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Shipt and Instacart are the two largest U.S. grocery delivery services, both operating membership models with broadly similar offerings. The differences are subtle but real — different store networks, slightly different pricing, slightly different customer experiences. This guide is the honest customer-side comparison: which one wins on store selection, on price, on app experience, on customer service. Most customers ultimately use one or the other (rarely both), so picking the right one for your situation matters.

If you’re new to grocery delivery, see How to Use Shipt for the First Time for the Shipt walkthrough.

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What’s in this guide

Quick verdict: which to pick

The honest framing for most customers:

Pick Shipt if:

  • You’re a frequent Target shopper (Target owns Shipt; the integration is excellent)
  • You’re in a market with strong Shipt coverage
  • You want simpler membership pricing without per-order add-ons
  • Your favorite stores are on Shipt’s partner list (HEB, Meijer, Publix, CVS, Petco, etc.)

Pick Instacart if:

  • You shop at a wider variety of stores (Instacart’s network is broader)
  • You’re in a market where Instacart has stronger coverage
  • You like more flexibility (multi-store orders, more frequent promotions)
  • You want a slightly more polished UI in some users’ opinions

Use both if:

  • Different stores need different services
  • You’re optimizing for specific deals
  • One is offering free trial; you want to test both

Most active users settle on one. The free trials let you test risk-free.

Store networks compared

The biggest practical difference:

Shipt’s network:

  • Target (primary, exceptional integration)
  • HEB (Texas)
  • Meijer (Midwest)
  • Publix (Southeast)
  • Wegmans (some markets)
  • CVS pharmacy
  • Petco
  • Vitamin Shoppe
  • Several regional chains

Instacart’s network:

  • Costco
  • Sam’s Club
  • Kroger family (Ralph’s, Smith’s, etc.)
  • Aldi
  • Whole Foods
  • Sprouts
  • Many smaller regional chains
  • Pet stores, pharmacies, specialty shops
  • Many more total retailers than Shipt

Practical reality:

  • If you primarily shop Target: Shipt wins decisively (Target is owned by Shipt; the experience is unmatched)
  • If you shop a variety of stores including Costco/Sam’s/Whole Foods: Instacart wins on network breadth
  • In some markets: one or the other has stronger overall coverage

The store you actually shop at most often is the deciding factor.

Pricing and membership costs

The economic comparison:

Shipt membership:

  • Annual: typically $99/year
  • Monthly: typically $14/month
  • Free delivery on $35+ orders from any partner store

Instacart Express:

  • Annual: typically $99–$149/year (varies by promotion)
  • Monthly: typically $9–$14/month
  • Free delivery on $35+ orders
  • Reduced service fees (varies)

Per-order pricing without membership:

  • Both have per-order delivery fees ($5–$10+)
  • Both add service fees on top
  • Both make non-membership pricing less attractive vs membership for frequent users

Markup on items:

  • Both services typically add small markups vs in-store prices
  • Markup percentages are roughly comparable
  • Specific stores may have different markup policies on each platform

The break-even math is similar: ~10–15 orders per year on either platform makes the membership pay for itself.

App experience

Both apps are functional and polished:

Shipt:

  • Clean, simple interface
  • Strong Target integration (large product catalog)
  • In-app messaging with shopper
  • Real-time order tracking
  • Substitution preferences per item

Instacart:

  • Slightly more cluttered with promotions in some users’ opinions
  • Strong cross-store discovery (browse multiple stores at once)
  • In-app messaging with shopper (similar to Shipt)
  • Real-time tracking
  • Per-item substitution preferences

User preference is largely subjective. Both are solid; differences are minor.

Shopper experience and communication

The shopper-customer interaction is similar but with some differences:

Both services:

  • In-app messaging during shopping
  • Substitution prompts requiring real-time response
  • Tip recommended; 100% goes to shopper
  • Same-day delivery typical
  • Photo proof of leave-at-door delivery

Shipt:

  • Some users report shoppers communicate slightly more proactively about substitutions
  • Average shopper experience tends to be polished

Instacart:

  • Larger shopper pool means more variety in shopper quality
  • Some markets report more variability in shopper professionalism
  • Cross-platform shopper presence (some shoppers do both)

Customer service for problematic deliveries is similar across both — both have refund processes, both handle missing items, both investigate severe complaints.

Customer service and refunds

Both services have similar customer support:

For order issues:

  • In-app help/chat
  • Refund typical for missing items, wrong items, quality issues
  • Resolution within minutes for clear cases
  • Escalation paths for complex issues

Where the differences appear:

  • Shipt typically processes refunds within hours
  • Instacart sometimes processes faster for high-priority items
  • Both have phone support escalation if needed

For typical order problems, both services handle them well. Differences are minor.

For DoorDash’s parallel refund process, see How to Get a DoorDash Refund.

Free trial comparison

Shipt: 14-day free trial

  • Sign up via the affiliate link
  • Full membership benefits
  • Auto-billing starts after trial unless canceled
  • One trial per customer typically

Instacart Express: free trial available

  • Sign up via Instacart’s site
  • Length and terms vary by current promotion (typically 14 days, occasionally longer)
  • Full membership benefits
  • Auto-billing starts after trial unless canceled

Smart strategy: Try both free trials. Use Shipt for 14 days; cancel; use Instacart’s trial separately. Test 5–10 orders across both to see which fits your shopping patterns better. Then subscribe to whichever wins (or neither if you decide membership isn’t worth it).

For Shipt-specific trial details, see Shipt Free Trial Guide.

Free trials let you test before deciding. Try Shipt for 14 days, see if the Target integration and member benefits work for your habits.

Start Free Trial →

Where Shipt wins

Honest framing of Shipt’s strengths:

1. Target integration. Owned by Target; the integration is unmatched. Inventory accuracy, member deals, ease of use.

2. Specific store partnerships. HEB, Meijer, Publix — for households in those markets, Shipt has these locked in.

3. Slightly more reliable shopper experience in some users’ reports.

4. Pharmacy integration via CVS is strong.

5. Free trial duration (14 days) is reasonably generous.

6. Member-only Target deals can be substantial for Target loyalists.

Where Instacart wins

Honest framing of Instacart’s strengths:

1. Store network breadth. Costco, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Aldi — stores Shipt doesn’t partner with.

2. Multi-store orders in some markets — Instacart can dispatch from multiple stores in one delivery.

3. More frequent promotional discounts at participating stores.

4. Stronger market coverage in some areas where Shipt is weak.

5. More variety in specialty stores (gourmet, ethnic, etc.).

6. Slightly more aggressive pricing in some markets during promotional periods.

The “use both” strategy

Some customers maintain memberships in both:

Why:

  • Different stores need different services
  • One has a deal the other doesn’t
  • Resilience if one app has technical issues

Costs:

  • Two annual memberships = roughly $200/year combined
  • Worth it if you genuinely shop both networks regularly

More common: people use one as their primary and the other ad-hoc (with per-order pricing) for specific orders the primary doesn’t cover well.

For occasional Costco shoppers (Instacart) plus weekly Target shoppers (Shipt), having both with one annual subscription each can make sense. For most customers, picking one is more efficient.

Try Shipt for grocery delivery Target-owned. Delivers from Target, Meijer, Costco, Petco, Sephora, and many regional grocers. New members get a free trial. Try Shipt Free →

FAQ

Which is cheaper for groceries? Item prices on both platforms typically include modest markups vs in-store. Specific items vary; in general, the per-grocery cost is roughly comparable. Membership is the bigger differentiator.

Which has better customer service? Roughly comparable. Both handle typical issues (missing items, wrong items) within minutes via in-app chat.

Which delivers faster? Both deliver same-day. Specific delivery time depends on shopper availability in your area; market-by-market.

Which has better deals/promotions? Instacart tends to have more frequent promotional discounts at partner stores. Shipt’s deals are usually Target-focused. Depends what you’re buying.

Can I order from multiple stores in one Shipt order? Generally no — Shipt is one store per order. Instacart sometimes supports multi-store orders in some markets.

Will the shopper communicate with me? Yes on both. In-app messaging during shopping is standard.

Can I tip the shopper? Yes on both — recommended. 100% goes to shopper on both platforms.

Which has stronger market coverage? Depends on your market. In Target-heavy markets, Shipt is stronger. In markets with diverse store needs, Instacart’s network is broader.

Can I switch between Shipt and Instacart easily? Yes — accounts are separate. Many users have accounts on both.

Will my Shipt or Instacart shopper be the same person? Both services assign shoppers based on availability. Same shopper isn’t guaranteed; algorithm picks based on proximity and availability.

What about Walmart+? Different — Walmart+ is Walmart’s own membership. If you primarily shop Walmart, Walmart+ is the better fit. Shipt and Instacart partner with non-Walmart stores.

Can I order alcohol on both? Yes in supported states. Age verification at delivery required on both.

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