Table of Contents
Highlight
- ONDC App Review reveals how India’s open digital network empowers buyers and small sellers with greater transparency and pricing freedom.
- ONDC App Review 2025 shows improved delivery speed, better UI/UX, and expanding seller diversity across major e-commerce apps.
- ONDC App Review insights highlight growing consumer trust, competitive pricing, and the platform’s potential to redefine India’s e-commerce future.
Introduction – What Is ONDC and Why It Matters
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) provides a pathway for consumers and merchants to buy and sell directly from each other without being limited to existing proprietary e-commerce marketplaces. As of October 2025, ONDC has grown in popularity, and consumers can now select from numerous consumer apps that offer the ONDC experience.
This article outlines a review from a current user who has purchased using ONDC to provide a user experience review – delivery, quality of UI / UX, pricing, seller diversity, quality/reliability, strengths, and areas of concern.
ONDC in 2025: Snapshot
Since its initial launch, ONDC has onboarded lakhs of sellers across numerous categories and has integrated into a handful of consumer apps. In a general sense, ONDC is being seen as one of the pillars of e-commerce reform to help break the existing monopolies of “marketplaces” and democratize access across India. Some of the leading e-commerce platforms and logistics partners have already enabled ONDC flows into their existing platforms.
Installing and onboarding
The ONDC user experience starts with the selection of an ONDC-enabled app (or toggling ONDC mode in a pre-existing app). Account setup is easy, and any existing login credentials can be migrated over seamlessly. Upon onboarding, a user may recognize variations in the UI, specifically if they see “this product is coming from an ONDC partner,” which may induce a belief or anticipation of a longer delivery time.
Interface & Navigation
Pros:
Organized UI: ONDC products are presented alongside local goods, each with unique identifiers (such as “ONDC vendor”).
Filtering and sorting: Sorting can be completed by price, delivery time, seller rating, etc.
Checkout process: Checkout stays within the same app, with no drastic transition.
Cons/friction points:
A certain product page lacks vendor and review information compared to a local experience.
Assertive disclaimers: Some UI pop-ups sometimes say “there may be delays” or “the seller might cancel”; this makes you less comfortable buying the product.
Rating clustering: If you have 100 sellers providing the same SKU, that will inflate the rating range to be 4.5-5, where the rating doesn’t mean much.
Delivery & Logistics Experience
Delivery speed: In major metropolitan areas, the ONDC delivery average is very similar to that of “normal” e-commerce (24-48 hours). In less populated areas, the norm will be 1-3 days longer than “normal.”
Tracking: Limited tracking of parcels is built in; however, real-time updates can be hit or miss. Occasionally, for example, the app will say “in transit” or “arriving soon” even when the package is delivered.
Cancellation & replacement: There are some ONDC selling environments that will cancel an order for stock or logistics reasons. The refund process is typically seamless in most apps, but it can take 2-3 business days.
Customer service: Customer service is decentralized; the complaint process is to forward the complaint to the seller. The amount of time for a response will be dependent on how responsive the seller is.
Price, Offers, and Competition
Typically, ONDC has price advantages because smaller sellers offer and compete on price without having to pay the usual commission to the marketplace. Delivery fees can be higher and mitigate the price benefits in semi-urban or other remote areas.
Types of offers and coupons: ONDC items are often excluded from offers, deep discounts, and flash sales that may occur in a marketplace app. Price transparency is better on ONDC – you typically see a “price breakdown” showing the cost of delivery and what the seller receives.
Product Portfolio and Seller Control
ONDC performs well when native inventory is weak – for hobby, specialty, and unique items, local stores using ONDC can help fill inventory gaps. Seller quality is ambiguous – there do not appear to be return policies or warranties on some products ordered from the small vendors shown in ONDC. More sellers are flagged as “verified” or “trusted ONDC partners.
Reliability/Trust
For simpler or standardized products (for example, books, stationery, daily items, and plastic cutlery), ONDC performs consistently well. For more complex items (for example, electronics and perishables), users may sometimes prefer the more formal guarantee of the marketplace. Trust increased – the repeated orders made using ONDC indicate sellers are getting more consistent.
Pros and Cons from the User Perspective
Pros
More options, especially local or smaller sellers
Possibility for savings, particularly for products that large platforms have not prioritized
No lock-in – will not feel ‘forced’ to use a marketplace. Improvement in competitiveness in the ecosystem
Cons / Pain Points
- Inconsistent logistics in smaller regions
- Risk of seller cancellations/stock inconsistencies
- Less involvement in attractive offers or platform promotions
- Returns, warranty policies, and support can vary widely
User Tips & Best Practices
- Check seller rating and “delivery time estimate” before ordering.
- Prefer “trusted ONDC vendors” that are highlighted by the app.
- Avoid critical electronics via ONDC (until further guarantees develop).
- Use apps that incorporate support systems.
- Start with smaller order volumes to confirm seller dependability.
Outlook & Roadmap
As more logistical providers join ONDC, delivery consistency will improve in tier-2/3 cities. Standard seller vetting, return policies, and disputed financial settlements will add trust. More apps (including grocery, hyperlocal, and vertical) will include ONDC flows. Promotional tie-ups and coupon engines will expand ONDC participation. Ultimately, ONDC’s success will rely on capturing small merchants without sacrificing consumer trust.
Conclusion
The ONDC experience in October 2025 is encouraging; however, it’s still in its maturation phase. In major metros, users begin to enjoy near-parity compared to traditional e-commerce, with the additional benefits of choices and democratization.
In geographies with lower density, issues with delivery and seller consistency persist. Users willing to endure a small amount of trade-offs perceive value in ONDC already. As logistics improve, sellers adhere to higher standards, and the user interface receives polish for things like search and checkout, ONDC will move beyond “experiment mode” to everyday commerce in India.
