Spot the difference.
The Taxify rideshare app launched in Australia on 12 December and was quickly dubbed an "Uber killer."
But is it actually that much better? We compared Uber and Taxify for drivers side by side to find out.
Looking to ride? Check out our comparison for riders to see which offers the better ride for price, deals and more for you.
Uber vs Taxify
Prices and fares, side by side.
| Feature | Uber | Taxify |
|---|---|---|
| How prices are determined | Base + time + distance + extras (surge pricing, tolls, etc) | Base + time + distance + extras (surge pricing, tolls, etc) |
| Percentage of driver’s earnings taken by the company | Varies. Approximately 20% to 30%. | Approximately 10 to 20%. |
| Surge pricing | Has been known to reach 8x normal fare in Australia. Enabled automatically based on rider demand and driver availability. | Capped at 1.5x normal fare. Enabled manually based on demand. |
| Availability | Australia-wide, with over 60,000 drivers | Sydney and Melbourne only, with over 4,000 drivers |
| App design and user interface | Almost identical | Almost identical |
What's the verdict?
For both drivers, Taxify is likely to offer better value for money in almost all situations.
Most notably Taxify takes a substantially smaller cut of the driver's earnings than Uber does, and is offering a promotional price-beat offer which theoretically guarantees cheaper Taxify rides than Uber rides for the duration.
Why would I NOT use Taxify?
Uber still has an advantage in a few areas:
- Availability: In Australia Taxify is only in Sydney and Melbourne at the moment, so it's not as widely available as Uber. However it does have plans to launch in other major cities.
- Ride type: There's only one kind of Taxify ride. So if you specifically have or want to drive an SUV (UberSUV) or a nicer car (UberBlack), for example, you might stick with Uber.
- Discounts for Uber: While Taxify is still new, there's often discounts going around for cheap Uber rides, like our exclusive $20 off your first ride below. This may appeal better to riders and give its drivers more business.
And while passengers might favour the typically-lower and less active surge pricing of Taxify, drivers might feel otherwise.
Although Taxify will typically offer its drivers a larger cut of the total, higher surge pricing might lead driver-partners to stick with driving for Uber during peak hours or busy times.
The interface and how it works
Taxify works almost exactly like Uber, right down to the rating system.
Step 1: Pickup
Step 2: Ride
Step 3: Rate
Uber vs Taxify company history
Taxify was founded in Estonia in 2013. Today it’s the most popular taxi rideshare company across large parts of Europe and Africa, tracking at about $1 billion revenue a year.
Uber was founded in the USA in 2009, and is generally one of the leading rideshare companies anywhere Taxify isn’t. It’s earning about $6.5 billion in revenue a year.
How can Taxify afford to offer cheaper rides?
Uber has had a long struggle with profitability. Despite its multi-billion dollar revenue, it reportedly had a $2.8 billion net loss in 2016. So how can Taxify afford to be even cheaper?
According to a Taxify spokesperson, it's simply because they run a tighter business than Uber.
Both Taxify and Uber have received billions of dollars in investment, with the aim of growing to greater profitability.
And both Taxify and Uber can always use more drivers.
To get started you can download the Taxify app here for iOS and here for Android.
Is it a good idea to drive with both uber and taxify?
Hi Janette,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
As you have read on this page, Taxify offers promotional 50% discount for the first month so some riders would go for a cheaper fare however in Australia Taxify is currently available in Melbourne and Sydney only. It might also have less drivers in Sydney and Melbourne too. With more drivers Uber can probably offer quicker pick-ups than Taxify can.
At the end of the day, it will be your discretion to drive with both transport services. Both of them still have pros and cons that you will work out along the way. As you are aware, you will be using their apps to pickup passengers so hopefully you can manage that properly.
As a friendly reminder, while we do not represent any company we feature on our pages, we can offer you general advice.
I hope this helps.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jeni