Australians have four very different ways to skip cooking: order from a restaurant, get a meal kit, or book a discounted dine-in slot. Each one wins in a different situation.
Quick verdict
- Cheapest takeaway: DoorDash or Uber Eats, depending on city
- Best for cooking at home: HelloFresh
- Best dine-in saving: First Table (50% off the food bill)
- Best restaurant selection in metro: Uber Eats
- Best regional coverage: DoorDash
Side-by-side
| Uber Eats | DoorDash | HelloFresh | First Table | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Restaurant delivery | Restaurant + grocery delivery | Meal-kit subscription | Restaurant booking discount |
| Cost per meal | $20–35+ | $20–35+ | $10–14 | 50% off food bill |
| Regional coverage | Limited | Strongest | Australia-wide | Capital cities + growing |
| Subscription | Uber One | DashPass | Required (cancel anytime) | Per-booking fee |
| New-customer offer | Yes | Yes | Yes (multi-box) | Built into every booking |
| Best for | Restaurant variety | Regional + grocery | Weekly cooking | Trying upscale restaurants |
When to use Uber Eats
Pick Uber Eats if you live in a metro area and care about restaurant variety. Uber Eats has the broadest restaurant network in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Uber One covers delivery fees on eligible orders if you order more than a couple of times a month.
See current Uber Eats Australia promo codes
When to use DoorDash
Pick DoorDash in regional Australia or smaller cities — it has wider coverage than Uber Eats in many non-metro areas. DashPass works the same way as Uber One.
See current DoorDash Australia offers
When to use HelloFresh
Pick HelloFresh if you’re feeding more than one person three or more nights a week. The cost per portion ($10–14) is dramatically lower than restaurant delivery. The trade-off is you do the cooking — recipes are typically 25–40 minutes. Boxes can be paused or skipped any week.
See current HelloFresh Australia welcome discount
When to use First Table
Pick First Table when you want to try a higher-end restaurant for half the food-bill price. You book the very first table of the evening service (usually 5–5:30pm), pay a small booking fee, then pay 50% of the food bill at the restaurant. Drinks are full price.
See how First Table works in Australia
Subscription comparison
If you order more than once a week, the subscription tier matters:
- Uber One — waives Uber Eats delivery fees on eligible orders + Uber rideshare perks.
- DashPass — waives DoorDash delivery fees on eligible orders.
- HelloFresh — the subscription is the product; cancel any time.
- First Table — no subscription, pay per booking fee.
For most Australians, Uber One pays for itself if you order Uber Eats more than 2x/month and use Uber rides at all.
Frequently asked questions
Which food delivery app is cheapest in Australia? DoorDash and Uber Eats are similar on price. HelloFresh works out cheaper per meal if you’re cooking 3+ meals a week. First Table offers the biggest single saving (50% off the food bill) but only at participating restaurants, dine-in.
Does DoorDash work in regional Australia? Yes — DoorDash has the widest regional coverage of any food delivery app in Australia.
Is HelloFresh worth it vs ordering Uber Eats every night? HelloFresh is cheaper per meal than Uber Eats — about $10–14 per portion vs $20–30+ for delivered restaurant food. The trade-off is you cook it yourself.
Last updated: April 2026 · Verified for Australian shoppers by AusCoupons.