1. Taxify

Available in 18 countries throughout Europe and Africa, Taxify works like Uber because it allows you to pick your desired kind of vehicle, monitor your driver's location and pay for the ride via the app. Cash payments are also possible.

On the driver's side of things, Taxify takes a 15 percent commission. It insists it will keep the commission low and that the amount is not an introductory rate.

2. Juno

Juno claims to charge up to 40 percent less commission than some other taxi companies and operates on the principle that well-treated drivers are happy drivers.

The service operates in New York, so if you're going to explore the Big Apple, it's a smart choice. Plus, if you run into any problems during a journey, Juno offers 24/7 live support through phone, text and email.

3. Safr

This company currently operates in Boston. It focuses on empowering women by bringing more equality to the fares earned by male and female drivers and paying the people who work for the company rates that are higher than the industry standard.

All vehicles have SOS buttons for riders to use if they feel unsafe, and real-time monitoring allows representatives from the Safr control center to intervene if things go amiss. When signing up for a ride with Safr, you can choose the gender of your driver, too.

4. Curb

Curb has the broadest availability of any other service mentioned on this list so far. Boasting a fleet of more than 100,000 drivers, it operates in nearly 50 metropolitan cities in the United States. Also, Curb only hires professional taxi drivers as opposed to some services that let anyone with a car in good condition become a driver after they pass a background check.

You book your ride through the Curb app and watch the driver approach on the screen. Alternatively, it's possible to book through the Curb website and schedule your trip in advance.

That's a notable option if you're getting ready for a night out and want to take care of your transportation arrangements in advance instead of waiting until the nightlife winds down when dozens of other people are also trying to get safe rides home.

5. Summon

Summon primarily serves the West Coast of the United States and gives people the option of choosing a professional taxi driver or someone using their personal vehicle.

It also displays fare estimates in the app and, unlike Uber, does not use a surge pricing structure when demand rises. You can have a stored credit card charged, eliminating the need to carry cash or take out your wallet.

6. The Ride

Headed to hang out with some Canucks? You should download The Ride first and make transportation planning a breeze. It's a multipurpose app that works throughout Canada and combines public transportation details with ride-booking options.

The app's e-hailing component works as Uber does. Also, if you're in a part of Canada that doesn't have the e-hailing service yet, you can still get a ride home without delay by using the segment that connects you to over 25,000 licensed drivers in Canada and determining which one of them can reach you the fastest.

That first-available-dispatch part of the app saves you from the frustration of hitting the Redial button on your phone over and over and only hearing a busy signal in response.