Uber vs Lyft, Via and Juno, which rideshare app is best in NYC?

New York City has a great subway network but sometimes, I just want to get from A to B without sweating my ass off or getting caught in the wind/rain/snow. Rideshare apps provide a convenient way to get around, since they’re cheaper than ordinary taxis, I can order a car from my phone and see exactly when my ride is going to arrive. Uber was of course the daddy of rideshare apps but now there are numerous other apps on the scene, including Uber, Lyft, Via and Juno. So which rideshare is best app in NYC? Here’s the lowdown…

Uber

I still use Uber the most in New York City because I guess I’ve been using this app the longest. I typically always opt for UberPOOL unless I really, really need to be somewhere fast. With UberPOOL I’ve had prices as low as $3.50 for a trip from Chelsea down to Pier 25 Grand Banks, and $6.50 for a trip from Chelsea all the way over to Williamsburg. That’s on a good day. However, when it’s raining or people are piling out of the clubs at 3am, prices shoot up fast. Sometimes I’ll be lucky and have an UberPOOL with no people in it, but other times I’ll be less fortunate and end up going round the houses dropping people off. Sometimes the route and the drop-off order makes absolutely no sense – Uber, if you’re listening, please do something about this!

Regular Ubers often cost around $11-$30 in Manhattan so I avoid those like the plague, unless I really need to get home in a hurry.

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Lyft

Usually I’ll crosscheck Uber with Lyft, which is the other big player in the rideshare app industry. Sometimes Lyft is cheaper, sometimes Uber is cheaper, it really does depend. Just like Uber, all you need to do is link your debit card, credit card or PayPal and you’ll be billed once you’ve taken your ride. Lyft offers shared ride options, as well as regular cars, luxury cars and larger vehicles.

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Via

Via has a bit of a different business model in New York City. You can buy a 1-week ViaPass for $63 + tax, enabling you to ride anywhere in Manhattan up to 4 times per day. If you ride a lot, or you know you’re going to need lots of rides that week, it’s a pretty good deal!

Via also offers a 4-week Manhattan 24/7 pass for $229 plus tax, or a 4-week Manhattan Commuter pass for $139 plus tax, which allows you to ride for free between 6am and 9pm Monday to Friday.

Considering a monthly subway pass is $121, the ViaPass is a great deal if you live in Manhattan!

Alternatively you can pre-purchase $25, $50 or $100 Via credit and use it towards your rides, or you can just pay as you go with your linked card. The only downside to Via is that you’re not picked up from you’re exact location, instead you’re picked up from the nearest street corner. Sometimes that means there’s a bit of a walk.

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Juno

Juno is the socially conscious rideshare app, believing that if the drivers are treated better, they provide better service. Juno says it provides a high-quality experience with the shortest pickup times and fast 24/7 phone and email support. There are three service types; Bliss—a simple and affordable option, Lux—a luxury option, SUV—for groups larger than 4. I like Juno’s introductory offer but sadly I’ve always found the prices to be a bit more expensive so haven’t really had the incentive to use it too much. This could be due to the fact that other ride share companies use contract labor, (Uber and Lyft both face employee-misclassification lawsuits), so if you’re pro-union and/or pro-labor, you could consider using Juno.

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So which rideshare app is best in NYC? I still use Uber the most but if I was frequently using rideshares to get around Manhattan (especially to and from work), I’d use the ViaPass for sure.