Gig apps pay per job and leave the schedule to you, but each one asks for something different: a newer four-door car, a bike, a minimum age, or tools and skills. This page compares the main apps in Canada by what they require, using only what each company states on its own Canadian pages. None of the company pages cited here gives a typical current earnings figure for Canada, so the comparison doesn’t rank them by pay. It is part of the side hustles hub; the food delivery apps comparison and the Uber, DoorDash and Instacart guides go into each one.
Apps by type of work
| App | Work | Minimum age | Vehicle | GST/HST rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | Driving riders | Set by city | Toronto: 4 doors, model year 7 years old or newer for UberX | Ride-sharing |
| Lyft | Driving riders | 25 | 4 doors, at least 5 seatbelts | Ride-sharing |
| Uber Eats | Food delivery | By car: 21. By bike: 18 or 19, depending on the province | car, bike, or scooter | Small supplier |
| DoorDash | Food and other delivery | 18 | any car, scooter, or bicycle (in select cities) | Small supplier |
| Instacart | Grocery shopping and delivery | On Instacart’s shopper site | On Instacart’s shopper site | Small supplier |
| TaskRabbit | Local tasks booked through the app | On TaskRabbit’s sign-up | Depends on the task | Small supplier |
Sources: Uber Toronto vehicle requirements, Uber Eats delivery, Lyft driver requirements (Canada), DoorDash Canada, Instacart Canada and TaskRabbit Canada.
Ride-sharing: Uber vs Lyft
| Uber (Toronto) | Lyft | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | Set by city | 25 |
| Doors | 4, opening independently | 4 |
| Seats | At least 4 passengers besides the driver (UberX) | At least 5 seatbelts, including the driver’s |
| Vehicle age | Model year 7 years old or newer (UberX, UberXL) | On Lyft’s vehicle requirements page |
| Driving history | 3 years to drive riders; 1 year to deliver by car | 1 to 3 years, depending on location |
| Checks | Background check | Criminal background check and driving record check |
Both need insurance that covers paid driving: Uber says your personal policy must be in force and that you must tell your insurer, and it adds a commercial policy while you use the app (Uber insurance). In British Columbia, ICBC’s blanket Basic policy is bought by the ride-hailing company and drivers need a Class 1, 2 or 4 commercial licence (ICBC).
Contractor or employee
Uber and DoorDash both describe the people who deliver through their apps as independent contractors. For tax, that makes the income self-employment income: no employer deducts tax or CPP, and you claim your own expenses. If you are unsure whether you are self-employed or an employee for a particular arrangement, the CRA’s page for taxi and ride-sharing drivers points to a ruling on Form CPT1. Contractor vs employee taxes covers the differences.
Taxes on gig income
You report gig income and expenses on Form T2125 with your personal return, adding up every app you use. The gig worker tax guide covers instalments and deadlines, and vehicle expenses for the self-employed covers car costs and the logbook.
GST/HST for ride-sharing. A self-employed driver who provides commercial ride-sharing is treated as a taxi business for GST/HST: they must register and charge GST/HST on fares from their first ride, even below the $30,000 small-supplier threshold. Delivering food or groceries is not ride-sharing, so the usual small-supplier rule applies to it.
GST/HST for delivery and tasks. You have to register for the GST/HST once you make taxable sales in Canada and are no longer a small supplier: that happens when your taxable sales go over $30,000 in a single calendar quarter (register from that sale) or over the last 4 consecutive calendar quarters (by the end of the month after that quarter); below that you can register voluntarily.
CPP. You contribute to the CPP if you are over 18, work in Canada outside Quebec and earn more than $3,500 a year; contributions stop when you turn 70, and from 65 someone already receiving a CPP or QPP retirement pension can choose to stop. Self-employed people pay both the employee and the employer share of CPP contributions on their net business income (11.90% above the basic exemption up to the first earnings ceiling, plus 8% CPP2 between the first and second ceilings), worked out on Schedule 8 and paid with the income tax return. A non-refundable tax credit is claimed on half of the base contributions, and the other half, the first additional contributions and all CPP2 contributions are deducted from income.
CPP on net gig earnings (after expenses), for someone outside Quebec with no other job, at this year’s rates. The two net amounts are illustrative.
| Net gig earnings | Above the exemption | CPP at 11.90% |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $6,500 | $773.50 |
| $25,000 | $21,500 | $2,558.50 |
Related guides
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 5, 2026 and October 1, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST information for taxi operators and commercial ride-sharing drivers
- Canada Revenue Agency: Completing Form T2125
- Canada Revenue Agency: CPP contribution rates, maximums and exemptions
- Canada Revenue Agency: When to register for and start charging the GST/HST
- Canada Revenue Agency: The Canada Pension Plan enhancement
- Canada Revenue Agency: Employers’ Guide – Payroll Deductions and Remittances
- DoorDash: Sign up to deliver with DoorDash in Canada | Dasher Central
- Government of Canada: Election to Stop Contributing to the Canada Pension Plan or Revocation of a Prior Election
- Government of Canada: CPP: How much you could receive
- ICBC: Insurance and licensing requirements for ride-hailing
- Lyft: Driver requirements - Lyft Help
- Uber: Vehicle requirements in Canada
- Uber: Become a delivery driver using Uber Eats
- Uber: Drive with Uber