Delivery gigs all sound the same in the ads. Drive, deliver, get paid, be your own boss. But once you actually start, they feel very different. Different pay. Different rules. Different headaches.
I looked at four of them side by side. One pays the most. One is the easiest to start. One needs a truck and a strong back. Let me show you which is which.
| Gig | What it pays | How fast you get paid | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spark Driver | Top earners $25 to $30 an hour | Daily (tips a day later) | 2009 or newer four-door, license, insurance | Drivers who want the most money |
| DoorDash | $2 to $10 an order plus tips | Weekly, or daily with Fast Pay | Car or bike and a phone | Getting started fast |
| Roadie | $8 to $15 a local gig | Weekly, or Instant Pay | Car from 2010 or newer, license, insurance | Stacking on top of other driving |
| Dolly | $18 to $35 an hour | Twice a week | A truck, and you must lift 75 lbs | Muscle and a pickup |
Spark Driver: the biggest paycheck
If you want the most money per hour, this is it. Spark is Walmart’s delivery app, and it pays the highest median of the bunch. Top drivers pull $25 to $30 an hour. You see the full payout before you accept a single order, so no surprises.
It is not perfect. Your gas is your problem, not theirs. And some cities have too many drivers fighting for orders. But if you have driven for DoorDash or Uber before, you will feel right at home, and the driver support is better. My Spark Driver review has the full picture.
DoorDash: the easiest door to walk through
DoorDash is where most people start, and for good reason. You can do it on a bike in some cities. A car and a phone is all you need. Sign up, get approved, go.
The base pay is small, $2 to $10 an order, so the tips are what make or break your night. Here is my advice. Set a personal minimum per order that makes sense after gas. Then be ruthless about turning down the bad ones. Do that and the money follows. The full DoorDash review goes deeper on timing your shifts.
Roadie: the side dish, not the main course
Roadie is backed by UPS, and big retailers use it. You grab a delivery gig, you know exactly what it pays, and you go. The car rules are easy. Anything from 2010 or newer, any model.
But the pay can be thin once you count gas and time. And there is no promise a gig will be waiting for you. So think of Roadie this way. If you are already out running DoorDash orders or errands, stacking a Roadie gig on top makes sense. On its own, it is not a big winner. See the Roadie review for the details.
Dolly: for the strong and the truck-owning
Dolly is a different animal. This is not dropping off burritos. This is moving couches and dressers. You need a truck, and you need to lift 75 pounds without hurting yourself.
The pay reflects the sweat: $18 to $35 an hour. People who learn which jobs to bid on do well. It will keep you fit, that is for sure. If you have got the truck and the muscle, read my Dolly review and see if it fits.
Pick the one that fits your life
Want the fattest paycheck and you have driven before? Spark. Brand new to all this? Start with DoorDash, maybe on a bike. Already on the road for other apps? Add Roadie to fill the gaps. Got a truck and a strong back? Dolly will pay you well for both.