Make more Private hire app reviews

There’s no denying that times are tough right now, and people everywhere are feeling the pinch. The rising cost of living has made us more conscious of how we spend our money. Not to mention that fuel prices and duty have never been higher, a trend that appears to be heading in only one direction.

Many people are seeking ways to earn extra income, making private hire and other ride-sharing apps increasingly popular. And with good reason: the job is steady and relatively flexible, making it great for people who need to work around other responsibilities.

But, when your job as an on-demand driver is mainly about minimising downtime and driving efficiently. Working exclusively for Uber, Free Now, Bolt, OLA, or Green Tomatoes could mean you’re missing out.

Drivers who multi-app could receive more pings and boost their chances of finding a fare when shifts are slower. Also, just because a surge occurs on one app does not always mean that the same surge happens on another, and even if it does, the bonuses may be better.

TOP TIP: When you are ready to finish a trip on one app, go online 2 or 3 minutes before the end. This both reduces waiting time and improves your odds of getting a request from the other app.

How do they stack up against each other?

Fortunately, our friends over at Driver App London have created the most useful comparison table you could ever hope for.

	Uber	Bolt	Ola	Free Now (Kapten)	Green Tomato Cars
Pricing	Based on distance and duration	Based on distance and duration	Based on distance and duration	Fixed	Based on distance and time of day
Commission rate	25%	10%-20%**	5%-20%(based on driver performance)	15%	0%
Fares	– £2.50 base fare– 1.25/mile– £0.15/mile Clean Air fee*– £0.15/min. for UberX	– £2.50 base fare– £1.28/mile– £0.12/min. for Standard category– £5 minimum	– £2.50 base fare– £1.25/mile– £0.15/min. for Comfort category	– £2.50 base fare– £1.25/mile– £0.15/min. for Standard category	– £14.25/hour peak minimumMon – Fri:05:00 – 08:5916:00 – 18:5922:00 – 00:59 – £8/hour off-peak rate– £1.40/mile after minimum up to 25 miles (Executive and MPV all rates higher)
Airport fares	– £10 base fare– £1/mile– £0.12/min. + parking	– £10 base fare– £1/mile– £0.12/min. + parking	– £10 base fare– £1/mile– £0.12/min. + parking	– £2.50 base fare– £1.25/mile– £0.15/min + parking	N/A
Driver benefits	– Sickness insurance– Maternity and paternity leave– Gym member pass– EV assistance	N/A	Full-time drivers:– Guaranteed-income plans	N/A	Owner drivers:– Corporate account work only (no pubs and clubs)
Tips	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cancellation fee	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
No-show paid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bonuses	Based on consecutive trips	Based on consecutive trips	Based on a percentage of trips you accept	Based on number of trips	– Weekly £50 cash bonuses after 20 peak-hour rides– £100 bonus bookings (2/week, randomly timed)– £100 feedback bonus for >9/10 driving score after the first 50 rides– Zero Emission premium for certain EV and PHEV rides– Bids – see the destination and pricing of available rides, pick the one you want. Daily for morning and afternoon peaks, other times on ad hoc basis due to major demand spikes
Congestion Charge compensation	£1 per trip into the CC zone	£1.50 per trip into the CC zone	£1 per trip into the CC zone	£1 per trip into the CC zone	£2.25 per trip into the CC zone (chargeable hours + 30 mins each side)
Car categories	– X– XL– Executive– Lux– WAV– Assist– Pool– Electric	– Standard– XL– Executive– Electric	– Comfort– Comfort XL– Executive– Electric	– Standard– Electric	– Classic– Exec– Luxury– People Carrier– Zero Emission
Area of coverage	– Greater London– Hertfordshire– Thurrock– Brentwood– Luton– Surrey	– London (the M25 area)– The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead– Milton Keynes– Peterborough– Leicester– Birmingham– Newcastle– Nottingham– Sheffield	Inside M25 area	Zones 1 to 6	Greater London