Shipt vs. Instacart is the decision you’ll have to make if you want to get groceries delivered to your door or even snag a side hustle that fits your schedule as a busy mom.
When it comes to grocery shopping, you can either go to the store yourself and do your own shopping or have someone shop and delivery it all for you!
Shopping for yourself is not only time-consuming but let’s face it- it’s sometimes inconvenient. Shipt and Instacart both make life easier by delivering their groceries to you.
Having someone else shop for groceries frees up time, and you can either benefit from that or make money off of it!
But which app will be better for your grocery shopping or side hustle sitch? Keep reading to learn more about Shipt vs. Instacart and how they can save you time and money!
Shipt Vs. Instacart: Side By Side App Comparison
Instacart and Shipt are very similar in what they do; each of these grocery delivery services offers flexible hours for your deliveries, and they give you a lot of control over your shopping experience.
But there are some definite differences between the two when you use them for your grocery deliveries.
Let’s take a look:
Membership Fees & Benefits
The main difference between Shipt and Instacart is their membership fees and what you get in return for the price you pay each month.
Shipt
Shipt offers two different memberships:
- Shipt Everyday is an annual membership that costs $99 and allows you to get free delivery for orders over $35 or a delivery fee of $7 for orders under $35.
- Shipt Pass is for those who don’t want to pay a yearly fee. Single passes/orders cost $10, but you can save additional money if you purchase a pack of three to five passes. There is no minimum purchase when you use Shipt Pass and can be purchased when you are checking out. The passes never expire.
Instacart
Instacart’s membership fees are priced differently than Shipt. Membership is not required to use Instacart. You do, however, need to create a free account.
There is a delivery fee of $3.99 plus 5% for each order when you order without an annual membership. All orders must be at least $10 before being eligible for delivery.
The optional membership is called Instacart Express Membership and costs $99 per year or $9.99 per month. With the Instacart Express membership, you get free delivery on orders over $35 or more and reduced service fees.
Store Listings & Locations
Shipt and Instacart have a wide selection of store listings.
Both Shipt and Instacart are available in many different locations throughout the U.S., so you’re bound to have one of them close by no matter where you live.
Let’s take a look to see how they stack up! And here’s how to find if their online grocery delivery service is available in your area.
Shipt
Shipt currently has over 55 different stores listed in the areas that it services.
This includes popular grocery stores like Kroger, Costco, Meijer, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, and Harris Teeter supermarkets.
Shipt has made it very easy to see which stores are available for delivery in your area.
Go to the Shipt website and enter your zip code and you’ll be able to determine whether or not you’re eligible for their service.
If there are stores available, a pop-up will appear in the middle of the screen with all the stores that are available for delivery in your area.
After seeing the stores that are available, you can sign up for a Shipt account and membership and start shopping.
Instacart
Instacart has over 200 listed stores that you can choose from for your delivery.
They have partnered with the leading grocery retailers like Costco, Sam’s Club, Kroger, Stop&Shop, and Whole Foods Market.
They also deliver from popular convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and CVS Pharmacy.
Instacart also makes it easy to determine which stores are available near you.
Go to the Instacart website. There are two different ways to see the stores available in your area.
- You can enter your address instead of zip code and it will bring up the local grocery stores near you that offer delivery in your area.
- When you go to the website, the site populates a list of local grocery stores in your area based upon your IP address so you can see them before you even put in your address.
Delivery Options
The delivery options for both Instacart and Shipt are very similar. They both offer a choice of time for your order for your groceries to be delivered.
There are some differences between the two grocery delivery services. Here’s what you can expect from Instacart vs. Shipt when it comes to delivery options:
Shipt
Shipt offers flexible delivery times for your convenience. You can place an order at any time and select a delivery window that works best for you.
They determine delivery windows by shopper availability. You will see “Next Delivery” on the Shipt app after you create your shopping order.
Deliveries can be scheduled as soon as a one-hour window after you place the order. In some locations where the stores are open 24-hours a day, it is possible to get a delivery 24 hours a day.
Instacart
There are some differences in the delivery options offered by Instacart.
The delivery windows for Instacart start at 9 am and run until 12 pm (midnight). The exact closing hours are subject to the grocery store hours.
Delivery service can be scheduled as soon as an hour (if a shopper is available) after the order is placed. But if you don’t need the order until later, you can place it for later in the day or even week.
Customer Usability
Customer usability of the Shipt or Instacart apps is very important. Both are very easy to use and customer service is there to help you if you have a problem ordering.
Shipt
Shipt offers the ability to order from their website and mobile app. It’s easy to order from either one. All you have to do is go to the website or download the app.
Create an account with your email address and pay for a membership. Then log in when you want to place an order for your groceries.
After that, it’s simply a matter of adding items to your cart like you would at the grocery store.
Then you check out. Select a delivery time and pay for your order.
Instacart
The Instacart site and mobile app are very easy to use as well.
The first thing you have to do is go to the website or download their app which is available for both Apple and Android devices. Once you create an account, it’s time to start shopping.
Browse for items you would like to purchase. When you find an item that you want, click on it and it will be added to your cart. You can continue browsing or you can check out when finished.
When checking out, the website allows you to schedule a delivery time up to 3 days ahead of time so you can be sure to have your groceries delivered when you want them.
App Deals
Who doesn’t want ways to save money?
You can look for discounts and coupons and both Shipt and Instacart!
Sometimes they offer free delivery or a discount. These are often advertised on social media so keep an eye out.
Shipt
Check the “Deals Tab” on Shipt to see all the active deals for the store where you are making the order. It will include sale items, manufacturer’s coupons, and exclusive offers.
Be sure to look at the coupons because some of them are exclusive only to Shipt.
Instacart
There are ways to save money on Instacart. You can find coupons and in-store discounts on the website and app.
Like on Shipt, Instacart sometimes offers Manufacturer coupons and exclusive offers.
When looking through Instacart’s deals, be sure to check out “Coupons” under the “Discounts” heading because it will show you all the offers available.
You can add discount codes, promo codes, and gift cards on Instacart. If you are looking for a discount with Instacart, your best bet is to check out Honey or Ibotta.
Final Verdict: Shipt Vs. Instacart
So now you have a good idea of the differences between the two grocery delivery services. The only thing left to do is decide if you’re going to sign up for Shipt or Instacart!
That’s a decision that can be based upon whether both services are available in your area, your needs, and your personal preferences. You should pick the one that works with your lifestyle and budget.
Both offer flexible shopping hours. Both companies have savings deals available. A little bit of research can help you find the codes that are best for you.
We say Instcart is better for using on-and-off because it’s commitment-free with lower fees. The Instacart app has delivery fees but no membership costs, so you can use it when you want without signing up.
But if you’re ordering groceries consistently, then you’ll save with the Shipt app membership and pay less in service fees and delivery fees.
Shipt Vs. Instacart: Want A Job?
One of the best gig economy jobs is working for Shipt or Instacart as shoppers!
Many people are looking for flexible side hustles that work for anyone, and delivering food is a great way to make extra money.
You can even make $100 a day working as a grocery delivery driver, no experience needed!
The personal shopper with each company needs to be:
- at least 18 years old
- have a driver’s license
- have access to a smartphone
- a reliable vehicle
- auto insurance
- be able to lift at least 40 pounds
Some things you need to consider before applying for this side hustle are:
- the wear and tear on your vehicle
- the amount of money you will get paid
- what times you are available for delivery – day delivery or night delivery
No doubt, you could make an extra $1000 a month by making deliveries now and again in your free time!
Instacart In-Store Shoppers or Full-Time Shoppers
There are actually two types of Instacart shoppers- In-Store Shopper and Full-Service Shopper.
In-Store Shoppers are W-2 employees of Instacart and are based in the grocery store. They receive the orders in the Shoppers app and do the shopping all the way through the checkout.
The In-store shopper does not need access to a vehicle because they do not deliver groceries. They hand the order off to the Instacart Driver who delivers groceries to the customer.
As full-service shoppers, they receive the orders through the shopper’s app. Then, shop for the groceries, check out and deliver groceries to the customer.
Instacart Drivers
There are a few ways to start your Instacart grocery delivery side hustle.
Instacart drivers are independent contractors who work for themselves and pick their hours. They get paid via Direct Deposit on Wednesday for the previous Monday thru Sunday workweek.
The Instacart drivers also deliver the groceries that the In-store shopper’s shop and checkout.
Shipt Shopper or Driver
Shipt shoppers and drivers work part-time and choose their own hours just like the Instacart Shoppers.
They claim the customer’s request, then go shopping for the items. After shopping for the customer’s items, the Shipt shopper pays for the order with a pre-paid Shipt card.
Shoppers are also the Shipt drivers who deliver the customer’s order during the selected time for delivery.
Money-Saving Apps
Looking for another way to save money on your groceries?
You can also use money-saving apps with Instacart or Shipt.
Rakuten
Rakuten is another money-saving app to use with your grocery delivery service, making it easy to find coupons on food and many more items.
Honey
Honey is a Google Chrome extension by PayPal that you can use to find coupons to apply to your shopping cart. We found both Instacart and Shipt coupons on Honey!
Ibotta
Just connect your Instacart or Shipt account to Ibotta to get cash back!
Once your Ibotta account gets to $20, you can then cash the money out to your PayPal account or to a gift card.
Key Takeaways
Shipt vs. Instacart- which one are you going to choose?
We’ve used both and we’re happy to tell you how much a grocery delivery service can improve things around the house! It’s one less thing to deal with in a chaotic week, one less thing to juggle around the kids too.
Even though they are very different grocery delivery services, Shipt and Instacart offer some of the same benefits. But one might be better suited for you than the other.
You can try out the free deliveries first and see how they stack up against each other, then consider their membership since it would save you on fees!
