Every restaurant owner on multiple delivery platforms has wondered the same thing: which one is actually the best deal? The answer isn't as simple as comparing commission rates — because commission is only one component of what you pay. Here's a complete comparison of the three major platforms and how to determine which is most profitable for your specific restaurant.
Commission Rate Comparison
| Platform | Delivery Commission | Pickup Commission | Processing Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | 15–30% | ~6% | ~6% |
| Uber Eats | 15–30% | ~6% | ~2.5–3% |
| Grubhub | 10–25% | ~10% | 3.05% + $0.30 |
On paper, Grubhub has the lowest base commission rates. But commission rate alone doesn't determine profitability — order volume, average order value, tip behavior, promotional costs, and refund rates all affect your effective fee rate.
Market Share and Order Volume
| Platform | US Market Share | Best Markets |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash LARGEST | ~55% | Nationwide, suburban markets |
| Uber Eats | ~30% | Urban markets, college towns |
| Grubhub | ~10% | NYC, Chicago, college campuses |
DoorDash dominates by volume in most US markets. This matters because a lower commission rate on Grubhub is less valuable if Grubhub delivers 10% of the orders DoorDash does in your area. Volume and effective rate both factor into which platform is most profitable.
What Commission Rates Don't Tell You
Commission rate is the most visible fee but rarely the whole story. Here's what else affects your actual payout:
Marketing Fees and Promotions
All three platforms offer promotional tools — discounts, sponsored listings, loyalty programs — that cost restaurants money beyond the base commission. On DoorDash, running a 20% off promotion means that discount typically comes out of your payout. Same on Uber Eats. Restaurants that run frequent promotions often have effective rates 5–10 percentage points above their commission tier.
Refunds and Disputes
When customers report missing items or quality issues, all three platforms have policies that can result in deductions from your payout. DoorDash is particularly aggressive about passing refund costs to restaurants. These "error charges" appear as adjustments in your payout statement and can be significant for restaurants with complex orders.
Tips
Customer tips are passed through to restaurants on all three platforms. Higher average tips improve your net payout significantly. Uber Eats generally sees higher tip rates in urban markets. DoorDash suburban markets can vary widely.
The Only Comparison That Matters
Comparing headline commission rates between platforms is useful context, but it doesn't tell you which platform is most profitable for your restaurant. Two restaurants with identical commission tiers can have dramatically different effective fee rates depending on their promotion strategy, refund rates, and tip income.
The comparison that actually matters is: what is your effective fee rate on each platform, calculated from your actual payout data, over a representative time period?
Effective fee rate = Total fees paid ÷ Total gross order subtotal × 100
This number, calculated from your actual statements, is the only reliable basis for comparing platform profitability. It accounts for commission, service fees, marketing fees, and adjustments — everything that comes out of your pocket.
Which Platform Should You Prioritize?
There's no universal answer — it depends on your market, your menu, and your promotion strategy. But here are some patterns that hold across many restaurants:
DoorDash is usually the highest volume platform in most US markets. If you have to be on one platform, it's typically DoorDash. The higher commission (Plus or Premier) is often offset by volume.
Uber Eats tends to perform well in dense urban markets and college towns. Average order values are often higher than DoorDash, which can offset higher commission rates.
Grubhub makes most sense in its strong markets — NYC, Chicago, and select college campuses. Outside those markets, the order volume may not justify the operational complexity of managing another platform.
The right strategy for most multi-platform restaurants is to measure effective fee rate on each platform quarterly, using actual payout data, and make allocation decisions based on that data rather than assumptions.
Compare Your Actual Platform Fee Rates
Upload your payout statements from DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. We'll calculate your effective fee rate on each platform and show you side-by-side which one is actually most profitable for your restaurant. Free for 14 days.
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