Bali inDrive Guide: How to Use It, Pros & Cons, and My Experience

When you need to travel between different areas in Bali by car, what’s one of the most affordable ways to get around?

For most travelers, Grab or Gojek probably comes to mind first. But if you’re looking to save money, there’s another ride-hailing app worth knowing about: inDrive.

In this Bali inDrive guide, I’ll explain how inDrive works, how it compares with Grab and Gojek, its pros and cons, and what my experience was like using it to travel from Canggu to Ubud.

✅ What This Guide Covers

• inDrive vs. Grab & Gojek
• How to use inDrive in Bali
• Pros and cons of using inDrive
• My experience using inDrive from Canggu to Ubud
  
  

If you’re familiar with Grab and Gojek but haven’t heard much about inDrive, here’s how they compare.

inDrive, Gojek, and Grab are all ride-hailing apps, so you can use any of them to book a ride directly through your phone.

The main differences are in how fares are determined, how drivers are assigned, payment methods, and the services available.

One of the biggest differences is how fares and drivers are handled.

With Grab and Gojek, fares are automatically calculated by the app based on factors such as time and demand. Once you request a ride, a driver is also automatically assigned to you.

With inDrive, the process is different.

You can enter the fare you’re willing to pay.

Drivers who are interested in your ride can then send you offers. You’ll be able to see information such as their rating, number of previous rides, and vehicle type before choosing the driver yourself.

So instead of simply accepting an automatically calculated fare and assigned driver, inDrive gives you more control over both.

Grab and Gojek accept both cash and card payments. You can also register a card in advance and have your fare charged automatically through the app.

With inDrive, however, most rides are paid in cash.

❗ If you’re planning to use inDrive, I recommend preparing the exact amount in cash before your ride. Drivers may not always have enough change.

Grab and Gojek are multipurpose apps that offer more than just transportation. You can also use them for things like food delivery and shopping.

inDrive, on the other hand, is more focused on transportation and ride-hailing services.

Now let’s go through how to actually book a ride with inDrive.

1. Download the inDrive app and create an account.

* Make sure to allow location access before using the app.

2. Once you’ve created your account, select “City.”

3. Enter your pickup location and destination.

The app will show you the estimated travel time and a recommended fare.

4. Tap the recommended fare.

You can then adjust the amount and enter the fare you’d like to offer.

5. Enter your preferred fare and tap “Find a driver.”

6. Wait for offers from drivers.

Drivers interested in taking your ride will start sending you offers.

Some may accept the amount you originally entered, while others may offer to take the ride for a higher fare.

You can check the fare offered by each driver, their rating, number of previous rides, vehicle type, and estimated pickup time.

Once you find a driver you’re comfortable with, tap “Accept.”

7. Check your driver and pickup information.

Once you’ve selected a driver, you’ll be able to see the vehicle’s license plate number and the estimated pickup time in real time.

And that’s it!
You’ve successfully booked an inDrive ride in Bali.

One of the biggest advantages I found with inDrive was the price. This can be especially useful for longer-distance rides.

Another advantage is that you can offer the fare you want to pay and choose your driver yourself, rather than having the app automatically assign one to you.

⭕ When I’d Consider Using inDrive

• When I want to save money
• For daytime travel between different areas
• When I’m not in a hurry
  
  

There are some downsides to keep in mind as well.

Compared with Grab and Gojek, the quality of drivers and service can be less consistent.

Most rides also require cash payment, which means you’ll need to prepare enough cash and preferably the exact amount before your ride.

• Late at night
• On a first trip to Bali
• For airport pickup or drop-off

For airport transportation, I personally prefer using a pre-booked airport transfer service.

발리 공항에서 숙소까지!🚗 트립닷컴 공항 픽업 서비스 후기

I decided to try inDrive when traveling from Canggu to Ubud.

I was traveling during the daytime and wasn’t in a hurry, so it seemed like a good opportunity to give it a try.

The day before my trip, I checked the app around the same time of day to get an idea of the expected fare.

For my actual trip from Canggu to Ubud, I paid IDR 160,000, which at the time was around KRW 14,000. That was more than 40% cheaper than the average fares I was seeing on Grab and Gojek for the same trip.

🍯 Tip: If several drivers send you offers, check both their ratings and the number of rides they’ve completed.

I chose one of the highest-rated drivers with a large number of completed rides among the offers I received. The vehicle was in good condition, and overall, I was very satisfied with the ride.

❗ That said, service quality and vehicle condition can vary from driver to driver, so keep that in mind when choosing.

For me, inDrive worked well when I wanted to save money on a daytime trip between different areas and wasn’t in a hurry.

The ability to choose a driver and potentially get a lower fare can make it worth considering, particularly for longer rides.

But there are trade-offs.

If you’d rather not deal with fare offers, cash payments, or choosing between drivers, or if you simply want a more straightforward experience, I’d stick with Grab or Gojek instead.

So rather than replacing Grab or Gojek entirely, I’d consider inDrive another transportation option to have available when the situation makes sense.