It’s better to look for Lyft alternatives rather than waiting or complaining.
Wait! What do you know about Lyft & its services?
Please stop thinking about Uber, you will see other similar service providers on the list.
Lyft, Inc. is the fastest-growing American ride-hailing, sharing, vehicle-for-hire service worldwide. The brand is based in San Francisco, California (US) and offers a wide range of vehicles as mobility service, ride-hailing, hire, rental and much more.
- Founded: June 2012
- CEO: Logan Green
- Founders: John Zimmer, Logan Green
- Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
In terms of product, you can’t find much difference between Lyft and its other popular competitors. However, in cases such as expensive fares, limited categories of cars, etc., Lyft falls behind.
As of 2022, Lyft has a 27% market share & 18 million+ active users.
So, should you seek an alternative?
Yes, but how to choose the best one?
To answer this question, I have compiled the 10 best alternatives to Lyft. Let’s explore!
| Alternatives (+Ratings) | Known For |
|---|---|
| Uber (4.6) | Most downloaded in the category |
| Didi Chuxing (4.4) | Fair pricing & limited operation in countries |
| Curb (3.95) | Low cost, on-demand service & quality drivers |
| BlaBla Car (4.6) | Global player in affordable Carpooling. Cheap & best option to commute city-to-city. |
| Bolt (4.8) | Reliable & emerging player |
| Wingz (4.8) | Flat charges & handpicked drivers |
| Flywheel (1.9) | Premium service, affordable prices & handpicked drivers |
| Via (4) | Modern transportation with a wide range of transportation |
| inDriver (4.7) | Top rising & might be top 3 rivals in ridesharing |
| Poparide (4.8) | Best in Canada + Exclusive known for Carpooling |
Latest Lyft Alternatives
1. Uber
- Ratings: 4.6/5 based on 1.2 Million ratings on iOS | 4.6/5 based on 1.03 Cr reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Uber is the most popular & economical transport company available globally. It was founded in 2012 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. Today, the transportation company operates in over 72 countries such as North America, South America, The Middle East & India, providing exceptional services like ride-booking, food and package delivery etc.
Highlights:
- The platform is used by 93 million+ active users.
- Most downloaded apps in the travel category.
- Uber has won this competitive market by providing a wide network & cars.
- Uberpool also offers carpooling, which is both eco-friendly and budget-friendly.
- Other Uber rides include Uber X (Sedan for 4 people), Uber XL (SUV for 6 people), Uber LUX (luxury cars) and additional comfort with Uber Black, Comfort and Green.
- Customers can also rent E-Scooters with the Uber app.
- Book a ride for now & later.
- Split fares.
- Driver review & ratings.
- SOS panic button.
- Real-time ride tracking, which can be shared with anyone for safety purposes.
- Competitive pricing as compared to alternatives.
- Uber allows you to pay using multiple options and holds different alternatives in mobility.
- You can pick your preferred car & driver.
- Sync rides with a calendar.
- In-app chats and calls.
2. Didi Chuxing
- Ratings: 4.9/5 based on 20.4k ratings on iOS | 3.9/5 based on 781K reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Didi Chuxing (Didi), also known as Didi Dache & Didi Kuaidi, is a china-based transportation company. It was founded in 2012 by Cheng Wei, Wu Rui and Zhang Bo.
As China has bought Uber’s operation, Didi operates in over 400 cities in China and accounts for 91% of the ridesharing market. Additionally, Didi also operates in some parts of Taiwan, Latin America, and Japan.
The headquarters is located in Beijing.
Besides regular transportation, Didi Chuxing also offers private car hailing, social ridesharing, on-demand delivery services & fleet operation.
Highlights:
- 50M+ downloads on the Play store, although China has a different app store.
- A variety of ride models is available for the customers – cars, bikes, Tuk-tuks etc.
- Local drivers and private drivers can both be found for the services.
- Different resources are installed very efficiently, thanks to Artificial Intelligence.
- Top-notch features for customers’ safety.
- Like Uber, Didi Chuxing also comes with an SOS button.
- Location tracking.
- Professional and screened drivers.
3. Curb
- Ratings: 4.8/5 based on 68k ratings on iOS | 3.1/5 based on 7.61T reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
The next similar business to Lyft is Curb. The GoCurb, also known as Curb or Verifone Taxi Systems, is another mobility & fleet-system company in the US. In 2007, TaxiTronic partnered with Verifone & Verifone acquired Curb.
Initially, the company was focused on business travellers, but now everyone can use this app to reach their destination. Today, Curb offers reliable rides via professional drivers in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York etc.
Highlights:
- Curb provides low-cost, on-demand rides and quality drivers for customers
- Connects to more than 100k drivers
- 20M+ people reached/day
- The curb app has 1M+ downloads and claims to provide 10M+ trips per month
- Curb also focuses on managing operator vehicles & drivers with current guidelines
- Fare surge for by other cabs making Curb taxis popular
- “Ride now” is the most commonly used service by the users, which only demands pick-up and drop-off positions, and you can enjoy a cashless ride.
- “Ride later” is Curb’s scheduling feature where you can book rides at least 24 hours earlier.
- The “Pair and pay” feature allows users to pay their specific driver through the app without fumbling with cash.
4. BlaBla Car
- Ratings: 4.7/5 based on 23.8k ratings on iOS | 4.6/5 based on 1.8M reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
BlaBla car is a French mobility startup specialised in carpooling. It was founded in 2006 by Frederic Mazzella, Nicolas Brusson and Francis Nappez to offer commuters human-friendly rides.
In addition, carpooling activity reduces carbon footprint. As per the company’s data, 1.6M of CO2 saves each year.
Similar to Lyft & Uber, BlaBla doesn’t offer any vehicle.
The company operates in 22 countries such as India, Italy, Mexico, Poland, and Russia. However, it doesn’t operate in the US because of far located cities and cheap fuel prices.
Highlights:
- 50M+ downloads and 65M+ users.
- The app is assisted with high-tech advances for the betterment of the customers and the drivers.
- Passengers sharing the ride can send the fare directly to the driver. App offers multiple payment options.
- 263 km is the average distance of a BlaBlaCar.
- Excellent GPS navigation helps track & see real-time location.
- Convenient and affordable travelling, especially when it comes to long-distance travelling.
- BlaBla receives 25 million travellers per quarter.
- So far, members have saved more than 1.4 billion since the company discovered
5. Bolt
- Ratings: 4.8/5 based on 92.6k ratings on iOS | 4.8/5 based on 2.89M reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Bolt is the next European mobility service provider after several American companies. Formerly known as Taxify, it was founded in 2013 by Markus Villig.
The company focuses on providing an exceptional taxi experience to avoid even your personal car. Currently, the service operates in 500+ cities in over 45+ countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe.
Below is the list of other services provided by Bolt:
- Micro mobility rental, with scooters and e-bikes.
- Bolt food – delivers ready-made meals and items from restaurants and stores.
- Bolt Market – 15-minute grocery delivery.
- Bolt Drive – a short-term car rental service.
Highlights:
- 100M+ users worldwide.
- Fast, comfortable, cheaper & affordable rides.
- 100% carbon-neutral in Europe.
- Details of the journey can be shared with the app.
- Real-time map to check driver’s location.
- Payment can be made through the app – Multiple options such as Credit, Debit & Apple Pay.
- Like Uber & Ola, you can see the price of your ride before you order.
6. Wingz
- Ratings: 4.9/5 based on 6.2k ratings on iOS | 4.8/5 based on 29k reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Wingz, formerly known as Tickengo, is a San Francisco-based vehicle for hire company. The company was founded in 2011 by Christof Baumbach, Jeremie Romand, Fred Gomez and Geoff Mathieux.
Currently, Wingz is providing cab services in 16 metro areas & 22 airports.
Did you know?
Wingz competes with Uber as well as Lyft.
What distinguishes Wingz from other companies is its feature to request specific drivers and allows you to list your favourite drivers for your next bookings.
Highlights:
- 50K+ downloads and 10k+ active users.
- Pre-scheduled rides – Customers can book their rides at least 2 hours to 1 year in advance.
- You can also ask for extra features.
- Airports rides are easily available.
- Customers are charged flat prices, only after the ride ends.
- Handpicked drivers – you can pick your known drivers based on your likes & reviews.
- Rated super safe car taxi.
7. Flywheel
Flywheel was founded in 2012 by Ruth Zukerman. The company is known for developing advanced equipment globally for taxi drivers, riders, and fleet companies.
Today, Flywheel offers services in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Diego, and Sacramento.
Highlights:
- E-hail the nearest taxi to you through the app
- Smartphone-based functioning method for taxi drivers replaces navigation system, dispatch, advertising etc.
- Track your cab location and your pick-up timing
- Reliable, licensed and fully insured drivers with proper background checking for customers’ safety
- Single tap for ride booking
- Cashless payments can be made.
8. Via
- Ratings: 4.3/5 based on 8.5k ratings on iOS | 3.7/5 based on 5.52T reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Via is a modern transportation system. It was founded in 2012 by Daniel Ramot and Oren Shoval. Via is headquartered in New York City & offers ridesharing/ carpooling facilities in the USA, UK, Germany, etc.
Unlike Uber & other transportation apps, Via also offers a wide range of transportation features such as:
- Microtransit/On-demand public transit
- Paratransit
- Student Transportation
- NEMT
- Integrated Mobility
- Corporate/University shuttles
- Autonomous mobility
Logistics services
In addition, you can plan your network such as on-demand planning with remix, street design with remix & transit consulting facilities.
Via is one of the most convenient & powerful digital infrastructures for public transportation. With a wide range of features & softwares, Via provides the best solutions to plan, optimise, and operate transit systems.
So far, the company has 500+ transit partners, 90+ million rides, 5 continents & millions of happy riders.
Highlights:
- Over 10L users worldwide
- Shared, affordable & sustainable rides
- Super easy to use
- The app automatically finds cars within minutes
- Wide range of luxury SUVs & Sedans
- Courteous drivers
- Cheaper transport fare than other taxi apps
9. inDriver
- Ratings: 4.8/5 based on 21.5k ratings on iOS | 4.7/5 based on 3.88M reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
inDriver is the second most download mobility app. Arsen Tomsky started the international ridesharing company in 2013 with a mission to provide the lowest fare, thanks to their real-time-deals model. Apart from the ridesharing model, inDiver also offers intercity transportation, freight & cargo services.
Currently, inDriver is being used in 45 countries such as Nepal, India, Russia and many more.
Highlights:
- 100M+ downloads on the Play store, making it the second most downloaded ridesharing app in the world.
- Lowest fare compared to all ridesharing or taxi apps.
- Passengers are also permitted to set their fare for the chosen route.
- The driver shows passengers multiple fare offers, and they are free to choose any of them.
- Over 646 cities in 45 countries.
- Safe and flexible ride-booking platform.
- Save up to 30% on every ride.
- Choose your driver.
- Negotiation is available.
- 1bn rides.
- The maximum driver arrival time is 5 minutes.
10. Poparide
- Ratings: 4.9/5 based on 8.4k ratings on iOS | 4.7/5 based on 2.05k reviews on Google Play
- Download: Android | iOS
Poparide is the No. 1 carpooling app in Canada. The company was founded in
2010 by Flo Devellennes. The company is on a mission to utilise empty seats in each car by offering reasonable commute and saving the planet on the go.
Like other carpooling services, The company provides city-to-city pooling services.
Highlights:
- Trusted by 40k+ users and has 100k+ downloads.
- Most trusted locally made app for Canadian people.
- Passengers can book rides in advance.
- Passengers are charged $1 as a “support fee” to cover the optional cost.
- Fun and affordable carpooling from city to city.
- Choose the people for carpooling based on their profiles.
- Like other Carpooling or taxi services, Poparide focuses on Eco-friendly.
- Meet different people on the go.
- Easy online payments.
- Saves time and money.
FAQs
Which is the cheapest ride app?
inDriver & Gett are the 2 cheapest & most popular car booking apps globally. Both companies focus on real-time deals to beat prices in the market.
Who is Lyft’s biggest competitor?
Ola & Uber are the 2 best competitors in the world. Both companies have a massive user base, operating globally and with the best user ratings.
What is the safest ride app?
Lyft is the safest among Uber, Ola, Gett, inDriver, etc. The company focuses on the latest & different safety protocols such as Women’s safety, Best-in-class drivers and many more.
Conclusion
These are some of the most used Lyft alternatives globally. You are advised to utilise any of them depending on your country, utility & budget.
I personally recommend Uber based on its authority & wide network. Another side, InDriver is good to go as the second choice for the fastest-growing network.
Please let me know your suggestions or edit this list. Have a safe ride!
