Grocery & Delivery Apps · Tool Face-Off

Instacart vs DoorDash Marketplace

Quick answer

Instacart wins for pure grocery shopping depth; DoorDash wins for variety and all-in-one convenience.

Instacart

The grocery-first delivery specialist

3.8★

Our pick

DoorDash Marketplace

Food, groceries, and everything else — one app

4★

Membership Cost

Instacart+ ~$9.99/mo or ~$99/yr

DashPass ~$9.99/mo or ~$96/yr

Free Delivery Threshold

$35 minimum order (with Instacart+)

$12–15 minimum order (with DashPass)

Grocery Store Partners

1,400+ retailers including Kroger, Costco, Aldi

~700+ grocery/convenience partners

Restaurant Delivery

No restaurants

700,000+ restaurants

Service Fees

~5% service fee + possible surge

~15% service fee on many orders

Item Markup

Prices often 15–25% above in-store

Prices often 10–20% above in-store

Fastest Delivery Option

1-hour or scheduled windows

Under 30 min (DashMart & partners)

Personal Shopper Chat

Yes — real-time substitution chat

Limited — mostly automated

Scheduled Deliveries

Yes — up to 2 weeks in advance

Yes — limited advance scheduling

Pickup Option

Yes — free curbside pickup

Yes — available at select stores

Alcohol Delivery

Yes — wide availability

Yes — growing availability

Availability (US Cities)

5,500+ cities

7,000+ cities

Instacart

Ease of Use★★★★☆

Item Accuracy★★★½☆

Delivery Speed★★★★☆

Pricing & Fees★★★☆☆

Store Selection★★★★½

Membership Value★★★★☆

DoorDash Marketplace

Ease of Use★★★★½

Item Accuracy★★★★☆

Delivery Speed★★★★☆

Pricing & Fees★★★☆☆

Store Selection★★★★☆

Membership Value★★★★½

Worth knowing

Instacart partners with Costco, letting you get bulk goods delivered — a genuine differentiator.
DashPass members also get perks on Caviar, Wolt (in some markets), and even grocery chains, making it feel broader.
Both apps mark up grocery prices above in-store costs, so neither is a 'true' in-store price mirror.
DoorDash's DashMart convenience stores can deliver snacks and essentials in under 30 minutes in major cities.
Instacart's personal shopper model means a human picks your avocados — great or terrifying, depending on your trust level.

Instacart shoppers have reportedly sent customers photos of 47 different avocados asking 'which one?' — the app's chat feature is both its superpower and its chaos engine.

If you want

You mainly want groceries from a specific chain like Kroger or Aldi

Instacart's 1,400+ retailer network and dedicated grocery UX make it the clear grocery specialist.

→ Pick Instacart

If you want

You want one app for both restaurant food AND groceries

DoorDash's restaurant empire plus growing grocery selection means fewer apps cluttering your phone.

→ Pick DoorDash Marketplace

If you want

You need the fastest possible delivery for convenience items

DashMart and DoorDash's logistics often clock in under 30 minutes for small orders.

→ Pick DoorDash Marketplace

If you want

You want to schedule a big weekly grocery haul in advance

Instacart's scheduling up to two weeks out and shopper chat give you more control over big orders.

→ Pick Instacart

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