The first time I covered TaskRabbit on This Online World was in my post on the best gig economy apps to start a side hustle.
TaskRabbit actually started out in 2008, and this localized mobile marketplace, in many ways, has helped set the bar for what is possible within the gig economy.
TaskRabbit now has more than 1.1 million reviews and thousands of ‘Taskers’ across the world. It’s safe to say that the app has come a long way since it’s San Francisco days of fundraising and just a few thousand workers…especially since Ikea decided to acquire the company.
Since I love the idea behind this platform so much, I want to highlight more of the jobs you can do on TaskRabbit. Additionally, I also want to break down other apps like TaskRabbit, as I have discovered that the mobile workforce marketplace is pretty massive.
If you’re looking for a new side hustle and want to make money doing odd jobs, this is the post for you.
Time to look at why the TaskRabbit business model is so great, as well as some lucrative TaskRabbit alternatives!
What Is TaskRabbit & Why Is It Cool?
As mentioned, TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that matches freelancers with local demand.
For homeowners, TaskRabbit provides an affordable solution to hiring expensive contractors. For Taskers, the platform offers a great way to make money on the side and to work as your own boss.
The process of making money on TaskRabbit is also streamlined for Taskers, which is why I love this concept:
As you can see, it’s possible to get started with completing odd job on TaskRabbit in just 4 quick steps. Plus, TaskRabbit is available in dozens of cities across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. which means there is ample opportunity for millions of people.
What Kind Of Jobs Can You Get On TaskRabbit?
These are the most popular job categories you can find when working as a Tasker:
- Handyman services.
- Furniture assembly, especially for Ikea.
- Delivery and shopping work.
- Cleaning.
- Moving help.
Freelancers set their own rates and availability on TaskRabbit. Obviously, you’ll have to price yourself according to your local market to remain competitive, and average rates may vary depending on your city.
According to Glassdoor.com salary reviews, contractors earn anywhere from $16 to $42 per hour, which is way higher than minimum wage in most states. Not bad, provide you can find enough work volume on TaskRabbit.
Other Apps Like TaskRabbit – The Beauty Of Localized Gig Services
This post is more of a showcase of the TaskRabbit business model than a strict TaskRabbit review.
The beauty behind apps like TaskRabbit is that they allow side hustlers to make money on their own schedule by helping people in their own community. It’s a win-win for homeowners and workers, and these sorts of platforms are the best way to make money doing odd jobs if you ask me.
Now, TaskRabbit isn’t available in every city. Plus, I think it’s a good idea to compare your options.
If working as a Tasker isn’t for you, the following TaskRabbit alternatives are the perfect way to start earning extra money each month.
1. Thumbtack
Thumbtack is one of the most popular TaskRabbit alternatives, although the platform is more of a lead-generation website than simple on-demand marketplace.
TaskRabbit monetizes by taking a 15% fee on all jobs. In contrast, Thumbtack uses a pay-per-lead model to charge contractors.
On Thumbtack, contractors use job targeting to tell Thumbtack which jobs to push their way. If a job matches exactly what you’re looking for, you pay for the lead. Setting up automatic payments grants a 20% discount. If the job is a partial match, you only pay if you accept the lead.
Thumbtack makes it easy to setup weekly or monthly spending caps, so you can choose the maximum number of leads (and cost) you incur:
Ultimately, the whole TaskRabbit vs Thumbtack debate isn’t exactly a fair one. TaskRabbit is awesome for part-time hustlers, while Thumbtack is the perfect platform for professional contractors looking to pay to expand their business.
If you offer high-ticket services, I strongly recommend checking out Thumbtack. You might just end up like these Thumbtack contractors:
Thumbtack offers more than 400 services through their website and mobile apps, and has lead to over 50 million projects. Don’t miss out on this app if you’re a professional contractor looking for more business.
2. Jobble
Jobble is an on-demand marketplace that is highly focused on the gig economy. This marketplace is still a great way to make money doing odd jobs, but it’s far less related to housework or handyman-type tasks unlike TaskRabbit or Thumbtack.
The most common job categories on Jobble include:
- Event staffing.
- Hospitality.
- Retail.
- Transportation.
- Health.
- General labor.
However, Jobble has recently started to scrape local job boards from what I tell. If you visit the Jobble Job Board and enter in your Zip code, it’s easy to find local results or to use keyword and distance filters:
Once you create a free Jobble profile and upload some information about yourself and a resume, applying to jobs is very easy. This is probably the main benefit of using this app in the first place since it’s really just a local job aggregator.
According to Indeed, Jobble has a 3.1 star review, and workers earn between $12 to $25 per hour depending on their role.
I suggest checking your Zip code on the Jobble Job Board to see what opportunities are in your area if you want to make money with a side job.
3. Handy
Handy is one of the most similar apps like TaskRabbit around, and it’s definitely possible to make some solid money with this platform: just checkout our Handy Pro Review to learn how Allan made $200+ in just a weekend of work.
The jobs on Handy are also nearly identical to TaskRabbit. As a Handy Pro, you can make money with general handyman tasks, furniture assembly, cleaning gigs, TV mounting/setup, and similar household tasks.
However, Handy also offers plumbing and electrical work, which are definitely the highest paying job categories on the platform.
This platform is available in many cities across North America and the U.K. just like TaskRabbit.
To work with Handy Pro, you need prior experience. However, Handy is not an employer. The platform just connects independent contractors to customers, so there aren’t too many requirements.
4. Takl
Takl is another app like TaskRabbit that provides home services on demand from coast to coast across the United States.
Signing up for Talk is straightforward, and requires 6 steps:
- Create Account – This takes a minute.
- Select Skills – Choose skills among 12 categories to highlight the services you offer.
- Orientation – Complete online orientation to become familiar with the Takl app.
- Verify ID – Add a valid government ID and profile photo for verification.
- Add Banking Info – Takl pays via direct deposit.
- Background Check – You must pass this to work with Takl.
Popular jobs on Takl include lawn care, cleaning, junk removal, home repair, furniture assembly, and handyman services. However, Takl also offers services in more niche categories than apps like TaskRabbit, such as organizational help or pet care.
According to Takl’s Terms of Service, providers must pay a $2.99 monthly access fee to use the platform. Providers also fork over between 10% and 30% of a job’s price to Takl in exchange for using the platform, which is pretty brutal.
Takl is rolling out Takl+, which allows contractors to pay for leads just like Thumbtack. However, the pricing model definitely isn’t too great for Takl, so I’d use this platform as a back-fill compared to apps like TaskRabbit or Thumbtack.
5. Staffy
If you want to make money working in hospitality and haven’t had luck applying to restaurants or hotels in person, Staffy might be a perfect alternative to find work.
Staffy wants to provide hospitality workers with flexible, well-paid gigs, and they do a solid job at that. The Staffy app makes it easy to find same-day or short notice work opportunities in your area and to set your own rate.
The Staff job board also makes it easy to filter for jobs in your area or to look for specific gigs. Email filters are also an option if you want live updates on when new jobs are posted.
Staffy is only available in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, you must provide a resume, references, and a photo that proves you are eligible to work in the given country.
However, Staffy is free to use since it’s up to restaurants and hotels to foot the bill (getting last-minute shift help is worth the cost). Plus, once you complete 5 shifts and have a 4.2+ rating, you’re eligible for StaffyPay.
This system pays you within minutes of finishing a shift for only a $5 fee rather than forcing you to wait 5 calendar days.
Extra Reading – Jobs That Pay $2,000 Per Month.
6. Wonolo
Wonolo is another on-demand staffing app that is similar to TaskRabbit in terms of simplicity. To work with Wonolo, all you need is a smartphone, a valid social security number, and to be 18 years or older.
The Wonolo app provides quick access to jobs in the following industries:
- Warehouse operations.
- General labor.
- Delivery drivers.
- Food production.
- Event staffing.
- Washing & cleaning.
- Administrative.
- Merchandising.
The administrative and warehouse operations part makes it slightly more robust than apps like TaskRabbit as well.
Currently, Wonolo is only available in 34 U.S. cities, but the platform is still growing.
There isn’t a tonne of data on Glassdoor for Wonolo’s hourly pay, which probably has something to do with the platforms limited availability. However, existing reviews show that Wonolo pays a decent wage:
If you want to find additional warehouse or delivery work, you can also checkout our post on ways to make money with Amazon! Amazon Flex and Amazon warehouse jobs will be easier to find, and are a great alternative if you don’t live in a Wonolo city.
Extra Reading – Wonolo Review – Is This Company Legit?
7. NextDoor
Nextdoor isn’t so much of an on-demand job marketplace or pure lead generation marketplace. Rather, Nextdoor is designed to connect residents, business owners, public agencies, and contractors who happen to live within the same neighborhood.
As a business owner or independent contractor, you’ll want to create a free Business Page on Nextdoor that describes exactly who you are and what services you provide. This will let you showcase your services to people in your area.
However, creating a business page also let’s you create Local Deals. This is Nextdoor’s form of paid promotion that let’s business owners or contractors blast their service in a targeted area.
This system is similar to paying for leads on websites like Thumbtack, although you aren’t guaranteed to get any interest. This could be cheaper or more expensive than simply buying leads, depending on how skilled you are at marketing and how worthwhile your deal is.
However, Nextdoor is pretty affordable. According to Nextdoor, the average local deal costs $75 to promote. If you run a local business or want to reach more customers with a cheap test run, this is a great platform to try out.
When it comes to TaskRabbit alternatives, Nextdoor is probably the most globally available platform as well. Currently, Nextdoor operates in the following cities:
- United States.
- Canada.
- Australia.
- Denmark.
- Germany.
- The Netherlands.
- Spain.
- France.
- The U.K.
- Italy.
- Sweden.
If you’re struggling to find leads as a contractor, Nextdoor might be your solution!
8. Needto
In terms of on-demand job apps Needto.com is probably one of the more versatile marketplaces around.
In a nutshell, Needto lets people post a task they ‘need’ done in their area and how much they are willing to pay. As a freelancer, if you spot something you can help with, you can offer to complete the task.
Needto is sort of like Fiverr meets TaskRabbit. There are online-only tasks, but also a fair share of contractor services like moving help, plumbing assistance, cleaning gigs, and other similar jobs.
Needto is only available in the United States. I suggest checking your neighborhood to see what work is available nearby!
9. Care
If you want to find on-demand work as a babysitter, nurse, or pet-sitter, Care.com is one of the best places you can begin your search.
One of the most important parts of finding housekeepers, babysitters, or nurses is trust. Thankfully, Care goes above and beyond in their screening process, making it a go-to platform for customers.
Customers can request background checks on potential caregivers, but caregivers also have control. By following a few basic steps like having a background check, responding to messages, getting an approved profile photo, and getting 3 reviews, you can earn CareForce status. This status will cause you to appear higher in search result and rank on local leader boards.
Jobs on Care pay pretty well according to Indeed, and this platform definitely beats out other on-demand gig websites for this line of work,
Just note, if you really want to be visible on Care.com, you are sort of strong-armed into signing up for a Premium Membership. This membership allows you to rank higher, receive job alerts, and communicate more effectively with interested clients.
Care’s Premium Membership costs:
- $20 on a month-to-month basis.
- $15 per month for a 3 month commitment.
- $10 per month for a 6 month commitment.
Ultimately, this cost is worth it if you can land just one steady client. However, keep this cost in mind when deciding to try out Care.com.
10. Lugg
When it comes to ways to make money with a pickup truck, Lugg has to be near the top of the list.
Lugg is an on-demand moving and delivery company where you can help people in your community to earn extra cash.
According to Lugg, if you own a truck, you can earn up to $2,500 per week!
This is probably on the high end, but according to Indeed, Lugg drivers earn around $35 per hour!
You also keep 100% of your tips which is pretty awesome.
Plus, you can sign up as a helper if you don’t have a truck, so there’s still money on the table.
Here are Lugg’s hiring requirements:
- Have a recent smartphone.
- Be 18 or older.
- Be capable of lifting at least 100lbs.
- Have strong communication skills with customers.
If that sounds like you, this TaskRabbit alternative could be a lucrative way to help people in your city!
Extra Reading – 27 Apps That Pay You To Drive.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying that the gig economy presents a world of opportunity for anyone looking to make money with odd jobs or part-time work.
Now, I’m not sure what the future will hold. Will we see a mass consolidation of apps like TaskRabbit into an industry leader as weaker apps die out? Or, will all of these apps cease to exist in a matter of years as people look for more full-time opportunity?
It’s hard to say.
But, if the Uber and Lyft experience has taught us anything, I think that it’s that there is room for a few players in each gig economy niche. I also think that, while full-time employment is pretty sweet, the flexibility of the gig economy is also a significant perk that won’t disappear easily.
Hopefully, websites like TaskRabbit stick around. I love the idea of apps that are a win-win for consumers and side hustlers, and it would be a shame if the on-demand job marketplace faded away.
If you’re looking for some new side hustle ideas, I hope this list of apps like TaskRabbit have provided some inspiration.
If you already use one of these apps, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below.
Catch you guys in the next one!
Tom is a 23 year old recent college graduate from Canada with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and marketing. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page!
If you’re interested in freelance writing services or want to partner with This Online World, please visit Tom Blake Digital to get in touch!