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4 apps like Uber you should take for a ride in Australia
These on-demand car booking apps are an alternative to Uber that can take you around the world.
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If you're finding Uber's prices too steep, can't find a driver in your area or are simply searching for some cheap (or potentially free) rides with an alternate rideshare service, these apps may just have the ride you need.
1. DiDi
DiDi, a Chinese ridesharing app specialising in commutes, launched in Melbourne in June 2018 and quickly expanded to other cities in Australia.
With over 31 million drivers and 550 million users globally, DiDi is one of the largest taxi hailing services operating in Asia, Australia and South America. Its users are so loyal, the only way Uber could enter the Chinese market was to merge with it. DiDi lets you order taxis and private cars.
- Where: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Geelong and Sunshine Coast.
- Cost: DiDi offers a similar pricing structure to Uber in Melbourne but with cheaper rates. Its minimum fare is $6.98 (Uber's is $7.50) and time fare is 30 cents per minute (Uber's is 35 cents). Its base fare is $1.98 (Uber's is $2) and its distance fee is $1.08 for the first 7 kilometres. This drops down $0.98 cents thereafter. Uber's distance fee is a set $1.10. Cancellations are charged at $6 while Uber charges $10.
- Benefits: DiDi is approximately 10% cheaper than Uber. It also has a generous $20 referral voucher for anyone who shares the app, and offers 50% off rides for the first month in most cities.
2. Ola
Ola, India's most popular rideshare service, entered the Australian market in early 2018 and has been growing rapidly ever since. Now available in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Canberra, it strives to provide affordable rides, lean fares and quality rides.
- Where: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Canberra.
- Cost: Ola has a like-for-like pricing structure with Uber. You can read our comparison here.
- Benefits: Ola offers launch fare discounts when it opens up in a new city as well as first-time rider deals.
3. GoCatch
Book a rideshare, taxi or taxi van within minutes using the GoCatch app, and you can even earn Qantas points for your ride.
GoCatch is one of Uber's biggest rivals. It allows you to book taxis and private drivers and doesn’t charge surge pricing during peak demand periods like Uber does.
- Where: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Adelaide and Perth.
- Cost: Can be cheaper than Uber as it doesn't have surge pricing.
- Benefits: First-time riders can score a free ride credit. GoCatch also promises no surge fares and lower fares overall.
4. Shebah
The only all-woman rideshare company, Shebah strives to offer safe and secure rides for women by women. Women, women with children, and men travelling with kids are permitted to ride, and men aren't allowed to ride shotgun.
It's also the only rideshare service that allows unaccompanied children to ride in the cars and offers child seats and boosters if needed.
- Where: Across Australia.
- Cost: Minimum fares are $11.66.
- Benefits: The only rideshare service allowed to transport unaccompanied children, extra security for female passengers, accommodating to those travelling with young children.
Travelling outside of Australia?
The world is not short of rideshare services. Here's a quick rundown of some of the more popular localised ones around the world:
- Grab. When in South-East Asia, Grab offers one of the most widespread networks of taxis, rideshare services and coaches. It's available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
- Lyft. An American powerhouse, Lyft was started in San Francisco and offers rides across the US.
- Easy Taxi. Available in 30 countries and 420 cities, Easy Taxi connects passengers with taxis through its easy-to-use app. It predominantly services North and South America but is also available in Hong Kong, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
- BlaBlaCar. This is a modern carpooling app that connects drivers on their daily commute with riders on similar routes to make use of their spare seats. It's available in countries worldwide including the UK, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, India and Mexico.
Frequently asked questions
- Which rideshare apps are cheaper than Uber in Australia? DiDi is the major player in this department having cut its fares permanently by 10% in late 2018 to make it cheaper than Uber. Most other rideshares such as Ola are priced the same as Uber.
- What rideshares are in Sydney? Popular alternatives to Uber in Sydney include Ola, GoCatch and Shebah.
- What rideshares are in Melbourne? Popular alternatives to Uber in Melbourne include DiDi, Ola and GoCatch.
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