Lalamove Driver opened ride-hailing in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam this year, which moved the app from a logistics-only platform to a two-sided gig stack. The expansion has not silenced driver complaints though. Commission ratios drift upward, demand swings hard by zone, the cargo and ride dispatch share the same queue without separating earnings transparently, and incentive math changes week to week. We tested seven Lalamove Driver alternatives that cover delivery, courier work, ride-hail, and food delivery for partners who want to diversify income across apps rather than depending on one platform.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free to register | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gojek Driver | Indonesia super-app demand | Yes | Largest combined ride and delivery pool in Indonesia |
| Grab Driver | SEA-wide ride and food | Yes | Highest cross-country demand across SEA |
| Bolt Driver | Europe, Africa, LATAM ride-hail | Yes | Lower commissions than Uber in most markets |
| Maxim Driver | Russia, CIS, SEA Tier-2 cities | Yes | Smaller cut, fixed pricing in some regions |
| Uber Driver | Global ride-hail and Eats | Yes | Largest global rider base and Uber Eats stacking |
| ShopeeFood Driver | Indonesia and Vietnam food | Yes | Tied to ShopeeFood marketplace demand |
| Deliveroo Rider | UK, France, Italy food | Yes | Strong urban-density food delivery in Europe |
Why drivers leave Lalamove
Five complaints come up in Lalamove driver groups, app reviews, and Reddit threads.
The commission ratio keeps drifting upward
Lalamove launched in most markets at a single-digit commission. Drivers report the effective cut, after platform fees and insurance opt-ins, has crept higher over the past two years. The headline number and the take-home number diverge.
Demand outside dense city zones is thin
The cargo-first model rewards drivers in industrial corridors. Outside those zones, the queue stays quiet for long stretches. Drivers who relocated to follow the original demand profile sometimes find it has moved.
Ride and cargo dispatch share one queue
In markets where ride-hailing has rolled out, the driver app surfaces both order types in the same stream. Drivers who prefer one over the other cannot always filter cleanly, especially during peak hours.
Weekly incentive math changes without notice
Bonuses tied to weekly trip counts shift week to week. A driver who hit the threshold last week may need more trips this week, with no advance notification.
Dispute resolution favors customers
When cargo claims or ride complaints land, the driver’s side rarely wins the first round. Other platforms run faster, more balanced dispute flows for the same situations.
The alternatives
1. Gojek Driver
Gojek Driver opens the deepest demand pool in Indonesia. Ride-hail, food delivery (GoFood), parcel delivery (GoSend), and grocery (GoMart) feed into the same driver app. Hourly mix lets a driver capture demand even when one product is slow, because another usually is not. The platform’s incentive layer adds bonuses on top of regular fares.
Where it falls short: commission cuts also stack on Gojek, and slot rules punish drivers who pause. Outside Indonesia and Vietnam, demand is thin.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Commission and platform fee taken per order; varies by product type
- vs Lalamove Driver: deeper Indonesian demand pool, broader product mix
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: standard onboarding, vehicle docs, KYC. Most Lalamove cargo drivers in Indonesia keep Gojek as a parallel app rather than a replacement.
Bottom line: Pick Gojek Driver as the default second app for any Indonesian driver. Skip it outside Indonesia and Vietnam.
2. Grab Driver
Grab Driver runs the widest geographic spread across Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Drivers who move between cities or work near borders keep the same login. The product mix matches Gojek’s (ride, food, parcel, mart) and the in-app navigation is reliable.
Where it falls short: Grab’s slot system and rating thresholds are strict. Acceptance rate drops below the line and the next session can be quiet. Commission cuts compete closely with Gojek; neither is the lowest.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Commission per ride or delivery; varies by city and product
- vs Lalamove Driver: stronger ride demand, comparable cargo demand outside primary Lalamove cities
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: same KYC pipeline. Most multi-app drivers in SEA run Grab and Gojek together on the same shift.
Bottom line: Pick Grab Driver as the SEA-wide companion to Gojek. Skip it if your patience for slot rules is low.
3. Bolt Driver
Bolt Driver is the global ride-hailing alternative when you are outside Southeast Asia. Bolt operates strongly in Estonia and other Baltic markets, across Western and Eastern Europe, in major African cities, and in parts of Latin America. The commission is typically lower than Uber’s in the same markets, and Bolt Food adds delivery on top in select cities.
Where it falls short: in some markets Bolt offers fewer surge spikes than Uber, which means the steady-state earning is lower even when the cut is smaller. Driver support has been criticized for slow dispute resolution in some markets.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Commission per ride; varies by market and product
- vs Lalamove Driver: Bolt is ride-first; Lalamove is cargo-first
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: Bolt KYC is light by comparison: license, registration, insurance, and a vehicle photo. Most drivers are online within 48 hours after submission.
Bottom line: Pick Bolt Driver if you operate in Europe, Africa, or LATAM and want lower commissions than Uber. Skip it inside SEA where local players run deeper.
4. Maxim Driver
Maxim Driver (also published as Taxsee Driver) is the dominant ride-hailing platform across Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and a growing list of secondary cities in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The commission is among the lowest in the industry, and in some markets the fare is fixed by the driver rather than the platform.
Where it falls short: in the largest SEA capitals, demand stays thinner than Grab or Gojek. The driver app interface is dated. Customer support is hit or miss outside Russian-language markets.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Commission per ride; varies by market, usually below the big platforms
- vs Lalamove Driver: lower cut, smaller demand base outside Maxim’s strongholds
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: standard KYC. Onboarding is generally faster than Grab or Gojek.
Bottom line: Pick Maxim if you drive in Russia, the CIS, or a Tier-2 Indonesian or Vietnamese city where Grab and Gojek run thin. Skip it as your primary SEA app in capital cities.
5. Uber Driver
Uber Driver still has the deepest rider base globally, and outside Asia it is often the default platform. The same driver app stacks Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries in markets where both run, which lets a driver capture demand across two product types from one queue.
Where it falls short: inside Southeast Asia, Uber has been absent or weak since the 2018 sale to Grab in the region. Commission cuts in mature markets like the US, UK, and Australia are noticeably higher than Bolt or Maxim equivalents.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Commission per ride or delivery; varies by city
- vs Lalamove Driver: different category in SEA; comparable in non-SEA markets
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: standard KYC. Adding Uber Eats inside Uber Driver is a checkbox once the base account is verified.
Bottom line: Pick Uber Driver if you are outside Southeast Asia and want global brand reach plus Eats. Skip it inside SEA where Grab and Gojek dominate.
6. ShopeeFood Driver
ShopeeFood Driver is tied to the ShopeeFood marketplace, which feeds the driver app through the broader Shopee e-commerce platform. Demand is concentrated in Indonesia and Vietnam, with steady food delivery volume during lunch and dinner peaks. Drivers who already shop on Shopee find the credit and incentive flow familiar.
Where it falls short: the app is food-only, so it does not stack ride-hail or cargo. Outside Indonesia and Vietnam, ShopeeFood does not operate or is wind-down.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Per-order commission and stacked incentive bonuses
- vs Lalamove Driver: food-specific where Lalamove is cargo-first; works well as a second app
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: KYC plus a separate ShopeeFood rider equipment requirement (jacket, bag, helmet sticker). Onboarding usually takes a few days in Indonesia and Vietnam.
Bottom line: Pick ShopeeFood Driver as a food-only second app in Indonesia or Vietnam. Skip it elsewhere or if you want a unified ride and food queue.
7. Deliveroo Rider
Deliveroo Rider is the alternative for drivers who want to leave SEA gig stacks behind and work food delivery in Western European cities. The platform’s per-order pay is fee-and-distance-based, with peak hour bonuses. The driver app supports bike, scooter, and car couriers, and the dispatch favors riders who are close to ready restaurants.
Where it falls short: Deliveroo has exited several markets (Australia, Germany, Netherlands), so coverage is narrower than Uber Eats. Self-employed status in some markets brings tax complexity that drivers from gig-friendly jurisdictions are not used to.
Pricing:
- Free to register
- Per-order fee plus distance; tipping is supported
- vs Lalamove Driver: a different geographic market; works well for drivers physically relocating to Europe
Migrating from Lalamove Driver: Deliveroo onboarding requires right-to-work documentation in the operating country, vehicle insurance for car/scooter riders, and a background check. Plan a week or two.
Bottom line: Pick Deliveroo Rider if you are working food delivery in the UK, France, or Italy. Skip it if your market is in Asia.
How to choose
Pick Gojek Driver as the default second app for any Indonesian driver. Pick Grab Driver as the cross-SEA companion when you move between cities. Pick Bolt Driver when you operate in Europe, Africa, or LATAM and want lower commissions than Uber. Pick Maxim Driver in Russia, the CIS, or smaller SEA cities where the bigger platforms run thin. Pick Uber Driver outside SEA when you want global brand reach and Eats stacking. Pick ShopeeFood Driver as a food-only second app in Indonesia or Vietnam. Pick Deliveroo Rider when you are physically working food delivery in the UK, France, or Italy.
Stay on Lalamove Driver if cargo and same-day commercial logistics are your primary work, especially in Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, or Ho Chi Minh City where the cargo demand pool is largest. Lalamove is still the cleanest cargo-first dispatch in SEA; the question is whether stacking a second app on top of it earns you more than running it alone.
FAQ
Is Grab Driver better than Lalamove Driver? Grab Driver is better for ride-hailing and food delivery demand across Southeast Asia. Lalamove Driver is better for cargo and same-day commercial logistics. Most multi-app drivers in SEA run both and let the queue dictate.
Can I run multiple driver apps at the same time? Yes, this is the standard gig driver workflow in SEA. Most drivers run two or three driver apps in parallel and accept whichever order pays best at the moment. Some platforms penalize low acceptance rates, so watch each app’s slot rules.
What is the lowest-commission ride-hail driver app? Maxim Driver and Bolt Driver typically run lower commissions than Grab, Gojek, or Uber in markets where they overlap. The trade-off is thinner demand, so net earnings depend on whether the smaller cut beats the lower volume in your specific city.
Does Uber operate in Southeast Asia? Uber sold its Southeast Asian operations to Grab in 2018. The Uber Driver app is not active for ride-hailing in most SEA markets. Drivers who want global brand reach typically use Uber Driver in non-SEA markets and Grab inside SEA.
Which app pays drivers the fastest? Lalamove Driver, Grab Driver, and Gojek Driver all support daily cash-out in most markets. Bolt and Uber settle to bank weekly in most markets, with on-demand instant cash-out in some cities for a small fee.
