warebydoordash for home bakers: the alternatives that are actually allowed
doordash, uber eats and grubhub are built for restaurants. here’s why most home bakers can’t use them, and what works instead.
most home bakers can’t use doordash, uber eats or grubhub. they’re built for licensed restaurants, they take 15 to 30% of each delivery order, and in states like minnesota cottage food has to be delivered by the person who made it (or their employee). instead, take orders on an app and deliver yourself or offer pickup: wareby (free to open, shoppers within 25 miles, delivery by you), hotplate (drops, free for sellers) or square online’s free plan.
why can’t home bakers use doordash?
two reasons. courier apps are built for licensed restaurants. and many cottage food laws limit who can deliver: in minnesota, the person who made the food or their employee must be present for the sale or delivery, and a courier is neither. check your state.
| delivery commission | doordash | uber eats |
|---|---|---|
| basic or lowest plan | 15% | 20% (15% in minneapolis) |
| middle plan | 25% | 25% |
| top plan | 30% | 30% |
the best doordash alternatives for home bakers, compared
ordered by how well they fit a home baker who delivers. we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.
wareby
best for: home bakers and cooks who want new local customers, not just followers
- what it costs
- free to open. 10% + 3% + 30¢ a sale. no fee for customers
- who finds you
- shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link
wareby vs hotplatewhat’s good- pickup windows with a cap on orders in each, and your own delivery area
- built for cottage food: a real person checks your food permit
- preorders, subscriptions and texts to past customers on loved
watch out for- you pay more per order than on hotplate, and your customers pay less
- no text to all your followers on the free plan
hotplate
best for: chefs and bakers who sell in drops to a following they already have
- what it costs
- $0 a month. you pay 2.9% + 30¢, customers pay 5% + 55¢
- who finds you
- your own followers, through your link
wareby vs hotplatewhat’s good- built around preorder windows and pickup times
- followers get a text every time you post a menu
- instant or next-day payouts
watch out for- not a marketplace: it won’t bring you new customers
- customers pay a service fee on every order by default
square online
best for: market vendors and cafes who already use a square card reader
- what it costs
- free plan: 3.3% + 30¢ a sale. plus: $49 a month
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
wareby vs square onlinewhat’s good- a real free plan, with pickup and local delivery
- online and in-person sales in one account
watch out for- the free plan shows square’s branding and can’t use your own domain
- retail preorders need plus, at $49 a month
how do you deliver cottage food yourself?
- pick one or two delivery days and an area you can drive in an afternoon.
- charge a delivery fee or set an order minimum that covers your gas and time.
- group orders by neighborhood, and text customers when you’re on the way.
- offer pickup windows at your home for everyone outside your area.
questions people ask
can i sell cottage food on doordash?
not in minnesota, where the person who made it or their employee has to deliver it. in other states, check your cottage food law, and note that doordash is built for licensed restaurants.
how much does doordash take?
15%, 25% or 30% of each delivery order for restaurants, depending on the plan, and 6% on pickup orders.
what delivery app can home bakers use?
apps that take the order and let you deliver yourself: wareby, hotplate or square online. you or your employee hand each order over.
sources
- doordash: merchant pricing
- uber eats: merchant pricing
- grubhub: marketplace pricing
- minneapolis code of ordinances, chapter 353
- minnesota statutes, section 28A.152
- minnesota department of agriculture: cottage food law guidance
- hotplate help center: can i offer delivery?
- hotplate help center: understanding hotplate’s pricing
- square: online store plans
- wareby: seller plans
we checked every fee and fact about other companies on october 12, 2026, on their own pages. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.
etsy, amazon handmade, ebay, shopify, square online, wix, squarespace, big cartel, hotplate, bakesy, castiron, instagram, facebook marketplace, nextdoor, doordash, uber eats and grubhub are trademarks of their owners. wareby isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we make wareby, so weigh our opinions with that in mind.
we started tandoco, a small bakery in minneapolis, and sold under a blue tent at farmers markets before we built wareby. our story
