Lyft Vs Uber: What’s The Difference Between These Dueling Apps?

The previous year brought with it many exciting developments, including the rise of peer-to-peer ridesharing courtesy Lyft and Uber. These two competing apps, both of which ironically originate from San Francisco, took the taxi world by storm. How so?

SF Weekly reports that Lyft and Uber revolutionized taxi services by giving consumers the power to hail a taxi via their smartphone. Furthermore, they got rid of the traditional taxi format and replaced it with freelance contractors who provide services via their own vehicles. All this in turn left consumers with the added option of saving boatloads of money, as Lyft and Uber are able to provide taxi services without having to contend with all the exorbitant costs associated with conventional taxi operations.

Fast forward to August 2014. According to PC World, the two different apps have begun “slogging it out in the nascent market for on-demand transportation.” How so? By accusing each other of sabotage:

“Lyft said on Monday that roughly 180 employees at Uber had ordered and then cancelled thousands of Lyft rides since October, slowing its service and causing lost fares. ‘It’s unfortunate for affected community members that they have used these tactics,’ a Lyft spokeswoman said at the time.

“Uber called the claims ‘patently false’ and then on Tuesday accused Lyft of doing exactly the same thing. Lyft’s drivers and employees, including one of its founders, have ordered and then cancelled nearly 13,000 trips on Uber, a spokeswoman said.”

This adds quite an added element of complication to their already dubious shared business model, which, according to the Washington Post, faces an increasing amount of criticism from cabdrivers, labor unions, and regulators. They argue that such apps “have an unfair advantage because, in most cases, they are allowed to operate free of the rules, regulations and licensing requirements of traditional taxis.”

Regardless, this whole fiasco begs a great question: What’s the difference between Lyft and Uber!?

The Wall Street Journal provides some relevant insight about their differences. Uber, which launched three years before Lyft in 2009, “operates in nearly three times as many markets” as its competitor. It also features four times as many drivers and five times as much investor funding. However, Lyft maintains a much more consumer-friendly environment “by attaching fuzzy pink mustaches to cars and encouraging passengers to greet each other with fist bumps.” Plus, Lyft drivers encourage passengers to sit upfront and chat with them.

Another notable difference between the apps is that Lyft permits riders to add a customized tip to every single order after every order. Uber instead makes consumers choose a gratuity percentage (10 percent, 20 percent, etc.) before the ride even begins.

The one thing that both apps do — the fundamental difference between them and conventional taxi services — is allow users to track their “taxis” via GPS. With a regular cab, you make the call and then simply wait and hope it arrives on time. Lyft and Uber, on the other hand, let users monitor the ride’s exact location. This is an extraordinarily useful benefit, especially if you hate just standing outside and waiting.

[Image via MSN Money]