Two Dallas-Fort Worth-based rideshare companies have made major announcements about their services: One’s set to launch this year and the other is expanding its coverage area.

Pick, headquartered in Frisco, is a new ridesharing service that announced it’s launching in Texas with plans to expand nationwide. Dallas’ Alto announced that it is expanding its on-demand coverage to include Coppell, Valley Ranch, Irving, Frisco, Plano, Farmers Branch, and Addison.

While both rideshare services, the companies have very different business models.

Alto members use an app to hail their rides in Alto-owned vehicles that are driven by W-2 employees. The company said that it ensures a safe, consistent, and high-quality ride every time.

Back in October, we originally told you about Alto when it had raised $13 million from two rounds of funding. Alto officially launched in Dallas earlier this year, and currently has more than 4,000 members taking more than 10,000 rides, according to a company release. Its drivers undergo comprehensive background checks, extensive training, and all rides are monitored with real-time video in each car.

A woman prepares to use the Pick app. [Photo Courtesy Pick]

Alto riders are always picked up in a clearly identifiable Buick SUV with an Alto license plate and custom grill lights that light up when engaged from an Alto app. Its members are charged a nominal monthly membership fee, which Alto said makes it able to protect its riders from surge pricing on busy nights.

Pick, on the other hand, calls itself the first rideshare provider to disrupt the industry with technology, allowing riders to view and select their driver before a pickup is scheduled. With a slogan of decide before you ride, Pick has a patent-pending matching system that gives riders the ability to decide through driver ratings, reviews, and car interior and exterior photos.

If you liked a particular driver, Pick then offers the ability to save favorites and automatically be matched with that driver again.

Now accepting driver applications, Pick is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2019. The company said it is offering a $10 credit for customers interested in early access to a beta test.