Uber and Lyft are often seen as interchangeable ride-hailing apps by casual observers. According to SurveyMonkey, users of both apps express high levels of satisfaction. The companies are different from each other in a few key respects. SurveyMonkey’s research found that 86% of respondents used Uber, while 32% used Lyft. A small number of users took rides with both apps but Uber’s dominance is clear by the use of the company name as a verb similar to Google or Band-Aid.
Uber’s international reach exceeds the North American scope of Lyft. While Lyft serves the United States and a few cities in Canada, Uber offers rides to passengers in 58 countries around the world. This expansive approach provides greater revenue opportunities for Uber but regulatory challenges that can be costly.
Uber and Lyft have developed different reputations since their founding. Uber focused on a high-end experience for riders and subtle branding including a black-letter logo. Lyft separated itself from Uber with brighter colors and gimmicks like giant mustaches on the fronts of select cars. Lyft was also more active in encouraging riders to sit up front with drivers during rides. Uber was late to the in-app tipping game by adding the feature in 2017, while Lyft offered the service from its founding.
The high-demand pricing models used by Uber and Lyft also show meaningful differences to riders and drivers. Uber’s surge-pricing approach has a capped rate up to 2.5 times the usual fare. Lyft uses a percentage approach to surge pricing based on vehicle availability, which can be higher or lower than Uber’s capped surge price.