Uber is ‘in talks to buy food delivery firm Deliveroo’ – we compare food delivery apps
It would be a billion-dollar takeover that would see Uber dominate the food delivery market - but which delivery app is best?
UBER is in talks to buy food delivery app Deliveroo for billions of dollars, it has been reported.
The takeover would see Uber, which already operates Uber Eats, dominate the online food delivery market.
London-based app Deliveroo has been valued at $2billion, and it's thought Uber would need to bid much more to secure the online delivery service, according to .
But insiders told the financial news outlet that talks could easily fall apart as Deliveroo is unwilling to give up its independence.
Uber and Deliveroo are yet to comment on the speculation.
Deliveroo is little known in the US, where Uber is based, but it is widespread across Europe and available in 200 cities on four continents.
Both services have been plagued by controversy over the years.
This week, customers were left furious when they were charged up to seven times for the same order following a catastrophic Deliveroo crash.
Meanwhile, Uber Eats drivers in London went on strike and refused to deliver orders from McDonald's as part of a row over low pay.
But which service is truly the best?
The Sun has compared the three biggest food delivery apps in the UK: Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats.
We looked at categories such as delivery times, number of restaurants and how trustworthy its rating systems are to find out what each service is best and worst for.
Deliveroo
What's the average delivery time?
Deliveroo claims it's 26.3 minutes from order to door.
Is there a delivery charge or a minimum spend?
There's a £2.50 flat-fee per order, but no minimum spend.
In 2017, Deliveroo launched its Plus service which gives customers free delivery if they pay £7.99 a month.
How many restaurants are available?
When The Sun tested out the app by plugging in our London Bridge office address, 192 restaurants could deliver, providing us with plenty of choice.
Deliveroo said it works with 15,000 restaurants across the UK.
What high street chains are available?
When we tried the app, we could order from more than 50 major high street restaurant and cafe brands.
Many are exclusive to Deliveroo, such as Nando’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Zizzi, and Wagamama.
Is the rating system trustworthy?
Every restaurant on Deliveroo's app has a percentage with a smiley face next to it to show customers how well-rated each one is.
Deliveroo said the percentage is based on star ratings left by customers after they order.
Diners who rate orders below three stars can highlight specific issues with the order such as arrival time, the packaging or the food quality.
But there's no way to look at every star rating or negative feedback left for each restaurant on the app or website.
What's its Trustpilot score?
Deliveroo has a score of 2.6 out of 10 on the reviewing website based on 3,170 unique reviews, which is classed as "bad".
60 per cent of those reviews, left by diners, are classed as "bad", while 29 per cent are categorised as "good".
These reviews have to be taken with a pinch of salt as generally people only leave reviews if they're feeling an extreme emotion about the company, which is usually negative.
Best for?
Deliveroo definitely has the biggest selection of well-known chain restaurants and sets itself apart from Just Eat by delivering restaurant food to your door, not just takeaway fare.
This includes some Michelin-starred and other top-class establishments.
It also appears to be the fastest service, according to its own data - but some customers on Trustpilot would disagree.
Worst for?
Deliveroo has not been a stranger to controversy in the last few years and people have criticised the company for employing its delivery riders on zero-hour contracts, paying them less than minimum wage and not providing any workers' rights, such as sick pay or annual leave.
The most common complaint on consumer review service Trustpilot is long waits for food.
Some diners said their food took up to two hours to be delivered to their door. Many also complain of cancelled orders.
Just Eat
What's the average delivery time?
Just Eat did not provide The Sun with average delivery times and stated that riders that deliver food work for the restaurants, not for Just Eat, even if they have Just Eat branding on their bikes and clothes.
On review website Trustpilot, customers have pointed to long wait times for food.
A spokesman for Just Eat said: "Restaurants set their own estimated delivery time and we encourage them to be as accurate as possible with this."
Is there a delivery charge or a minimum spend?
There's no minimum spend set by JustEat, but some restaurants choose to set one. The highest minimum spend we saw on the app was £15.
It's the same deal with delivery charges. Just Eat says half of its orders won't come with a delivery charge, but some restaurants set a charge of up to £2.50 when we tested out the app.
How many restaurants are available?
When The Sun tested out the app by plugging in our London Bridge office address, 192 restaurants could deliver and 259 takeaway restaurants were available - a huge amount of choice for diners.
Just Eat has paired up with a startling 29,000 restaurants across the UK, making it the biggest takeaway restaurant ordering service.
What high street chains are available?
You can order Burger King, Pizza Express, KFC, Subway, Yo! Sushi, Bella Italia, and Café Rouge on the app - but it doesn't have any restaurants that are exclusive to the service.
Is the rating system trustworthy?
Just Eat uses a five-star rating system and unlike Deliveroo and UberEats, you can actually scroll through and read real feedback from customers, so you know exactly what to expect from different takeaway restaurants.
Customers score restaurants on food quality, restaurant service and delivery times, and can also leave a more detailed review.
More than 13million reviews were left on the app last year, so it's a well-used service.
What's its Trustpilot score?
Just Eat's score on the reviewing website is 3.8/10 based on 5,153 unique reviews, which is classed as "poor".
There are more excellent reviews than really bad ones though, with 53 per cent classed as "the best" and 27 per cent "the worst".
These reviews have to be taken with a pinch of salt as generally people only leave reviews if they're feeling an extreme emotion about the company, which is usually negative.
Best for?
You're spoilt for choice on JustEat, as it offers you many more takeaway restaurants to order from than UberEats and even Deliveroo.
It's also the best-rated food ordering app on Trustpilot, and the fact you can read customers' reviews is a big bonus as it helps you to make a more informed decision.
Worst for?
Trustpilot reviews highlight long wait times for food in many cases, but as most restaurants use their own delivery services on JustEat, this isn't always the delivery company's fault.
JustEat isn't where you should head if you're looking for a big name high street brand as the other apps have more choice when it comes to well-known names, as well as some exclusive options that you can't find on JustEat.
Uber Eats
What's the average delivery time?
From order to door, Uber Eats claims its average delivery time is 30 mins, while in London it's just under 25 minutes.
Is there a delivery charge or a minimum spend?
There's a flat delivery fee of £2.50, which is the same as Deliveroo.
But a major downside is that when you order McDonald's - which is exclusive to Uber Eats - the charge increases to £3.50.
There's no minimum spend on orders though.
How many restaurants are available?
UberEats is the newest service but it has expanded rapidly and is now available in 60 UK cities and towns.
It has 7,000 restaurants on its books - the smallest number of the three online ordering giants.
What high street chains are available?
McDonald's is the biggest name Uber Eats has, because it's the only service where you can order a Big Mac or a McMuffin right to your door.
Other big names on its books include Krispy Kreme, Frankie and Benny's, Leon, and Pret.
Is the rating system trustworthy?
Much like Uber itself, customers rate restaurants with a five-star rating system. The average rating is then calculated and each restaurant is given a score, for example 4.6 out of 5.
There's also a number next to the score which shows how many reviews each restaurant has receive, for example 200 plus.
But there's no way to read these reviews yourself.
That option is only available to the restaurants themselves, who can use the data to hopefully improve their service.
What's its Trustpilot score?
Uber Eat's Trustpilot score is the worst of the three services, with a score of just 0.5 out of 10, based on 1,752 unique reviews. 93 per cent of them are classed as "bad".
These reviews have to be taken with a pinch of salt as generally people only leave reviews if they're feeling an extreme emotion about the company, which is usually negative.
Best for?
Being the only service to have McDonald's on its books is a big plus point for UberEats.
It has some of the shortest wait times for food too, according to Trustpilot reviews and its own data.
It's linked to the Uber app, so you can order food to arrive when you do if you're taking an Uber home.
Worst for?
Like Deliveroo, UberEats drivers are often on zero-hours contracts and they regularly strike over low pay, such as a walk-out just this Wednesday.
It also has a dismal Trustpilot score, and many customers complain of incomplete orders and bad customer service.
So which one is best?
Each service is good - and not so good - for different reasons.
Deliveroo has the best range of well-known brands and is an established, easy-to-use service available around the UK.
Plus the novelty of being able to order proper restaurant food to your home is very appealing.
Uber Eats is our pick if you have a sore head and need a McDonald's breakfast urgently.
It's also useful if you are already an Uber customer.
Just Eat is probably the most trustworthy ordering service with its huge range of restaurants and reliable rating system that helps you decide what to eat, especially if you want to try a local independent takeaway rather than a big high street brand.
More on Money stories
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