Is DoorDash worth it? I’ve been a Dasher for nearly a decade now, so I’ve seen a lot of changes to DoorDash over the years. In general, I think DoorDash is still worth it, even with all of the changes that have occurred. However, whether it’s worth it for you primarily depends on a bunch of factors, including where you live, what type of vehicle you’re using, and whether you’re doing it full-time or as a part-time side hustle.
With all that said, I still think everyone should sign up for DoorDash, mainly because there’s not much downside to getting signed up and on the platform. Even if you don’t plan to deliver for DoorDash regularly, it’s better to be signed up so you can use it if you want to.
In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the question of whether DoorDash is worth it, primarily considering the factors you’ll want to look at to determine if it’s worth it for you.
Is DoorDash Worth It?
Whether DoorDash is worth it for you depends mainly on four factors. Here’s what will matter the most for most people.
1. Where Do You Live?
Probably the most important factor that’ll determine whether DoorDash is worth it for you will be where you live (or, more importantly, where you will work). DoorDash is available in many markets and while you can earn decent money anywhere, you’ll likely earn the most if you live and/or work in a major city. As you can expect, you’ll have more restaurants and more customers ordering DoorDash in larger cities.
Among the major food delivery apps, DoorDash is unique in that it operates in smaller towns as well. However, in smaller towns, distances are often going to be farther and there will be fewer restaurants and customers ordering food. One potential advantage in a small town is that there may be fewer Dashers working there, which could give you an advantage in getting more orders. However, in my view, the lack of customers mitigates that advantage.
The best situation is if you happen to live in a dense area of a large city, making it so you can work close to home and not have to commute to get delivery requests. I live in a dense neighborhood in Minneapolis, so DoorDash works well for me because I can turn on the app while I’m at home and start getting deliveries immediately. This saves me the time of having to travel to busy areas. When I’m done Dashing, I can easily return home – again, saving me the time having to travel back home.
2. What Vehicle Are You Using?
The largest expense you’ll have when delivering for DoorDash is transportation expenses, so the vehicle you use will matter a lot. Most people will opt to use a car when Dashing. If you’re using a car, your main expenses are going to be fuel, potential parking or traffic tickets, maintenance, and depreciation on your vehicle. Knowing this, you want to pick a vehicle that’s reliable and fuel-efficient so you can save as much money as possible on fuel and maintenance (here’s a post I wrote on some of the best cars to use for DoorDash).
Depending on your situation, an electric car can be a great option. I own a Chevy Bolt EV, which can provide me with up to 250 miles of range on a full charge. That should be plenty of range for most people to deliver for a full day. An EV like my Chevy Bolt comes with a lot of advantages since I don’t have to worry about paying for gas and the maintenance on my car is fairly light.
Of course, an EV isn’t going to work for everyone, so if you’re using a traditional car, opting for a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle will be your best bet. A Toyota Prius is the top choice when it comes to good hybrids. Affordable, reliable cars like the Toyota Corolla are also excellent options that are low maintenance, fuel-efficient, and can maintain their value.
While most people will opt to use a car, I personally hate driving and think it’s an inefficient way to do DoorDash. Instead, I opt to use an ebike or electric scooter. This makes it so I can complete my deliveries faster (since I live in a city) and makes it so I don’t have to worry about gas, traffic, or parking. Maintenance on my ebikes and scooters is low as well. Overall, I make more money delivering with an ebike or electric scooter and I reduce my expenses, giving me more profit.
If you’re interested in seeing how DoorDash deliveries work with a bike or scooter, check out my YouTube channel. Here’s an example of me doing some deliveries with a fat tire ebike in the snow.
3. Are You Doing DoorDash Full-Time Or Part-Time?
Another factor that will matter when it comes to whether DoorDash is worth it is whether you’re doing DoorDash full-time or part-time.
If you’re doing it full-time, I think DoorDash is less worth it, mainly because it can be difficult to make a full-time income with DoorDash in some places. The other issue with doing DoorDash full-time is that there are a lot of times during the day when it’s slow since people mainly order food during lunch and dinner hours. While you can make a full-time income as a Dasher, it’s not always easy and it puts a lot of pressure on you to keep working so you can maintain your income.
Part-time Dashing, on the other hand, is well worth it for most people, especially if you live in a city and can complete your deliveries using an ebike or scooter. If you live in a neighborhood where you can receive DoorDash deliveries while you’re at home, that’s even better, since you’ll save time commuting.
The big advantage of Dashing part-time is that you can concentrate your work time during the busiest, highest earning hours. By working during the busiest hours, you’ll maximize your hourly earnings. I’m a part-time Dasher and can often average $30 or more per hour by working only during the lunch and/or dinner rush. If I spread my time out during the in-between hours when things are slow, I’d earn far less on an hourly basis.
4. What Phase Of Life Are You In?
Finally, whether DoorDash is worth it depends a lot on the stage of life you’re in. For some people, DoorDash works particularly well. It’s a great option for college students, for example, since many college students have free time on their hands and could use the extra money. Even better, most college students tend to live in dense areas that are busy and well-suited for DoorDash. The fact that you don’t need a car to deliver for DoorDash is great too, especially since many college students don’t have a car.
People who need flexible schedules are also well-suited for delivering food with DoorDash. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, for example, you would do well with DoorDash since you can log into the app when your schedule allows. If you have a full-time job, DoorDash works well too because of the flexibility that comes with it – you can deliver for DoorDash outside of your day job when it makes sense for you.
I used to be a full-time lawyer, and DoorDash worked great for me as a fun side hustle and provided me with a sort of therapeutic benefit. My job was stressful, but I enjoyed biking around and delivering food in my spare time. It was nice that I made extra money doing it, but often, it wasn’t even about making the extra money, but rather giving me a form of stress relief.
Final Thoughts
Overall, DoorDash is still worth it for many people, even as earnings drop and more people sign up to be Dashers. As a full-time gig, I’d probably recommend against it, but for a side hustle, I think DoorDash is great, especially if you live in a city and are willing to do your deliveries with an ebike or scooter.
Consider the above four factors when deciding whether it’s worth it for you. For many, I think they’ll find DoorDash is worth it.
Leave a Reply