Which App for Your Journey?
Fixed price, meet-and-greet, flight tracked. No surge at 3am or Friday evenings.
Typically 5–15% cheaper than Uber off-peak for like-for-like city journeys.
Largest black cab app fleet in London. TfL Hackney Carriage licensed drivers.
Addison Lee for reliable premium PHV; Wheely for top-tier luxury chauffeur.
Widest driver coverage, consistent experience. Compare with Bolt before confirming.
Pre-booked, confirmed driver, no cancellations. For anything that matters.
Every App In Depth
GetLondonTransfer is not a ride-hailing app — it is a pre-booked fixed-price private hire operator, and that distinction matters. No surge pricing, ever. Your fare is confirmed at booking and never changes: not at 3am, not on a Friday evening, not during a bank holiday delay wave. For airport transfers specifically — Heathrow from £55, Gatwick from £59, Stansted from £65, Luton from £59 — it is the operationally correct choice. Driver details sent the evening before. Meet-and-greet in the arrivals hall. Flight tracked automatically. Every vehicle class from saloon to minibus. Rated 60 min across 50,000+ journeys. Not designed for spontaneous five-minute city hops — for that, use Bolt or Uber. For anything that matters, pre-book.
Bolt is consistently 5–15% cheaper than Uber for like-for-like journeys in London off-peak. Founded in Estonia, Bolt has grown to a substantial London presence and is licensed operators. The driver experience and vehicle quality is comparable to Uber. For spontaneous city rides where price is the primary factor, open both Bolt and Uber before deciding — the cheaper option varies by location and time of day. Bolt also surges during peak demand, rain, events and late-night periods, but typically with less aggressive multipliers than Uber.
The most widely recognised ride-hailing app in London with the largest driver network. Uber is licensed operators and operates across all London boroughs and airports. For on-demand city rides, Uber is reliable and consistent. The key problems are structural: dynamic surge pricing peaks aggressively during rain, Friday evenings, sporting events, and any period of concentrated demand. For airport transfers — particularly Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted during peak arrivals — surge regularly reaches 2–3× the base fare, pushing a quoted £55 to £110–£140. Since January 2026, Uber applies 20% VAT to London journeys. Compare with Bolt before confirming any city ride. Never use Uber for a pre-booked airport transfer if price certainty matters.
FreeNow (formerly mytaxi) is the largest app for booking licensed London black cabs — Hackney Carriages driven by The Knowledge-trained drivers. If you specifically want a black cab experience (or need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, for which black cabs are the standard), FreeNow has the best fleet. Owned by Lyft, it also offers PHV (minicab) options. Black cabs cost more than app-based PHVs — typically 20–40% more — but The Knowledge means drivers navigate without GPS, and black cabs can legally stop anywhere in London. For standard on-demand journeys, compare price with Bolt or Uber before confirming.
Gett is a black cab booking platform with a focus on corporate accounts and expense management. If your employer already uses Gett for corporate travel, the seamless billing and detailed reporting is genuinely useful. For individuals, there is no compelling reason to choose Gett over FreeNow — FreeNow has a larger driver pool and similar pricing for black cabs. Gett has been losing individual market share since 2023 but maintains a strong corporate user base. Pricing is comparable to FreeNow.
Addison Lee has operated London private hire since 1975 and is synonymous with professional, pre-booked PHV. Vehicles are well-maintained, drivers are professionally presented, and reliability is high. The core problem for most passengers: Addison Lee runs 30–80% more expensive than Uber and Bolt for like-for-like journeys, and their airport fixed fares can be nearly double what a comparable independent operator charges. For corporate accounts where cost is secondary to consistency and professional presentation, Addison Lee is genuinely strong. For price-conscious passengers, the premium is hard to justify against alternatives with comparable reliability.
Wheely occupies the top of the London ground transport market: luxury chauffeur vehicles, hotel-standard drivers, and premium pricing to match. Based in London and operating across major European cities, Wheely is the correct choice for high-end corporate and personal travel where the vehicle and presentation are part of the service. Not suitable for standard commuting or airport transfers where cost is a consideration. For airport transfers at GetLondonTransfer's price point (from £55), Wheely does not compete.
When No App Is the Right Answer
Apps work brilliantly for spontaneous city rides. They are the wrong tool for important journeys. If any of the following apply, pre-book with a fixed-price operator instead:
| Situation | App-Based Risk | Pre-Booked Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Airport transfer with a flight to catch | Driver cancellations, surge pricing, kerbside confusion | Driver confirmed in arrivals hall evening before |
| Friday evening / bank holiday arrival | Surge 2–3× — £90–£140 on a normally £55 journey | Fixed £55 regardless of demand |
| Early morning departure (3–5am) | Low driver supply, high cancellation risk | No night rate, driver confirmed, no cancellation |
| Group of 4–6 with full luggage | XL needed, surge applies, may need 2 cars | MPV from £68, fixed, one vehicle confirmed |
| Long-haul arrival after a delay | App requires rebooking from scratch | Flight tracked automatically, driver waits |
"Used every app on this list over 5 years of weekly London travel. Switched to GetLondonTransfer for all airport runs after one too many Uber surges and two cancellations. For city hops I still use Bolt. The key is knowing which tool to use when."
London Taxi Apps FAQ 2026
Which is cheaper — Uber or Bolt in London in 2026?
Off-peak, Bolt is typically 5–15% cheaper than Uber for like-for-like journeys. During peak hours and surge events the gap narrows or reverses. Always compare both before confirming, and note that since January 2026, Uber applies 20% VAT to London journeys under the PHVO principal model.
What is the best taxi app for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airport transfers?
No ride-hailing app is the best option for airport transfers. Dynamic surge pricing, kerbside-only pickups, no flight tracking, and driver cancellation risk all make apps unsuitable for important airport journeys. GetLondonTransfer — fixed price, meet-and-greet in arrivals, flight tracked, no night rate — is the correct tool for airport transfers.
What is the best app for London black cabs?
FreeNow has the largest London black cab (Hackney Carriage) fleet and is the leading app for hailing licensed cabs via app. Gett is a strong alternative for corporate users who need detailed expense reporting. Both are licensed operators and use The Knowledge-trained Hackney Carriage drivers.
Is Addison Lee worth the premium in 2026?
For corporate accounts where cost is secondary to consistency and professional presentation, yes. Addison Lee's reliability and driver standards are genuinely high. For individual passengers, the 30–80% premium over Uber and Bolt is difficult to justify. For airport transfers specifically, Addison Lee's fixed fares run significantly higher than GetLondonTransfer for comparable service.
For Airport Transfers — Skip the Apps.
Fixed price from £55. Driver in arrivals. Flight tracked. No surge at any hour. Book in 60 seconds.