The 15 Best Food Delivery Apps in the World in 2025

Updated -   November 25, 2024 at 11:03 pm   |  14058 Views

Here is the list of the popular food delivery apps, explaining the business models, revenue sources and workflow of each of these apps.

But before getting into details, you need to learn about some terms used here to understand this blog post.

Marketplace – A marketplace is a platform that connects sellers with buyers. Marketplace owners do not own the inventory/products sold on their platform. They only act as a mediator between the vendors and the customers.

 The online food delivery marketplace has two types of business models:-

  • The order-only model:- In this model, the marketplace owner adds the restaurant partners only. And the food delivery is done by a person employed by the restaurant.
  • The order and delivery model:- In this model, the marketplace owner adds the restaurant partners as well as the delivery partners. That means the food delivery is done by a delivery partner employed by the marketplace owner.

Here are the best food delivery apps or companies:-

1. Swiggy

Swiggy

Swiggy started its services as an online food delivery app, but now it also allows customers to order grocery items, meat, daily essentials, and household items. Through Swiggy Genie, the app is on a journey of becoming a full-fledged pickup & delivery app, which lets customers deliver or receive anything, anytime.

Areas Served

Over 300 cities across India

What We Can Learn from Swiggy:

  • Reliability and Customer Focus: Swiggy is known for its commitment to reliability, with on-time deliveries and a high customer satisfaction rate. They’ve invested in technology to ensure smooth operations, even during peak hours. Lesson: Ensure reliable delivery logistics, especially during peak times, by optimizing your app’s backend and delivery scheduling.
  • Hyperlocal Marketing: Swiggy uses hyperlocal marketing strategies to target specific neighborhoods or areas, offering tailored promotions for customers in particular regions. Lesson: Use hyperlocal marketing tactics to engage with specific communities. You can use location-based offers, localized social media campaigns, or geo-targeted push notifications to increase your app’s relevance.
  • Expanding the Ecosystem: Swiggy has expanded its services to include Swiggy Genie (a delivery service for anything, from documents to clothes) and Swiggy Instamart (instant grocery delivery). Lesson: Consider diversifying your services to make your app a one-stop shop for all delivery needs.

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant partners, Supermarket partners and delivery partners) –
The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Swiggy make money?

  • Charges a commission on each order
  • Takes delivery charges from customers
  • Through Priority Restaurant/Supermarket Listing

How does Swiggy work?

  1. A customer explores the restaurant options or the supermarket options based on what he needs to order food or groceries/daily essentials.
  2. He selects the required items and places the order.
  3. If the customer places a food order, the respective restaurant receives the notification and makes the order ready. And if the customer places an order for groceries/daily household items, the corresponding supermarket gets the order ready.
  4. Then, the Swiggy delivery partner picks up the order from the restaurant/the supermarket and delivers it to the delivery location.

Want to launch an app like Swiggy for your business?

2. Grubhub / Seamless

Seamless - Grubhub

We have covered Grubhub and Seamless together because Seamless is a part of the Grubhub Company.

Areas Served

United States, and London

What We Can Learn from Grubhub:

  • Customer-Centric Approach: Grubhub places a strong emphasis on customer service. From their 24/7 support to easy refunds for late or incorrect orders, Grubhub prioritizes customer satisfaction. Lesson: Provide excellent customer support through multiple channels (chat, email, phone). A responsive, helpful customer service team will increase user satisfaction and retention.
  • Loyalty Programs and Rewards: Grubhub offers a Grubhub+ membership with exclusive benefits like free delivery and discounts. This incentivizes repeat customers. Lesson: Develop a loyalty or rewards program that incentivizes users to order more frequently. You can offer points for each purchase, special birthday offers, or free delivery on special days.
  • Wide Delivery Area Coverage: Grubhub has managed to cover urban, suburban, and even some rural areas, extending its reach beyond larger cities. Lesson: Don’t just focus on metropolitan areas—expand to underserved regions where competition may be lower and demand for food delivery is growing.

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurants and delivery partners)

Grubhub started with the order-only model, but from 2014 it offers the order and delivery Model.

Revenue Model: How does Grubhub make money?

  • Charges a commission on each order
  • Through Restaurant advertising on the platform
  • Through a monthly subscription plan that offers certain perks to the users.

How does Grubhub work?

  1. A customer browses the menu for his/her favourite restaurant.
  2. Places the order for food items
  3. The restaurant prepares and packs the order.
  4. Grubhub delivery person picks-up and delivers the order.

Want to build an app like Grubhub for your business?

3. Foodpanda

Foodpanda

Foodpanda is an app that delivers food, groceries and cleaning supplies at the customer’s doorstep.

Areas Served

Romania, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Lao, Thailand, Cambodia, Hongkong, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant/store partners and delivery partners) –

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Foodpanda make money?

  • Charges a commission on every order
  • Takes patnership registration fee
  • Takes delivery charges from customers
  • Through Restaurant/store advertising

How does Foodpanda work?

  1. Customer selects the items from his/her favourite place.
  2. Places the order
  3. The restaurant/store then makes the order ready.
  4. Foodpanda delivery providers pick up and deliver the order.

Want to create an app like Foodpanda for your business?

4. Zomato

Zomato

Zomato allows customers to order food online or explore the list of top restaurants & eating places in their area if they want to go out for a meal. Users can also access restaurant details like menu, ratings/reviews for dining & online ordering, photos, contact details, map directions, etc., on the Zomato app/website. And they can even book a table online in advance. Zomato also gives the option for contactless food delivery and dining.

Areas Served

India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States.

What We Can Learn from Zomato:

  • Building a Strong Brand Community: Zomato has created a strong community around food by allowing users to rate and review restaurants, which not only helps other users but also strengthens engagement. Lesson: Build a community around your app where users can interact with each other, leave reviews, and share experiences. This will help you build trust and create a loyal user base.
  • Innovative Features for Users: Zomato has developed unique features like Zomato Gold, which offers premium members discounts and exclusive access to top restaurants. Lesson: Create exclusive features or memberships that enhance the user experience, whether through rewards, discounts, or access to exclusive offers.
  • Diverse Restaurant Listings: Zomato excels at categorizing restaurants based on cuisine, ambiance, and dietary preferences (e.g., vegan, gluten-free). Lesson: Make it easy for users to discover restaurants based on preferences. This enhances the user experience and encourages customers to explore new options.

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant/Kitchen partners and delivery partners)

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Zomato make money?

  • Charges commission from the restaurants on every order
  • Through Restaurant Advertising
  • Through Zomato Pro ( a subscription plan that offers additional discounts and offers to the pro members)
  • Through Zomato kitchen (Zomato provides the infrastructure to restaurants and food businesses for operating the cloud kitchens)
  • Through sign-up fee from delivery partners.
  • Charges delivery fee from customers for the orders.

How does Zomato Work?

  1. On Zomato, a customer has the option to book the table in a restaurant for dine-in and place an online order for food with a delivery/pickup option.
  2. When a customer places online order from his/her favourite restaurant/eating place, the restaurant gets the notification and makes the order ready.
  3. If the customer chose the delivery option, Zomato’s delivery person would pick up the order from the restaurant and deliver it to the customer’s doorstep. Otherwise, the customer would pick up the food from that restaurant.  

Need an app like Zomato?

5. Doordash

Doordash

Doordash is a delivery app that allows customers to order from their favourite local & national restaurants or get groceries, snacks, alcohol, and essentials and get them delivered to their door. It lets customers schedule deliveries and also gives the option of no-contact delivery.

Areas Served

United States, Canada, and Australia

What We Can Learn from DoorDash:

  • Focus on Local Restaurant Partnerships: DoorDash’s success is largely due to its strong relationships with local restaurants, from popular chains to small, family-owned eateries. They’ve built trust within communities by offering a wide range of options. Lesson: Focus on establishing strong local restaurant partnerships. Having a diverse menu, especially from beloved local spots, can significantly increase your app’s appeal.
  • Subscription Model for Consistent Revenue: DoorDash’s DashPass subscription service provides customers with free delivery on orders over a certain amount. This generates steady revenue and encourages repeat business. Lesson: Consider offering a subscription-based model with perks like free delivery, exclusive discounts, or priority delivery to increase customer loyalty.
  • Efficient Logistics and Real-Time Tracking: DoorDash offers real-time tracking for users, ensuring transparency and reducing anxiety about delivery times. Lesson: Implement real-time tracking for deliveries and order updates. Giving customers visibility into their order status helps build trust and improves the overall user experience.

Business Model

Marketplace (store partners and driver-partners (Doordash calls them dashers)) –

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Doordash make money?

  • Charges a commission from partners on each order.
  • Takes delivery fee from customers
  • Through Dashpass Subscription

How does Doordash work?

  1. Customer selects and places the order for the items from his favorite store.
  2. Makes Payment
  3. The store then prepares the order.
  4. Doordash dashers (driver or delivery partners) pickup & deliver the order.

Are you interested in getting an app like Doordash for your eating place?

6. UberEats

UberEats

UberEats is a food delivery app launched by Uber that allows users to order food from their favourite local restaurants. Along with this, Uber Eats offers some great features for businesses. It gives them the option to place a group order using a shared cart & reduce the number of delivery persons entering their office. Also, businesses can cover the cost of the meal for their employees or offer food to their customers during virtual meetings by sending them a voucher or gift card.

Areas Served

Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, and India

What We Can Learn from Uber Eats:

  • Seamless User Experience: Uber Eats provides a sleek, user-friendly interface that makes ordering food as easy as a few taps. They’ve perfected the process of browsing menus, placing orders, and tracking deliveries. Lesson: Prioritize a simple and intuitive interface in your app design. Users should be able to navigate without any confusion.
  • Global Availability with Local Customization: While Uber Eats operates globally, it has successfully localized its offerings to cater to diverse cultural preferences and dietary needs. Lesson: Customize the app experience based on your region’s unique food culture. Personalize restaurant options, payment methods, and language preferences to better serve local markets.
  • Strong Delivery Network: Uber Eats capitalized on Uber’s extensive network of drivers, ensuring fast, reliable delivery times in cities around the world. Lesson: Develop a reliable logistics and delivery infrastructure, and consider partnering with third-party delivery services or leveraging existing networks.
  • Data-Driven Personalization: Uber Eats uses machine learning and AI to recommend personalized meals based on past orders, time of day, and even seasonal trends. Lesson: Use data analytics to offer personalized recommendations to your users, improving engagement and increasing order frequency.

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant partners and driver providers) –

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does UberEats make money?

  • Charges a commission from restaurant partners on every order they get.
  • Delivery fee from customers.
  • Through restaurant advertising/marketing fee 
  • Through Surge charges from customers (ex. In busy hours)

How does Uber Eats work?

  1. A customer browses the menu of the listed restaurants.
  2. Places the order
  3. The restaurant accepts and prepares the order.
  4. Uber Eats delivery partner delivers the ordered food at the destination.

Are you interested in developing an app like UberEats for your business?

7. Gopuff

GoPuff

Gopuff offers much more than just food delivery. It is an on-demand product delivery platform that allows users to order the essentials from multiple categories (food, drinks, alcohol, grocery, cleaning stuff, baby stuff, pet stuff, bath & beauty, etc.)

Areas Served

550+ cities across the United States

Business Model

Product markup:

What makes Gopuff’s business model different from most of the other delivery services is that Gopuff is a direct seller. Gopuff purchases the items, stores these, and sells these items directly from their inventory to the customers. In contrast, the other delivery apps collect the order from the other shops/restaurants and deliver it to the customers.

Gopuff has driver-partners to deliver the orders.

Revenue Model: How does Gopuff make money?

  • As Gopuff owns all the stuff available on the platform, it makes money on each product sold.
  • Gopuff charges a flat delivery fee of $1.95 from customers on each order. An additional fee of up to $2 is charged if the order contains alcohol.
  • Through Gopuff Fam (it is a subscription service that offers free delivery and other perks to the customers)
  • Through Advertising or Affiliate Program: It charges a fee from the brands that want to promote their products on the platform.

How does Gopuff Work?

  1. A customer browses the products and adds the required items to the cart.
  2. He/she then places the order.
  3. goDrive driver-partner picks up the order from the micro-fulfillment centre and delivers it to the customer’s address.

Want an on-demand delivery app solution like Gopuff?

8. EatSure (Faasos App)

EatSure

EatSure (Faasos) is an app by Rebel Foods and is known for delivering safe, hygienic & tasty food. The Rebel Foods company owns multiple delivery restaurants, including Behrouz Biryani, Ovenstory Pizza, Faasos, Mandarin Oak, Firangi Bake, Lunchbox, and Sweet Truth. EatSure is a one-stop platform to order food from all these in-house brands and Rebel Foods’ Partner Restaurant brands.

Areas Served

Many cities across India

Business Model

Cloud Kitchen (Internet Restaurant) Chain

Revenue Model: How does EatSure make money?

  • Through Franchise Partners
  • Through Restaurant/ Brand Partners

How does EatSure Work?

On EatSure, a customer can order food from multiple restaurants in one single order.

  1. A customer places a food order after selecting his/her favourite dishes from the listed restaurants.
  2. Restaurants receive the notification for the order, prepare the order and give it to the delivery executive.
  3. The delivery executive collects the different order items from the respective restaurants and then delivers the order to the customer.

9. Deliveroo

Deliveroo

Deliveroo is not just a food delivery app; it also offers the grocery delivery option to the customers.

Areas Served

Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and the United Kingdom.

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant/food joint partners, grocery store partners, and delivery partners)

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Deliveroo make money?

  • Takes commission on every order placed through this online platform
  • Through Deliveroo Plus ( it is a subscription plan offering additional benefits to the customers)
  • Through Deliveroo for Businesses ( Allow businesses to place group orders with their team)
  • Takes delivery charges from customers
  • Through advertising( Priority Restaurant/grocery store Listing and banner ads)
  • Through Deliveroo driver/rider signup fee

How does Deliveroo work?

For Restaurants/ Food Orders

  1. A customer selects his/her favourite restaurant on the app.
  2. He/she then can select the option to reserve a table in the restaurant, place an order with the delivery option, or place an order for pickup/takeaway.
  3. In case of pickup/ delivery order, the restaurant makes the order ready.
  4. If the customer chooses the food delivery option, Deliveroo riders pick up & deliver the food at the customer’s doorstep. Otherwise, the customer can collect the order from the restaurant itself.

For Grocery Orders

  1. A customer places an order for groceries from his/her favourite store.
  2. He/she then chooses the store pickup or the delivery option.
  3. The grocery store receives the notification for the order.
  4. Based on the option chosen by the customer, A Deliveroo rider collects the groceries’ order from the store and delivers to the customer’s address. Or the customer picks up the order from the store.

Want to launch an app like Deliveroo?

10. Just Eat

Just Eat

Just Eat Takeaway.com is one of the leading online food delivery marketplaces across the globe. This com­pa­ny was cre­at­ed in Jan­u­ary 2020 by bring­ing togeth­er two food deliv­ery companies: Takeaway.com (found­ed in 2000 in The Nether­lands) and Just Eat (found­ed in 2001 in Denmark). And in 2021, it acquired Grubhub in the US.

Areas Served

UK, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Brazil

Business Model

Marketplace

Just Eat has both- The order-only Model and The order and delivery model.

It gives the option to the restaurants to have their own delivery agents (and Just Eat company would charge less commission in that case)

Revenue Model: How does Just Eat make money?

  • Takes the fixed sign-up fee from Restaurants
  • Takes commission on every order
  • Charges a service fee for the option to rank high in the restaurant listings on the platform
  • Takes delivery charges from customers
  • Through Restaurant advertising

How does Just Eat work?

  1. A customer browses and selects the dishes from his/her favourite restaurant.
  2. Places the order
  3. The restaurant accepts and makes the order ready.
  4. If the restaurant has its own delivery men, the order would be delivered by them. Otherwise, Just Eat delivery suppliers pick up and deliver the order.

Want to start your business with an app like Just Eat?

11. Wolt

Wolt

Wolt started as a food delivery service, but now, it also allows the customers to place orders to buy groceries, flowers, and much more from the local shops. For food, it has the group ordering feature also to make it easy for all the team members or friends to buy their favourite food dishes within a single order.

Areas Served

Japan, Germany, Israel, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.

Business Model

Marketplace ( Restaurant/Shop partners and courier partners)

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Wolt make money?

  • Charges commission from restaurants/retailers on each order
  • Charges delivery fee from customers

How does Wolt Work?

  1. A customer chooses a store type from the various store options, depending on the items(food, groceries or flowers, etc.) that he/she wants to order.
  2. He/she then selects his/her favourite restaurant/shop and places the order for the items.
  3. The restaurant/shop accepts the order, makes it ready.
  4. Courier partner receives the packed order from the restaurant/shop and delivers it at the customer’s door.

Want to build your app like Wolt?

12. Talabat

Talabat

With Talabat, customers can order food and groceries online from various local restaurants, markets & stores. Users can also discover vouchers, promotions, and unlimited deals on the app and save more on their orders.

Areas Served

Qatar, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant/food joint partners and delivery partners) –

The order and delivery Model

Revenue Model: How does Talabat make money?

  • Charges a commission on total restaurant’s order bill
  • Takes delivery charges from customers
  • Through advertising( Priority Restaurant Listing and banner ads)

How does Talabat work?

  1. A customer selects his/her favorite restaurant from a vast list of food businesses.
  2. Places the order for food
  3. The restaurant makes the order ready.
  4. Talabat delivery agents pickup & deliver the food at the customer’s doorstep.

Want to make an app like Talabat for your business?

13. Instacart

Instacart

Instacart is a grocery delivery app that allows customers to buy food (including fresh produce, drinks, alcohol, dairy products, meat, seafood, frozen foods, baked goods, etc.) online and get it delivered to their doorstep.

Areas Served

US and Canada

Business Model

Marketplace ( grocery store partners and shoppers)

Shoppers are the persons that shop groceries for others and deliver these to the customer’s desired location.

Revenue Model: How does Instacart make money?

  • Charges delivery fee on each order
  • Charges pickup fee on the at-store pickup orders.
  • Via service fees ( It varies according to the location, number/type of items in the order, etc.). Orders containing alcohol have extra service fees.
  • Through Instacart Express (It is a membership plan that offers zero delivery fee on orders above $35 and a lower service fee to the customers)
  • Tipping (customers can give a tip to appreciate the excellent services)

How does Instacart Work?

  1. The customer chooses a store from which he/she wants to buy the needed food items.
  2. He/she then add the items to the cart, chooses the pickup/delivery option, and places the order.
  3. If the customer chooses the delivery option, a personal shopper would find and pick the items from the store selected by the customer. The shopper would then deliver it to the customer’s doorstep. Else, the customer can collect the order from the store in case of an in-store pickup option.

Want to launch a grocery delivery app like Instacart?

14. Postmates

Postmates

Postmates is an on-demand delivery app (now owned by Uber) that allows people to order from restaurants, local grocers, alcohol shops, convenience, and other retail stores.

Areas Served

Various cities across the United States

Business Model

Marketplace (Restaurant/store partners and delivery partners)

What We Can Learn from Postmates:

  • Expanding Beyond Food: While Postmates originally focused on food delivery, it has since expanded to include deliveries of groceries, alcohol, and other convenience items. Lesson: Consider expanding your app’s services beyond food to include things like groceries, essentials, or even local store deliveries. This diversification helps build a more sustainable and scalable business model.
  • On-Demand Delivery: Postmates prides itself on being able to deliver items within an hour. It’s not just food delivery; it’s about fast, on-demand services. Lesson: Focus on fast delivery times to meet the needs of your target audience. The quicker you can get food or items to customers, the more competitive your app will be.
  • Integrating with Local Businesses: Postmates has worked with local businesses to expand its offering, enabling deliveries from small, local stores. Lesson: Consider partnering with local businesses to diversify your offerings and create a unique selling proposition (USP) in the market.

Revenue Model: How does Postmates make money?

  • Charges commission from restaurants/ stores on each order placed via Postmates.
  • Charges delivery fee from customers
  • Via monthly membership plan:- This plan offers free delivery on restaurant orders above $15 & grocery orders above $30, zero surge charges, and various other member-only perks to the subscribers.
  • Surge Pricing/Blitz Pricing during peak hours
  • Through small cart fee (if the order doesn’t reach a certain minimum value(varies according to location), Postmates charge a small cart fee of $1.99)
  • Through service fee ( it is a variable % age-based amount charged on the purchase price of the items in the order.)

How does Postmates Work?

  1. The customer browses the items on the app and places an order for the needed items after choosing the pickup/delivery option.
  2. The restaurant/store gets a notification for the order and makes it ready. 
  3. In case of delivery option, Uber’s delivery person delivers the order at the customer’s doorstep. In case of Pickup option, customer collects the order from restaurant/store.

15. Hellofresh

Hellofresh

Hellofresh is a meal kit delivery service that allows customers to select their favourite meals & make a weekly meal plan and sends them pre-measured ingredients & recipes at their doorstep to make healthy home-cooked food.

Areas Served

US, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Business Model

eCommerce membership model or SaaS-based subscription model

Key Partners – Professional chefs, food vendors/ ingredient suppliers, and delivery partners

Revenue Model: How does Hellofresh make money?

  • Charges weekly subscription fee from customers (it depends on the order frequency/the number of times the food is ordered per week and the number of people for which the meal kit is ordered.
  • Charges delivery fee from customers.
  • Through advertisements/ Affiliate partnerships.

How does Hellofresh work?

  1. The customer selects a weekly meal plan (based on the desired meals/recipes, meal size (according to number of people), and number of meals/recipes needed per week)
  2. He/she then selects a suitable delivery time and places an order for the recipe box.
  3. Hellofresh courier partners deliver the recipe box to the customer’s doorstep.

Looking at the immense popularity of these online food apps, restaurants and eateries’ owners get inspired in having a custom app developed for their business. Do you also want to launch a food delivery app in your area?

If yes, you can contact our team at info@goteso.com.

So, for what are you waiting? Talk to us now! And be ready to provide the best food delivery services to your customers!

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