UK gig platforms compared
The seven big UK gig platforms market themselves as interchangeable — "be your own boss, work when you want." In law and in pay, they differ more than they admit. Uber drivers are workers. Deliveroo riders aren't. Amazon Flex sits in a contested space. The table below is GigKiln's read of where each one actually stands — sourced, dated, and updated when court rulings or platform terms change.
| Platform | Pay (net £/hr) | Hours flexibility | Worker status | Insurance required | Appeal process | Primary union | CAZ / ULEZ exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | £8–£12 | High — log in any time | Worker (Aslam 2021) | PHV hire-and-reward | Internal only · ~7 days | ADCU / GMB / IWGB | ULEZ + most CAZs (PHV) |
| Deliveroo | £6–£11 | High — free login | Self-employed (IWGB v CAC 2023) | Food-delivery H&R or PL | Internal only · ~14 days | IWGB / GMB | Bike: none · Moped/car: yes |
| Uber Eats | £7–£11 | High — free login | Self-employed (UK position) | Food-delivery H&R or PL | Internal only · ~7 days | IWGB | Bike: none · Moped/car: yes |
| Amazon Flex | £8–£13 | Low — block-based, scarce | Self-employed (contested) | H&R van/courier | Internal only · standing-deactivation issue | GMB | ULEZ + most CAZs (van) |
| Just Eat | £7–£10 | Mixed — SC scheme + self-employed | Mixed (SC = worker, gig = self-employed) | Food-delivery H&R or PL | Internal · scheme-dependent | GMB / IWGB | Bike: none · Moped/car: yes |
| Stuart | £6–£11 | Slot-based — book ahead | Self-employed | Courier H&R (vehicle-class) | Internal only | IWGB | Vehicle-dependent |
| Bolt | £8–£12 | High — log in any time | Self-employed (no UK Aslam ruling) | PHV hire-and-reward | Internal only | ADCU | ULEZ + most CAZs (PHV) |
Pay ranges are net-of-cost hourly medians from FairWork UK 2024, Worker Info Exchange 2024 and platform-published material. Worker status reflects current UK case law. Each row links to the full dossier with sources.
Still not sure which to work for?
Most full-time UK gig workers run two or three apps in parallel to smooth out demand. Our multi-app guide walks through how to split your time, declare income across platforms, and avoid the insurance gaps that come with juggling.
Read: running multi-app