The "Crew" App and New Rideshare Alternatives: Should US Drivers Try Them in 2026?

Every full-time US rideshare driver I know has had the same thought at some point: "There has to be something better than Uber and Lyft."

In 2026, that thought finally has some real answers. Multiple US rideshare alternatives are now operational, paying drivers significantly better than the big two, and expanding aggressively into new cities. Some are genuinely good. Some are not ready yet. And some look promising on paper but fall apart in practice.

Here is an honest breakdown of what is actually available right now and whether any of these alternatives deserve a spot in your weekly driving routine.

The Quick Verdict

If you drive in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington DC, New York City, South Florida, or Winston-Salem NC, you should at minimum download and test Empower this week. Drivers keep 100 percent of fares. Monthly subscription replaces percentage take.

If you live somewhere else, your options are more limited but worth knowing about for when alternatives reach your market.

For non-rideshare gig work, Crew is the most interesting new alternative offering simple, higher-paying tasks.

Empower: The Strongest Uber Alternative for Drivers Right Now

Empower is the alternative most rideshare drivers should know about in 2026. The platform has been operating since 2019 and just expanded aggressively in April and May 2026 to Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta, with existing service in:

Washington DC Metro New York City Metro Baltimore South Florida Piedmont-Triad area in North Carolina

The model is fundamentally different from Uber and Lyft. Instead of taking a percentage cut of every fare (Uber's take rate is now around 42 percent nationally), Empower charges drivers a flat monthly subscription fee:

$29.99/month in Houston and Dallas Around $30/month in South Florida Higher in Maryland (close to $300) due to ongoing regulatory battles 30-day free trial in new markets

What you get: 100 percent of your fares. You set your own rates. Riders can favorite specific drivers and request you directly for future rides.

What riders get: prices typically 15 to 50 percent cheaper than Uber and Lyft. In NYC, Empower has consistently offered the lowest fares of any rideshare platform.

Since launching, Empower has completed over 20 million rides and serves more than 600,000 riders.

The honest catches:

Driver density is still much lower than Uber and Lyft, which means some pickups take longer to fill Rider density is also lower, meaning fewer ride requests during your shift The app's safety features are more bare-bones than Uber and Lyft (24/7 phone hotline rather than in-app SOS) Regulatory battles in some markets (DC and Maryland) create uncertainty

My honest take: Empower is best used as a secondary or tertiary app alongside Uber and Lyft, not as a replacement. Run all three. Take whichever ping pays best in real time. The subscription fee is recovered after just a few rides.

Alto: Premium Safety, Different Model

Alto operates a completely different model. Drivers are W-2 employees (not independent contractors). The company owns and maintains its fleet of vehicles. Drivers go through more thorough background checks than any gig platform.

If you want predictable hourly pay, benefits, and a more controlled work environment, Alto is worth investigating. Currently operates in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Washington DC.

The catch: this is a job, not a side hustle. You drive Alto vehicles on Alto schedules. You give up the flexibility most of us got into rideshare for. But you also get stability, predictable income, and full employee benefits.

Curb: Licensed Taxis With a Modern App

Curb is a different beast. It is essentially an Uber-style app that connects riders with licensed taxi drivers in cities across the US. For drivers, this means traditional taxi licensing requirements, fingerprint background checks, and city-regulated vetting.

If you already drive taxi or are considering that path, Curb is the modern interface that connects you to riders without going through Uber. Worth knowing if your market has strong taxi infrastructure.

inDrive: Negotiable Fares

inDrive operates internationally in more than 888 cities and has a small US presence. The platform's unique feature: riders propose what they want to pay, drivers counter-offer, and they negotiate. No surge pricing.

For drivers, this means more autonomy on pricing but less predictability on volume. Worth testing if available in your market, but not a primary income source for most US drivers yet.

The Drivers Cooperative: Driver-Owned in NYC

The Drivers Cooperative is a worker-owned cooperative serving New York City. Drivers literally own the company. Profits get distributed back to drivers.

The honest reality: as of 2026, the platform has had significant technical reliability issues. The app crashes frequently. The mission is admirable. The execution is still maturing.

Worth supporting if you drive in NYC and the platform stabilizes, but not ready as a primary income source right now.

Crew: A Different Kind of Gig Work

Crew is not a rideshare app. It is a gig work platform offering simple tasks like moving trash cans, light deliveries, and basic local errands. Drivers report relatively high hourly earnings for tasks that take less time than rideshare trips.

Why this matters for rideshare drivers: during slow rideshare periods, picking up a few Crew tasks could be a better use of time than waiting for pings. It is not going to replace your rideshare income, but it could fill dead hours profitably.

Worth installing as a secondary platform if it operates in your area.

Who Should Switch Apps

Honest answer: nobody should fully switch from Uber and Lyft yet. The driver density and rider density are still too low on every alternative.

But every full-time driver should be running 2 to 4 apps simultaneously. The smart approach in 2026 looks like this:

Uber and Lyft as the primary income drivers Empower as a third app where available (free trial first, then evaluate) DoorDash or Uber Eats for slow rideshare windows Crew or other gig task apps for dead hours

The drivers earning the most in 2026 are not the ones loyal to one platform. They are the ones running multiple apps strategically.

The Bigger Picture

Here is the truth about every rideshare alternative on this list: they are all still platform-dependent business models. They might pay you more. They might treat you better. But they are still companies that can change their fees, change their rules, change their take, deactivate your account, or shut down entirely. Sidecar, Ride Austin, Juno, and Via NYC all tried and failed. Even the well-meaning ones come and go.

The real long-term protection is income that does not depend on any single app. Direct clients you have built relationships with. Hotel concierge contracts. Corporate accounts that book you for weekly airport runs. Repeat passengers who request you directly.

These clients pay you what you charge, not what an algorithm decides to charge for your time. They book through your phone, not through an app subscription. They are the part of your business that survives whichever platform wins the alternative-rideshare war.

Tools designed specifically for this gap make it easier than ever. RideShareGuides.com offers free digital business cards, Personal Driver IDs, and direct booking tools built for US rideshare drivers who want a private client base alongside their app work. Whether you stick with Uber, switch to Empower, or experiment with everything, your direct clients are the part of your business that nobody can take from you.

The Bottom Line

In 2026, US rideshare drivers finally have real alternatives to Uber and Lyft. Empower is the clearest standout for drivers in supported markets. Alto offers stability if you want employee status. Crew opens up profitable gig work for slow hours.

Test the alternatives that are available in your city. Run multiple apps. Take whichever pings make the most sense in the moment. And keep building the direct client base that protects you regardless of which app is winning this month.

The era of Uber and Lyft as your only options is finally over. Use it