About Hackney: Compare Rideshares
My grandson mentioned this app over Sunday dinner. He said it would save me money on my rides to the garden center and my bridge club. I was skeptical—apps can be so confusing—but I gave it a shot. For over a month now, it’s been the first thing I open when I need a car. Instead of fumbling between the Uber and Lyft apps, trying to remember which one was cheaper, Hackney puts everything right in front of me. It’s just a simple, clean screen that tells me what I need to know. No fancy graphics or confusing buttons. That’s exactly what I wanted.
Core Features
The main thing it does is compare. You type in where you want to go, and in a few seconds it shows you the price and wait time for a regular Uber and a regular Lyft, side-by-side. Sometimes it even shows a local taxi company, which I like. You can see a little map with dots for where the drivers are, which helps explain the wait. There’s also a filter so you won’t see drivers with really bad ratings. I use that one. I don’t need any other bells and whistles. It does this one job and doesn’t clutter it up with anything else, which I appreciate.
Real-World Use
Let me tell you about last Tuesday. I had a doctor’s appointment across town at 10 AM. I opened Hackney like I always do. Uber said $18.75 with a 7-minute wait. Lyft said $14.50 with a 4-minute wait. Just like that, the choice was made. I tapped the Lyft option, it took me right to the Lyft app to confirm, and I was set. Another time, after my book club let out around 8 PM, Lyft was surging but Uber was almost five dollars cheaper. I never would have known if I’d just opened Lyft out of habit. It saves me a few dollars most trips, and that adds up. More than the money, it saves me the headache of checking two apps.
Pricing & Value
The app is free. There’s no catch, no subscription, nothing to buy inside it. From what I understand, they get a little something if I book through their link, but that doesn’t cost me a penny extra. For me, the value is clear. I’ve probably saved enough in a month to cover my next bunch of flowers from the nursery. You can’t argue with that. It’s a free tool that puts money back in my pocket. I’d call that a good deal.
Updates & Support
I did have one issue a couple of weeks ago. The prices on the screen seemed stuck and wouldn’t change. I got a bit frustrated. I found the “Help” section in the app and sent a message explaining the problem. I didn’t hear back right away—it took about two days—but when they did reply, it was a real person. They were very polite and gave me clear instructions to close the app and open it again, which fixed it. I wish it had been faster, but for a free app, getting actual help from a human was a nice surprise.
Data & Privacy
I got the app from the regular Apple App Store on my iPhone. It needs to know my location to find nearby drivers, which makes sense. I was worried it might want to dig into my contacts or photos, but it doesn’t ask for any of that. The privacy policy seemed straightforward when I glanced at it. It uses my data to do the comparison and that’s about it. I feel comfortable using it. It doesn’t feel sneaky.
How does Hackney compare ride prices?
You just type in your destination, and within seconds Hackney shows you the price and wait time for Uber and Lyft side by side. Sometimes it also includes a local taxi option, making it easy to pick the cheapest or fastest ride.
Does Hackney have any extra features like driver ratings?
Yes, there’s a simple filter that lets you avoid drivers with really bad ratings. The app also shows a small map with driver locations so you can understand the wait time, but it keeps everything clean and uncluttered.
Why does Hackney open another app when I select a ride?
Hackney is designed to compare prices and then send you directly to the ride-hailing app (like Lyft or Uber) to confirm the booking. This is normal and ensures you get the exact price shown, without Hackney needing to manage the ride itself.
What should I do if Hackney shows outdated prices?
Make sure you have a stable internet connection, as prices can change quickly. If the issue persists, try closing and reopening the app to refresh the data, since it pulls real-time information from Uber and Lyft.
How is Hackney different from just using Uber or Lyft alone?
Instead of opening two separate apps to compare prices, Hackney shows you both options on one simple screen. This saves you time and helps you spot cheaper rides, like when Lyft is surging but Uber isn’t, without any extra hassle.
