The 10 Best Apps Like Uber & Postmates For Errands, Handymen, Mail & More

Calling a company the “Uber for [whatever]!” is just another way of saying “mobile, on-demand service for [whatever]!,” and we sifted through the dozens making this claim to find 10 that are useful to a guy with kids. Build a home screen folder with these venture-backed delivery services and apps for smartphones, and you’re a few taps and swipes away from completing a whole weekend’s worth of errands in minutes.

Uber for Getting Anything Delivered

Postmates

There’s no better app like Postmates than… Postmates. Who needs the Chili’s To Go window when there’s Postmates? You place your order at a restaurant that typically doesn’t deliver and a Postmate picks it up and brings it to your house. The app handles other deliveries on-demand too, like when you’re out of Pepto because you wanted your baby-.

Uber For A Parking Space

Luxe

If your kid was late to gymnastics because you couldn’t find a spot for the minivan again (or you’re just too scared to parallel park it), get Luxe. A personal valet shows up and takes your car, then returns it to you later. The real Uber doesn’t let you bring a car seat, so this is also a good family-friendly alternative when you’re carting the kids around. And during surge pricing.

Uber For Mailing and Shipping

Shyp

When your kid asks if their Christmas list got mailed to Santa, you won’t have to lie (at least about the mailing part). On-demand app Shyp comes to you to pick up whatever broken toy you have to send back to Amazon or gift you have to mail your mother-in-law, packs it up, and saves you from standing in never-ending post office lines with a toddler doing the pee-pee dance.

Uber for Household Chores

Alfred

Alfred matches you with a personal butler who’ll take care of all your grocery shopping, laundry folding and bathroom-cleaning needs. This doesn’t make you Batman, though.

Uber For Dog Walking

Rover

If your kid’s soccer game going into overtime means Lassie’s probably going to poop on the rug, Rover will help you line up a dog walker to let her out so you can stay through the penalty kicks. What is it, girl? You love on-demand apps?

Uber For Handymen

Handy

In addition to cleaning, on-demand app Handy (formerly Handybook) provides plumbing, electrical, moving, painting and minor carpentry services. Their website does not note how much butt crack these services will expose you to.

Uber For Groceries

Instacart

Residents of San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Los Angeles who are tired of hearing their NYC friends sing the praises of Fresh Direct can now rejoice. Everyone else has to move.

Uber For Doctors

Doctor On Demand

If you find that WebMD enables your inner hypochondriac, you’ll want to stay away from this service, which lets you video chat with real doctors to determine if that thing on your nose is melanoma or just a pimple.

Uber For Mechanics

Your Mechanic

These house-calling mechanics service over 700 cities and will come directly to your garage or parking spot with diagnostic tools and the parts to repair your car. Will they give you a lift to work? No — you’re thinking of Uber for Uber.

Uber For Babysitters

UrbanSitter

This is more like an Angie’s List for babysitters than an Uber, but at the end of the day someone shows up to look after your kids, so it’s Uber-ish.