For a rider in Metro Manila, "the app" has meant Grab since Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to Grab and left the Philippines in 2018. There are others trying — inDrive, a few local names — and on two wheels there are Angkas, JoyRide, Move It and Maxim. And as of October 2026 there's Intra Cab, which works differently enough from Grab that it's worth explaining properly before you decide whether it belongs on your phone.
Here's an honest rundown of how each works for the rider, who each suits, and why the answer is probably "both".
The apps you'll find
Grab
The default, and for good reason: it has the most cars, it's everywhere from Alabang to Fairview, and it's been through the LTFRB's accreditation process for ride-hailing. You enter your destination and Grab shows a fixed fare before you book. GrabCar is the standard private car, with a six-seater option for groups; GrabTaxi books a regular metered taxi and adds a booking fee to the meter. Pay with GrabPay, a card, or cash. In-app chat, trip sharing, an emergency button, promos and vouchers — the full super-app experience, plus food and parcels in the same app.
The catch every Manileño knows: dynamic pricing. When it rains, when EDSA stops, when the malls empty on a Friday payday, the fare climbs — there's a regulatory cap on how far, but a trip that was ₱250 at lunchtime can be a very different number at 6pm, and at the worst moments there are no cars at any price.
Best for: riders who want a fixed number immediately, want to pay with a card or wallet, or need the biggest pool of drivers.
inDrive and the others
inDrive lets you propose your own fare and drivers accept or counter; it's grown elsewhere on that pitch and is working to get a foothold in the Philippines. Coverage in Metro Manila is thin compared with Grab. Worth having installed if you like naming your price.
The motorcycle taxis
Angkas, JoyRide, Move It and Maxim are the fastest way through metro traffic for one person. They operate under the government's motorcycle-taxi pilot through accredited platforms, with a cap on the number of riders; riding for hire outside those apps is not authorised. For a motorcycle in Metro Manila, Cebu or Cagayan de Oro, those are the apps — not Grab, and, as explained below, not Intra Cab.
Intra Cab
Opened in the Philippines in October 2026. Instead of the app naming a fare, you post the trip — pickup, destination, how many passengers, car or bus — and every driver nearby who wants it sends you their own price in pesos. You see the offers side by side, each with the driver's name, photo, car and rating and how far away they are, and pick one. No surge, because no algorithm sets anything. No commission — Intra takes nothing from the driver, so the fare you pay is what they keep, in cash at the end of the trip. If the Skyway makes sense for your trip, the toll is in the driver's quote rather than a surprise at the end.
Sign-in is a one-time code to your phone, no password. The app has a motorcycle option, but in the Philippines motorcycle taxis run through the accredited pilot platforms above — don't expect motorcycle offers on Intra here.
Best for: riders who'd rather compare several real offers than accept one number, who want the fare going to the driver rather than a platform, or who are in a part of the metro where Grab is thin or surging.
How they compare
| Grab | inDrive | Intra Cab | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets the price | The app, upfront | You propose, drivers counter | Drivers quote, you choose |
| Surge | Dynamic pricing, capped | No multiplier; offers rise when busy | None |
| Payment | GrabPay, card, cash | Mostly cash | Cash, direct to driver |
| Vehicle options | GrabCar, 6-seater, GrabTaxi | Car | Car, bus (motorcycle not offered in PH) |
| Commission from drivers | Percentage per trip | Service fee per trip | None |
| Coverage in Metro Manila | Dense | Thin | Growing from zero, October 2026 |
The thing nobody tells you: install more than one
On a rainy Friday at 6pm, the question isn't which app is best in the abstract. It's which one has a driver near you willing to take the trip at a price you'll pay. On Grab that moment looks like a surge fare or "no drivers available". On Intra it looks like a driver two streets away sending a quote that reflects the rain, with no multiplier on top — or, right now, often no offer at all, because we're new.
They're all free. Install both, post the trip on more than one when it's busy, and take whichever gets you home.
What to actually check before you ride
- Match the car and the driver's face to what the app shows before you get in. Both apps show you both before the driver arrives.
- Know how you're paying. Grab takes cards and GrabPay; Intra is cash, paid to the driver. Carry notes small enough that the driver can make change.
- Agree the price is what you expect before the trip starts — an upfront fare, or an offer you accepted. On Intra, if the driver suggests a route with a toll, it should already be in the quote.
- Share your trip with someone if you're riding at night.
- Motorcycles only through the accredited apps. Use Angkas, JoyRide, Move It or Maxim for a bike.
Where Intra Cab stands, honestly
Intra has only just opened in the Philippines. Grab has years of head start, LTFRB accreditation behind it, and far more cars; whatever franchise or permit the law requires of a driver to carry paying passengers is theirs to hold, and Intra checks identity and vehicle, not permits. Intra is signing up its first Metro Manila drivers now, and for a while many requests — especially outside Makati, BGC, Ortigas and Quezon City — will get few offers or none. So this isn't a "delete Grab" post. Keep Grab, add Intra alongside it, and when a driver does answer you'll see exactly what they want for the trip, with no surge and no cut.
Download Intra Cab — free on Android and iPhone.
More for riders in Metro Manila: Taxi in Metro Manila — how Intra Cab works in the metro · Getting around Metro Manila: jeepneys, MRT, taxis, Grab and the motorcycle apps · Drivers: Grab vs Intra Cab for drivers — commission, fares and who decides
Based on each app's public listings and how each service describes itself as of October 2026. Features, coverage and payment options change often; check the current apps. Motorcycle-taxi rules are as set out in the government pilot as reported in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email sales@intra.cab and we'll fix it.