6+ Best Ride Sharing Companies In 2024 [Ranked & Reviewed]

1. Uber – The Pioneer Turned Juggernaught

Founded in 2009 and perhaps the most well-known ridesharing app, Uber has amassed over 118 million downloads since its inception. 

Uber pioneered the ridesharing industry and is available in 10,000 cities over 71 countries, offering rideshare services such as:

• Uber X: Simple, easy, affordable. Typically a modern four-seater sedan
• Uber X Saver: Similar to Uber X but longer waits for a reduced price
• Uber XL: Larger SUVs or Vans with more seats available
• Uber Lux: A luxurious alternative to Uber X
• Uber Black/Black SUV: The original offering – a city-permitted vehicle that is five years old or newer
• Uber Comfort: Additional comfort features at the discretion of the rider, such as A/C levels
• Uber Green: Hybrid and electric car options
• UberPool: Ridesharing meets carpooling.

Uber’s brand presence, broad reach, and user-friendly interface make it an ever-popular option for ridesharing customers. 

A large customer base makes for little downtime between rides for drivers and an increased likelihood of drivers finishing a trip nearby.

Uber now also offers UberPool as a more cost-effective option in which ridesharing meets carpooling.

UberPool matches riders who are traveling similar routes, which economies the ride for the riders and lowers the overall carbon emissions of the company.

2. Lyft – The Competitive Brother

Founded in 2012, Lyft has been racing with Uber for the top spot in ridesharing ever since. Lyft drivers earn about the same per trip as their Uber counterparts, but opportunities for tips and earnings are higher. Lyft’s rideshare services include:

• Lyft Lux: Similar to Uber Lux.
• Lux Black/Lux Black XL: Premium sedan and SUV options.

Like Uber, you register in an app, type in your destination, and select your preferred ride. It’s simple and easy to use but lacks some of the reach and additional features of Uber.

Lyft aims to offer a change in the culture of ridesharing by adopting the motto “your friend with a car, wherever you need one.”

The company promotes an enhanced experience through a more relaxed connection with the driver. In essence this creates a greater feeling of community, with reports of up to 80% of passengers getting into the front seat when taking Lyft!

 3. Via – By Intelligent Design

Founded in 2012 by Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Ramot, Via aims to link as many riders with otherwise empty seats as possible.

Static routes mean you input your destination and will be dropped off at a nearby location along a predetermined route. Via is now available in over 35 countries, and additional members to your party ride half-price!

Via rideshare is just one complement of Via Transport Incorporated – a provider of transport and logistics software.

Via aim is to maximize the transport efficiency of a city while reducing its carbon footprint, and is also a cost-effective option that includes real-time customer support through the app.

 4. Didi – The Out-of-towner

Didi originated in 2012 as a Beijing taxi-hailing app, before later adding private hire. It is a cost-effective option, albeit with less reach than other larger competitors.

Didi merged with Uber in China in 2016 after the latter struggled to enter the Chinese domestic market.

 5. Ola – The Pacific King

Ola is an Indian-based company that operates in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India.

The app is used in over 125 cities and serves up to a billion rides annually, putting emphasis on driver care. Ola provides opportunities for increased earnings for drivers and works similarly to Uber whilst maintaining some core differences.

Ola aims to offer services to a variety of consumers, from the cost-effective to the more luxuriously-inclined. Ola also includes the option to rent a car and hire drivers for long-haul journeys and trips beyond the local region.

 6. Grab – An App of the People

Grab is the number one app for ridesharing in Southeast Asia. It started in Malaysia in 2012 as MyTeksi and has since expanded, and now boasts over 190 million users across six countries. 

Grab’s unique success in Southeast Asia is due to its strong focus on the local market and its willingness to adopt local cultures and languages. For instance, options for cash payment within the Grab app are featured.

The All-Around Benefits of Ride Sharing

Benefits of Ridesharing For Riders

Millions of riders around the world now enjoy convenient, affordable, and on-demand transport through ridesharing.

Regardless of where you find yourself, at any hour in whatever the weather, it’s easier than ever to find a way from A to B in the palm of your hand!

Ridesharing has offered greater independence to all and has greatly diminished the importance of owning a car or being able to drive.

It offers peace of mind through predetermined fixed pricing, as well as transparency in an industry that was formerly shrouded in the stigma of traditional hail-on-the-curb yellow cabs.

Ridesharing removes the hassle of parking and lets you relax on the way to your destination.

It frees up all that time you spend in traffic and allows you to work and move on the go! Finally, ridesharing apps have inbuilt safety features such as driver ratings and the ability to share your trip contacts.

Benefits of Ridesharing For Drivers

58% of the gig economy’s gross revenue comes from ride-sharing platforms like those mentioned above.

The gig economy relies on temporary and part-time positions and is often used by workers wanting to supplement their primary income.

Drivers enjoy a flexible and independent source of income and can work at any time, anywhere, and for as short and long as they want.

However, the increased flexibility comes at the sacrifice of guaranteed work and income. Drivers forgo the added benefits of traditional salaried occupations and also have to compete with other drivers in busy locations.

Drivers also have to work with a variety of ridesharing platforms with different regulations, prerequisites, and pay rates.

Benefits of Ridesharing For Cities and the Environment

One of the most significant potential benefits of ridesharing is the mitigation of traffic congestion.

If fewer people rely on individual car ownership as transport, roads and parking spaces may become less congested! Fewer cars on the road may mean a reduction in global carbon emissions as well.

Many rideshare vehicles are hybrid or fully electric. Some rideshare providers such as Uber offer services like UberGreen that let the customer choose a green alternative to private transportation.

In conjunction with public transport and cycling, ridesharing helps shift society away from dependence on fossil fuels and the automotive industry.

Public infrastructure may benefit from potentially fewer cars on the road. However, recent studies have suggested that increased reliance on ride-sharing has actually increased traffic congestion in compact urban centers.

Wrapping Up

Ridesharing is everywhere and here to stay. Whether it’s Uber, Lyft, or Ola, ridesharing provides affordable, convenient, and flexible alternative transport options to millions of riders around the world!

Your choice of rideshare provider will depend on your location and budget. It’s recommended to download multiple rideshare apps and compare each offer when looking to ride.

Depending on your individual needs, each rideshare company offers various additional services and added extras.

For drivers, ridesharing is a vital part of the gig economy and offers flexible, independent income. Whether it be a primary or secondary source of income, rideshare platforms remain an essential source of work in many countries.

Ridesharing could help lead the way in mitigating traffic congestion, lowering carbon emissions and society’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Many rideshare vehicles are hybrid or fully electric to boot. In conjunction with public transport and cycling, ridesharing may help the world move toward a cleaner, more efficient way of living!