The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with North America and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(July 2018) |
The following is a list of gig economy companies. The list includes only companies that have been noted by sources as being former or current gig economy companies.
The Congressional Research Service defines the "gig economy" as:
the collection of markets that match providers to consumers on a gig (or job) basis in support of on-demand commerce. In the basic model, gig workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to company's clients. Prospective clients request services through an Internet-based technological platform or smartphone application that allows them to search for providers or to specify jobs. Providers (gig workers) engaged by the on-demand company provide the requested service and are compensated for the jobs. [1] [2]
In 2019, Queensland University of Technology published a report stating 7% of Australians participate in the gig economy. [3] 10% of the American workforce participated in the gig economy in 2018. [4] According to a 2019 Bank of Canada report, 18% of Canadians worked in the gig economy for non-recreational reasons. [5] Around 2018, 15% of China's workforce, representing over 110 million people, was involved in the gig economy. [4] In 2019, the World Bank estimated that globally, fewer than 0.5% of people in the "active labor force" take part in the gig economy. [6]
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Airbnb | United States [a] | An online home rental service [7] [8] [9] |
CouchSurfing | United States [a] | An online home rental service [10] |
FlipKey | United States | An online home rental marketplace [11] [12] |
Peerspace | United States | An online hourly venue rental service |
Onefinestay | United Kingdom [a] | An online rental service [13] |
Vrbo/HomeAway | United States [a] | An online home rental service. [14] [15] [12] In July 2020, HomeAway was merged with Vrbo. [16] |
Xiaozhu | China | An online short-term home and apartment rental platform [17] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Care.com | United States [a] | An online platform for hiring caregivers [18] [19] |
Sittercity.com | United States | An online platform for hiring caregivers [20] |
Soothe | United States [a] | An online massage service provider [21] [22] |
UrbanSitter | United States | An online babysitter company [23] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Amazon Flex | United States [a] | An online delivery service [2] |
Cargomatic | United States | An online delivery platform that connects drivers with customers [24] |
CitySprint | United Kingdom | A courier service [25] [26] |
Deliv | United States | An online delivery service [27] [28] |
DPDgroup | France [a] | An online parcel delivery service [29] |
Dunzo | India | An online delivery service [30] |
eCourier | United Kingdom | A courier service [31] |
ekart | India | A courier service [32] |
GoPuff | United States | A convenience store delivery service [33] |
Hermes Group | Germany [b] | An online delivery company [34] [35] |
Lalamove | Hong Kong [a] | An online delivery service [36] |
Rappi | Colombia [c] | An online delivery service [37] [38] [39] |
Roadie | United States | Online delivery [40] [41] [42] |
Shipt | United States | An online delivery service [43] [44] |
Shyp | United States | Was a courier service company. Now dissolved. [45] |
UK Mail | United Kingdom | An online parcel delivery service [29] [46] |
Yodel | United Kingdom | An online parcel delivery service [29] [46] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Farmdrop | United Kingdom | An online grocer with food sourced from local farmers [47] |
Blinkit | India | An online grocery delivery service [48] |
The Food Assembly | France [b] | An online farmers' market [49] |
honestbee | Singapore [d] | Was an online grocery and food delivery service. Now dissolved. [50] [51] |
Instacart | United States [e] | An Internet-based grocery delivery service [2] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Deliveroo | United Kingdom [a] | An online food delivery company [52] [53] [54] |
DoorDash | United States | Online food delivery [55] |
Delivery Hero | Germany [a] | Online food delivery [56] |
Drizly | United States [e] | An alcohol delivery service [57] |
EatStreet | United States | An online food ordering service [58] |
Ele.me | China | An online food delivery service [59] |
Favor Delivery | United States | An online food delivery service [60] |
Foodora | Germany [a] | An online food delivery service [61] [62] |
Foodpanda | Germany [a] | An online food delivery platform [63] |
Glovo | Spain [a] | An online food delivery service [64] [65] |
Grubhub | United States | Online food delivery [66] |
iFood | Brazil [c] | An online food delivery service [67] [68] |
Just Eat | United Kingdom [a] | Online takeaway food delivery [54] [69] |
Just Eat Takeaway | Netherlands [a] | Online food delivery [70] |
Menulog | Australia [a] | Online food delivery [71] [72] |
Munchery | United States | Was an online food delivery service [73] |
OrderUp | United States | Was an online food delivery service [74] |
Postmates | United States | Delivers restaurant-prepared meals and other goods [8] |
Seamless | United States | An online food delivery service. Now a subsidiary of Grubhub [75] |
SkipTheDishes | Canada | An online restaurant ordering and food delivery company [76] [77] |
Swiggy | India | An online food delivery platform [30] [78] [79] [80] |
Uber Eats | United States [a] | An online food delivery platform [65] |
Wolt | Finland [a] | Online food delivery [81] |
Zomato | India [a] | An online food delivery platform [30] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
italki | United States [a] | An online language learning platform [82] |
VIPKid | China | An online platform for Chinese students to receive lessons from fluent English-speaking teachers [83] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Airtasker | Australia | An online marketplace for outsourcing tasks [3] |
Amazon Mechanical Turk | United States | An online crowdsourcing website for performing tasks [84] |
Toloka | United States | An online crowdsourcing website for performing tasks [84] |
Figure Eight Inc. | United States | An online work platform to complete tasks [2] |
Freelancer.com | Australia [a] | An online freelancing platform [2] |
Upwork | United States [a] | An online freelancing platform [2] |
Fiverr | Israel [a] | An online freelancing platform [2] |
PeoplePerHour | United Kingdom | An online freelancing platform [85] |
Toptal | United States [a] | An online freelancing platform [86] |
Hello Alfred | United States | An online platform for completing tasks [87] |
InnoCentive | United States | An online platform where problem solvers can receive monetary rewards from organizations [88] [89] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Andela | United States [a] | An online platform for training software programmers in Africa and connecting them with clients [90] [91] |
Catalant | United States [a] | A matchmaking platform for office work. Was formerly known as HourlyNerd [92] [93] |
Expert360 | Australia | An online platform for matching independent business consultants with clients [94] |
Field Agent | United States [a] | A platform for retailers to request in-store information from users [28] |
Field Nation | United States | An online marketplace that matches IT and other freelancers with corporate clients [95] |
Gigster | United States | An online platform to complete software projects [96] [97] |
Liveops | United States | An online platform offering call center services [98] [99] [100] |
Kaggle | United States | An online platform for data science competitions [94] [89] |
Managed by Q | United States | An online office management platform company [55] |
PeoplePerHour | United Kingdom | An online freelancing platform [101] |
Shiftgig | United States | An online staffing firm [102] |
Toptal | United States [a] | An online freelancing platform [86] |
Upwork | United States [a] | An online freelancing platform [2] |
WorkMarket | United States [a] | Online platform for businesses to contract technical contracting |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
99designs | Australia [a] | An online platform to connect graphic designers and clients [103] |
Crowdspring | United States | An online platform for creative services [104] |
Fiverr | Israel [a] | An online marketplace for freelance services [105] |
Tongal | United States [a] | An online platform that connects businesses in need of creative work with writers and directors [106] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
AskforTask | Canada | An online marketplace where people can outsource their daily tasks [107] |
Bellhops | United States | An online moving service [108] |
GreenPal | United States | An online landscaping network company [109] |
Handy | United States [a] | An online home services company [2] |
Helpling | United Kingdom [b] | An online platform for cleaning services [110] |
HomeAdvisor | United States | An online platform that connects homeowners to contractors [111] |
Homejoy | United States | Was an online maid company. Now closed [112] [113] [114] |
Pimlico Plumbers | United Kingdom | A plumbing firm [115] [116] |
Porch | United States | An online platform that connects homeowners to home improvement contractors [117] |
Rover.com | United States | An online dog-walking service [66] |
SudShare | United States | An online laundry service [118] [119] |
TaskRabbit | United States | An on-demand freelance labor service [2] |
Thumbtack | United States | An online platform that connects people to professionals [120] [121] |
Wag | United States | An online dog-walking service [66] |
YourMechanic | United States | An online platform that connects car owners with mechanics [122] |
Urban Company | India | An online home services company [123] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Nomad Health | United States | An online platform that joins freelance physicians and nurses with hospitals [124] [125] [126] [127] |
Pager | United States | An online platform that connects healthcare providers and patients [128] |
Talkspace | United States | An online platform to connect to therapists [129] |
Chunyu | China | An online platform for medical information [130] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
LegalZoom | United States | An online platform that connects consumers with lawyers [131] |
Rocket Lawyer | United States United Kingdom | An online platform that connects consumers with lawyers [131] |
UpCounsel | United States | An online marketplace for legal services [132] [133] [134] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Carousell | Singapore [a] | An online marketplace for selling goods [135] [136] |
Etsy | United States [a] | An online marketplace for handmade goods [137] [138] |
Lazada Group | Singapore [a] | An online marketplace for selling goods [135] [136] |
Meituan-Dianping | China | An online food delivery, consumer products and retail service [139] |
Company | Based in | Description |
---|---|---|
Addison Lee | United Kingdom | A minicab firm [140] |
Bird | United States [a] | An online electric scooter sharing platform [141] [142] [143] |
BlaBlaCar | France [a] | An online marketplace for carpooling [144] [145] [146] [147] |
Blacklane | Germany [a] | An online transportation network [148] |
Bolt | Estonia [a] | An online transportation network company [32] [149] |
Bridj | Australia | A private commuter shuttle service [2] |
Cabify | Spain [a] | A ridesharing company [150] [151] |
Careem | United Arab Emerites [a] | A transportation network company [152] |
Carma | Ireland [a] | An online transportation network company [96] |
Chariot | United States | Was a commuter shuttle service. Now closed [153] [154] |
DiDi | China [a] | An online ride-hailing service [139] |
Hello | China | An online platform for bicycle-sharing service [155] |
DriveNow | Germany [b] | An online carsharing service [34] |
Easy Taxi | Brazil [a] | An online transportation network company [156] |
EasyCar [ broken anchor ] | United Kingdom | An online carsharing service [157] |
Free Now | Germany [b] | A transportation network company [158] |
Getaround | United States [a] | An online car-sharing service [159] |
Gett | Israel [a] | A transportation network company [158] |
GOGOX | Hong Kong [d] | An online transportation network company [160] |
Gojek | Indonesia [d] | An online transportation network company [161] [94] |
Grab | Singapore Indonesia [d] | An online transportation network company [135] [136] [162] |
Hailo | United Kingdom | An online transportation network company [163] |
HopSkipDrive | United States | A transportation network company for children [164] |
Juno | United States | An online transportation network company [55] |
JustPark | United Kingdom | An online platform that matches drivers with parking spaces [157] |
Kakao T | South Korea [d] | An online transportation network company [165] |
Lime | United States [a] | An online transportation company [66] |
Luxe | United States | An online parking service [113] |
Lyft | United States [e] | A transportation network company [2] |
Meru Cabs | India | An online ridesharing company [166] |
Quiqup | United Kingdom | An online transportation network [167] [168] |
Ola Cabs | India [a] | An online transportation company [63] |
Sidecar | United States | Was an online transportation company. Now closed [84] [96] |
Spin | United States | An online scooter sharing platform [169] |
Turo | United States [a] | An online carsharing platform [170] [171] |
Uber | United States [a] | An online transportation network company [2] |
Via | United States [a] | An online transportation network company [66] |
ViaVan | Netherlands [b] | An online transportation network company [172] [173] [174] |
Wingz | United States | An online transportation network company [175] |
Yandex | Russia [a] | An online transportation network company [6] |
YourParkingSpace | United Kingdom | An online platform that matches drivers with parking spaces [176] |
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 222 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's major hubs are at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
The Rhode Island School of Design is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the accessibility of design education to women. Today, RISD offers bachelor's and master's degree programs across 19 majors and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The Rhode Island School of Design Museum—which houses the school's art and design collections—is one of the largest college art museums in the United States.
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI is a public technical university in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1942 as the Moscow Mechanical Institute of Munitions, but was soon renamed the Moscow Mechanical Institute. Its original mission was to train skilled personnel for the Soviet military and Soviet atomic bomb project. It was renamed the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in 1953, which was its name until 2009.
The Free Workers' Union is an anarcho-syndicalist union in Germany and Switzerland.
Sean Baker is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing independent feature films about the lives of marginalized people, especially immigrants and sex workers. His films include Take Out (2004), Starlet (2012), Tangerine (2015), The Florida Project (2017), Red Rocket (2021), and Anora (2024), the last of which won him the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. He is also known for co-creating the Fox/IFC puppet sitcom Greg the Bunny (2002–2006) and its spin-offs.
Payoneer Global Inc. is an American financial services company that provides online money transfer, digital payment services and provides customers with working capital.
Food delivery is a courier service in which a restaurant, store, or independent food-delivery company delivers food to a customer. An order is typically made either by telephone, through the supplier's website or mobile app, or through a third party food ordering service. The delivered items can include entrees, sides, drinks, desserts, or grocery items and are typically delivered in boxes or bags. The delivery person will normally drive a car, but in bigger cities where homes and restaurants are closer together, they may use bikes or motorized scooters.
Deliveroo is a British online food delivery company founded by Will Shu and Greg Orlowski in 2013 in London, England. It operates in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar. It formerly operated in Germany, Taiwan, Spain, the Netherlands, and Australia. Its subsidiary operation, Deliveroo Editions operates dark kitchens for the preparation of delivery-only meals.
Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers ride-hailing, micromobility rental, food and grocery delivery, and carsharing services. The company is headquartered in Tallinn and operates in over 500 cities in more than 45 countries in Europe, Africa, Western Asia and Latin America. The company has more than 150 million customers and more than 3 million driver and courier partners. The company has plans for an initial public offering in 2025.
Foodora is an online food delivery brand owned by Delivery Hero. It was founded in Munich, Germany, and operates in Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. The IWGB comprises eleven branches which organise workers within their chosen industry, run their own campaigns and have their own representative officials. Their members are predominantly low-paid migrant workers in London. The IWGB began as a breakaway from Unite and UNISON. The dispute stemmed from disagreements over how to get better working conditions for cleaners at the University of London, and, more broadly, about how to run modern trade unions. The IWGB is one of the main trade unions in challenging employment law relating to the 'gig economy'.
Gig workers are independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers, and temporary workers. Gig workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to the company's clients.
California Assembly Bill 5 or AB 5 is a state statute that expands a landmark Supreme Court of California case from 2018, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court ("Dynamex"). In that case, the court held that most wage-earning workers are employees and ought to be classified as such, and that the burden of proof for classifying individuals as independent contractors belongs to the hiring entity. AB 5 extends that decision to all workers. It entitles them to be classified as employees with the usual labor protections, such as minimum wage laws, sick leave, and unemployment and workers' compensation benefits, which do not apply to independent contractors. Concerns over employee misclassification, especially in the gig economy, drove support for the bill, but it remains divisive.
GreenPal is an online freelancing platform that connects landscapers to clients in the United States. The company is based in Nashville, Tennessee and was founded in 2012. GreenPal's business model was inspired by Uber, Airbnb, and Lyft. As of January 2020, the company operated in 45 states and had approximately 1 million users.
Proposition 22 was a ballot initiative in California that became law after the November 2020 state election, passing with 59% of the vote and granting app-based transportation and delivery companies an exception to Assembly Bill 5 by classifying their drivers as "independent contractors", rather than "employees". The law exempts employers from providing the full suite of mandated employee benefits while instead giving drivers new protections:
non-recurring debit card transactions that originated from "gig economy" merchants, like Lyft, Grubhub, PicMonkey LLC, Eatstreet Inc.