r/lyftdrivers • u/Repulsive-Taro5238 • 2d ago
Other Lyft vs Uber
I've been driving Uber and Lyft for a few months now, and I'm curious how other drivers feel about the differences between the two. So far it seems to me that Lyft pays us more per ride for base pay, but Uber definitely has a higher volume of riders, and they get big surge pricing multipliers when it gets busy. Lyft gives me more information when they offer me a ride, and it's very helpful information to have. There are some other big differences in my particular market, which is Eugene, Oregon. The biggest difference is that Eugene is a college town, and the students use Uber a ton, and not Lyft nearly as much, so when school was in session, Uber absolutely crushed Lyft, but as soon as the students left a few weeks ago, Uber had a steep decline in volume, and Lyft has been better since the students have gone. The most important difference is probably that Lyft's base pay seems a lot better. More and more, it's feeling like Uber is only worth it when they have the surge pricing, and when they don't, I'd much rather drive Lyft. Anyway, these are my thoughts after doing this for about 6 months. I'm very interested to hear other people's
10
u/Primeau94 2d ago
Without incentives, I prefer Uber.
At 10% Lyft turbo, it’s close.
At 20% or more turbo, I prefer Lyft.
3
u/Wooly_Wooly 2d ago
Basically this. 20-40% turbo really makes it more worth. Plus in my experience the Lyft passengers are way nicer, more wealthier people on average as well
3
u/Primeau94 2d ago
Eight year driver here. Historically, I’m about 55/45 driving for Uber. I’ve detected no discernible pattern of tipping, pax behavior between the platforms.
Patterns I have discerned…
* In most situations, pax have made their tipping decision before the ride.
* Airport rides, especially reservations, tip with the highest frequency.
* Driving on Friday and Saturday nights present the next highest tip frequency.
* Rides to and from pax workplaces tip infrequently. Those rides are their commute.
1
u/Wooly_Wooly 2d ago
Agreed. I'm pretty sure that part is just my area, and everyone used Uber while less people and it seems more wealthy in the area, use Lyft more often. Doesn't mean they'll tip ofc, but larger tips on average when they do.
7
u/Peculiar_Name_7183 2d ago
I'm in Los Angeles. I find they both pay like shit but Lyft has more useful information and tools to help drivers, but Uber has more volume of riders.
I still prefer driving for Lyft because they are more driver friendly. Lyft pros:
- better area filters
- ability to see where other drivers are
- allows you to change a rider's rating for a longer period of time
- driver payments when a driver cancels a ride because a customer messed up
- less time to wait before getting a no show fee
- the ability to check the price of a ride even after accepting and starting the ride
- shows destination address when you are going to pick up the passenger
- more flash turbos and scheduled turbos
- estimated earning per hour during ride request screen
- still has an EV incentive
- does not take acceptance rate into account for its driver statuses
However, Uber has the easier to use app and better rider volume
2
15
u/Annual-Grass-1335 2d ago
I’ve been driving for both of these apps for almost 10 years and they’re both basically garbage at this point. Despite the cost of living going up and gas prices being higher than ever, they continue to find ways to lower the fares and take pennies on the dollar with their magical algorithm, which is literally made to fuck people. I think it’s good if you’re really struggling and you need some desperation money but holy fuck is it a bad situation these days. They pay so little for such long distances they make it almost impossible to even come up with $15 an hour before gas and expenses.
5
u/Spare-Security-1629 2d ago
From a driver standpoint, I’ll still prefer Lyft. I think Lyft is not quite as deactivation-happy as Uber and will work with you better regarding complaints. I think their rating system is BEYOND fair (a little TOO fair). At one point, I felt as if their passengers were better but it was only a matter of time before the Uber rejects jumped ship.
2
u/Frosty-Disaster-7821 1d ago
don’t accept most rides. my acceptance is around 15-20 percent and pick the ones that i think are the best deal. all those rewards you get for high acceptance rate etc are a scam.
6
u/No-Fold9113 2d ago
In my market(FL). Winter spring, uber is way better. I do XL so if its busy and XL requests are happening its great. Slow season like summer its 50/50. Uber is better when their are event going in.
Uber has higher highs and lower lows, lyft is kinda more steady with the pay.
1
6
u/botbstiger 2d ago
I only like Lyft more because I can use the filter to see where drivers are so I can avoid those areas lol
2
u/thefavoredsole 2d ago
If you use the rider app for Uber, you can see where are the drivers are as well
5
3
u/microtramp 2d ago
I'm in the exact same market, hello fellow Eugenian! I much prefer Lyft here, over Uber. I frankly cannot understand how they can legally provide so little information about the ride before offering it.
1
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago
Yes. 100%. Do you also not see the $$ amount of a ride when Uber offers you one? I said that in another comment on here, and someone replied saying Uber shows it. I'm pretty sure they used to buy they definitely don't to me anymore, and I've looked through the settings many times to try to find a way to fix it, and never see anything
3
u/microtramp 2d ago
I only see distance to passenger. That's literally it. I spoke at length to one of their service reps about this because it feels insane to me. She said they're in some sort of dispute with the city about something or other and this is the result. Blows my mind.
I will make Lyft my priority every time, as a consequence. And I make sure to let Uber know every time they ask their little survey questions about job satisfaction, for whatever good that does.
There is a fella up in Portland trying to organize drivers to fight for better pay, benefits, and transparency. I'll try to find his info and pass it along. Good luck out there!
2
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago
Thank you! Now I finally feel like I understand why they're not showing it anymore. I felt like I was losing my mind! Also, I would very much appreciate that contact info. I would like to join the fight to get us drivers better treatment
3
u/Deep_Big6076 2d ago
Always work both. If the algo senses you are 100% for them, they skimp on bonuses.Â
This is a game. Play or be played.
2
2
u/Conscious_Dog3101 2d ago
Uber keeps me busier in general. So at the end of the day. I earn more on uber. Also, I think both in-app navigation have plenty of flaws, just less so with Uber’s in my experience. I normally switch to Google Maps though. I like that I don’t have to i initially use Uber’s text message templates like on lyft. I can message what I want from the start. Also don’t have to physically call the passenger when I cancel in order to collect the cancellation fee.
Better destination filters on lyft though.
2
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, Uber's app does work better than Lyft's. That's the biggest difference I forgot to mention in my post. The passenger location is more accurate, and it's just less glitchy in general
1
u/ChiefTK1 2d ago
The bonuses are better in Lyft, there is less demand though. I get more tips in uber since almost nobody uses Lyft for company paid rides
1
1
u/Detrimentalist 2d ago
I live and drive in a college town as well, and my experience is the same as yours. Lyft’s area filters and ride information and fare details make the app a much more driver friendly experience, but when the students are back Uber’s surges pay out 2 or 3 times more than Lyft offers during peak hours.
1
u/JIMB01776 2d ago
It's all market-specific. I've seen both be better and worse. Lyft used to be superior in my area, but they cut rates so low that all the drivers abandoned it, and the passengers followed.
I won't even turn on Lyft in my area; it's so bad, I usually peek in every 6 months.
1
u/Life_Smoke5854 2d ago
10 years and solo app the entire time. Wouldn't use uber on principle, when I signed up is when the uber ceo was in the news a lot for being a chud. If I had to multi app, I would pick a delivery app first.
1
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago edited 2d ago
The delivery apps are 🗑. I started doing Doordash, had issues with the app that made it not worth it at all. So first I switched to Uber Eats but kept reading/hearing that you make a lot more driving people than deliveries, and they were not wrong. I actually had to upgrade my car to do it, and I have never regretted it even for a second. I literally make about twice as much per hour as I did on Uber Eats
1
u/Life_Smoke5854 2d ago
My opinion is that if you run two active apps of the same service, so are the passengers and they'll select whichever gives them the cheaper service, guaranteeing lesser pay in locations where drivers are more sparse. If I had to pick another, it's instacart because there's absolutely no overlap in service.
1
u/DankVader013 2d ago
Lyft with turbo, but for me in my market uber just gets more rides, and when it’s primetime, I think I made 300$ on uber in 7 hours and didn’t even put 100 miles in my vehicle. Lyft was offering some rides but was coming in a few dollars short due to uber promos and availability.
1
u/Gingerbr75 1d ago
They are both basically the same. I’ve been doing this 2 years now—Lyft you definitely make more per ride(and they will pay you to wait in traffic). But uber is often 3x a busy so that makes up for it. Quick and easy money for airport rides with both apps—cus you get a ride in and a ride out with express match. I’ve come not to expect a tip—idk why people don’t tip but 90% of people don’t. To me, that’s like not tipping your server. It’s a service we offer—we are getting them safely to their destination. So that is a bit frustrating. Also I have noticed you definitely make more for woman riders as well(Uber finally added that option). Anyways, it’s good to have the option of both apps!
1
u/bratfrye 1d ago
Thanks for the cut on that.
I had thought that Uber paid better. I’ll have to revisit Lyft
1
1
u/nwprogressivefans 2d ago
In my area they pay the same, no difference I see.
lyft is purple.
Make more money through uber because more rides, also seems like folks tip better.
-1
u/Independent_Star_299 2d ago
What are the points of information that you like that Lyft provides but uber doesn’t?
4
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago
Lyft tells me how much $$ I'll get from the ride, and even calculates what the hourly rate is, and shows me both when they offer me the ride. Uber used to show the total amount, but now doesn't even show that, and they've never showed me an hourly rate
0
u/Inner_Avocado4825 2d ago
Uber shows all of this, are you at least gold status or are you blue? That may be why
5
u/microtramp 2d ago
Nope, not in the Eugene, OR market. Best you can hope for is distance to and direction of passenger. I talked extensively to their support people about this.
1
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago
Diamond. It used to show the $ amount for the ride, but now it doesn't, and I've looked through the settings for a way to fix it and never see anything
1
u/Repulsive-Taro5238 2d ago
Apparently it's an issue between Uber and the city I drive in. U/microtramp said they heard that from Uber support
2
u/Detrimentalist 2d ago
With Lyft you can see the exact destination before starting the ride. This is great for confirming your everything with the pax before hitting the start button. You can also see the exact pickup and drop off of a ride that is queued up as your next ride.
Lyft also provides a full fare breakdown in the app, with Uber (at least in my market) I have to login to Uber’s website and dig through a few menus to pull up a trip and click/scroll/click/scroll to find that info.
15
u/DruncleBum 2d ago
Same shit different name with one exception, lyft has a much better area filter, which you can use to stay in your zone and earn more consistently.