Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, Via: Best NYC Taxi Alternatives

If you are sick of old fashioned expensive NYC Taxi, you’ve come to the right place, because today will discuss Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, Via: Best NYC Taxi Alternatives!

Taxis in New York City are notoriously overpriced. They’re fun for tourists who don’t see them everywhere, but to New Yorkers they’re not the preferred method of travel. Aside from the train, we prefer apps that bring a car to us that will take us where we need to go. Because of rating systems that are implemented into most of these, it feels safe and secure. Additionally, there’s less waving your arms around on the street and yelling to get a car, which is always quite nice.

Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, and Via are the top NYC taxi alternatives and can all be accessed via a smartphone app. These are ride-sharing services that have become increasingly more popular over the past few years. Uber is obviously the most well known and started this trend, but as Uber has become more corporate, other services are getting their names out there to compete.

To rank these apps in some fashion, I used the factors of availability, prices, and customer experience. Availability refers to the average number of vehicles dispatched per day. The prices take into account several things, such as base fares or special deals. Customer experience considers how happy the driver is with the service and how much they are paid while they work. It’s safe to say that the happier the driver is, the smoother the ride. I’ve found this to be exceedingly true, as I’ve tried all of these apps and it’s a much better experience with a driver who enjoys their job than it is with a driver who is agitated and seems like they don’t want you in the car.

It’s a fairly close call between these apps because they’re so similar. Uber definitely leads the market with regard to popularity because it’s in most cities now, but Lyft is creeping into a lot of metropolitan areas. Juno is cheaper than both of these because it doesn’t have surge pricing. Via is the cheapest of all, but the service isn’t as great. Gett is a competitor in pricing, but it doesn’t have many cars available. Surge pricing is the component that most users are concerned with, though, as it seems in New York it’s always busy, so the prices are regularly surged .

Generally speaking, it’s going to be expensive to get around New York when you don’t take the train. It is, however, it’s important to know about all travel options in case there’s an emergency or when you want to treat yourself on a night out.

If you’re looking to live a little bit outside Manhattan, you might want to take a look at the 6 Easiest Towns to Commute to NYC.

Now, let’s start with Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, Via: Best NYC Taxi Alternatives! 

 

5. Via

Via has a standard, across-the-board fare of $5 per ride. However, Via is a true ride share, so if you’re in a rush, this isn’t your best option because the driver might take a longer route to pick up or drop off other riders. Also, it’s only available in Manhattan below 125th St. during certain hours. It operates between 6 a.m. and midnight on weekdays and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends (9 p.m. on Sundays). If a rider is going to the airport, the Via will travel outside Manhattan, which makes it a great deal especially if you have a lot of luggage.

Via is starting to make its way into Brooklyn with $2.75 fares for popular, short rides. The positive aspect is that the drivers are paid on an hourly basis instead of being paid per ride. There are about 2,000 vehicles dispatched per day.

4. Gett

Gett dispatches about 3,000 vehicles per day and offers $10 private rides anywhere in Manhattan for up to 30 minutes and/or 4 miles. There is no surge pricing. This is an international company that pays two or three times as much per minute to its drivers as compared to Uber in New York. Drivers keep 100% of the tips. The factor that puts Gett a little lower on the list is the lack of available drivers.

3. Lyft

I’ve found Lyft to be the most similar to Uber, and it has a lot of promotional posters in the Subway stations. Lyft dispatches around 13,000 vehicles per day. The cost structure is different from Gett and Via, as it has a base fare of $2.50, which is the minimum amount a ride will cost. There is a $1.79 cost per mile and $0.35 cost per minute, as well as a $10 cancellation fee. There is surge pricing during busy times, but it’s often a little bit less than Uber.

Lyft takes roughly 25% commission from its drivers.

2. Uber

Uber may be the most popular, but it’s not the best according to the ranking factors. It dispatches the largest amount of vehicles at 37,000. The base fare is higher than that of Lyft at $2.55. There is a $1.75 cost per mile and $0.35 per minute charge. The cancellation fee is only $5. There is surge pricing during events, holidays, subway delays, and generally other busy times. Uber also takes 25% commission from drivers. While Uber isn’t considered the best, it’s the one I usually choose to use simply because of the driver availability and track record. I can be almost guaranteed to have a good ride with Uber. We’re getting awfully close to the number one of our Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, Via: Best NYC Taxi Alternatives list. Don’t wait a moment longer – click next!

1. Juno

Juno works like the fancy Uber. Juno only hires Uber drivers who have good ratings, so it’s like a test they have to take before signing up. Drivers get equity shares in the company and they only take 10% commission. Juno only has about 9,000 vehicles dispatched each day, but it offers the same rate as Uber as well as 35% off all rides during your first month of membership. There’s also no surge pricing, which makes it a great option during busy times. Overall, Juno ticks all the boxes of satisfaction, which is why it is together with Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, Via: Best NYC Taxi Alternatives!