Food delivery applications are software wherein customers can order meals from restaurants or local grocery shops and receive the meals at their doorsteps. Food delivery apps offer an effective platform for the display of menus, ordering, payment, and tracking of delivery. These apps perform the role of a middleman between the suppliers of food and consumers, and also provide convenience along with an abundant choice of food.
The online food delivery industry in the Canadian economy is expanding wonderfully. According to Grand View Research, an estimated value of US$ 28,638.8 million is expected by the year 2030, as per a projected average annual growth of 7.7% during the period up to the year 2025. The business had already achieved a wonderful revenue of US$ 18,990.9 million during the previous year, 2024. Specifically, it was the platform-to-consumer delivery segment that was the biggest in this business, which contributed the most to the overall 2024 revenue. Further, Canada was a gigantic 5.0% of the total worldwide online food delivery services business in 2024, indicative of how big it is to the overall market.
Listed below are the top 10 food delivery apps for the iOS App Store in Canada.
- Subway
- DoorDash
- Tim Hortons
- Uber eats
- McDonald’s Canada
- Too good to go
- Starbucks
- Skip – Delivery
- A&W
- Instacart
Listed below are the top 10 food delivery apps for the Android Play Store In Canada.
- Tim Hortons
- McDonald’s Canada
- Uber Eats
- DoorDash
- Too good to go
- Starbucks
- PC Express – Online Grocery
- FoodHero
- Skip – delivery
- Instacart
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is ranked #1 on the Android Play Store and #3 on the iOS App Store in Canada. The Tim Hortons app is a coffee and baked goods company where consumers order for delivery or pick-up at participating restaurants, design their versions of popular menu items, pay securely in-app, and earn and redeem Tims Rewards points. The unique feature of Tim Hortons is the integration of the in-app Tims Rewards program, where consumers can earn exclusive discounts and free meals for frequent customers. The app includes a store finder, nutrition information, and order history for convenient reordering. Tim Hortons was established on May 17, 1964, by Tim Horton and Jim Charade in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The headquarters of Tim Hortons are in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, though it has expanded internationally, such as to the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. On the Android Play Store, 5,000,000 users have downloaded the Tim Hortons app and rated it 3 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, the app has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5, based on 59,000 user reviews.
McDonald's Canada
McDonald’s Canada is ranked #2 on the Android Play Store and #5 on the iOS App Store in Canada. The McDonald’s app in Canada lets customers check the menu, find restaurants close by, see nutritional facts, and see special mobile offers and deals. The unique feature of McDonald’s Canada is being able to take part in digital promotions and rewards (if a loyalty program exists). Mobile orders and payments for in-store pickup or McDelivery via third-party partners may be featured in some locations in Canada as well. The original McDonald’s restaurant was founded on June 1, 1967, by George Cohon McDonald in San Bernardino, California, USA. McDonald’s Canada is a separate franchise of the parent company with significant operations and headquarters located in Canada. On the Android Play Store, 5,000,000 users have downloaded the McDonald’s Canada app and rated it 3 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, the average rating is 4.6 out of 5, based on 193,000 user reviews of the McDonald’s Canada app.
Uber Eats: Food Delivery
Uber Eats is ranked #3 on the Android Play Store and #4 on the iOS App Store in Canada. Uber Eats is a food ordering service that brings customers into contact with a broad network of local restaurants. The unique features of Uber Eats are real-time GPS tracking of the orders, personalization of the orders, payment methods, and restaurant and delivery driver ratings. Uber Eats is available in most Canadian and global cities, such as New York, Cape Town, and Toronto. It was founded on August 26, 2014, by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp under the umbrella of the parent Uber Technologies Inc. UberEats’ headquarters are based in San Francisco, California, USA. On the Android Play Store, 100,000 users have downloaded the Uber Eats app and rated it as 3 plus and have given it 3 out of 5 stars. On the iOS App Store, the UberEats app has a 4.8 out of 5 based on 93,000 user reviews.
DoorDash - Food Delivery
DoorDash is ranked #4 on the Android Play Store and #2 on the iOS App Store in Canada. DoorDash is a food delivery company partnered with many restaurants, which provides the customer with the option to order for delivery. The key features of DoorDash are real-time order tracking, estimated delivery time, driver rating and restaurant rating, deals, and offers. It was founded in June 2013 by Evan Moore, Tony Xu, Stanley Tang, and Andy Fang. DoorDash’s headquarters are in San Francisco. On the Android Play Store, 50,000,000+ users have downloaded the DoorDash app and rated it 4.7 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, DoorDash has 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 20,000,000 user reviews.
Too Good To Go: Stop Food Waste
Too Good To Go is ranked #5 on the Android Play Store and #6 on the iOS App Store in Canada. Too Good To Go is a free food recovery app that allows customers to buy surplus food from eateries, bakeries, restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets at a lower price to minimize food waste. The unique feature of Too Good To Go is its emphasis on value and sustainability, selling “Surprise Bags” of excess goods. Too Good To Go operates stores in major cities such as Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver in Canada. It was established in 2015 by Mette Lykke, Klaus B. Pedersen, Thomas Bjørn Momsen, Adam Wratten, and Brian Christensen. Too Good To Go is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. On the Android Play Store, 5,000,000+ users have downloaded the Good To Go app and have given it 4.8 stars out of 5 based on 1,683,345 user reviews. On the iOS App Store, Too Good To Go has 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 312,000 user reviews.
Starbucks
The Starbucks application is ranked #6 on the Android Play Store and #7 on the iOS App Store in Canada. Starbucks’ mobile application provides payment, in-store pick-up, pre-order, customization of beverages and food, Starbucks Card balance add, Starbucks Rewards earning and tracking, mobile ordering and paying for convenience, targeted rewards program offers, and store location. The origin of Starbucks came on March 30, 1971, when Zev Siegl, Jerry Baldwin, and Gordon Bowker started the company in Seattle, Washington, USA, and Starbucks. The headquarters of Starbucks in Canada is located in Toronto, Ontario. On the Android Play Store, 10,000,000-plus users have downloaded the Starbucks app and rated it 4.1 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, Starbucks has 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 6,471,267 user reviews.
Subway
The Subway® app is ranked #7 on the Android Play Store and #1 on the iOS App Store in Canada. The Subway® app enables customers to order ahead for in-store pickup, personalize their sandwiches, wraps, salads, and bowls, locate stores near them, view nutrition, and earn special offers and promotions regularly. The unique feature of the subway is the customization of orders with the provision of an enormous variety of ingredients. Subway was established on August 28, 1965, by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. Subway’s headquarters are located in Calgary, Alberta. On the Android Play Store, 10,000,000 users have downloaded the subway app and rated it 4.8 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, Subway has 4.8 stars out of 5 based on 1,000,000 user reviews.
PC Express—Online Grocery
PC Express is #7 on the Android Play Store in Canada. PC Express is an online grocery shopping app that works with grocery stores to retail highly discounted food products that are close to their best-before date to minimize food waste. The unique feature of PC Express is that it offers deeper discounts on food and is also environmentally friendly. This service was owned by Loblaw Companies in October 2014. The headquarters of Loblaw Companies Limited is located in Ontario, Canada. On the Android Play Store, PC Express has 1,000,000 downloads and a 3-plus rating. On the iOS app store, PC Express has 4.7 stars out of 5 based on 254,000 user reviews.
Skip - Delivery
SkipTheDishes ranks #7 on the Android Play Store and #9 on the iOS App Store in Canada. SkipTheDishes is a Canadian food delivery network that collaborates with a huge variety of restaurants. SkipTheDishes offers an easy user interface, order tracking, multiple payment options, and customer support. SkipTheDishes was established in 2012 by Josh Simair, Chris Simair, and Jeff Adamson in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The main headquarters of Skip is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On the Android Play Store, 5,000,000 users have downloaded the Skip app and rated it 4.3 out of 5. On the iOS App Store, Skip has 4.7 stars out of 5 based on 7,334 user reviews.
FoodHero
Foodhero is ranked #8 on the Android Play Store in Canada. FoodHero connects users with discounted surplus food from local businesses. FoodHero provides “Surprise Bags,” significant savings, environmental impact tracking, and filtering options. FoodHero was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Defoy. FoodHero’s headquarters are based in Montreal, Canada. On the Android Play Store, the FoodHero app has 3.1 stars out of 5 with 585,000 reviews and 500,000 downloads. On the iOS App Store, FoodHero has 4.8 stars out of 5 based on 7,300 user reviews.
A&W
A&W is ranked #9 on the iOS App Store in Canada. A&W is a fast food restaurant chain that lets you order from A&W restaurants, which offer features like exclusive coupons, order customization, quick reordering, and various dining options. A&W provides exclusive coupons, easy order customizations, quick reordering, various dining options, menu exploration, and seamless payment. It was founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen in Lodi, California, and later, he partnered with Frank Wright. A&W’s main operations are now headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. On the Android Play Store, the A&W app has 2.3000 stars with 118 reviews and 100,000 downloads. On the iOS App Store, A&W has 4.6 stars out of 5 based on 57,600 user reviews.
Instacart
Instacart is ranked #10 both on the Android Play Store and the iOS App Store in Canada. Instacart is a grocery delivery and pick-up service that links consumers and discounted grocery items approaching best-before dates with partner grocery stores. The unique feature of Instacart is that it tries to prevent the wastage of food while providing bargains to the consumers. Instacart was founded in June 2012 by Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, and Brandon Leonardo. The main headquarters of Instacart is based in San Francisco, California. On the Android Play Store, 10,000,000+ have downloaded the Instacart app. On the iOS app store, Instacart has 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 4,000,000 user reviews.
How to develop food delivery applications?
Food delivery app development is the complete process of developing, designing, testing, and deploying mobile applications to order and deliver food from restaurants or stores to end consumers. Food delivery apps involve developing end-user integrated platforms, food provider (restaurants/stores) platforms, and delivery personnel platforms backed by a robust administrative infrastructure. The goal is to create an experience that is frictionless, efficient, and easy for all the stakeholders in the food ordering business.
Listed below are the steps in food delivery app development.
- Validate your food delivery app idea: Before validating your food delivery app idea, spend some time meeting with potential customers and restaurant owners in Canada. Have them articulate what they don’t like about the current solutions or what still bothers them. Test the feedback on your value proposition: why should customers use your app versus another?
- Conduct market research: Conduct market research for your food delivery app and delve deep into the food delivery landscape of Canada. Identify your direct and indirect competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, pricing strategies, and user reviews. This research provides crucial insights for positioning your app effectively and making informed decisions.
- Choose a suitable food ordering model: Choose the business model most appropriate to your resources and the Canadian market. Consider how much control there is over food quality, the delivery logistics, up-front investment, and the likely scalability in the Canadian market. Each of the models has its advantages and limitations.
- Select key features: when selecting key features for a food delivery app, identify the most critical features that offer your users and restaurant partners in Canada the greatest value on day one. Emphasize features like smooth browsing and ordering, secure payment collection with local payment methods, live order tracking, effective restaurant management features, and strong delivery integration.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Food Delivery App?
The cost to build a food ordering app heavily varies, typically between $30,000 and $150,000+. The cost varies based on the sophistication level of features, platform (iOS, Android, or both), developer location and experience, and tech stack employed.
