Lyft vs Empower Driver
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lyft
Easily get to your destination with various transportation options. Enter your destination, see upfront costs, and choose from multiple ride types like bikes, scooters, or even rentals. Affordable options and public transit routes are also available.
- Multiple transportation options
- Upfront route and cost estimates
- Priority Pickup option
- Bikes & Scooters
- Lyft XL & Lux
- Transit routes
- Vehicle rentals
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Get where you’re going with Lyft. Whether you’re catching a flight, going out for the night, commuting to the office, or running errands in a rush, the Lyft app offers you multiple ways to get there. EASY TO USE Enter your destination. See your route and ride cost up front. Choose Priority Pickup to get going quick. Boom. Done. Simple CHOOSE YOUR WHEELS Choose from Wait & Save, Priority Pickup, Bikes & Scooters, Lyft XL, Lyft Lux, Transit, or even Rentals. AFFORDABLE RIDES Our Wait & Save option helps you get around for less. And you can find the fastest public transit routes, too. * Lyft ride types may vary by region. Check the app to see what is available in your city. — Prices vary based on market condition. By downloading the app, you agree to allow Lyft to collect your device's language settings.
Empower Driver
This app connects passengers directly with drivers, offering a more sustainable income for drivers and potentially lower costs and customized rides for passengers. It bypasses large corporate platforms to facilitate direct transactions.
- Direct driver-passenger connection
- Sustainable driver income
- Less expensive rides
- Customized transportation options
- Bypass corporate middlemen
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We started Empower to empower drivers who can’t make a sustainable living under the current rideshare model and to provide an alternative for passengers who want the convenience provided by on-demand transportation platforms, but prefer to support drivers, not the companies exploiting them. By removing the giant corporate middleman, Empower is able to do that, while enabling passengers to obtain less expensive and more customized transportation directly from drivers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Empower Driver at none against Lyft's shown. Empower Driver also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Lyft's advantage is ratings volume (18M vs 2.7K) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lyft holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lyft has 18M ratings behind it against 2.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 61% and 62% positive.
Lyft ships an update weekly, Empower Driver fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lyft | Empower Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (18M ratings) — better | 4.6 (2.7K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | 62.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 18M — better | 2.7K |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #3 — better | #158 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 400 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lyft, Inc. | Yazam Inc. |
Customer experience
Lyft
Empower Driver
User reviews
Lyft
From 18M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick pickup
- 👍 Friendly drivers
- 💰 Affordable prices
- 🚗 Clean cars
- 🥰 Awesome app
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Long wait times
- 🤔 Inaccurate ETAs
- 🚫 Drivers canceling rides
- 💰 Unexpected charges
- 🔍 Difficulty contacting support
Empower Driver
From 2.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💰 100% of fare kept by drivers
- 🤝 Drivers set their own rates
- 🚗 Flexible driving hours
- 💳 Daily payouts from Stripe
- 🔒 Gender-specific driver selection
Room to improve
- ❌ Poor customer support
- 🗺️ Inaccurate pickup/dropoff locations
- 🚕 Unexpected number of passengers
- 💰 Discrepancies between quoted and actual pay
- 🔒 Safety concerns with unverified passengers
Bugs and requests
Lyft
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashing
- Payment issues
- Incorrect pickup locations
Requested features
4 requests- Option to select vehicle type
- Ability to report driver issues
- Improved communication with drivers
- Easier account deletion process
Empower Driver
Reported bugs
3 issues- Background check delays
- App crashes and freezes
- Inability to delete account
Requested features
4 requests- Destination mode to pick up riders along the way
- Cancellation fees for riders
- Cleanup fees for driver incidents
- Improved GPS accuracy and navigation
In-app purchases
Lyft
No in-app purchases
Empower Driver
No in-app purchases
