Don’t Overpay for Food Delivery Again With These Apps

    Food delivery doesn’t have to cost you as much as your meal.
    Getty/Alexander Spatari
    

    When you’re ordering delivery, you might toggle between apps like?Postmates, Uber Eats and others to figure out which has your favorite local restaurants. Then you might compare which service has the lowest delivery fee or has special deals to give you the lowest overall price.?
    Two apps can put an end to that cycle. FoodBoss (for Android and iOS) and MealMe (for iOS) let you compare the different delivery time estimates and costs from multiple services side by side, without constantly switching between the different platforms.?
    Here’s what to know about these two apps.
    FoodBoss
    The FoodBoss interface.
    FoodBoss
    FoodBoss (including its browser version) launched in 2017, and it aggregates third-party delivery services like UberEats, Postmates, EatStreet and Delivery.com into one place. It’s available in more than 80 metro areas across the US, including Atlanta, Chicago and New York City.?
    When you go to the web version of FoodBoss, type in your address, and you’ll see a list of restaurants and the delivery services they work with, along with estimated total fees (including delivery fees, surge pricing, service fees and taxes), and delivery time estimates. From there, you can filter results based on cuisine type, fastest delivery time or least expensive total fees.?
    

     MealMe
    MealMe launched in March 2021. It compares prices across delivery services like DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, Postmates, Caviar, Waitr, Delivery.com and Eatstreet. It’s only available on iOS, but the company plans to roll it out on Android and the web later, according to co-founder Matt Bouchner. MealMe is available in cities across the US.?
    MealMe’s app operates somewhat differently than FoodBoss. You’ll create an account, and the app will find restaurants near you, or let you search for the one you want. When you tap on one, you’ll see which third-party delivery services work with that restaurant, and which is less expensive. When you tap on the option you want (say, UberEats) it will take you directly to that app. The app compares prices based on menu price inflation, delivery fees, service fees and surge fees, and simply tells you which delivery app will be the cheapest for you — but doesn’t include estimated delivery time or offer estimated fees.?
    
    The MealMe interface.
    MealMeWhich app should you use??
    Both FoodBoss and MealMe have partnerships with delivery services, so customers don’t get charged anything extra for using the apps — they’re purely aggregators, the founders of each said. Deciding which one you use depends on your situation, including where you live and what device you use.
    FoodBoss operates in fewer cities and has fewer delivery services to compare, but gives you more information in terms of fees and delivery time estimates. It’s also available on more platforms.?
    MealMe includes all of the major food delivery service apps, and is available in more cities, and also gives you less information before sending you to the delivery app. But it is only on iOS at the moment.?