

Vehicle Details

To start, both apps show you an image of the driver’s vehicle, a photograph of the driver, and the vehicle’s license plate number. These features are helpful when you’re getting picked up in a crowded area full of lots of drivers, but they also help you ensure you’re getting in the vehicle of an actual rideshare driver (as opposed to a stranger pretending to be one). You can also use this information to hold the driver accountable for any unsafe things they do.

Location Sharing and ETA

If you’re worried about riding in a vehicle with a stranger alone (which is understandable), both apps also have a feature that allows you to update family members or other trusted contacts with your current location and ETA.

To share your status in an Uber ride, follow these steps:

  • When you request a ride and a driver accepts, you can swipe up on your app screen and tap Send Status.
  • This shares your trip details with friends or family. They’ll receive a notification.
  • Opening this notification displays your driver’s first name, vehicle info, and your map location in real-time.
  • To pre-select up to 5 contacts to receive your status, select “Settings” from your app menu. You can also add more contacts manually when sending your trip status.

For Lyft, the process is similar:

  • Tap “Send ETA” after requesting a ride to send your friend or family member a text message with an in-app link to your current route and location.
  • They’ll be able to see see your progress toward the destination, a photo of the driver, and the vehicle color, make, model, and license plate number.

Driver and Passenger Rating Systems

One of the simplest ways to keep passengers and drivers safe is the rating system that Uber and Lyft both use. This allows passengers and drivers to rate each other on a scale of 1–5 stars.

In addition to the rating, both parties have the option to leave feedback explaining what went well (and what could have gone better). If either a driver or a passenger conducts themselves in an unsafe manner, you can mention it after the ride. Feedback is anonymous to both parties in order to prevent retaliatory feedback.

Ridester’s Take:

While both companies’ safety regulations are about the same, Uber does pull ahead just a bit.

Due to the availability of more luxury services, riders do have more opportunities to get matched to commercially licensed professional drivers, each of which have high star ratings and commercial insurance.

Still, Lyft does provide a unique color-matching system for an extra layer of identity verification, which we’ll further describe in the section below.

5. Uber App vs. Lyft App

Both companies developed their apps around the same time, and while they may slightly differ in their user interface and how they go about presenting their features, they do the same thing: connect riders with drivers.

The Uber app tends to allow the consumer to have a better idea of the total cost of his/her ride up front. Lyft is improving their app to be more transparent, but it’s still not quite there yet.

That said, the Uber app is now getting packed with features and is slowly becoming less user-friendly than it used to be. While they recently pushed an upgrade that now allows users to tip their drivers, there’s also a lot of cross-promotion to other services like Uber Eats and their delivery services, which is quite obtrusive when riders just want to request a ride.

Booking a ride is easy in both apps. They both require riders to input their destination address and current location into the app. Since they rely on location-based data, you need to have access to the internet. Both apps calculate the fare based on distance, time, and service and show the driver’s estimated arrival time.

Uber provides you with an estimated arrival time BEFORE you book a ride; with Lyft, you have to request a ride first to get an ETA.

Lyft allows passengers to add a stop along the route. This means that they can pick a friend up on the way or drop something off at the library or the dry cleaners’. Both Uber and Lyft store your credit card information within the app, so you don’t have to worry about paying the fare with cash. Once you arrive at your destination, the fare is automatically charged on your card; all you have to do is leave a review and a tip if you wish.

Once you’ve actually requested a vehicle, it’s actually quite difficult to tell whether you’re taking an Uber or Lyft ride. This is because many rideshare drivers actually drive for Uber and Lyft (as well as Uber Eats) at the same time, making the general atmosphere extremely similar. Drivers seeking great ratings and tips may offer you free water bottles, mints, and a smartphone charging station, and accommodate your air conditioning and music requests.

The biggest difference is, some Lyft drivers have electronic dashboard signs installed that display your name and a color that matches with your Lyft app. This not only adds a layer of safety when you use Lyft — you always know you’re entering the right car — but also creates a more personalized user experience.

If your in-app experience matters a lot to you, you may also want to consider a key difference in the two platforms. The Lyft app will likely feel much more familiar to Google Maps users, as the navigation platform is integrated into the app. The Uber app, on the other hand, uses custom, branded navigation that offers a unique in-app experience that you may prefer. Of course, this is all a matter of preference, since the apps are both simple to navigate otherwise.

Ridester’s Take:

I really don’t see a significant difference between the two rideshare apps, other than small aesthetic differences. When riding, it seems like most riders typically choose the service that has a closer car.

6. Uber vs. Lyft Customer Support

As a passenger, your options for contacting Uber and Lyft customer support are quite similar. Both ride-hailing app companies allow you to reach them via social media with ease. The San Francisco-based companies also offer robust help centers and emergency hotlines for all users to use before, during, or after their Lyft or Uber rides.

Riders and drivers can get in touch through:

  • email
  • in-app support
  • website support
  • critical response lines

However, Lyft does offer one extra perk for riders: a general contact form. While Uber requires users to fill out topic-specific forms to get a response from an Uber team member, Lyft customer service can be reached via email for general issues when you click the “Contact Support” button on this help page.

Ridester’s Take

The quality of support of both companies has declined in recent years as the companies have grown. I personally like working with Lyft’s customer support much more than with Uber’s.

Lyft representatives are friendly, while Uber reps seem to be constantly overwhelmed. This leads to an abundance of canned responses readily available on their Help center, while Lyft actually takes time to answer questions.

For customer service questions, I recommend you check out the following posts on our site:

7. Alternatives to Uber and Lyft

While Uber and Lyft are the main contenders in the rideshare world, they are by no means the only options out there. The ridesharing boom has inspired dozens of competitors to appear throughout the United States and beyond, some with their own unique niches. Here are three popular alternatives you can use instead of Uber and Lyft:

1. Via

Via rideshare is a shared car service that helps users connect to drivers and other passengers along the same route. It essentially provides the same service as UberPool and Lyft Shared, keeping costs low in cities like Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. It’s one of the few widely known competitors to the rideshare giants’ true shared ride services.

2. Wingz

If safety and scheduled rides are your priority, Wingz is a great alternative for you. This rideshare service can get you to flights, important meetings, and other places right on time with rides scheduled up to two months in advance. Even better, Wingz drivers attend a formal training and have even more record checks than the standard Uber or Lyft driver.

Wingz is currently available in 15 U.S. cities, including Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco.

3. MyTaxi (FREE NOW)

Some consumers still prefer taking taxis due to the fact that drivers are fully licensed and well-regulated by cities around the world. MyTaxi (now FREE NOW) is an excellent solution for riders who want the taxi experience in Europe with the convenience of Uber and Lyft. By using this app, you can hail a trusted ride easily, track it in real time, and make your transactions cashless.

Which App Should I Use?

Comparing Uber vs. Lyft can be a hard task, as neither rideshare service consistently comes out on top. If you need access to more service options in more cities — especially those abroad — Uber is a clear winner. However, Lyft has many smaller triumphs, including a slightly better high-demand pricing reputation and a more convenient support channel.

Overall, your choice depends on what you’re looking for, what city you’re located in, and more. If price matters the most to you, it may even depend on the exact time of day. Of course, you always have the option to use both services, or choose another one entirely.

View All Comments (202) Add A Comment

  1. Hibblening Says:

    I’m deleting both of my accounts: Uber and Lyft support the IRS.

  2. Dee Says:

    I used to drive for both companies and I must say as a driver Lyft is better. They treat their drivers better and the fact that people can tip on the app helps out a lot. Uber tends to answer emails way faster, but Overall I make more with Lyft because I can earn up to 20 percent of what they take back. With Uber you drive for them and that is all. Lyft rewards drivers for doing so many rides by allowing you to make it a possible 95-5 percentage. The biggest thing though is where you drive. Lyft isn’t huge in Nashville so overall I’d make more with Uber, but I’ve started sending people the link to join Lyft and get the free money rides.

  3. Colby Says:

    You keep 100% of you’re tip. The fees only apply to the fare.

  4. keith Says:

    if you don’t have a car to work with lyft. how do that work to get a car

  5. DEBORAH Says:

    You should support your local cab companies and stop letting the rich get richer! Uber and Lyft are owned by billionaires and they could care less about you! Cab companies run off of apps too. They are destroying the hard working cab drivers who do this to support their families. Interesting how the government allows Uber and Lyft to be unregulated while cab companies are force to pay high premiums for insurance and follow certain regulations. This is just another case of the good ole boys in Washington letting their billionaire friends do as they please while the poor working class has to suffer. And thank you for supporting them instead of the hard working class! Why wouldn’t you go drive for a cab company? You will make great tips and work the hours you want and not TEAR up your own car!

    1. Angel Says:

      If local cab companies didn’t pass up people of color or refuse to go to their neighborhoods, there wouldn’t be a demand for Uber or Lyft. Local cab companies helped create their undoing.

    2. Rich Says:

      I hear you, but my experience is that the wait time for a taxi is much longer.

  6. jc Says:

    This happened to me yesterday. I’ve disputed with paypal, and deleted the app from my phone. Every interaction I’ve had with Uber corporate has been negative. Nothing against any drivers, but I’m looking elsewhere for rides. Hope my $5 was worth it to you, Uber.

  7. Justme Says:

    I believe the law in most states can give you s DWI if you are in your car and your keys are in the ignition; the car doesn’t have to be running.

    Just an idea, but if you are waiting in your car you might want to sit in the back seat and make sure your keys are in the glove box. That way, when you are approached by an officer, it will be obvious that your keys were NOT IN THE IGNITION.

    Although, I it’s always best to check your states DWI laws so you know EXACTLY what NOT to do when waiting for a ride.

  8. Kathy Says:

    Why do you hate the Bill of Rights?

  9. Tomb Says:

    Impossible to make that much driving. I don’t believe you

  10. J Don Says:

    I have been driving for both Uber and Lyft for several months. I have around 150 rides for both companies. I have been using the Everlance app to keep track of the miles I drove for rideshare. I am in a smaller city so that is a consideration. I looked at the detail on my driving last week and here are the results.

    Total miles driving for rideshare: 1018
    Total miles receiving revenue: 508

    Hours driven: 30.4, 18.1 for Uber and 12.3 for Lyft

    Revenue: $422, $238 from Uber and $184 from Lyft

    Total fuel costs for week: $111.80

    With these numbers, I calculated that I made overall $13.90 per hour before fuel costs and $10.22 after fuel costs are factored in.

    I also looked at the income per hour from Lyft and Uber and determined that I was making $13.15 per hour with Uber and $15.01 per hour with Lyft, with tips adding to the increase.

    I agree with most of the comments, Lyft is better in their interaction with their drivers.

  11. CORRECTION: Says:

    CORRECTION: UBER does NOT supply their drivers with iPhones for $10/month and I can download any app I want with my phone.

  12. sarah Says:

    You can always cash tip the driver, it is up to the rider as to whether they think this is a service or not. It is customary to tip in a service situation

  13. sarah Says:

    uber doesn’t have a tipping option

  14. Princess Says:

    I do like the rating ability.

  15. Princess Says:

    That happened to me once as I called to tell the driver I was sitting on a bench, not standing by the road as they expect as Uber claims to be supportive of persons with disabilities. All you need to do is go to the help and they will reverse it.

  16. tonyb Says:

    I’ve been using Uber for a year and not once has a driver opened the door for me, unless you mean the boot, to stow my bags.
    I’ve found many of them to be quite chatty and social, though.

  17. Powell Says:

    I have been using Uber for about a year now, 4-8 trips per week.

    2 issues during the year;

    1) ordered an Uber XL as there were 6 of us leaving a party. A small Hyundai SUV arrived with only 5 seats/seat belts. I agreed with the driver that it wouldn’t work and he asked me to cancel on the app. Later I was charged a cancellation fee that was a pain to dispute and have reversed.

    2) was charged a $100 for a standard trip I take that normally costs $35. Uber claimed I agreed to a surge charge which I did not. I did not get prompted to agree to a surge. I always take a regular taxi when Uber surges. They then credited $25 to my account and marked the issue as resolved. It was not resolved for me so I have opened a dispute with my credit card company.

    My plan is to try Lyft now for the next few weeks to see if they are better…..

  18. Betty Says:

    Been driving for Uber for three weeks. You pick up a rider and don’t know where they will be going until you pick them up. The family I picked up was going to airport in Canada. Took an extra 1/2 hour in customs as they didn’t speak English. I had to pay $5.00 toll each way to cross bridge. Uber says riders pay all tolls ahead of time. We pay the tolls and then get reimbursed. When I complained that they didn’t reimburse me for the tolls, they said ” this is not in the catagory of tolls we pay”. I took the exact route they sent me and now I am getting stiffed $10.00 by Uber. No extra pay for going to a forign country and taking risk of not knowing what is in their luggage or if they are legit. So mad. Wrote to CEO but of course no response. Not the $10.00 but principle that a billion $$ company would stiff their drivers

  19. JP Says:

    I been driving for Uber for months and I Just driving with Lyft for a week and the differences are huge. From the driver perspective Lyft is way BETTER. Im making about 50% more with Lyft than what I used to make with Uber. I havent turn on the Uber app this week, because they have me riding some time for about 2.50. Are you kidding me?. Im NOT planning to drive again for Uber. Period!

  20. L. Manning Says:

    Uber won’t be #1 for long :-/

  21. Chey Says:

    Whats do you think of lyft?

  22. Bec. WG. Says:

    rent a car from uber or lyft like Cabs company dose with their cars.

    1. Eddie - Future driver Says:

      Do they supply any phones?

  23. Bec. WG. Says:

    i agree with you i have the same dame problems with ( Uber) they are a bunch of traders.

  24. Bec. WG. Says:

    i did all that they that Uber require 15 mins later got the job if you needs it go for it but lyft is better….

  25. Cosmetology Says:

    Lyft drivers never lifted me up……

  26. Cosmetology Says:

    Uber has never been uber good

  27. Joel Says:

    I think Lyft is better for me, because the tipping procedure is already built into the Lyft app, and the ride is more social and fun, and the rider can choose what music they want or what theme they want.

  28. Judith Says:

    Tried to get an Uber at the airport but the app continually wanted the credit card CVS. We were never able to complete the request and had to find a Taxi. Going to download Lyft and try it.

  29. Ronea Says:

    Drivers also risk higher insurance premiums with their auto insurance if they are a driver for either of these services.

  30. Tom Says:

    In Vegas I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a Lyft but when I booked an Uber it was at least 10. Some drivers I talked to said that they had cancelled their Uber accounts. Uber’s CEO is also a bit controversial (Trump supporter? Sexist?) That said, Uber do seem more reliable and, dare I say it, fancier…

  31. Dan W Says:

    Does Lyft or Uber pay extra if I have a specialty vehicle? I have a van that has a wheel chair lift and can have 7 people ride. I read somewhere you need a 24 hour notice for handicapped or service dogs but I can be there when needed.

    1. Dan W Says:

      I emailed Lyft and they said I can not use my wheel chair lift van because they are in a deal with local handicap services. In other words, You need a 24 hr notice if you are handicapped to get a ride. Yet Lyft policy says they do not discriminate to the handicapped. BS, I can pick them up in real time and not have them wait a day. Lyft most likely gets a cut in the deal with the special services companies.

  32. Bill Says:

    Used Uber 4 or 5 times, no issues, until in LA, asked for a ride and it kept updating arrival times between 13-17 minutes. After 30 minutes of this, cancelled the trip and got a cab. More recently, I was putting in my address for an advanced trip (next day) and at confirmation kept changing the pickup address across the street. After sending screen shots and describing what was going on in a few messages back and forth, customer support said I was doing it wrong, so I did it their way, still changed the address. Added the Lyft app, and in 30 seconds, had a confirmation and most importantly, it kept the address I told it to pick up at. Bye-bye Uber!

  33. Happy To Drive Uber Says:

    I applied to drive with Lyft and my application was denied. Both Lyft and Uber require proof of license, insurance and vehicle registration. Lyft denied me because I had a license cancellation which happened when I lost my job because couldn’t pay to renew, and I had parked my car for a while. I recently got my license renewed, car reinsured and back on the road. Uber approved me because my current status is good. Lyft penalized me for having a bad experience during a challenging time in my life. F Lyft.

  34. Love Lyft Says:

    Lyft by far in my city is faster and the drivers a super friendly!!!! Definitely 5 stars!!!

  35. Ramsey Bacerott Says:

    My Uber rider account was cancelled for refusing to provide a copy of my DL.

  36. Deb Says:

    Uber refused to contract with me because I had a DUI 8yrs ago. It is the only violation I have ever had and I will never do that again. I’m not a drinker and had a few drinks and drove home and was pulled over. Iowa has a low tolerance and I got a DUI. I never will do that again… However, Lyft will work with me because they go back 7yrs, not 10… Uber’s lose Lyft’s gain,

    1. tonyb Says:

      Uber DOES have a tip option, you set a percentage when you sign up now, and you end up automagically tipping their drivers whether they do a good job or not, I wonder if your auto-tip amount setting affects their eagerness to serve you well or not. I waited tables for years, so I set it for 15%, which is fair, and if they really do a kika$$ job, I may toss in a few bucks cash to pad that and show my appreciation.

  37. anonymous Says:

    Uber drivers do not open doors, as described in here. I have used Uber in 2 countries, and several US states. My experience with Uber has been great anyway. I have not tried lyft.

  38. Mags Says:

    I looked at both apps and Lyft was way more friendly in terms of scheduling a ride in advance. Based on that I chose Lyft both times. One of the times though the guys car was super dirty. It gives you the opportunity to comment though and if you rate them a 3 or below, they won’t dispatch that same driver to you again. The guy that had the dirty car also had to stop for gas but it worked out since I needed to pee! 🙂 Both drivers were nice but not chatty which I appreciated. The first guy got out of the car and helped me with my bag automatically. The second guy didn’t get out initially but was really nice about getting out and helping me with my bag (I have a bum hand right now). Living 45 miles away from the airport in Atlanta made it really nice an convenient.

  39. Obe Says:

    I installed Uber at first, because it is obviously more popular, but I struggled to use the app on my phone. I then uninstalled and reinstalled it, but I was having the same problem. The lyft app was so much more convenient and easy to use. I’m an Android User.

  40. Anonymous Says:

    Lyft has already taken over two weeks and a half to compelte by background check and is not yet complete. Uber approved my background check in two days. So in going with uber.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      Whereas I had opposite experience. I’m still waiting on Uber yet I’ve been driving for lift since July 17th it is now September 25.

  41. Karin McLearn Says:

    I have used Uber and Lyft until this past year. In my opinion, Uber is a far better option. It’s always cheaper (although often not by much). In my area there are dozens of drivers available within minutes with Uber while Lyft, having fewer drivers takes at least 15 minutes to arrive. The Uber drivers have nicer cars, Lyft is a toss up. Most are nice, many are not…and you have no choice about your ride until it arrives. Twice I have gotten stuck with Lyft cars that wreak of cigarette smoke and dozens of times my driver does not speak ANY English. I live in Texas!!! Furthermore, Lyft drivers have “dropped” my ride because they can’t find me…which means I have a new driver and start my wait all over again. That’s frustrating, to say the least. Lastly, Lyft is constantly sending me offers. I mean, daily until I adjusted my mail settings. The offers sound good, but they rarely are what they seem. Customer Service is terrible. The Lyft drivers expect a tip on top of pay.

  42. Dawn Says:

    Uber now has the option to tip. Been thinking about becoming a driver.

  43. Darren Says:

    Can I drive for both companies?

    1. Brandi Says:

      You sure can Darren; I do

      1. RichRav4 Says:

        do you use cell Phone for each service ? so you would need 2 phone or will 1 phone be fine

  44. Di Says:

    My college age daughter had a horrible experience with a male Uber driver. Are you able to request female only drivers for girl passengers from either Lyft or Uber? And if so, how is that done?

  45. Geoff Says:

    Sorry to start with such a blunt statement, but Uber just sucks. The founder is a world-class jerk and was just kicked out of the company by the board of directors. The company challenged Austin, Texas to change its city rules or Uber would quit, and Austin told them to take a leap. Only Uber would presume to tell a city how to run its rider services. Lastly, once your account is screwed up on Uber you’ll never get it fixed. No toll free number, only a box to send an email, which I’ve done, with no response. So I just signed up for Lyft and it’s amazing. I can’t believe I spent all that money on Uber, but I guess Lyft has only been widely available the last year or two. SO glad to be done with Uber!

  46. Dana Says:

    I wholeheartedly agree with Geoff! They simply cannot or will not fix a problem that should be simple. In my case, it was an issue where I could not request an Uber – I needed to enter a different payment method; however, it didn’t make any difference what payment method I put in, they still would not allow a ride to be hailed. The fact that you simply CANNOT speak to anyone compounds the problem of getting things fixed. They don’t get it…and I am now a Lyft customer only, along with the rest of my family.

  47. Jenny Says:

    Lyft is cheaper, and now is getting increasingly more popular than Uber (perhaps for political reasons). I actually prefer Lyft over Uber not only for financial reasons, but Uber drivers seem to get lost finding passengers more often than Lyft drivers do, and Lyft drivers tend to wait for passengers longer than Uber drivers do. I’ve also heard from drivers that Lyft passengers tend to wait for the driver more often than Uber passengers do. Lyft also offers more promo offers, whereas Uber just has the one time signup bonus. Lyft for the win.

  48. BT Says:

    We used Uber for the first time through out our trip to Oregon. Easy to use, all drivers friendly & professional. Overall, great experience. Will definitely use Uber service in the future.

  49. Karen W. Says:

    I have been using rideshares for several years now at least 2x a week.. Uber was my go to at the beginning and I started with Lyft about 6 months ago. I find Lyft cheaper by far. Lyft standard cars seem to be much nicer than Uber. I have been in some jalopies with Uber. Sometimes I do wait longer for Lyft so then I bounce back to Uber. My first choice is always Lyft.

  50. JW Says:

    Uber is our preferred ride share as the drivers are professional, courteous and reliable. We often interact with the driver and have found them to very interesting people who share the same values we do.

  51. Nick Says:

    If you drive for a rideshare company you need rideshare insurance. Or, you could roll the dice and hope your insurance company doesn’t find out – in which case – you’re NOT covered. BTW: Get into an accident while driving to a pickup or with a passenger and you’re covered. Too bad the deductible with these companies is $2,500.

  52. ZN Says:

    Uber now offers an option for tipping your driver, just FYI.

  53. Lurker Says:

    I drove for Uber and Lyft, both, and quit after giving 500 rides. There are comments about drivers not opening the door (even after these companies have been in business for years?) which was surprising. Passengers don’t seem to understand drivers are not making much money, and these are not limo services.

    Please don’t expect the guy making $10/hr to come out and open the door for you (you have an option to pay for such service like Uber Black/SUV if you care).

    After considering all expenses it comes down to min wage in most of the markets for most of the drivers (some exceptions are there like some drivers were signed up with higher commission/compensation during early days .. not anymore). If someone says they are making $30/Hr they are either lying or not doing their math right. There is a reason half of the drivers quit within first year. Been there done that.

  54. DB Says:

    Does your insurance company have to know if you become a driver for either Lyft or Uber ?

  55. JB Says:

    Your comment hurts Lyft more than Uber. Most people don’t want to pay to be driven by somebody who had a DUI regardless of the circumstances.

  56. JB Says:

    It would-be great if they added a non chat option where the driver just paid attention to the road. I just want to get to my destination and not have a forced conversation with a total stranger other than to answer trip related questions. I would even be willing to pay more for a quiet ride.Some drivers get that you don’t want to have a conversation but the majority of drivers are offended if you just want peace and quiet. And with the rating system I always feel like I’m gonna get a bad rating if I don’t put on a happy face and have a lively conversation.

  57. CJ Says:

    I drive for both Uber and Lyft and I found that Uber is a lot busier and the rider are even nicer. Get tired of going out of my way for rude sand snotty Lyft passangers who think they are better than us.

  58. EL Says:

    No, just male drivers are more likely to sexually harass or rape a female rider…one of the main reasons ride sharing is scary for women.

  59. Michael Says:

    I’ve just started driving for uber about 3 weeks ago as a part time job. I enjoy it because I’m a very outgoing person and so far my riders have all enjoyed themselves judging by my tips, ratings and comments. There are a few issues that I’ve had with the gps being off and with the number of riders when I show up, but over all I’ve loved it. As far as the issue with female riders being able to request female drivers, I agree that they should have that option as I have two daughters of my own and there are some shady men out there. There are lots of improvements that could be made like ( drivers being able to have a preferred list of drivers they want, passenger head count for easier classification instead of showing up and having 6 people waiting and only having a 4 passenger vehicle.) I have no experience with lift but I’m sure both companies have things they need to improve on.

  60. William Says:

    What the article fails to mention is that in most ride scenarios, i.e. short trips, Uber’s share of the total fare is roughly the same as the driver, or more. In other words, the individual investing in the vehicle, gas, maintenance and performing the job is being taken advantage of by a greedy giant whose very survival is dependent on signing up a continuous stream of new drivers. Most Uber drivers don’t stick with it very long for the reason I outlined, and for those outlined by Lurker several comments below. Lyft treats the driver far more equitably by paying them a higher percentage. If the Uber passenger wants to have a direct impact on a greedy pig taking advantage of its drivers then consider using Lyft. Lyft is expanding by leaps and bounds and most Uber driver are now driving with Lyft as well, so make a contribution to the solution instead of being part of the problem, and put the screws to the greedy pigs who run Uber.

    1. David Says:

      Did you see their recent writeup on that?

  61. Curious driver Says:

    How would I find out which service does the most business in my area?

  62. 2DAPOINT Says:

    Uber invented the marketplace, Business model, and rideshare by phones… Lyft is a ‘Me too’ copycat attempt to take another’s idea, and make money too. As a consumer- ya tend to get better svc from the innovator- instead of the imitator…

    1. David Says:

      While a “Me Too” copycat, I think they are doing something right. You rarely see Lyft in the news like you do with Uber. and that’s not a good thing lol

  63. dennis Says:

    I’ve driven for with both companies for over a year, and even though lyft claims to do more for the driver, this just isn’t true. Uber gives regular multiple incentives during the week. Lyft only does promotions when they need the drivers. So much for “a family, feel good ” company. They’re into it for the money, just like uber, and the only difference I see is Lyft is more selfish with sharing the profits.

    1. Maxim Says:

      Exactly my feeling, dennis.
      Another issue: have you ever try to actually contact Lyft if you have an issue with you ride? Don’t waste your time, they never reply.

  64. Lexus Owner Says:

    It irritates me that both companies think a car must be 2006 or newer to drive for them! I own a beautiful 2004 Lexus RX 330 (black on black) with low miles and every option available, but its too old?

  65. Sarah Casey Says:


  66. UberUnderCover Says:

    Hi all, I drove 5,000 Uber trips in 12 months in Chicago to write my book, “5,000 First Dates, #1 Uber Driver tells all”. I am including a chapter on why Uber will be out of business in the next 2 years, as it is just not sustainable. My all in, expense included income was 1/2 IL Minimum Wage. Most of the book is great stories about the wonderful people I met, but the conclusion is, in 5 years we will all look back and say “remember when people would drive complete strangers in their cars?”. These strangers will eat in your car, do drugs in your back seat, vomit, talk on phone loudly, smell so bad it’s as if they pooped in there pants. I drove many nice people, but also drove the general public that you see on the bus and subway. I drove 85,000 miles on my car during this project. Six (6) times another car hit me in Chicago traffic and Uber’s insurance deductible (for the drivers car) is $1,000. Inevitable driver saturation will occur soon, every one will know someone that was or is a driver. These drivers will eventually admit they only promoted Uber to get you to sign up so they could receive the referral bonus. This is worse than Multi-Level Marketing schemes, as everybody loses.

  67. UberUnderCover Says:

    Also, No Health Insurance, no Workers Compensation. Driving 18 hours a day to make money will cause blood clots. Very dangerous, drivers are never cut off for over driving. Tired driving is just as bad as drunk driving. Your life is in the hands of someone who may not have slept in 20 hours. I am putting screenshots in my book, substantiating days I put in 19 hours in a row. Lastly, please Google how many Uber drivers have been murdered by their passengers?

  68. UberUnderCover Says:

    It is NOT rideshare. I told my passengers, “the only reason I am on this street, at this time, going this direction is you told me to”. Every State should sue Uber for Unemployment Insurance. There is an obvious Employer to Employee relationship. When States hit Uber with UI it will be the end of this social experiment.

  69. LyftYouUP Says:

    Bottom Line is that Lyft passengers tip at about 50% of the fares. Uber Passengers simply don’t. Whatever the reason it doesn’t really matter. Tips are BIG FACTOR. If Lyft had the quantity of rides I would easily go Lyft exclusively.

  70. NicestManInTheWorld Says:

    Uber fired me for stalking my last passenger. She obtained a restraining order, and then reported it to them. That’s not right. I didn’t do anything wrong. All I wanted was to settle down, get married, and have lots of children. I was madly in love with her. Every time I drove by her house and tried to call her, she would ignore me. I would send her flowers and jewelry. When I peeked into her window at night, I caught her cheating on me with another man. I followed him home and confronted the guy. We got into an altercation, and I was arrested for battery.

    How do I convince Uber to let me drive for them again? I need a job. I told them I was very sorry. It was nothing but a mere lover’s quarrel.

  71. ShouldIDrive Says:

    Like a lot of people on here, I’m considering becoming an Uber/Lyft driver. Good article and comments, thanks to all. I am about 10 years away from retirement age and am currently unemployed. I don’t need a high paying job but will it be worth my time to drive for Uber and Lyft to pay my rent and basic living expenses? I understand the need to factor in expenses but I have two comments on that. First, comments on here focus on .55 per mile IRS allowance but I don’t look at that as the actual cost of owning/operating my vehicle, I think it is more of an average and the number is for what you can claim on taxes for expenses (similar to paying real estate tax, the “value” of your home on the tax books is not really the value such as an appraisal would provide, it is just a ballpark for tax purposes). Anyway, my information on the subject is not current but several years ago I researched with AAA the ACTUAL cost per mile of owning/operating a vehicle (includes insurance, repairs, etc.) and the number was already much higher than .55 per mile. So, if I have a question it would be does anyone know a good app or source of accurate and current information that takes into account my specific vehicle when calculating my actual costs? Second, I saw no comments regarding tax deductions. As a driver wouldn’t I be able to claim all the miles I drive at .55 per mile or otherwise get some kind of tax break? Knowledgeable input appreciated. I want to understand as fully as I can the income and expenses that will be involved before I jump into this. Thanks.

  72. HL Says:

    There is a history behind Uber’s current 180 day “apology campaign.” My company values the employees. I value those that work for me. I want to be partner with companies that do the same. I should have changed to Lyft some time ago.

  73. Ridester Says:

    Thanks for the heads up! We just finished a guide on this:

  74. Ryan Says:

    About the tipping… Uber actually begs the passenger to tip the driver, it says “please tip…” where as Lyft doesn’t thus being said uber wins

  75. Nick Says:

    I use both services and it’s all about getting from A to B. What I find interesting is that all the drives I speak to only ever do it as a part time job. When you look at how many fares they need to take and the average fare rate. It’s nearly impossible to make a full time income. Much like the real estate industry where over 95% of realtors only make a part time living. It seem that both industries have a lot in common. They both generate substantial profits for themselves based on the illusion of the agent buying into the easy income non realistic income dream.

    1. Seth Says:

      That’s an interesting point. I think that you’re right with the illusion aspect.. it seems like easy income but few drivers actually realize how many expenses go into the process behind the scenes.

  76. Richie Says:

    I drive for Uber and have applied to Lyft several times. But haven’t been accepted to drive with Lyft every time I’ve messaged Lyft I have not received any response they won’t even notify me on what documents I am missing.

    1. Ridester Says:

      If you log into your Lyft portal, it will say which documents you still need.Try logging in here:

      Are you able to do this?

  77. Scott Says:

    Just had a really bad experience with Uber, so much so that I started looking into Lyft as an option. Most of my Uber rides have been to/from an Airport, mostly in NYC, but in other cities as well like Chicago, Atlanta, Austin etc. How does Lyft compare based on coverage/costs?

  78. Todd Says:

    I started out riding with Uber, but got pissed off somewhere along the way and looked into Lyft. It’s been great ever since. I can see a difference in quality of the vehicles, and the attitudes of the drivers too.

    Lyft is definitely more cost-effective in surge pricing situations. I won’t go back to Uber.

  79. Cheffo Says:

    Both are available in rural Cape Cod (Ma- in case you didn’t know) but the problem seems to be marketing to people about ride-sharing . Is it okay to link to social media and hype up ride-sharing in rural areas?

  80. Claude Says:

    I drive for both an all I can say is I will not put up with people disrespecting me in my work area. It is as simple as that. I know that Lyft will not match you with a rider if you rate them 3 stars or less. I do not know how Uber goes about it but whenever I give a lower than 5 rating on both apps. I always text and let them know why. I do not rate people on tips because that is a courtesy not mandatory. If I do not give someone 5 stars there was some kind of problem. I deal with people intoxicated on all kinds of things and have had things happen and still give people 5s because I understand he or she is on something and is not in their right mind. On the other hand I do not care if I am on a short or long trip. If someone is riding with me and nothing transpires he or she better say something to me when they get out of my vehicle. If they do not, I will cut them off in a heartbeat. I am doing a public service and if they do not appreciate it they do not have to see me again. I don’t care how you grew up or what your culture is, if your going to go out in public you better have some manners and respect.

  81. giorgi Says:

    there is a mistake in the post. in 6th section (innovation). “I think Uber’s acquisition of Waymo puts them one step ahead of Lyft.”. uber bought otto not waymo. waymo is owned by

  82. figdill Says:

    Why do you refer to these as ride”sharing”? There is no sharing involved, they are acommercial taxi services using a clever app and poorly treated drivers.

  83. Sandra M Moorman Says:

    I’m considering driving with Lyft and renting a car from them, my concerns are that they don’t gu;arantee driver to make at least $250.00 a week. it says I authorize Lyft on behalf of the vehicle owner or rental company, tyo deduct any weekly rental charges/fees from my, driver earnings and, if sufficient funds are availaable to debit or charge the above card, So if I dont make at least $250.00 a week they want to debit my bank account, that worries me that I’m paying them for driving for them. It seems that they should guarantee you making $250.00 a week when renting a car for $250.00.

  84. Sandra Says:

    What is the average weekly pay working with Lyft?

  85. Roberto Says:

    I can’t consider Uber anymore. They use a business model that deliberately breaks local and state laws and when caught, thumbs their nose at the public. It goes much more beyond brand ‘image’, it is a matter of supporting an illegal (in many locations) and unethical enterprise.

  86. Shay Says:

    Uber rates on last 500 rides so its very hard to change your ratings if they fall with lyft ratings are based on last 100 rides so you can easily bring that up in a weekend I have had lyft get rid of bad ratings for me just because I told them why I rated the customer bad and why I thought they might rate me lyft is so much better in that area uber suspended my account for lying customers so far with lyft I have a 4.8 and have had over a hundred rides

  87. pauly Says:

    can someone tell me where i can find reviews on lyftdrivers and uberdrivers renting cars from them?
    which company would be better to rent from?

  88. Tommie Says:

    I’ve driven for both Urber & Lyft. More customer with Urber Much better mapping system with Urber. I drive a vehicle that can carry 1-6 riders. Urber calls it an XL.lyft calls it a plus. 5-6 riders the drive receives about a 20% increase in fare. Urber rider requests an Urber & there are 5 riders the driver later that night sends a message to Urber $ gives the driver there due increase. Lyft rider request a Lyft ride for 1-4 & when driver arrives there are 6 riders waiting at a local pub at 1am driver needs to ask them to cancel the ride & request an Plus so the driver can receive the proper pay, Lyft will not increase by a message later when the driver arrives home at 3am.. PS try requesting a group of party going folks to cancel & re-request yourself?? Well go see what happen.. Not me I’ll be driving for Urber at 1am on Friday & Sat notes somewhere in America??. Tommie

  89. J.C. Says:

    Do either companies offer promotions for existing clients? I understand enticing new customers, but they both need to start trying to retain customers as well.

  90. Tommy Says:

    I am 77 years old, have been riding Uber for several months now, and not once has the driver gotten out to open a door for me, as stated in the above description of Uber Drivers. My first ride was supposed to be free but that never happened either. I enjoy my Uber ride but try to get your facts straight.

  91. Anonymous Says:

    I drove for both rideshare campanies for more than 2 years.Regarding customer service Uber is by far better than lyft., Even they’re are not comparable Uber responds with in 30 minutes while Lyft customer service took weeks to response. And Lyft tried to automate their response while Uber has real person.
    In general, in my opinion the author sided with Lyft.

  92. Teka Says:

    In general, in my opinion the author sided with Lyft.

  93. Anonymous Says:

    In general, in my opinion the author sided with Lyft.

  94. mysogynistic behavior Says:

    I only use Lyft now. I will not patronize any company that treats women the way Uber does. Covering up sexual harassment of employees, if they are good performers, is shameful. Uber Board Members cracking sexist jokes during the Board presentation about the companies problems with sexual harassment really shows how entrenched the mysogynistic mindset is. Apparently, at Uber women are to be demeaned and treated as sex objects and the butt of jokes and that is all. Why would anyone still use their service? These clowns are setting the office environment back 70 years. I would rather walk 10 miles. They had a chance to make a change and bring in a female CEO to run the company. Did they do that? No! Of course not. They still seem to think this is a big joke. Sad!

  95. Jennifer Says:

    I just used Uber today and they do allow tipping and give you the option to put the tip on the method of payment you used. This was in Ocean County, NJ so I’m not sure if this is a regional thing or not.

  96. Kier Thompson Says:

    Lyft has an option called Lyft Lux which is the same vehicle options as UberBlack. I don’t know if it is everywhere yet but it is in California as of now.

  97. mike Says:

    Lyft has won me over completely. Regardless of demand, Lyft always seems significantly cheaper and their drivers seem happier. I often feel manipulated by Uber into higher fees. Somtimes it feels like surge pricing is more supply driven than demand driven. There will be few drivers available, Uber claims demand and quotes an outrageos price; I then look at Lyft and there are lots of drivers available and the price is a fraction of Uber’s. That’s been my experience, especially in the Bay Area when I visit.

  98. Scot Says:

    Uber didn’t acquire waymo…it is OWNED by google/alphabet, so they CAN’T acquire it. The bought otto, and will get almost nothing out of it, due to the stolen IP associated with it, and the subsequent lawsuite.

    In fact, it is exactly the OPPOSITE of what you said. *LYFT* has a partnership w/ Waymo is well ahead of Uber now, due to that and other partnerships (GM).

    1. Ridester Says:

      That was a typo, meant to say Otto instead of Waymo. Thanks for pointing that out. We updated the post to include the change 🙂

  99. Judith Says:

    Recent experience: Uber driver did not speak English or know directions to downtown Fort Lauderdale from the beach area! He started going North instead of south from pickup site. He was making a left turn that would have ended at the intercoastal waterway. It was a twilight zone experience. I did not know Uber had a foreign division in the US. Their response was not an explanation, they just apologized. Time to change to Lyft.

  100. Alick Says:

    I just did a price comparison for a 10 minute trip. Lyft’s estimate was $5.00 more than Uber. Why the big difference? Why would I use Lift? Just asking.

  101. Salty Says:

    Things likely vary by market, but…in Pittsburgh, I drove for Uber for several weeks before starting to also drive with Lyft. My instinct was Uber was going to pay more, but my actual experience has been Lyft is more profitable. First of all, Uber passengers in Pittsburgh rarely tip. I can give 25 rides and I am lucky if two tip. On Lyft, half my rides tip. That alone is a HUGE difference. Second, the rides from Lyft while often longer pick-ups also tend to be much longer destinations than what I get from Uber. In the end, I am averaging about 20 to 30% more per day with Lyft than with Uber.

  102. R47 Says:

    Uber drivers open the door? Uberx has well dressed drivers, for business meetings? Give me a break. Uber driver like Lyft driver like taxi driver like even bus driver, sometimes we are in a mood for talking, but you can’t expect it all the time, after you been dealing with traffic. Have you ever tried to start a conversation with someone, who looks at their phone and goes “mmhmm”?? Have that happen to you, 3 times in one hour and let’s see how chatty and service oriented you become.

  103. C Says:

    Uber takes a greater percentage from their drivers. And I am a driver using both platforms. Lyft averages a 20% charge of fare. The uber average is more like 35%. On short under $10 fares they take more than 50%.

  104. Bruce B Says:

    A very good review, but you are ignoring an important aspect of how we choose to spend our dollars: how a company operates in the world and whether it helps society. You do talk about the bad publicity Uber has received but you ignore the fact that the motivation of the company has clearly been profit at the detriment of community. Simply put, they are not a nice company and we need nice companies that care about people in this country and this world. I never use Uber and encourage others to only use Lyft as well.

  105. Larry Says:

    I agree with these assumptions. I find that uber has better customer levels, except for downtown minneapolis. Lyft’s bonus has been difficult because Lyft isn’t big in my area, and I would have to drive quite a bit to take advantage of the areas that Lyft customers live or interact. Something to consider. Even at the airport, I have both apps on and everytime, Uber contacts me first about a ride.

  106. Linda Says:

    I am thinking about driving for Uber or Lyft.I am researching which one is better. But now maybe I might drive for both.

  107. Peter Says:

    I ordered UberX and driver confirmed the pickup with ETA ~8min and I checked the ETA in few minutes and ETA became 12min, then 15min then ~20min – and I was looking at the car icon moving away from pickup location further and further. And actually he was driving just past my trip destination. I tried to contact driver but my call went into voicemail.
    So I cancelled the trip and ordered another one – that one went without a problem but because I waited too long before cancelling the first ride I was late.
    So I contacted Uber Customer service with complaint and was told

    We understand it can be frustrating when a pick-up experience doesn’t go as expected

    and not even “we are sorry”. So tell me more about “more professional and oriented for business-type customers”. And I’m complaining now not about the driver – whatever emergency he was in to flank this so rudely without bothering to notify me about refusal of service. This is about the company policy about what their obligations are once they accepted your order. So that means – do not trust Uber to always deliver the service they promised – as they do not feel their promise of service is worth anything. And after that experience I will see if Lyft has better customer service policy.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      Lyft has an awesome customer service staff for riders and driver’s. Myself as a driver I always text my passenger if I think they may think something is going awry. Sometimes my GPS acts up, but I’m still on track to pick up at specified point and ETA but I know the passenger sees my car going in circles on their app and starts to worry about the competency of their driver. Therefore to ease their mind I always make a point of contacting via text or call even if I have to pull over to do so. This way I know I’m not wasting my time heading to them and they cancel due to confusion and they are reassured that I am not an awful driver and can count on me to get them where they need to be in a timely efficient and safe manner. We always have a chuckle once I pick them up when they describe how my car was doing circles and sitting and going back and forth on same road etc etc..

  108. Allie Says:

    Oh, major pet peeve. It’s not .25 cents a minute, unless you literally mean a quarter of a cent per minute, and wouldn’t that be a heck of a deal? It’s 25 cents. No decimal. Or you could say $0.25. Not .25 cents.

  109. Fred Fandango Says:

    I avoid Lyft because it is virtually impossible to get a decent receipt. Uber reliably sends an e-mail receipt. Neither service makes it easy to get a presentable receipt on their web site.

  110. DZinTo Says:

    I am in Toronto, and we can always add a tip in Uber. Not sure why the report says that you can’t.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      We can now but up and until early 2020 in USA this was not an option. Lyft was only rideshare that offered option on app.

  111. Shawn Santistevan Says:

    I find that some of this info is somewhat false, but it goes down to where you live. Lyft typically charges me 4-7 dollars more than Uber ever does, peak hours or not. I always do the comparison before selecting. If it’s a far drive, Lyft prices for myself have been as high as 20 dollars more than Uber.

  112. Hrdai Raaj Says:

    Lyft is by far the better company.
    Lyft takes a flat 25% of what the rider pays. Uber takes anywhere between 35 to 60 % !!! There’s absolutely no logic to how they “service charge”. Uber is making billions exploiting riders and drivers.
    Uber has more business in the S Fla area, so I’m forced to take their calls, but I prefer to drive with Lyft anyday. Lyft riders are much more socially aware. And they’re generous ! Uber riders sometimes have treated me as if I’m their servant !
    Uber claims they are only putting riders and drivers in touch, but why are they squeezing more money from the drivers on longer rides when it’s the drivers who are the ones doing all the extra work ! Uber should take a flat rate for their service and give the drivers the rest, for all that extra wear and tear and gas and time involved ! Why does Uber take so much ? They’re not doing any more work on a longer ride !
    Lyft is to Uber what Apple was to Microsoft, in the old days, before Apple became greedy and lost its good feeling. Lyft and Whole Foods still have that good feeling. Let’s see what Amazon does to WF !
    All these large corporations are shaping the new culture of America to the point that the young people seem to think that life is all about money and nothing else. It’s getting ugly.
    We need to understand and practice that life is about peace, love and caring, or we will chop off the very branch we are sitting on and crash !

  113. Bert Says:

    Dude are you blind, Lyft’s app sucks. It is no where as detailed as Ubers. There location software when you get close is so dated. It does not even compare to Ubers. There font does not even fit into the app, so many times the word of number just ends with commas. Lyft software sucks. I drive for both, and I don’t think either company care one lick about me.

  114. Janie Says:

    This comment is mostly for ladies: Keep safe from a potential assault if you’re riding. I recently bought a very loud alarm to put on my keychain. If I order a taxi or Uber or Lyft, I will hold it in my hands during the trip. At any sign of wrongdoing, I will sound the alarm and either hold it by the attacker’s ears or toss it out the window (if the car is not moving). The only way to shut off the alarm is to re-insert the pull chain. I would make sure the pull chain and the alarm go in two different directions. >> Other safety devices might work just as well.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      Also share trip info with someone who will actually pay attention and track your trip, gps, route and time and who will alert emergency if something seems awry if they can’t get a hold of you.

  115. Pepe LePew Says:

    Uber is RIPPING RIDERS OFF! I drive for both and the money Uber charges people is frankly amazing.

    Here are actual rides around Southern California:

    6 Miles, 31 Minutes. Uber charges a Rider $19.07. Lyft would’ve cost 10.96

    11.5 Miles, 27 Minutes. Uber charges a Rider $23.17. Lyft would’ve cost 16.04

    4.25 Miles, 21 Minutes. Uber charges a Rider $14.88. Lyft would’ve cost 8.18

    20 Miles, 33 Minutes. Uber charges a Rider $38.96. Lyft would’ve cost 27.98

    Minimum Rides are even more egregious.

    A ride less than one miles, which took 6 minutes, Uber charges a Rider $7.20. Lyft would’ve cost 3.50

    1. Brett Says:

      Those are some big differences. Did you run an estimate on the fare costs? Interested to see where the data came from and what type of ride it was

      1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

        He’s right. I know the mileage charge time charge per minute and base pay plus the city fees so those numbers are correct for Lyft and the driver would get 18-19 for the 20 mile ride. Lyft lists out all the charges and fees for riders. Minimum base rate I would get for a ride is 3.30 pluses mileage and per minute.

  116. KGundy Says:

    If you drive for both Uber and Lyft, do you use 2 phones? Because the Lyft bonuses require you to maintain 90% acceptance rate. It might be the same with Uber. My experience with the Lyft app is that its sometimes too slow. So I’d be worried about getting another ride request before I can shut off the other app. In other words, I can’t get two requests at the same time and be forced to not accept one, it would hurt my acceptance rate. I think I’d want to use two phones to keep that from happening.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      I need to find out how that works. But Lyft offers so many bonuses such as streaks that if I go off line I miss the 15-18 for not completing the three ride streak. I make a minimum of 100$ on up to 250 or more with the streak promos. Then there are other bonuses that I earn on top of that. Lyft will warm you that you are in middle of streak and ask if you are sure you want to go offline or that you have a 3.50$ all the way on up to as high as 24.50$ ( no lie I thought the misplaced the decimal pt but I’ve earned 24.50 on one ride) bonus on next ride. So at least they are fair and don’t just screw driver out of bonuses they would’ve earned by staying on line.

  117. Howard Sands Says:

    I’m surprised that the author of this article said that Uber takes a larger cut from their drivers. Uber takes 20% from me, but Lyft takes 25%.

    1. Ronea Says:

      As a driver, does either App tell you where your patrons destination is?

    2. Will Says:

      as of May 2017 Lyft pays .99 mile. Lyft takes 25% leaving the driver with .74 a mile. The IRS says it costs .55 a mile to drive a car (more in California, New York). Lyft drivers profit is .19 per mile. When you figure it takes 3-6 minutes to get to consumer with no pay. Then they go 5 miles which takes you maybe 10 minutes to drive. Congrats, you just worked 15 minutes for $1 after expenses 1.25 in time wages for 10 minutes of work. With $0 in tips, you are making about $9 per hour IF you can get 4 rides an hour every hour. You are better off getting a minimum wage job. It will be a lot easier.

    3. Maxim Says:

      It might depend on the area where you drive. I drive for both and on average make with Uber at least twice as much as with Lyft. Although some weeks Lyft could be better, go figure.

    4. Jonathan Says:

      You must have been around for a while Howard. Uber has grandfathered in all the drivers who joined when they only took 20%. Now they “officially” take 25% from all drivers who signed up after a certain time (several years ago). Although in many cases they take more thanks to upfront pricing.

  118. Spinach01 Says:

    As a rider Lyft is the ONLY way to go now that Uber has cut the chord on (email support) & Live Chat (Chat support) making it extremely frustrating to get any support that is outside the driver/rider environment. Uber also has some HUGE security leaks, my account has been hacked twice now and because the and/or Live Chat is no longer available I was at the mercy of the bot that answers in fb messanger. That was IT for me, Uber app delete – HELLO Lyft. Just check out Uber’s fb page and see how many people have had their accounts hacked, credit cards numbers stolen, bank account info compromised and ID stolen all traced back to the Uber App. I’m sure the people at Lyft are saying “THANKS UBER”!!

  119. 8 other people are typing... Says:

    I use rideshare in many cities and find that Lyft is the best option, especially where I live (Florida). Both services are basically the same. Most drivers drive for both. The ability to do multiple stops in Lyft is pretty great and to tip in the app is what got me to switch. Huge mistake/overlook on Uber’s part way back when. I have not found the need to go back to Uber yet sans the rare time I can’t get a Lyft (maybe 3 out of past 200 rides around the country). I also understand they treat their drivers better, and are a far more moral company, which is always good. Point of story – Lyft is better than Uber in my opinion.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      Lyft treats me with excellent customer service as a driver and a rider. They are there damn near instantaneously whenever I need them. Plus now they have partnered with ADP for security for both drivers and passengers. No one even has to speak, just push a button and emergency is dispatched to the exact Gps location of the phone of either driver or passenger. Plus they have created several safety videos with amazing safety tips for drivers and riders. They are also there for any question or concern 24 hours a day. I don’t feel alone even though I am alone for a percentage of the time while out and about in driver mode. Shoot I could turn that on even if I’m on personal time if need be to get assistance.

  120. Paul Shields Says:

    As a Personal Mercedes S550 Driver I try to give Customer Service as Number 1. Many claim my timing, clean car, etc. is nice but yet I charge less than both of these services and wonder how do drivers make monies with gas and tolls involved. Example: Client wants to go from West Palm Beach to Orlando International, both services here list a charge of over $300.00, I under charge $125 and yet people still complain. Guess if it were free some would, I know. What I am getting at, you ARE paying for services you don’t pay for like when we come to get you costs, car washes, dry cleaning, tolls, insurance, wear/tear on a vehicle and the list goes on. PLEASE take that into consideration when comparing costs and especially tipping! More people think tips are already included, really? I would love to hear from other drivers, am I being that stupid or afraid to go up and not have clients? How much would you increase?

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      If I were you I would base my rates on the average of what Uber and Lyft charge as base rate, per mile, per minute, and tolls (both ways) and undercut that way. Plus I would charge up front at least a deposit for mileage, tolls and estimated time based on time of day. I’ve trusted a few people who asked for a pit stop as a favor and said that they would add 10$ tip on app so I want to believe their word is their bond but I just got burnt the other night and meanwhile my next passenger was waiting patiently. My cut of her fare was 3.78$ for a three minute ride. She not only tipped me 6$ cash she also added 5$ more on the app. So I aided a liar and a cheat while keeping this woman waiting. Won’t happen again that’s for sure. Cash for favor upfront or you can do without favor and that night he didn’t have a way to charge his phone so I felt bad. No sympathy anymore if no cash because this guy could’ve been reason to lose that easy next fare and 350% tip.

  121. Debi Fellows Says:

    I stick with Lyft. I HATE pretense. I want a decent, clean car to get me where I need to go. Lyft drivers are interesting and diverse. I see Uber as lofty and snooty. Lyft is a great way to catch a ride. Bottom line though, I have never had a smelly, nasty sticky seat in either Lyft or Uber, taxis are another story…

  122. stellabystarlite Says:

    “a ride that would normally cost $10, would go up to $15 during Prime Time.” No comma between subject and predicate.

    1. tommco Says:

      Thank you, grammar cop!

  123. Lionel Mandrake Says:

    Somebody has to hold the line against barbarity.

  124. unclebill Says:

    Interesting comparison and enlightening. I’m 2 months into Uber but because of this article may be changing. Uber was useful at a time when my car was totaled, and with what I consider hidden customer service I began the research. I thought I should be able to add helpful notes about my height and use of a walker to enable a driver to make the decision to accept, but this was not readily available in the Uber app. When I couldn’t find any customer service contact points within the app I used a section for the complaint of “device” rejection to get a response from them. Confusion ensued and Lyft may just be my next option. BTW their “Help” section doesn’t even come close to my issues.Thanks.

  125. Deanne Stegeman Says:

    Just did some research for a driver considering Uber and Lyft. I handle his auto insurance. Uber automatically provides protection where a standard personal auto policy excludes coverage, that is, when you’ve got a paying passenger in your vehicle. Lyft has suggestions where you can purchase this coverage. Since Uber is providing this coverage, my assumption is that is why what they pay to the driver is lower than Lyft.
    Personally, if I were using a ride-share service, I’d want to only get in a vehicle I know is properly insured and protects me as a passenger in the event of an accident. With Uber it’s automatic, with Lyft, I have no idea if the driver has good coverage or not…

    1. Pam W. Says:

      Lyft did require specific insurance levels here in Phoenix.

  126. Kelly Power Says:

    From the front page (about half way down) of Lyft’s website

    “Lyft insurance protection shield

  127. FireFish Says:

    I believe that Uber only allows drivers to operate new pickups in their designated geographical area / state. Does Lyft have this same restriction on drivers? Or can Lyft drivers basically login to their Lyft app anywhere and start driving?

    Just curious.

    1. Kimberly Wadsworth Says:

      Bifferlyann… Lyft Guaranteed 2100$ for 160 rides in 30 days. (8 rides/day m-f) Plus everyday bonuses are outstanding. Sometimes I can’t figure out how I make what I make but I’m not gonna argue.

  128. High Yield Consultant Says:

    Thank you Ridester since this was a well written article full of useful information. My wife and I are ‘studying up’ on this subject since we may be moving from a large city with a metro system to a city without a metro. The metro only costs us $15 per month and there are no headaches in getting to all the neighborhoods we wish to get into. Having left behind an inconvenient life with car maintenance expenses, car insurance, vehicle depreciation, etc. for a car free life, it would be difficult to go back. Your article points to probably what is our next best option.

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