While there are dozens of rideshare companies operating in major cities across the U.S., there are two clear heavyweights that are battling it out on the streets on a daily basis: Uber and Lyft. Below, we highlight what these two rideshare monoliths have in common, and also where they differ.
Common Ground
Both Uber and Lyft share some common ground. For example, both companies let you:
- Save frequent locations and favorite destinations. For example, if you often head out to the Manchester Music Violin Shop in Ballwin, Missouri, you can plug this into the app for quick and easy reference.
- Add multiple drop-off points, which is handy if you’re sharing a ride with colleagues, family members or friends.
- Hail a car to share with strangers who happen to be going your way (or vice versa).
- Automatically pay through the app (which is followed by an emailed receipt with all of the destination and payment details).
- Choose the kind of car you want to ride in, from economy up to luxury. You can also request a minivan or SUV if you’re traveling with a group.
In addition, both companies have dynamic pricing, which means you pay more when demand is high and less when demand is low.
Different Paths
It’s the differences between Uber and Lyft that matter the most, and will ultimately determine which one is your go-to rideshare solution. Here are the distinctions:
- Uber lets you split the cost of a ride with several riders. Lyft used to support this very convenient feature but discontinued it.
- You can save some money with Uber by using Express Pool, which means that you’re willing to walk a short distance to get picked up and/or dropped off. Lyft doesn’t offer this feature, though they’ve said that they’re working on it.
- For the moment, Uber is significantly bigger than Lyft in terms of coverage area. This isn’t a big deal in large urban centers like Los Angeles and Dallas.
- Pricing for Uber and Lyft are similar, however, in most cases, a trip is cheaper with Lyft (unless you use Uber’s Express Pool).
- Uber has more of a business and formal feel, while Lyft has more of a casual and informal feel.
And the Winner Is…
Sorry, but as much as we’d like to simplify things for you by declaring a winner, the fact remains that Uber has some advantages (most notably coverage), while Lyft has other advantages (most notably pricing). Our advice? Try them both and see which one works best for you.
