Instacart is an online grocery delivery service that has quickly become one of the most popular ways to get groceries. It is currently running in more than 5000 cities in North America and is available to more than 80% of US households.
While Instacart is one of the most well-known grocery delivery services, there are many other great apps out there that offer similar services. FreshDirect, Amazon Fresh, Walmart+ to name a few. Though the best app like Instacart is Shipt. With Shipt, you can be assured of quality products at great prices. The app has a good coverage too.
If you don’t live in an area where Instacart delivers or maybe you just want to explore some other options, then this article would help.
Let’s find out more about these apps like Instacart.
Best Apps like Instacart
1. Shipt
Shipt is an online grocery delivery service that is very similar to Instacart in that both services offer same-day delivery.
It is available in more than 50 markets across the United States and has plans to expand to more cities in the future.
Shipt shoppers handpick and deliver your orders, so you can get the freshness and quality of the products you love without having to leave your house.
To sign up for Shipt, simply create an account on their website or download their app. Then, enter your zip code to see if they deliver to your area. Once you’re signed up, you can start shopping for groceries right away.
If you need any help, customer support is available through live chat on their website or by phone.
Shipt and Instacart also have a similar pricing structure, with the first order being free and then each additional order is charged.
The main difference between them is that Shipt gets its delivery from local stores, while Instacart delivers from national chains.
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2. FreshDirect
FreshDirect is a grocery delivery service that operates in the eastern United States. It delivers groceries to homes and businesses.
The company was founded in 2002 by Jason Ackerman, James Dorgan, and Joseph Fedele.
Apart from grocery delivery, FreshDirect also offers restaurant delivery, catering, and food shopping services. They also have a marketplace where you can order meals or ingredients from local restaurants or farmers.
FreshDirect has been around way before Instacart. It also offers a bit more services than Instacart. Although, overall, they are fairly comparable services.
Prices vary depending on what you order, but FreshDirect is generally more expensive than Instacart.
For example, grocery delivery from FreshDirect costs $12.99 while the same delivery from Instacart costs $11.99.
However, there may be occasions where Instacart has higher or lower prices than FreshDirect, so it’s best to compare them both before making a decision.
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3. Amazon Fresh
It’s a grocery delivery and pickup service available to Amazon Prime members in select regions.
You can order fresh groceries, everyday essentials, and shop for Prime Pantry items all in one place.
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, you can still use Amazon Fresh to shop for groceries, but you’ll have to pay a delivery fee.
Amazon Fresh is available in select cities across the US, including Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Miami, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
What are the services offered by Amazon Fresh?
- Grocery Delivery: Get fresh groceries delivered to your door.
- Grocery Pickup: Shop for groceries online and pick them up at a local store.
- Prime Pantry: Shop for everyday essentials like cereal, laundry detergent, and pet food.
Some of the benefits include:
- No delivery fees on orders over $35
- Huge selection of fresh and frozen items
Here’s a quick comparison of Amazon Fresh and Instacart:
- Selection: Amazon Fresh has a larger selection of groceries, while Instacart partners with local stores to provide a more personalized shopping experience.
- Pricing: Both services have similar pricing structures, although Amazon Fresh may be cheaper for Prime members who order over $35 worth of groceries.
Both services offer convenient ways to shop for groceries, but Amazon Fresh may be a better option if you’re an Amazon Prime member and you live in one of the regions where it’s available.
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4. Walmart+
Walmart+ is a free app that allows customers to shop Walmart’s inventory and checkout from their smartphones.
There are many reasons why you might want to use Walmart+, including:
- You can save money by using the app to check prices and compare deals before making purchases.
- Easily create and manage shopping lists so you don’t forget anything while grocery shopping.
- You can use the app to check-in for curbside pickup or delivery, making shopping even more convenient.
- The app’s barcode scanner can help you quickly find information on prices and the availability of products.
- You can view store maps and hours so you know when and where to shop.
Walmart+ offers lower prices than Instacart in most cases. And, like Instacart, Walmart+ is also available nationwide, although it may have more coverage.
Both platforms allow you to order groceries on the go and have them delivered even before you reach your doorstep.
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5. Thrive Market
Thrive Market is a membership-based online marketplace that delivers organic and healthy products to you.
They offer up to 50% off retail prices on over 4000+ of the best-selling brands in food, personal care, vitamins, and home essentials.
Aside from their discount on top-quality products without having to step foot in a supermarket, Thrive Market is also known for its remarkable selection of gluten-free, dairy-free, and GMO-free items.
First, you’ll need to sign up for a free trial or paid membership. Then simply browse their catalog of high-quality foods and products from brands you trust, add what you want to your cart, and checkout.
While both Thrive Market and Instacart offer convenient online grocery shopping, there are a few key differences.
Because Thrive Market is a membership-based service, you must register before you can start shopping, unlike Instacart.
Also, because Thrive Market is an online marketplace rather than a delivery service, you’ll need to wait a few days for your order to arrive.
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6. Peapod
Peapod is an online grocery delivery service based in the northeastern United States.
It offers delivery from a number of local stores in the Northeast, including Stop & Shop, Giant Food, and Shaw’s.
Peapod has been in business since 1989 and was one of the first companies to offer online grocery shopping and delivery.
It has an extensive selection of groceries, including fresh produce, meat, seafood, pantry staples, and more.
Peapod is a great option if you’re looking for an online grocery delivery service with a long history and a wide selection of groceries.
The platform also offers convenient features like scheduled deliveries and pick-up services.
How does Peapod compare to Instacart?
- Peapod is a lot older than Instacart, so there’s a level of trust that comes with that amount of experience
- Instacart does offer a wider selection of stores than Peapod
- Peapod offers meal kits, while Instacart does not
7. DoorDash
DoorDash is a food delivery service that partners with local restaurants to deliver meals to customers. It’s similar to other services like Instacart, Postmates, and Uber Eats.
DoorDash is available in over 4000 cities across the United States and Canada, making it one of the most widely available delivery services. And if you’re not sure whether DoorDash delivers to your area, you can easily check on their website or app.
One of the best things about DoorDash is that they offer a wide range of restaurant options, from fast food to fine dining. So whatever you’re in the mood for, chances are DoorDash can deliver it.
Another great thing about DoorDash is its pricing. They offer a flat fee for delivery, regardless of the order size or distance.
You can sign up for DoorDash by visiting their website or downloading their mobile application. Once you create an account, you can start placing orders with participating restaurants in your area.
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8. Cornershop
Cornershop is an app that allows you to order groceries and have them delivered to your doorstep in as little as one hour.
You can also choose to pick up your order from a Cornershop partner store if you prefer. The app is also available in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Peru.
Using the app is simple. After creating an account and adding your delivery address, you can browse through the various grocery stores available on the app and add items to your cart.
Once you’re done shopping, you can check out and select a delivery time slot that works for you.
Cornershop delivery fees start at $12 and go up depending on the size of your order. Orders over $200 qualify for free delivery. You can also save money by using one of Cornershop’s promo codes.
On Google Play, Cornershop has a rating of four out of five stars with over 24,000 reviews. Users love that they can get their groceries delivered quickly and easily without having to leave home.
While Cornerstone shares some similarities with Instacart, the former is available in more countries.
9. Dumpling
Dumpling is an app that allows you to order food from your favorite restaurants. You can search for restaurants by cuisine or location, and view menus and ratings from other users.
Shoppers pay a flat fee for delivery and restaurants set their own prices for food.
Dumpling is available in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
It is a great option for those who want to order food from their favorite restaurants but don’t want to deal with the hassle of dining out.
It is also easy to use and the delivery fee is very reasonable.
The app has a user-friendly interface, and you can easily compare prices and read reviews from other diners. Dumpling is great for finding new restaurants to try.
10. Uber Eats
Uber Eats has been gaining in popularity lately as a convenient food delivery service.
With Uber Eats, you can order food from your favorite restaurants and have it delivered to your doorstep. The app is available in many major cities across the United States.
To use Uber Eats, simply open the app and browse through the restaurants that are available in your area.
Once you find a restaurant that you would like to order from, simply select it and add the items you would like to your cart. Once you are finished adding items to your cart, checkout, and pay for your order.
Your order will then be sent to the restaurant where it will be prepared for delivery. Once the restaurant has finished preparing your order, an Uber driver will be dispatched to pick up your order and deliver it to you.
The app is easy to use and offers a wide selection. Uber Eats also offers competitive pricing and fast delivery times. Looking at these factors, it’s no wonder that Uber Eats is one of the most popular food delivery services today.
There are a few key differences between Uber Eats and Instacart.
First, Uber Eats offers a wider selection of restaurants than Instacart. Second, Uber Eats delivers food faster than Instacart. And third, Uber Eats is typically cheaper than Instacart.
Find out more platforms like Uber Eats.
11. Postmates
Postmates is an app that lets you get anything you want to be delivered to your doorstep in minutes. Just order what you need from the app and a Postmate will pick it up and bring it to you.
Postmates is available in major metropolitan areas across the US, including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle. The app is free to download and use, but there is a delivery fee for each order.
What sets Postmates apart from other delivery apps is its extensive selection of restaurants and stores. You can order from any restaurant or store in your city that doesn’t have its own delivery service.
What are the major differences between Postmates and Instacart?
- Postmates is available in more cities than Instacart.
- Postmates has a wider selection of restaurants and stores than Instacart.
- Postmates delivers in minutes, while Instacart has a delivery window of one hour.
12. GrubHub
GrubHub is a food delivery app that lets you order food from local restaurants. The app has a huge selection of restaurants to choose from.
There are a few reasons why you might want to use GrubHub:
- The app has a wide variety of options, including some hard-to-find cuisines.
- You can order alcohol with your food.
- The app is easy to use and has an intuitive interface.
- GrubHub offers great customer service and if there’s ever a problem with your order, they’ll do everything they can to fix it.
If you’re wondering how GrubHub delivery works, it’s actually pretty simple. When you place your order, the restaurant will receive a notification and start preparing your food.
Once your food is ready, a GrubHub driver will pick it up and deliver it to you. You can track the progress of your order in the app, so you always know when to expect your food.
The delivery fee for GrubHub varies depending on the restaurant you’re ordering from.
You may also be charged a small service fee by GrubHub (usually around $0-$20), but this is separate from the delivery fee.
13. 7NOW
If you’re looking for an Instacart alternative that also delivers groceries from your local stores in as little as one hour, then you need to check out the new app called “7NOW.”
7NOW is a grocery delivery service that promises to bring you everything you need from your favorite stores in 60 minutes or less.
To use 7NOW, simply download the app and create an account. Then, add your delivery address and select which store you want to shop at.
Currently, there are over 50 participating stores nationwide, including big names like Whole Foods, Costco, Petco, and CVS. Once you’ve selected a store, you can browse the aisles and add items to your cart.
7NOW also offers a wide variety of delivery options, including same-day, next-day, morning, afternoon, and evening deliveries.
You can even choose to have your groceries delivered within one hour or up to seven days in advance.
And if you’re not sure what you want to order, 7NOW has a great selection of pre-made meal kits that include everything you need for a delicious home-cooked meal.
Best of all, there are no membership fees or subscription charges required to use 7NOW. Just download the app and start shopping.
7NOW is a great Instacart alternative for several reasons. First, it offers delivery from a wide variety of stores, including many big-name retailers that Instacart doesn’t work with.
Second, it has a very user-friendly app that makes it easy to add items to your cart and track order status. And third, it offers competitive pricing on groceries and delivery fees.
14. Deliveroo
Deliveroo is a food delivery app that operates in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The company was founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski.
The app allows users to order food from restaurants and have it delivered to their doorsteps. Deliveroo also offers an express delivery service for an additional fee.
What sets Deliveroo apart from other food delivery apps is its focus on quality control. The company only partners with restaurants that meet its strict criteria for food quality and hygiene.
Deliveroo charges a flat fee per order regardless of the size or value of the order. There is also a $1.31 delivery fee for orders under $20.
Customers can browse the restaurant menus on the app and place an order for delivery.
Once an order is placed, a Deliveroo rider is dispatched to pick up the food and deliver it to the customer’s address.
Deliveroo offers two types of delivery – standard and express.
Standard delivery is cheaper and takes between 30-60 minutes to arrive. Express delivery costs $1.31 and arrives within 15 minutes.
Bottomline
There you have it, the 15 best apps like Instacart that are available today.
While some of them may not be as widely known as Instacart, they all offer unique features and benefits that make them worth considering.
For us, the best app like Instacart is Shipt, which offers an unbeatable combination of convenience, affordability, and quality.
But the choice is yours, so be sure to check out all 15 of these top apps and see which one is the perfect fit for your needs.
Cassie Riley has a passion for all things marketing and social media. She is a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, language, music, writing, and unicorns. Cassie is a lifetime learner, and loves to spend time attending classes, webinars, and summits.