While ridesharing programs still aren’t perfect, you can’t argue against their usefulness. Whether you’re out for the night and you need to get home or your car is in the shop and you want help getting around town, services like Uber and Lyft make it much easier to commute. When comparing the two services, you’ll find that they have more in common than they have differences. However, it might be one of these slight differences that influences which you decide to use.

Pinching Pennies (or Dollars) on the Price

When it comes down to the straight financials of taking an Uber versus taking a Lyft, Uber tends to take the lead. While both services base their fares on a base rate and distance driven, It’s a bit tough to accurately compare the two fares – while Lyft provides the pricing breakdown for its fares, Uber doesn’t. However, it’s commonly believed, and been tested to show, that Uber comes out up to 25 percent cheaper than Lyft on average. Even though that may come out to be just a few dollars cheaper, if you plan on using the services repeatedly, those dollars could add up.

Chances of Catching a Ride

Imagine this situation: it’s late, and you need a ride home, so you open your ridesharing app and find that there are no cars available in the area. The last thing you want is to be waiting on a ride that isn’t coming. It used to be that Uber had a slight lead on Lyft when it came to car availability, but in all honesty, the two are just about equally popular these days. Both ridesharing services are available throughout New Jersey, and it’s known that many drivers drive for both services, meaning there probably won’t be much variance between the two. You should keep in mind, however, that availability is usually limited in rural areas.

Comparing Experiences

Both apps work in a very similar way: you open up the app, order a car to your location, plug in your destination, and wait for your ride to get there. And while your experience will depend greatly on the person who picks you up, frequent riders say that the Lyft experience tends to be a little more casual while taking an Uber is more appropriate for professional situations. Accordingly, Uber offers an option to be picked up in a sleek, black town car. Both Uber and Lyft allow you to choose to be picked up in an SUV or opt in to a carpool with another rider to cut the price of your ride. While you can tip Lyft drivers through the app, you can only tip Uber drivers with physical money. Further, both apps allow you to schedule rides in advance.

All told, there isn’t much difference between Uber and Lyft. They’re both nearly identical services that simply get you to where you need to go. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have both apps installed and to give each service a go to see which one comes out in your favor. And if neither tend to work out, you can always catch a cab!