Grubhub vs Uber Eats for restaurants: fees, pickup, plans and which to pick
On delivered orders Uber Eats and Grubhub cost a restaurant almost the same: Uber's Lite plan is 20% of the food subtotal, Grubhub's lowest plan is 5% plus a delivery fee from 10% plus card processing, and at the top both land at about 30% [1] [2] [3]. The real gap is on pickup and on the middle plan. Uber charges 7% on pickup whatever the plan; Grubhub charges its plan's marketing rate, from 5% to 20%, plus processing [1] [2] [3].
If you would rather keep regulars off both apps, you can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu. Below: every fee side by side, one $25 order and one month on each, pickup, extras, which one fits which kind of restaurant, and a six-week test to run before you commit.
Grubhub vs Uber Eats fees side by side
| Uber Eats | Grubhub | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest plan, app delivers | Lite: 20% | Basic: 5% + delivery fee from 10% = 15%, plus processing |
| Middle plan, app delivers | Plus: 25% (30% on Uber One member orders) | Plus: 15% + 10% = 25%, plus processing |
| Top plan, app delivers | Premium: 30% | All-access: 20% + 10% = 30%, plus processing |
| Pickup | 7% on every plan (10% if app prices differ from store prices) | The plan's marketing rate (5%, 15% or 20%), plus processing |
| Your own drivers | Self-delivery: 15% | The plan's marketing rate, no delivery fee |
| Card processing | No separate line on Uber's pricing page for Marketplace orders [1] | 3.05% + $0.30 on prepaid orders [3] |
| Monthly fee | None listed [1] | None to be listed [2] |
| Your own website | Webshop: 2.5% + $0.29 an order [1] | Grubhub Direct: no commission, processing on prepaid orders [2] |
Two cautions on the table. First, rates have moved: Uber raised Lite from 15% to 20% and pickup from 6% to 7% on March 11, 2026, and many pages still show the old numbers [4]. Second, Grubhub's current split (5%, 15%, 20% plus a delivery fee) adds up to the same 15%, 25% and 30% that older guides quote as one number, so a page that says "Grubhub 15 to 25%" is describing the old structure. We read both vendors' pages in early November 2026; your own agreement is what counts, so check it before deciding.
One $25 order, nine ways
A food subtotal of $25, before your food cost and before tax. Grubhub processing is 3.05% + $0.30, which is $1.06 on $25. Uber's page shows no separate processing line for Marketplace orders, so none is added here; ask your rep to confirm that in writing [1] [3].
| How the order comes in | Uber Eats: you keep | Grubhub: you keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest plan, app delivers | $20.00 (fee $5.00) | $20.19 (fee $4.81) |
| Middle plan, app delivers | $18.75 (fee $6.25) | $17.69 (fee $7.31) |
| Top plan, app delivers | $17.50 (fee $7.50) | $16.44 (fee $8.56) |
| Lowest plan, pickup | $23.25 (7%) | $22.69 (fee $2.31) |
| Middle plan, pickup | $23.25 (7%) | $20.19 (fee $4.81) |
| Top plan, pickup | $23.25 (7%) | $18.94 (fee $6.06) |
| Your own site, diner pays at pickup | $25.00 | $25.00 |
The surprise is the first row: at the lowest plan Grubhub leaves you a few cents more than Uber, even after processing. The second and third rows go the other way. At the top plan Uber Eats leaves about $1.06 more per order. The pickup rows are not close: a pickup order on Uber costs $1.75 on every plan, while on Grubhub's All-access it costs $6.06.
A month of orders, worked out
Take 300 orders a month at $25 each. First, all delivered by the app's drivers:
| Plan level | Uber Eats, 300 delivered | Grubhub, 300 delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest | $1,500 | $1,443 |
| Middle | $1,875 (about $2,063 if half are Uber One orders) | $2,193 |
| Top | $2,250 | $2,568 |
Now a more normal mix for a small restaurant: 200 delivered and 100 pickup orders.
| Plan level | Uber Eats | Grubhub |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest | $1,175 ($1,250 if prices are not matched) | $1,193 |
| Middle | $1,425 | $1,943 |
| Top | $1,675 | $2,318 |
With a quarter of the orders on pickup, Uber is cheaper at every level, and by $518 to $643 a month on the middle and top plans. With none on pickup the two are within $57 at the bottom and about $320 apart at the top, in Uber's favour. The more of your trade is pickup, the more the plan's marketing rate matters, and Grubhub's rises with the plan while Uber's stays flat.
One honest limit: this is fee cost, not profit. An app that brings you 100 orders you would never have had is worth some fee; an app that re-sells your regulars is not. The break-even section below is where that gets decided.
Which plan should a new restaurant start on?
Start on the lowest plan of each app you try. A higher plan buys the app's promise of more reach: a lower delivery fee for the diner, a boost in the list, offers for members [1] [2]. It does not buy you orders; it buys a chance of them, charged on every order including the regulars who would have come anyway.
Work out what one order leaves you after the fee and your food and packaging cost. Say that cost is 32% of a $25 order, which is $8:
- Uber Lite delivered: $25 − $5.00 − $8 = $12.00. Uber Plus: $10.75. Premium: $9.50.
- Grubhub Basic delivered: $25 − $4.81 − $8 = $12.19. Plus: $9.69. All-access: $8.44.
If the lowest plan brings 100 orders, that is about $1,200. To leave the same money, Uber's Plus has to bring 112 orders (12% more) and Premium 127. On Grubhub, where 100 Basic orders leave about $1,219, Plus has to bring about 126 and All-access about 145. If you cannot see the extra orders arrive in a test month, go back down. Uber also advertises 0% commission for the first 30 days on Plus and Premium for new restaurants, which makes the first month look better than it is; judge on month two [1].
Pickup and the price-match rule
Pickup is the cheapest way to be on either app, and the two charge it in different ways. Uber's pickup rate is 7% when Uber has validated that your in-app prices equal your in-store prices, and 10% when they do not [1]. Many restaurants raise app prices to pay for the delivery commission, and doing so quietly moves every pickup order from 7% to 10%. On a $25 order that is $2.50 instead of $1.75.
Grubhub has no price-match rule on the pages we read, but its pickup fee is the plan's marketing rate [2] [3]. So a restaurant on Grubhub's Plus plan that mostly sells pickup pays 15% plus processing on those orders, more than twice Uber's 7%. For a deeper look at how pickup works on DoorDash, the third app, read does DoorDash charge commission on pickup orders.
Extras that change the bill
- Processing. Grubhub's 3.05% + $0.30 is a real addition, about $1.06 on $25 and over 5% on a $12 order [3]. Check your Uber statement for any processing line on your own agreement.
- Your own drivers. Uber's self-delivery rate is 15%; if you send an order to Uber's drivers instead, that order costs 25% [1]. On Grubhub you keep the plan's marketing rate and skip the delivery fee, then pay your driver [2].
- Promotions. Both apps let you fund offers. Funded discounts come out of your side of the order; set a ceiling before you say yes.
- City caps. Some cities cap what apps can charge restaurants. New York City is 15% for delivery and 5% for other fees, and both companies list separate pricing there [1] [2] [5].
- Your website. Uber's Webshop is 2.5% + $0.29 an order, Grubhub Direct has no commission but processing on prepaid orders [1] [2]. A page where the diner pays at pickup costs nothing per order.
Which app fits which restaurant
| Your restaurant | Lean towards | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly pickup, some delivery | Uber Eats Lite or Plus | A flat 7% pickup against Grubhub's plan-based rate |
| Mostly your own delivery drivers | Either; compare statements | Uber is 15%, Grubhub is the marketing rate on its plan (5% on Basic) |
| Delivery only, ghost kitchen style | Uber Eats Premium | Cheaper than Grubhub's top plan by about $1 an order |
| New restaurant, quiet first months | Whichever you can test at the lowest plan | Uber's Premium safety net waives fees in months under 20 orders for six months, with conditions [1] |
| You live in a city with a cap | Compare the city rates | Both quote separate prices there |
Which app has more diners in your town is a local fact we found no reliable public figure for. Look at which app is on your regulars' phones and ask. If you can only manage one tablet, run the app your customers already open.
A six-week test before you commit
- Weeks 1 to 2: list on one app on its lowest plan with app prices equal to your store prices. Note orders, subtotals and fees from the statement.
- Weeks 3 to 4: list on the other, same rules. Do not change prices in the first four weeks, or you cannot tell which app did what.
- Weeks 5 to 6: count, per app, orders, subtotal, commission, processing and new customer names. Keep the one that leaves more after food cost.
- Throughout: put a card with a QR code in every bag that points at your own pickup page.
That last step is the one that lowers the bill most. A regular who orders from your page next time is worth $25 instead of $17.50 to $23.25. Our guide on commission-free online ordering compares the ways to take those orders.
Mistakes restaurants make choosing between the two
- Reading an old rate table. Both apps have older numbers online; always date the page you read.
- Comparing the headline "5%" with "20%". Grubhub's 5% is the listing fee only; add a Grubhub driver and the order costs at least 15% before processing.
- Raising app prices without checking the pickup rate on Uber.
- Judging Plus or Premium on the free first month.
- Counting orders and not names: an app is worth more if it brings people who then order direct.
Questions
Is Grubhub or Uber Eats cheaper for restaurants?
On delivery at the lowest plan they are within about 20 cents on $25; at the middle and top plans Uber is cheaper by roughly $1 an order, and on pickup Uber's flat 7% beats Grubhub's plan rate everywhere except Basic [1] [2] [3].
Does Uber Eats charge more than Grubhub?
Not by much. Uber's rate went up in March 2026, so Lite at 20% now costs a few cents more than Grubhub Basic delivered with processing, but Grubhub's higher plans cost more than Uber's [1] [4].
Can a restaurant be on both?
Yes. Neither lists exclusivity or a monthly fee on the plans we read [1] [2]. Be on both only if each brings orders you would not have had.
Which has the lower pickup fee?
Uber Eats at 7% when your prices match, 10% when they do not. Grubhub charges its plan's marketing rate: 5%, 15% or 20% [1] [2].
What about DoorDash?
DoorDash lists 15%, 25% and 30% by plan and 6% on pickup. See Grubhub vs DoorDash and DoorDash vs Uber Eats.
How do I pay less to both?
Take the lowest plan, keep app and store prices equal, deliver yourself where you can, and turn app orders into direct ones with a card in the bag. Read each app's full rate sheet: Uber Eats commission and Grubhub commission. More answers are in all our guides, and Uber Eats alternatives lists the other ways to get orders.
Want those regulars ordering from you? Build your menu site free from a photo of your menu: pickup orders that ring your phone, no commission.
Sources
- Uber Eats pricing for merchants (US), Uber, read Nov 2, 2026.
- Pricing and fees, Grubhub for Restaurants, read Nov 3, 2026.
- How much does Grubhub charge restaurants?, Restolabs, updated July 27, 2026 (processing and older structure).
- Uber Eats increases marketplace fees, Restaurant Dive, March 10, 2026.
- New York City Council OKs cap on food delivery fees, Transport Topics, 2021.