Rideshare comparison apps have been around for almost as long as the ridesharing industry has been. Let's hope this one also sticks around.
Bellhop is one of the latest free tools for comparing prices against all the different ridesharing apps. The app ultimately looks for the lowest possible fare, so customers can see all the options available to them in a single glance.
Does it really matter how you get from Point A to Point B, as long as you make it to Point B?1
Besides the biggies like Uber and Lyft, it also compares against other local ridesharing companies in the area. For instance, Bellhop supports price comparison amongst Uber, Lyft, Waave, Curb, Carmel, Juno and Via to name a few companies in New York.
Interestingly enough, as a reflection of the times more than anything else, the app also includes bikeshare and scooter shares (such as Citi Bike or those new-fangled scooter companies like Bird).
It is possible to toggle these settings on and off in the upper right-hand corner through the biking icon.
How accurate is it for comparing prices?
More or less, Bellhop hits close to the mark for most actual rideshare prices. (Our guess is that Bellhop takes a small fee for bookings made directly in the app, thus accounting for the small price differences.)
It also doesn't include Lyft's and Uber's butt-cheapest options, like Shared Saver and UberPool, which kind of sucks.
Bellhop will definitely give a close enough approximation, though; however, for Uber, the lowest Bellhop price was probably double the cheapest option in the official Uber app.
Here is how the actual fares stacked up against Bellhop prices for three services:
| Bellhop | Actual | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via | $14.45 | $14.84 | $0.39 |
| Lyft | $27.50 | $23.51 | $3.99 |
| Uber | $49.85 | $49.78 |
Booking seamlessly through the app
Perhaps what is most interesting about Bellhop from other ride comparison apps is that it enable users to book directly within the app.
By connecting accounts, it is possible to book Uber, Lyft and Curb (an app that hails real taxis) ride directly to Bellhop.
This is one of those personal preferences things where I prefer booking directly with the source, but it does make it easier if convenience is the main ulterior motive.
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