Bolt
Estonia
EU
Bolt is a mobility platform from Estonia. Markus Villig founded the company in 2013 in Tallinn as Taxify, aged 19. According to the company page, Bolt serves more than 200 million customers...
European Alternatives to Uber
Cabify
Spain
EU
Cabify is a Spanish ride-hailing company founded in Madrid in 2011 by Juan de Antonio. According to its company page it operates in six countries and more than 40 cities: Spain, Chile,...
Freenow
Germany
EU
Non-European Parent Company
Freenow is a taxi and ride-hailing app headquartered in Hamburg. Lyft, a US company, completed its takeover on 30 July 2025 for about 175 million euros, so Freenow now has a non-European...
Heetch
France
EU
Heetch is a French ride-hailing app that started in Paris in 2013 with night-time rides. Today it works as a VTC (private hire) platform in French cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille,...
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Submit SuggestionUber is an American ride-hailing company headquartered in San Francisco. It started in 2009 and today offers rides through an app in many European cities, plus food delivery under Uber Eats. Typical reasons to look for an alternative are different prices in the own city, a preference for licensed taxis, or the wish to use a provider with headquarters in Europe.
European alternatives to Uber compared
- Bolt (Estonia): the widest reach, with rides, scooters, car sharing and food delivery in more than 50 countries according to the company. Bolt is the closest all-round alternative to Uber.
- Freenow (Germany): focuses on licensed taxis and private hire in nine European countries. Since July 2025 it belongs to the US company Lyft and is marked with a non-European parent.
- Cabify (Spain): private hire vehicles in Spanish cities, with a fixed price shown before the ride.
- Heetch (France): private hire app for large French cities, open around the clock.
What changes when switching
Taxi apps such as Freenow book licensed taxis with a metered fare. Private hire apps such as Bolt, Cabify and Heetch work with registered private hire drivers and show a price before the trip. Prices rise at busy times in all of these apps. A short comparison in the apps for the same route shows the difference in the own city.
The apps cover rides only. Alternatives to Uber Eats are not part of this page. All European ride-hailing apps are collected in the category ride-hailing apps.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a European Uber?
Bolt from Estonia is the closest match in range and services. Freenow is the largest European taxi app, but is owned by Lyft.
Is Freenow cheaper than Uber?
It depends on the city and time. Freenow books taxis with regulated fares in many cities, while Uber and Bolt use their own pricing. Comparing both apps for the same route is the only reliable answer.
Which app works outside the home country?
Bolt and Freenow work in several countries with one account. Cabify and Heetch are mostly limited to Spain and France.