China's DoorDash: Meituan Waimai vs DoorDash — The 2025 Food Delivery Showdown
Meituan Waimai (美团外卖, Meituan Takeaway) is China's dominant food delivery platform with over 700 million monthly active users and approximately 70 million daily orders. While DoorDash dominates food delivery in the United States with approximately 37 million monthly active users (DashPass subscribers), Meituan Waimai operates at a fundamentally different scale. China's food delivery market is the world's largest, with Meituan and Ele.me (owned by Alibaba) together processing over 100 million orders daily. Meituan reported 276 billion yuan in total revenue for 2024, with food delivery contributing approximately 200 billion yuan in on-platform transaction value.
TL;DR
Meituan Waimai (China) delivers 70M+ orders daily to 700M+ MAU. DoorDash (US) has approximately 37M monthly active users. China's food delivery market processes 100M+ daily orders combined. Meituan reported 276B yuan revenue in 2024; DoorDash reported $8.6B in 2024. Average delivery time in China is 25-35 minutes versus 30-45 minutes in the US. Delivery fees are significantly lower in China (2-8 yuan vs $3-8 in the US). Meituan employs 7M+ delivery riders; DoorDash has 2M+ Dashers.
Key Insights
Meituan Waimai: China's Food Delivery Leader
Meituan Waimai processes approximately 70 million food delivery orders daily through a network of over 7 million delivery riders across China. The platform offers delivery from over 5 million restaurant partners. Average delivery time is 25-35 minutes in Chinese cities. Meituan Waimai charges delivery fees of 2-8 yuan (approximately $0.30-$1.10), significantly lower than US counterparts. The platform offers features including real-time tracking, scheduled orders, group ordering, and AI-powered restaurant recommendations. Meituan Waimai accounts for approximately 67 percent of China's food delivery market.
DoorDash: America's Food Delivery Giant
DoorDash is the United States' largest food delivery platform with approximately 37 million monthly active DashPass subscribers. DoorDash reported $8.6 billion in total revenue for 2024, driven by marketplace orders, DashPass subscriptions, and advertising. DoorDash operates in all 50 US states plus Canada, Australia, Japan, and Germany. DoorDash has over 2 million Dashers (delivery drivers) and partners with over 500,000 merchants. Average delivery fees range from $3-$8 per order plus service fees. DoorDash has expanded into grocery, convenience, and retail delivery.
China's Broader Delivery Ecosystem
China's food delivery market is served by two major players: Meituan Waimai (approximately 67 percent market share) and Ele.me (approximately 27 percent market share, owned by Alibaba). Together they process over 100 million daily orders. Ele.me has approximately 300 million MAU. The intense competition between platforms keeps delivery fees low and service quality high. China's delivery ecosystem also includes instant grocery delivery (30-minute delivery from warehouses) through platforms like Meituan Maicai and Dingdong Maicai, a segment that is much larger in China than in Western markets.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Meituan Waimai (China) | DoorDash (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Active Users | 700M+ | 37M+ (DashPass subscribers) |
| Daily Orders | 70M+ | ~5M+ (estimated) |
| Delivery Riders/Drivers | 7M+ | 2M+ |
| Restaurant Partners | 5M+ | 500K+ |
| Average Delivery Fee | 2-8 yuan ($0.30-$1.10) | $3-$8 |
| Average Delivery Time | 25-35 minutes | 30-45 minutes |
| Revenue (2024) | 276B yuan (Meituan total) | $8.6B |
| Market Share | ~67 percent (China) | ~65 percent (US) |
| DashPass/Equivalent | Meituan Membership (88 yuan/year) | DashPass ($9.99/month) |
| Grocery Delivery | Yes (Meituan Maicai) | Yes (DoorDash) |
| Instant Retail Delivery | Yes (significant scale) | Yes (growing) |
| Autonomous Delivery | Testing in select cities | Testing in select cities |
Frequently Asked Questions
Meituan Waimai (美团外卖) is the closest equivalent to DoorDash in China and is China's dominant food delivery platform. Meituan Waimai delivers approximately 70 million orders daily through over 7 million delivery riders. The platform is part of the Meituan super app, which also includes restaurant reviews (Dianping), hotel booking, movie tickets, ride-hailing, and more. Delivery fees are significantly lower in China, typically 2-8 yuan ($0.30-$1.10) compared to DoorDash's $3-$8 in the US. Average delivery time is also faster at 25-35 minutes.
Foreigners can use Meituan Waimai in China, but the experience is primarily in Chinese. The Meituan app supports basic English functionality including address input and order tracking, but restaurant menus, descriptions, and reviews are in Chinese. Foreigners typically need to pay through Alipay or WeChat Pay. Some expat communities in cities like Shanghai and Beijing maintain English-language restaurant delivery guides, but Meituan remains the most comprehensive option. Using image translation apps on the restaurant menus can help bridge the language barrier.
Food delivery in China is significantly cheaper due to several factors: (1) Lower labor costs — delivery riders earn less in absolute terms, though relative to local wages the pay is competitive; (2) Higher order density — China's dense urban environments mean each rider can deliver more orders per hour; (3) Intense platform competition — Meituan and Ele.me compete aggressively, keeping fees low; (4) Restaurant margins — Chinese restaurants typically offer lower food prices, resulting in lower order values and platform fees; (5) Scale — 70 million daily orders on Meituan alone create enormous operational efficiency.
Meituan Waimai has developed more advanced delivery optimization technology due to the massive scale of 70 million daily orders. Meituan's AI dispatch system handles real-time order assignment across 7 million riders, factoring in traffic conditions, weather, rider capacity, and restaurant preparation time. Meituan has invested heavily in autonomous delivery including delivery robots on sidewalks and drones for longer-distance delivery. DoorDash has also invested in technology including its AI-powered DashMart instant delivery and autonomous delivery testing, but operates at a smaller scale. Both platforms offer real-time GPS tracking and ETA predictions.