The verdictThe 30-second answer
- Best overall, widest store selection: Instacart, 2,200+ retail partners nationwide.
- Cheapest for a full weekly haul: Walmart+, no shelf-price markup, $12.95/month or $98/year.
- Best for Prime households: Amazon Fresh, free delivery over $35 with Prime.
- Fastest for small, urgent orders: Gopuff, flat $2.95 fee, no minimum, often under 20 minutes.
- Best for same-day scheduling flexibility: Shipt, 5,000+ cities.
- Best low-cost option without a membership: Kroger, flat $6.95 delivery fee, no subscription required.
- Best for restaurants and grocers: a white label restaurant online ordering platform, owning the customer relationship instead of renting it order by order.
Best Grocery Delivery Apps in the USA, Ranked
Instacart. The widest store selection of any app on this list, partnering with over 2,200 retail brands, from national chains to local grocers. Same-day delivery, real-time substitution communication with your shopper, and a genuinely useful membership (Instacart+, $9.99/month or $99/year) that waives delivery fees on orders over $35. The tradeoff: many partner stores mark up item prices 5% to 15% compared to what you'd pay in person, so the "membership savings" don't always offset the markup on a full cart.
Amazon Fresh. Deeply integrated into the Amazon and Prime ecosystem, with free delivery for Prime members on orders over $35 (or a $9.99/month add-on subscription for unlimited delivery). Strong in major metro areas, weaker in coverage outside them. Alexa integration lets you build a cart by voice, a genuinely unique feature among the apps here.
Shipt. Operating in 5,000+ cities, Shipt connects you to local retail partners with unlimited free delivery on orders over $35 for members ($14/month or $99/year). Order tracking and SMS updates are strong, and same-day delivery is available in most served areas. Coverage is real but not universal, worth checking availability before committing to the membership.
Walmart+. The cheapest option for a full grocery haul, because Walmart doesn't mark up item prices for delivery, what you'd pay in the store is what you pay online. At $12.95/month or $98/year, Walmart+ includes unlimited free delivery and bundles in other perks (streaming, gas discounts) that push the value further for households already shopping at Walmart regularly.
FreshDirect. Northeastern US only, but strong on fresh produce, meats, and cheeses specifically, with detailed sourcing information and daily quality ratings. Pricing runs higher than the mass-market apps ($5.99 to $15.99 delivery, $79 to $129/year for a DeliveryPass), reflecting its focus on quality over price.
Boxed. A bulk-buying, wholesale-style app, good for stocking up rather than urgent needs. Free shipping over $49, a $7 fee under that, and a $49/year membership for unlimited free shipping. No physical stores behind it, online-only.
Gopuff. Not traditional grocery delivery, instant delivery from micro-fulfillment centers rather than store pickup. A flat $2.95 delivery fee (no item minimum) makes it the cheapest option for small, urgent orders, snacks, drinks, over-the-counter meds, in under 20 minutes in most of its 500+ served cities. Not built for a full weekly shop.
Uber Eats (Grocery). Multi-store ordering through the same app you might already use for restaurant delivery, with service fees ($1.60 to $4.60) plus a delivery fee that drops with an Uber One membership ($9.99/month). Selection varies significantly by location and can include surge pricing during peak hours.
DoorDash (DashMart). Fast, convenience-focused grocery and essentials delivery, often within minutes for in-stock DashMart items, alongside grocery delivery from partnered retailers including Albertsons, Safeway, and Aldi in select markets. DashPass ($9.99/month) waives delivery fees on orders over $12.
Kroger. Operating in 35 states with 2,800+ stores, Kroger's standard delivery fee is a flat $6.95 with no subscription required, genuinely the simplest low-commitment option on this list. Its Boost membership ($69/year for free next-day delivery, $99/year for same-day) is worth it only for frequent orderers.
Full Comparison Table
| App | Coverage | Delivery fee | Membership | Shelf-price markup? | Typical speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instacart | Nationwide, 2,200+ retailers | $3.99–$7.99 + 5–10% service fee | $9.99/mo or $99/yr | Yes, 5–15% at many partners | Same-day |
| Amazon Fresh | Major metros, Prime-only | Free over $35, else $4.99 | $9.99/mo add-on | Minimal | Same-day |
| Shipt | 5,000+ cities | Free over $35, else $7–$10 | $14/mo or $99/yr | Varies by partner | Same-day |
| Walmart+ | Nationwide, 2,800+ stores | $7.95–$9.95 without membership | $12.95/mo or $98/yr | No | Same-day |
| FreshDirect | Northeast US | $5.99–$15.99 | $79–$129/yr | N/A, direct pricing | 1–2 days |
| Boxed | Nationwide, online only | Free over $49, else $7 | $49/yr | No | 2–5 days |
| Gopuff | 500+ cities | $2.95 flat | $7.99/mo | N/A, direct pricing | Under 20 min |
| Uber Eats (Grocery) | Major metros | $1.60–$4.60 service + delivery | $9.99/mo (Uber One) | Yes, common | 30–45 min |
| DoorDash (DashMart) | Nationwide, select cities | $0.99–$7.99 + 5% service fee | $9.99/mo (DashPass) | Yes, common | Under 30 min (DashMart), varies (partners) |
| Kroger | 35 states, 2,800+ stores | $6.95 flat | $69–$99/yr (Boost) | No | Next-day to same-day (Boost) |
Head-to-Head: Instacart vs. Amazon Fresh vs. Walmart+ vs. DoorDash
On price for a full weekly haul: Walmart+ wins, no shelf-price markup means what you see in-store is what you pay. Instacart and Amazon Fresh both apply markup at many partner stores, which can quietly erase the savings from a waived delivery fee.
On store selection: Instacart wins clearly, 2,200+ retail partners versus Amazon Fresh's Prime-only ecosystem, Walmart+'s single retailer, and DoorDash's more limited grocery partner list.
On speed: DoorDash's DashMart items are typically the fastest of the four for in-stock essentials, often under 30 minutes. Traditional Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart+ orders run same-day but rarely under an hour.
On existing ecosystem fit: Amazon Fresh is the easy default if you're already a Prime member and don't want another subscription. DoorDash makes sense if you're already paying for DashPass for restaurant delivery and want to use the same membership for grocery top-ups.
The honest takeaway: if groceries are your main use case and you shop a full cart weekly, Walmart+ or Instacart make more sense than DoorDash or Uber Eats, which are built for speed and convenience on smaller orders, not full-cart economics.
Delivery Speed Compared: Instant vs. Traditional Grocery Delivery
Not every app on this list is competing on the same axis, and comparing them on price alone misses that.
Instant/convenience tier (under 30 minutes): Gopuff and DoorDash's DashMart both operate from micro-fulfillment or dark-store models built specifically for speed on a smaller catalog, snacks, essentials, over-the-counter items, not a full grocery run.
Fast-casual tier (30 to 45 minutes): Uber Eats grocery orders and some DoorDash grocery-partner orders fall here, faster than traditional grocery delivery but slower than the pure convenience apps, with a wider selection than Gopuff offers.
Traditional grocery tier (1 to 3 hours, same-day): Instacart, Walmart+, Amazon Fresh, and Shipt all operate on this model, a real shopper picks your order from store shelves, which takes longer but supports a full weekly cart rather than a handful of items.
If what you actually need is milk at 11pm, comparing Gopuff's price against Instacart's is comparing two different categories of service. Match the app to the job, not just the price tag.
Payment Methods, Including Cash on Delivery
Most major grocery delivery apps, Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Walmart+, Shipt, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, support credit and debit cards plus major digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and several accept SNAP/EBT for eligible items (see section 09).
Cash-on-delivery is far less common among the national apps covered here, most have moved to card-only or digital payment models for the delivery portion, though tipping in cash to the driver directly is generally still an option even when the order itself is paid digitally. If cash payment for the order itself matters to you specifically, this is worth confirming directly with a given app before ordering, since it's inconsistently supported and changes by region.
Other Grocery Delivery Apps Worth Knowing
The apps above cover most use cases, but a few smaller, more specialized options are worth knowing about depending on what you're looking for.
Hungryroot. Less a delivery app and more a guided meal-planning service, it suggests groceries and recipes based on your dietary preferences rather than letting you freely browse a full catalog. Best for people who want planned, healthy weekly meals without deciding everything themselves.
Weee! Focused on Asian, Hispanic, and international groceries that are hard to find in mainstream stores, specialty sauces, fresh seafood, region-specific produce.
Thrive Market. Organic and natural products at lower prices than typical health-food retailers, though delivery takes several days, better for stocking up than urgent needs.
Misfits Market. Delivers imperfect but fresh produce at a discount, a genuinely useful option for price-conscious, waste-conscious households, with no membership fee and free delivery over $50.
Peapod. One of the longer-standing online-only grocery delivery services, worth knowing about in markets where it's still available, though its footprint has narrowed over the years relative to Instacart and Walmart+.
Best for Seniors
Ease of use, order accuracy, and reliable support matter more than raw speed or price for many older shoppers, and a few of the apps above are worth calling out specifically for that.
Walmart+ and Kroger tend to be the easiest starting points for shoppers already comfortable navigating a familiar retailer's own website or app, since the ordering flow closely mirrors in-store shopping. Amazon Fresh's Alexa integration is a genuinely useful accessibility feature for anyone who prefers voice ordering to typing on a small screen. Instacart's real-time shopper chat is helpful for substitution decisions, but the broader marketplace-style interface (multiple retailers, more complex navigation) can be more overwhelming than a single-retailer app for a first-time user.
If ease of use matters more than finding the absolute lowest price, starting with whichever retailer you already shop at in person, then adding their delivery option, is usually simpler than learning a multi-store marketplace app from scratch.
Does It Accept SNAP/EBT?
Amazon Fresh, Walmart, and Instacart (at participating retailers including Aldi, Publix, and Kroger-family stores) all accept SNAP/EBT for eligible grocery items. Most Kroger banners accept it directly as well. In every case, service fees, delivery fees, and tips have to be paid through a separate payment method, EBT covers eligible groceries only, not the fees layered on top of the order.
Coverage varies by state and by which specific retailer you're ordering through inside a marketplace app like Instacart, worth confirming directly with the app before assuming a specific store accepts it in your area.
How Grocery Delivery Apps Work
- Registration. Create an account with a delivery address and payment method.
- Product selection. Browse a catalog organized by category, searching for specific items or brands.
- Shopping cart. Add items, adjust quantities, and review your selections before checkout.
- Checkout. Choose a payment method and confirm the order.
- Order processing. The order routes to a local store or fulfillment center, where a shopper or picker gathers the items.
- Delivery. A driver picks up the completed order and delivers it, using the app for navigation and status updates.
- Tracking. Real-time notifications keep you updated on order status and estimated arrival.
- Delivery and feedback. The order arrives, and you're typically prompted to rate the service.
Benefits of Online Grocery Apps
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | Shop anytime without a store visit, fitting grocery shopping around a busy schedule |
| Time savings | No travel time or checkout lines |
| Wide selection | Access to specialty items and brands that may not be in your local store |
| Price comparison | Easier to compare prices across retailers than driving between stores |
| Special offers | Promotions and loyalty rewards surfaced directly in the app |
| Home delivery | Groceries arrive at your door, valuable for anyone with mobility constraints or a packed schedule |
| Easy reordering | Repeat a previous order in a few taps |
| Dietary filtering | Filter by vegan, gluten-free, organic, and other dietary needs |
| Shopping lists | Build and manage lists across shopping trips |
How to Choose the Right App
Confirm the app actually serves your specific address, coverage gaps are common even within a metro area. Compare total cost, not just the advertised delivery fee, factoring in service fees, small-order fees, and whether the app marks up shelf prices. Check that your preferred stores are available, since selection varies significantly between apps. Read recent reviews for reliability and substitution quality specifically, not just overall star rating. Confirm your preferred payment method is supported, including SNAP/EBT if that applies to you. And match the app to the job: an instant-delivery app for a same-hour need, a traditional grocery app for a full weekly haul.
What It Costs to Build Your Own, and the Option None of These Apps Will Tell You About
If you're a grocer, retailer, or restaurant considering building a branded ordering and delivery experience instead of relying entirely on these marketplaces, the cost typically breaks down into three tiers:
Basic ($20,000 to $40,000): a customer app for iOS/Android, basic product listings, cart and checkout, simple order tracking, and an admin panel. Suitable for a single store or small chain.
Mid-level ($40,000 to $100,000): everything in Basic, plus real-time tracking, multiple payment gateways, subscriptions and memberships, promotions, inventory management, a separate driver app, and in-app support.
Advanced, Instacart-like ($100,000 to $250,000+): a full multi-vendor marketplace system with AI-based recommendations, route optimization, a wallet system, warehouse management, and advanced analytics. This tier is built for scale, not for a single grocer trying to serve their own customers directly.
Here's the part worth sitting with before choosing a tier: every marketplace app in this guide, Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Walmart+, DoorDash, Uber Eats, charges either a per-order fee, a markup, or both, and none of them hand you the customer relationship in exchange. A grocer or restaurant listed on Instacart gets the order. Instacart keeps the customer, the data, and a share of every transaction, indefinitely.
A marketplace app is excellent at bringing you a new customer once. It's not built to let you keep that customer without paying for them again on every single order, forever.
This is exactly the gap OwnDeliv was built to close. Rather than the $100,000+ marketplace-scale build above, or an ongoing commission cut on every order through a third-party app, grocers and restaurants use a delivery platform built specifically to be an online food ordering and delivery platform under their own brand, not a marketplace's.
A grocery delivery management system built on a white label restaurant online ordering foundation gives your customers the same real-time tracking, easy reordering, and multi-payment convenience as the apps above, without a marketplace sitting between you and the relationship. If you're weighing a food delivery app solution against listing on another marketplace, the math tends to land the same way every time: marketplace apps are cheapest on a customer's first order and most expensive on every order after that, forever. Your own platform runs the opposite direction, priciest upfront, and cheaper than any marketplace by the time a customer places their tenth order
Stop renting your customers. Start owning them.
OwnDeliv gives you a branded web ordering site, native iOS and Android apps, a rider dispatch system, and a merchant dashboard – all for a flat monthly fee, no per-order commission. You keep the customer data. You keep the margin. You keep your brand.
FAQThe questions everyone asks
Walmart, generally around 10% cheaper than Target and 18% cheaper than Amazon Fresh for a comparable grocery basket, largely because Walmart doesn't mark up item prices for delivery.
No. Walmart tends to be cheaper overall, since Amazon Fresh's costs run higher once delivery fees and Prime subscription requirements are factored in.
Walmart, for a full grocery haul, since it charges no shelf-price markup and its membership cost is comparable to or lower than Instacart+. For small, urgent orders, Gopuff's flat fee with no minimum is typically cheaper than any traditional grocery app.
Use price comparison across apps before ordering, apply digital coupons where available, choose store brands, and buy in bulk where practical. A grocery-focused membership only pays off at roughly 2 to 4 or more orders a month, below that, paying per order is usually cheaper than a subscription.
Delivery fees add to the total cost, you can't inspect produce or perishables before purchase, and online selection sometimes doesn't match everything available in the physical store.
Walmart+ for no-markup pricing, Amazon Fresh if you're already a Prime member, Shipt for broad city coverage, and Gopuff specifically for small, fast convenience orders rather than a full grocery haul.
Amazon Fresh, Walmart, Instacart (at participating retailers like Aldi, Publix, and Kroger-family stores), and most Kroger banners accept SNAP/EBT for eligible items. Delivery fees, service fees, and tips still require a separate payment method.
DoorDash's DashMart offers a similar instant-delivery model for essentials, generally with a broader catalog than Gopuff in markets where both are available, though Gopuff's flat fee structure is typically cheaper for very small orders.