Roadie Vs. Doordash: Which Delivery Gig Is Best For Drivers?

If you’re looking to earn extra money with a flexible side hustle, becoming a delivery driver for an on-demand service like Roadie or DoorDash is an increasingly popular option.

But how do you choose between these two apps? Here’s an in-depth look at the pros, cons, and key differences between delivering with Roadie versus DoorDash.

A Brief Comparison Table

Aspects	Roadie	DoorDash
Delivery Types	Large, bulky items like furniture, auto parts, instruments	Restaurant takeout food orders
Distance	Local and long distance, even cross country	Short local deliveries
Average Earnings	$20 – $650 per delivery	$2 – $10 per delivery + tips
Effort Level	Physically demanding, moving heavy objects	Minimal, just transporting bags of food
Demand	Inconsistent freight requests	Steady volume of food orders
Expenses	Higher gas costs for long distances	Lower gas costs for short mileage
Schedule	Flexible gig, choose your own hours	Flexible, work whenever you want
Payment Model	Per delivery based on mileage and item	Per delivery fee plus tips
Long Distance	Rewards long trips with big payouts	No long distance, only small local radius
Return Trips	Get paid for return mileage back	No return fee, deadhead miles
Insurance	Supplemental insurance provided	Some coverage while on active orders

What Is Roadie?

Roadie is an on-demand delivery service that matches drivers with people who need items transported locally or long distance. As a driver or “Roadie”, you can choose to deliver everything from musical instruments, electronics, furniture, auto parts, and more.

Some key things to know about Roadie:

• Roadie delivers items that may be too large or awkward for traditional delivery services. You’ll often be transporting bulky items like bicycles, pets, appliances, etc.
• Deliveries can be local or long distance with cross-country orders. Roadie drivers have collectively driven over 150 million miles.
• Roadie has partnerships with major retailers like Guitar Center, PetSmart, Walmart, BestBuy and Advance Auto Parts.
• Drivers earn up to $650 for long distance (500+ miles) deliveries. Local deliveries can earn $20-$200 depending on item size and distance.
• Roadie provides supplemental insurance coverage for drivers and items being delivered.

What Is Doordash?

DoorDash is a popular on-demand food delivery service. As a DoorDash driver or “Dasher”, you’ll pick up takeout orders from restaurants and deliver them to hungry customers.

Key things about delivering for DoorDash:

• You can deliver for local restaurants, fast food chains, grocery stores, convenience stores and more.
• Deliveries are shorter local distances within your city. DoorDash has over 50% market share in U.S. food delivery.
• Drivers earn per delivery based on base pay from DoorDash ($2-$10) plus customer tips. Earnings vary based on your market.
• DoorDash provides some insurance coverage for drivers while on an active delivery.
• Dashers have the flexibility to set their own schedules and work whenever they want without a fixed schedule.

Pros Of Driving For Roadie

What are some of the biggest advantages of becoming a Roadie driver? Here are some of the top perks:

• Earn Big on Long Distance Deliveries

One major pro of Roadie is the potential to earn several hundred dollars for long distance deliveries you may already be driving. For example, driving a piece of furniture from Nashville to Atlanta for $300. Roadie really rewards long trips versus short hops.

• Transport Interesting Items

With Roadie you never know what you’ll be delivering next. The variety and uniqueness of items is a major perk for drivers. You may be transporting a vintage guitar one day and an antique piano the next. Much more exciting than delivering countless pizza orders.

• Flexible Schedule

Like DoorDash, one of Roadie’s biggest advantages is the flexibility it offers. You don’t have set hours or shifts. Simply browse available gigs in the app and choose the ones that fit your schedule. Perfect for supplemental income around a regular job or other commitments.

• Minimal Customer Interaction

For those that prefer minimal person-to-person interaction, Roadie is nice because you simply pick up an item from one location and deliver to the receiving party. There’s very little small talk or food handling involved. Just transport items from point A to B.

• Travel Perks

If you love checking out new cities, Roadie is a great way to fund your travels and explore. You can easily tack on a Roadie delivery on your way to a trip. What better way to offset the cost of a vacation?

Also watch this review video of Roadie!

Pros Of Driving For Doordash

Driving for DoorDash has its own set of perks and advantages too. Here are some of the key benefits of Dasher delivery driving:

• Earn Quick Cash Daily

One major advantage of DoorDash is the ability to earn money quickly and daily. DoorDash tends to have more volume and orders per hour than Roadie. You can easily tally up $100 or more per day without driving too far. Earnings add up fast with small deliveries.

• No Heavy Lifting

Unlike lumbering furniture or amps, with DoorDash you’ll mostly be handling small bags of takeout food. Nothing too heavy or bulky required. This makes DoorDash ideal for those who don’t want the hassle of hauling large items.

• Drive Only When You Want

Dashers praise the flexibility to work whenever they choose. You can log on and off at will based on your own schedule. Easily fit in a few orders between errands or other appointments. Or just deliver during busy dinner rushes.

• Simple Tax Tracking

Keeping track of your delivery earnings and mileage for taxes is easy with the DoorDash app. All your payments and mileage is tracked automatically, making tax time more straightforward than with Roadie.

• Potential forBig Tips

While not guaranteed, Dasher drivers have the potential for bigger cumulative tips delivering food versus transporting freight with Roadie. Especially during busy times and with generous customers.

Also Read: Comparison Between Gopuff And DoorDash

Cons Of Driving For Roadie

However, being a Roadie driver isn’t all roses. There are also some downsides to keep in mind:

• Inconsistent Earnings

Income fluctuates week to week and month to month with Roadie depending on gigs available and when you choose to work. You may earn $500 one week then $150 the next. Earnings rely heavily on big ticket deliveries.

• Physical Labor

Delivering bulky items like treadmills and furniture up flights of stairs or in tricky locations can be challenging. Roadie requires more physical exertion versus simply shuttling around takeout orders.

• Long Pickup Drives

You may drive 30-60 minutes just to pick up an item for delivery with Roadie. Long pickups can eat into your time and gas costs if the delivery payout isn’t high enough to justify the pickup drive.

• Walmart Deliveries

Many Roadie drivers dislike the Walmart deliveries due to low pay, waiting around for items to be loaded, and poor tipping. However, Walmart orders do provide consistent volume.

• Inconsistent Demand

With Roadie there can be long waits between available gigs during slow periods. The app is still growing so demand varies substantially based on location and time of year. Avoid relying solely on Roadie for income.

Cons Of Driving For Doordash

DoorDash driving isn’t perfect either. Here are the most common downsides Dashers report:

• Small Order Earnings

After subtracting fuel and other expenses, earnings from small DoorDash orders don’t net much per hour. You’re mostly doing high volume to earn decent income. Large Roadie deliveries pay more per gig versus DoorDash.

• Wait Times at Restaurants

One frequent gripe is sitting around waiting for orders to be prepared at slow merchants. This wastes unpaid time and gas idling in parking lots. With Roadie you simply pick up the item and go.

• No Return Trips

DoorDash orders are almost always one way without a return trip fee. So you need to strategically stay in hot spots or position yourself in areas that get you orders towards home. Roadie pays for return mileage.

• Apartment Complex Hassles

Finding the right building and apartment for deliveries in large complexes can be a pain. Complex routing and non-responsive customers lead to headaches on some DoorDash orders.

• Dealing with Problem Customers

Transporting items limits customer headaches, whereas with food delivery you may occasionally deal with unhappy or difficult customers. Most are nice, but some interactions bring frustration.

Also Read: Comparison Between Schwan’s And HelloFresh.

Key Differences Between Roadie And Doordash

Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons of each service, let’s summarize the key differences between them:

• Delivery types – Food (DoorDash) Vs. Large/bulky items (Roadie)
• Distance – Short, local routes (DoorDash) Vs. Local and long distance (Roadie)
• Earnings – Smaller per delivery (DoorDash) Vs. bigger one-off payments (Roadie)
• Effort – Minimal physical labor (DoorDash) Vs. Moving heavy objects (Roadie)
• Expenses – More gas costs (Roadie) Vs. less gas per mile (DoorDash)
• Demand consistency – Steady food orders (DoorDash) Vs. fluctuating freight requests (Roadie)

Neither is inherently better than the other. The right option depends entirely on your preferences, skills, vehicle type, and financial goals from driving.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Also Read: Comparison Between Favor And Shipt

The Bottom Line

Roadie and DoorDash offer flexible delivery income through very different models. There’s value to trying each option to see which best suits your needs. Many drivers opt to maximize their opportunities and earnings by delivering for both Roadie and DoorDash concurrently. This allows them to take advantage of the unique benefits each platform provides.

With smart planning around busy areas and times, delivery driving can be lucrative side income. But expect earnings to require discipline and hard work rather than being a passive cash cow. If you approach driving like a true gig, either app can help you achieve your income goals. The key is finding the right opportunity for you.