SkipTheDishes vs DoorDash vs Uber Eats: Best for Canadian Restaurants 2026

If you run an independent restaurant in Canada, the three apps on this page already take a bigger cut of your takeout revenue than your rent does on those orders. Owners have a name for it: "the new rent." So the real question isn't whether to be on delivery apps — it's which one, on which plan, costs you the least for the orders you actually get.

This is a straight, head-to-head comparison of SkipTheDishes, DoorDash and Uber Eats for a Canadian operator in 2026 — using each platform's own published merchant rates where they exist, flagging clearly where they don't, and adding the one thing the affiliate "best delivery app" lists leave out: what you can legally be charged in British Columbia.

Key takeaways

• Entry-tier commission is 20% on all three platforms. It climbs to 29% on DoorDash's top plan and 30% on Uber Eats' top plan — those extra points buy marketing reach, not better economics.
• DoorDash and Uber Eats publish their exact Canadian merchant rates. SkipTheDishes publishes none — every Skip figure you see online is a third-party estimate, so you can't truly compare it until you've seen your own contract.
• Pickup orders are far cheaper than delivery — 8–10% on DoorDash, 10% on Uber Eats — and are the single biggest lever most owners ignore.
• In British Columbia, a permanent law caps core delivery-service fees at 20%, so the 29–30% top tiers can't lawfully be charged there.
• Uber Eats has the most users nationally; SkipTheDishes leads regionally in the Prairies and smaller markets — so "the biggest app in Canada" depends entirely on where your restaurant is.
• The cheapest order is the one that skips the aggregator. Pickup and your own ordering page keep the commission in your till.

The fastest answer: which to choose at a glance

There is no single winner — the right platform depends on your city and your order mix. But the short version:

• Want the lowest verified, transparent rate and the cheapest pickup? DoorDash — its Plus and Premier plans charge 8% on pickup, the lowest published pickup rate of the three, and it shows you every fee up front.
• Most orders, especially in major cities, and you'll run your own delivery? Uber Eats — it has the largest national audience and a 15% self-delivery rate if you supply your own driver.
• In the Prairies or a smaller market where customers default to it? SkipTheDishes — but get the rate in writing first, because Skip won't quote it publicly.

The rest of this guide shows the numbers behind that, tier by tier.

DoorDash, Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes commission rates compared (2026)

Here are the current Canadian merchant rates, taken from each platform's own pricing page where one exists. SkipTheDishes does not publish one — those figures are clearly marked as estimates.

*SkipTheDishes figures are third-party industry estimates; Skip publishes no merchant rates. Confirm your actual rate with a Skip account representative.

The pattern is the same across DoorDash and Uber Eats: a 20% entry tier, a roughly 25% middle tier with more marketing, and a top tier near 30% that buys maximum visibility in the app. What you're really choosing between those tiers is how much reach you're renting — not a better deal per order.

DoorDash Canada: the most transparent rates

DoorDash publishes three partnership plans for Canadian restaurants. Basic is "20% commission per delivery order" with "10% commission" on pickup; Plus is "25% commission per delivery order" with "8% commission" on pickup; Premier is "29% commission per delivery order", also at 8% pickup. DashPass delivery orders on the Plus plan are "27% commission per order" (DoorDash Canada Merchant Pricing, 2026).

Two things stand out for a cost-focused owner. First, payment processing is built in — DoorDash advertises "zero payment processing fees" and "does not charge an activation fee, subscription fee, software fee, cancellation fee, contract fee, or any hidden fees" (DoorDash Canada Merchant Pricing, 2026). Second, its 8% pickup rate on the paid tiers is the lowest published pickup commission of the three platforms — useful if you can nudge nearby customers to collect.

The only recurring hardware cost is the order tablet at "$3 per week in Canada" after a free trial (7 days on Basic, 30 days on Plus and Premier). If you'd rather use your own staff or a courier, Drive On-Demand self-delivery runs a flat "$6.99-$10.99" per order instead of a percentage (DoorDash Canada Merchant Pricing, 2026).

Uber Eats Canada: the biggest national audience

Uber Eats also publishes three tiers for Canadian merchants. Lite is a "20% Delivery Fee" with a "10% Pickup Fee"; Plus is a "25% Delivery Fee" at 10% pickup, plus "an additional cost of 5% for members' orders" placed by Uber One subscribers; Premium is a "30% Delivery Fee", again at 10% pickup (Uber Eats Canada Merchant Pricing, 2026).

If you deliver yourself, the "15% Self-delivery Fee" is the most attractive own-driver rate among the big two — though it rises to a "25% fee" if Uber's network ends up making the delivery. One trap to watch: pickup without validated in-store pricing pushes your "Pickup Fee" to 15% instead of 10%, so make sure your menu prices match. Uber also offers Uber Direct (deliveries from your own website with "No commissions; tailored pricing is based on distance") and a Webshop with a "2.9% order processing fee" (Uber Eats Canada Merchant Pricing, 2026).

SkipTheDishes: the transparency problem

Here is the most important fact in this whole comparison: SkipTheDishes does not publish a merchant pricing page at all. DoorDash and Uber Eats put their tiers on the open web; Skip's rates are negotiated case by case and quoted to you privately.

That means every Skip number online — including the ones in the table above — is a third-party estimate. The most-cited industry guides put Skip's full-service commission at "between 20% and 30% of the order subtotal", pickup at "10–15%", and its SkipGo courier option at roughly "CA$7–$9 per order", while explicitly noting you should "always confirm the latest terms with your Skip account rep, as seasonal incentives or high-volume tiers may lower the base commission" (Deliverect, 2025).

The practical takeaway: you cannot benchmark Skip against DoorDash or Uber Eats from public information. Before signing, ask for your exact delivery commission, pickup rate, card-processing charge and any "boost" or ad fees in writing, then compare that against the published rates above. Don't assume Skip is cheaper — or more expensive — until you've seen your own contract. For a full breakdown of how all three eat into a single order, see how much SkipTheDishes, DoorDash and Uber Eats really cost a Canadian restaurant.

The part the "best app" lists miss: provincial fee caps

Most Canadian "best delivery app" roundups quote a single national rate. But what a platform can legally charge you depends on your province — and one province has made that a permanent law.

In British Columbia, the Food Delivery Service Fee Act "limits fees for core services to no more than 20% of the dollar amount of an order, excluding tax and tip." It applies to "food delivery platforms that serve 500 or more restaurants" providing both ordering and delivery — which captures all three apps here (Government of British Columbia, updated January 2026).

The implication is direct: in BC, DoorDash Premier (29%), Uber Eats Premium (30%) and any Skip tier above 20% cannot lawfully be charged for those core ordering-and-delivery services. If you're a BC operator being quoted a top-tier rate, that's worth a hard conversation. Note that DoorDash separately adds a regulatory fee in BC — "a new regulatory response fee of $0.99 for restaurant delivery orders" since October 2024 (DoorDash, 2024) — but that's a flat per-order charge, not a percentage on top of the cap.

Outside BC, several provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan) brought in temporary caps during the pandemic, but those were time-limited and most have lapsed. As of 2026, BC's 20% cap is the one permanent, in-force ceiling — so don't assume a cap protects you elsewhere without checking your province's current rules.

Which is the biggest delivery app in Canada?

"Go with whoever's biggest" is common advice, and it's only half right — because the biggest app nationally isn't the biggest app everywhere.

By monthly active users in early 2026, Uber Eats leads nationally — its app reached "over 5.3M" monthly active users, ahead of DoorDash at "over 3.1M" and SkipTheDishes at "2.9M" (Sensor Tower, as of Q1 2025). But SkipTheDishes is a long-standing Canadian-built brand with disproportionate strength in the Prairies and mid-sized, non-metro markets. In those communities it can be the platform customers reach for first.

So the right read isn't "Uber Eats wins." It's: list on whichever platform your local customers actually use, which you can check in your own sales data and by asking regulars how they'd order. In a major city, Uber Eats' reach is hard to ignore; in a smaller Prairie town, leaving Skip off the menu may cost you orders.

Which delivery app should your restaurant pick?

Match the platform to how your restaurant actually trades:

• You want the lowest transparent cost and lots of nearby pickup. Choose DoorDash on a paid tier — its 8% pickup rate and all-in pricing (no processing or hidden fees) make it the cleanest to forecast.
• You're in a big city chasing maximum order volume. Choose Uber Eats for the largest national audience, and use its 15% self-delivery rate if you have your own driver.
• Your customers default to Skip (Prairies, smaller markets). List on SkipTheDishes, but negotiate and confirm every fee in writing before you sign, because nothing is published.
• You're in British Columbia. Don't accept any core-service rate above 20% — the law is on your side.
• You're on more than one app. Standardize your menu prices and keep your highest-margin items off delivery, since the commission lands on the full menu price, not your food cost.

Whatever you choose, treat the app as one sales channel, not the whole business. The single best way to lower your blended commission is to move repeat customers to lower-cost channels — pickup, and your own ordering page — so the aggregator handles discovery, not every order. A modern POS system for your Canadian restaurant can route those direct orders without a third-party cut, and the orders you take on your own website carry no commission at all — which, on a busy week, can be worth more than one platform's entire monthly fee. (DineHere builds that ordering page for independent restaurants in about ten minutes; it's the kind of soft exit owners reach for once the commission math sinks in.)

One last thing to budget for: commissions are charged on your menu prices, and GST/HST still applies to the order on top — so confirm how each platform remits tax before you reconcile your books. Our GST/HST compliance checklist for Canadian restaurants walks through where delivery-app sales fit.

Frequently asked questions

Which delivery app is cheapest for Canadian restaurants?

On published rates, DoorDash and Uber Eats both start at 20% for delivery, and DoorDash has the lowest published pickup rate at 8% on its paid tiers. SkipTheDishes doesn't publish rates, so it can't be ranked on cost without seeing your own quote. The genuinely cheapest channel is pickup or your own ordering page, which carry far less — or no — commission.

Does SkipTheDishes publish its commission rates?

No. Unlike DoorDash and Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes has no public merchant pricing page. Its rates are negotiated individually and quoted privately, so every figure online is a third-party estimate. Always get your exact rate in writing from a Skip representative.

What is the most-used delivery app in Canada?

Nationally, Uber Eats had the most monthly active users in early 2026 (over 5.3 million), ahead of DoorDash (3.1 million) and SkipTheDishes (2.9 million), per Sensor Tower's Q1 2025 data. But SkipTheDishes leads regionally in the Prairies and smaller markets, so the most-used app depends on where you are.

Can a delivery app charge a Canadian restaurant more than 20%?

It depends on your province. In British Columbia, a permanent law caps core delivery-service fees at 20% of the order (excluding tax and tip) for platforms serving 500 or more restaurants, so the 29–30% top tiers can't lawfully apply there. Outside BC, there is generally no permanent cap as of 2026, so top tiers near 30% are allowed.

Is DoorDash or Uber Eats better for a Canadian restaurant?

DoorDash is more transparent and has cheaper pickup (8% on paid tiers) with no separate processing fee. Uber Eats has a larger national audience and a lower self-delivery rate (15%) if you supply your own driver. Pick DoorDash for predictable low cost, Uber Eats for reach.

How much is delivery-app pickup commission in Canada?

Pickup (customer collects) is far cheaper than delivery: DoorDash charges 10% on Basic and 8% on Plus and Premier; Uber Eats charges 10% (rising to 15% without validated in-store pricing); SkipTheDishes is estimated at 10–15%. Promoting pickup to nearby regulars is one of the simplest ways to cut your blended fee.

Do delivery apps include payment processing fees?

On DoorDash and Uber Eats, card processing is included in the commission — there's no separate per-transaction fee. SkipTheDishes doesn't publish its terms, so confirm whether card processing is bundled or charged separately when you negotiate.

What does it cost to run my own delivery through these apps?

DoorDash's Drive On-Demand charges a flat C$6.99–10.99 per order instead of a percentage; Uber Eats charges 15% for self-delivery (25% if its network ends up delivering). These can beat full-service commission on higher-value orders if you have reliable drivers.

Should I list on more than one delivery app?

Many Canadian restaurants list on two or three to maximize reach, but each adds its own commission, tablet and reconciliation overhead. If you multi-list, standardize menu prices across platforms, keep low-margin items off delivery, and watch your blended commission rather than any single app's rate.

How can I reduce delivery-app commission without leaving the apps?

Shift repeat customers to lower-cost channels: promote pickup, take orders through your own website (no aggregator commission), and use the apps mainly for new-customer discovery. Insert a flyer or QR code in every delivery bag inviting customers to order direct next time — over a few months that habit can noticeably lower the share of orders paying full commission.