5 Apps To Make Life (Even) Easier In Austin

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Copious amounts of tacos, sunshine, and live music: life is good in Austin, Texas. However, there are times when traffic is bad and tacos are not in walking distance — here are 5 mobile apps to help you cope with those troubling times.

1)   Favor

Favor isn’t just another food delivery app — this became obvious when they received $13 million in Series A funding earlier this month. The Austin-based company operates by using “runners” to pick up your groceries, dry cleaning or anything else from a store in your delivery area. Much like our next featured app, users can stay in touch with their runner via texting.

  • Pro: You never have to run your own errands.
  • Con: Costs more and takes longer than doing it yourself: $5 fee plus 5% of the cost of the items plus tip to the runner, and a 35-minute average delivery time. 

2)   Uber

Whether you have a 5-star rating or are protesting in front of city hall, by now most Austinites have heard of Uber. The app, which connects riders with drivers, transformed transportation within months of launching in Austin. While the original motto was “Everyone’s Private Driver,” Uber now offers a less expensive carpool service.

  • Pro: Short wait times.
  • Con: The more demand in your pickup area, the higher the price.

3)   Waze

Transportation is an obvious issue in Austin. While services like Uber may be quick to pick you up, they still can’t fly over the traffic on Mopac at 5pm. However, one app has found a way around the congestion. Waze collects real-time traffic and road info and provides you with alternate routes.

  • Pro: Avoiding Mopac and I-35 traffic.
  • Con: The more traffic the app gets, the more traffic the alternate routes will also get.

 4)   Car2Go

Last transportation app, promise. While traffic may be the bigger problem, we can’t overlook the parking issue — especially downtown. Instead of paying $20 to park in a garage, you can rent a teeny tiny Car2Go for .41 / minute and drop it off at any of their allotted spots around town.

  • Pro: Cheap, easy, and your car can stay safe at home.
  • Con: No more than 2 people can fit in a Car2Go.

 5)   TabbedOut

If you’re saving time with transportation, why not save time while you wine and dine? Instead of asking for the check, putting your card down, waiting for the waiter to pick it up, and then finally giving your autograph — TabbedOut allows you to pay for everything within the app, no paper and pen needed.

  • Pro: Saves time.
  • Con: Not every bar and restaurant is integrated with the app.

The most important thing to know about Austin is that we are connected AND we are digitally-savvy… now get out there and enjoy the #1 city in the U.S. for small business!