Skip to content
HelloFresh is a popular meal kit service for a reason: It saves valuable time in the kitchen and at the grocery store. This meal kit delivery service offers premium meal kits delivered directly to your front door. Each box includes quality ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. Hello, Fresh is an excellent meal kit service, but it isn’t the only one on the market.
Without a doubt, meal preparation and cooking have become remarkably easier with meal kit companies like Hello Fresh, Home Chef, Blue Apron, and others. If you’re curious about alternatives to Hello Fresh, we’ve looked at everything available in 2024 to help you choose the best meal kit service.
Short On Time? Here Are Our Top Meal Kit Services Like Hello Fresh
If you’re in a hurry and still want to know what we recommend for the best alternatives to HelloFresh, here are the services we recommend for each situation.
- Best For Easy To Cook Meal Kits: Home Chef
- Best for Martha Stewart Classic Meal Kits: Martha & Marley Spoon
- Best For Organic & Healthy Meal Kits: Green Chef
- Best for Healthy Prepared Meals: Factor
- Best Affordable Alternative Meal Kit: EveryPlate
- Best Affordable Option For Picky Eaters: Dinnerly
- Best For An Upscale Culinary Experience: Blue Apron
- Best Meal Kit for Weight Loss: BistroMD
What Is Hello Fresh?
Hello Fresh is a weekly meal kit delivery service that provides healthy meal choices delivered to your front door. All ingredients arrive pre-portioned, so all you have to do is cook the meal kits following the friendly recipe cards and then enjoy! Each week, Hello Fresh provides you with a vast 100+ recipes to choose from for your weekly meals. You then place the order and wait for the meals to arrive on your doorstep each week.
There are many options for how many meals you receive from Hello Fresh each week. You can indulge in three meals per week or opt to create healthy dinners using the meal delivery service up to six days a week. You can even choose the family plan or the two-person box of pre-portioned goodies, letting you pick how many servings you’d like for each meal. If your preferences change week-to-week, you can swap to more or fewer meals for any delivery.
Pros and Cons of Hello Fresh
Food delivery services like Hello Fresh offer easy-to-make meals that taste good and are healthy. The subscription boxes arrive in a timely fashion and are a breeze to prepare.
As with all meal delivery services, there are pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to try them.
Pros:
- Great variety of recipes to choose from
- Fresh, high-quality ingredients.
- Skip weeks or cancel at any time.
- Meal plans suit many needs, such as families, vegetarians, and a healthy lifestyle.
- Pre-measured ingredients help save cooking time and reduce food waste.
- Eco-friendly service with recyclable packaging.
Cons:
- It takes time to prepare the meal kits, with few pre-cooked meal options.
- Not many options for vegans, paleo, or gluten-free dieters.
- Meals may require specialized tools.
What Are Other Companies Like Hello Fresh?
The need for meal delivery services has escalated in recent years for various reasons. Many cite a fast-paced, career-driven lifestyle, elderly singles looking for nutritious meals, and a need to avoid grocery store crowds.
Whatever the reason, various companies like Hello Fresh have sprung up in the last few years. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Keep reading this article to find out which meal kit delivery services are the best alternatives.
Home Chef – #1 Best Hello Fresh Competitor For Easy To Cook Meal Kits
Home Chef’s motto is focused on providing easy-to-cook meal kits. It wants to put the simple back into meal preparations with classic recipes that are easy and familiar. The weekly menu also offers pre-made microwavable meal options and add-on items like proteins, breakfast, salads, and more.
The meal kits arrive nicely packaged with pre-portioned ingredients and many recyclable or reusable items.
Home Chef has a healthy menu online with lots of meals to choose from. Each meal has a colorful recipe card explaining how to prepare the recipes in your kit. You can choose the number of recipes per week (with a minimum of two) and the number of servings per recipe. If you spend a particular amount on meals a week, you’ll also receive free shipping, which makes the Home Chef meal plans wonderfully affordable.
Pros and Cons of Home Chef
Home Chef Pros:
- Always easy-to-follow recipes.
- Offers 15-minute, oven-ready, and microwaveable meal kit options.
- Generous portions in every meal kit.
- Free shipping after meeting a certain threshold.
- A robust online menu with options to suit many diets, such as paleo or vegetarian
Home Chef Cons:
- Not all plastic packaging is easily recyclable
- Sauces and other items sometimes arrive pre-made to reduce cooking time.
- There are no vegan options.
Home Chef Meals To Try
- Baked Buffalo-Style Cheese-Crusted Chicken with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Tilapia with Creamed Spinach Sauce and Glazed Carrots
- Cheesy Baked Spinach Rigatoni with Garlic Bread
- Sheet Pan Brown Sugar-Glazed Beef Meatloaf with Cheddar Broccoli
What Do Customers Say About Home Chef?
Overall, customers appreciate Home Chef’s variety and quality of meals, as well as the flexibility of the oven-ready and microwave options.
On Reddit, @opal-tree-shark says: “We get the oven ready meals 95% of the time and they’re quick, easy, and come out perfect every single time.”
Emjokuah Says: “I use home chef for a longgg time… I feel like it helped me develop my kitchen skills a good amount and gave me some great recipes and ideas I’ve carried on.”
Martha & Marley Spoon – Best For Classic Martha Stewart’s Meal Kits
Martha & Marley Spoon is a meal kit service similar to Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. This service’s main advantage is that the meals are designed and approved by Martha Stewart, the ultimate home-cooking queen!
Each week, you choose meals from an extensive menu with over 100 choices. Each of the recipes per week is easy to prepare and nicely sized for either couples or families, with plans ranging from 2-6 meals a week. You can even choose their vegetarian option, which is made from organic ingredients. Simply pick the plan (2 or 4 people) you want and start creating your healthy meals, with a variety to choose from in your first box.
The impressive variety of meals featured on the Martha Marley Spoon website is nicely laid out and easy to browse. There is something for everyone’s unique preferences: comfort food favorites mixed with global cuisine and more classic-style entrees, including some very tempting desserts!
Pros and Cons of Martha & Marley Spoon
Martha & Marley Spoon Pros:
- Choose from Martha’s Best Meals, created by Martha Stewart.
- Pre-portioned, high-quality ingredients.
- Detailed and easy-to-follow recipe cards.
- Add on foods like desserts, coffee, and extra protein meals each week.
- Vegetarian, dairy-free, low-calorie, and low-carb meal options.
- Some pre-made meals are available
Martha & Marley Spoon Cons:
- Extra Shipping cost (like many others).
- Boxes use some non-recyclable items, such as cotton and plastics.
- Does not cater to individuals with severe food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Martha & Marley Spoon Meals To Try
- Fast! Al Pastor Chicken Tacos
- Chicken & Udon Stir-Fry
- Martha’s Best Beef & Wine Ravioli
- Portobello Mushrooms Rockefeller
What Do Customers Say About Martha & Marley Spoon?
In reviews of Martha & Marley Spoon, customers liked the quality and variety of recipes, as well as the price transparency, but some mention customer service can be slower to respond.
In a recent comment, Reddit user says they choose Marley Spoon because: “They have an awesome variety of recipes and don’t use the same rotation of vegetables like HF like to do. MS offers more protein customizations for no upcharge.”
Factor – Best For Healthy Prepared Meals
Factor offers fully prepared meal deliveries, with chef-designed fresh-cooked meals that you simply heat and eat! This service is ideal for busy people who want to eat healthy meals without the need to prep ingredients.
The Factor meal delivery service uses quality ingredients free from hormones, antibiotics, GMOs, and preservatives. They also ensure that meals are soy-free, gluten-free, and organic. Factor’s menu can suit many dietary needs, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, or keto.
Customers can choose from over 35 meal options each week, with additional optional add-ons for breakfast and lunch. Plans include options for 4, 6, 8, 12, or up to 18 meals per week, suitable for a one-person meal kit or a larger household.
Pros and Cons of Factor
Factor Pros:
- Healthy, high-quality ingredients free of preservatives, GMOs, and antibiotics
- Fully prepared meals get food on the table quickly
- Ideal to support a weight-loss or specialty diet
- Weekly menus are easily sorted out to suit your specific preferences, from ProteinPlus weekly menu to Vegan & Veggie and more
Factor Cons:
- Pre-prepared meals mean less flexibility with ingredients than traditional meal kits
- The price per serving is less affordable than some other meal kit services
- Slightly smaller weekly menu compared with other meal kits on the market
Factor Recommended Meals To Try
- Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl with Roasted Corn Salsa & Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
- Stuffed Pepper Beef Casserole with Roasted Green Beans
- Blackened Salmon with Smoked Gouda Cauliflower “Grits” & Broccoli
- Mushroom, Tomato & Goat Cheese Cavatappi with Herb-Roasted Zucchini
What Do Customers Say About Factor?
Customers enjoy the convenience, variety, and quality of ready-made meals, but note that they can be a pricier option.
In a review on Reddit, @JimmyMcPoyle_AZ says: “Everything from packaging to ingredients is in the top tier of ready meals.”
Green Chef – Best Organic Meal Kit Service
Green Chef is a weekly meal kit delivery company that emphasizes tasty, healthy, and sustainable foods. Their boxes feature quality ingredients like fresh USDA-certified organic produce, sustainably sourced seafood, and antibiotic—and hormone-free chicken.
The Green Chef meal kit service features options for various dietary needs, including sodium smart, keto, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and low-added sugar. Most meals come together in around 30 minutes, and their menu features a “Quick & Easy” section for quicker recipes.
Customers with Green Chef select from 40+ recipes each week. Plans feature three or four weekly meals, with serving options for two to six people. Green Chef pre-selects meals based on your preferences and you can swap out any meals you’d like or even add additional, up to eight meals per week.
Pros and Cons of Green Chef
Green Chef Pros:
- Variety of healthy, quality meals to choose from each week
- Meal ingredients are fresh, sustainable, and organic
- Options to suit many dietary preferences and needs, including plant-based and gluten-free
- Offers quick lunch options and healthy supplement add-ons as well as dinner recipes
Green Chef Cons:
- The cost per serving is less affordable than other options on the market
- Flavorful and adventurous meals may not align with all tastes
Green Chef Recommended Meals To Try
- Breaded Cauliflower & Peanut Sauce Tacos with Sriracha-ginger Mayo, Agave Lime Slaw, and Toasted Peanuts
- Steak & Bell Pepper Quesadillas with Charred Corn Salsa and Spicy Crema
- Italian Shrimp & Creamy “Rice” with Roasted Red Reppers, Almonds & Parmesan, and Lemon Vinaigrette
- Cuban Chicken with Chimichurri with Red Bell Pepper, Snap Peas, Cabbage, Pepitas and Cotija
What Do Customers Say About Green Chef?
Green Chef customers enjoy the high-quality ingredients and upscale recipes but consider the service to be more premium in terms of price.
About their Green Chef experience, @talaron says: “Recipes are fancier and come with more premium ingredients…” compared with other meal kits like HelloFresh.
EveryPlate – Best Affordable Alternative To Hello Fresh
The EveryPlate meal kit delivery service is on a mission to bring you delicious, homemade meals at the most affordable price. The affordability comes from reducing packaging and prioritizing recipes with fewer ingredients. Using fewer ingredients doesn’t mean less flavor in our experience, and the meals are still tasty while offering a more budget-friendly price tag.
EveryPlate customers can choose from a variety of 30+ weekly menu options, including vegetarian, calorie-smart, quick and easy, and family faves. The meal kit service also offers add-ons for additional protein, sauce, sides, and more.
Plans range from three to five meals a week, with servings to satisfy two to six people. Add-ons make the plan even more flexible to serve a larger or hungrier household.
Pros and Cons of EveryPlate
EveryPlate Pros:
- An affordable option for delicious meal kit delivery service
- Many classic recipes that will please children and picky eaters
- Recipes with fewer ingredients are simple and easy to prepare
- Great flexibility with add-ons to increase protein, veggies, and other ingredients
EveryPlate Cons:
- Ingredients are not separated per meal in the box
- Some meals take longer to prepare, with estimated times of up to 40 minutes
- Budget service does not cater to specific diets other than vegetarian and low-calorie meals
EveryPlate Recommended Meals To Try
- Smothered & Stuffed Meatloaves with Potato Wedges
- Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Carrots, Potatoes, Sweet Potato & Onion
- Mushroom & Thyme Risotto with Parmesan
- Linguine Alfredo with Shrimp with Parsley & Parmesan Frico
What Do Customers Say About EveryPlate?
Customers who enjoy EveryPlate love the affordability and family friendliness of the meals, though some say delivery can be a bit inconsistent.
When asked whether EveryPlate is worth it, @PoisonIvyMCD says: “EP saves us tons of money. We’ve both also lost weight.”
Dinnerly – Best Hello Fresh Alternative For Picky Eaters, With Affordable Prices
Who doesn’t want to save some money these days? Everyone is pinching pennies, so you shouldn’t feel bad about wanting to pick a food delivery service that offers meal plans that are hearty, delicious, and affordable. Compared to Hello Fresh, Dinnerly is a more budget-friendly option.
Many people who are shopping for a meal kit service overlook Dinnerly because it doesn’t have the prestige of other meal subscription services like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron. They view the company as a budget choice, meaning subpar meal kits. However, there are many pros to this affordable meal service that you’ll want to consider.
Dinnerly might be the best choice for anyone who wants to go easy on the pocketbook while still enjoying the ease and variety offered by a meal delivery service.
The Dinnerly menu features over 100 recipes to choose from each week. Each recipe is simple and easy to cook, with minimal steps and ingredients. The recipes may be simple, but they’re also delicious and made with high-quality ingredients! For many, the Dinnerly recipes per week probably work out to be cheaper than going to the grocery store.
Pros and Cons of Dinnerly
Dinnerly Pros:
- Great variety of meals per week.
- Affordable prices – starting at $4.99 per serving.
- Easy-to-understand recipes, often with 5 or fewer steps.
- Easy online ordering process.
- Children and picky eaters adore the foods.
- Low-carb, vegetarian, low-calorie, no added gluten, kid-friendly, and dairy-free meals available.
Dinnerly Cons:
- The fresh ingredients are not separated per recipe in the delivery box.
- You have to opt-in to receive printed recipe cards.
- The recipes are simple.
Dinnerly Meals To Try
- Fast! Caprese Ravioli with Basil Pesto
- Sweet & Sour Chicken over Rice
- Low-Carb Cowboy Skillet Pork Hash
- Almond-Crusted Tilapia
What Do Customers Say About Dinnerly?
Dinnerly customers appreciate the price point, ingredient quality, recipe variety, and good customer service.
When comparing budget meal kit options, @BiologyNerdLife gave Dinnerly the win: “Dinnerly has consistently offered recipes that I am more interested in, and I’ve been happy with the quality when prepared.”
Blue Apron – Best For An Upscale Culinary Experience
The Blue Apron meal kit company stands out as a leader in the meal-kit industry. In fact, it was the first one to operate in the US market. If you’d like to have meals delivered and are looking for a proper Hello Fresh alternative, you might want to give this meal kit delivery service a try.
Blue Apron is one of the first big-name meal delivery services. It takes great pride in working closely with sustainable food experts to ensure that all ingredients in its menu meet optimum standards, resulting in notably superb recipes. You can even customize Blue Apron meals to better suit your unique taste and diet needs.
The cooking instructions are laid out in easy-to-understand recipe cards, making cooking Blue Apron cuisine an enjoyable experience.
With Blue Apron, you can choose from a variety of serving sizes to meet the needs of your household. You can pick two to five meals per week, with two or four servings each (you’ll receive six to 16 servings, depending on which you choose).
Customers can pick from Blue Apron’s signature collection, which includes fish, beef, pork, chicken, or vegetarian choices. They also partner with WW for WW-recommended meals that work for those tracking Points on WW (formerly Weight Watchers).
Pros and Cons of Blue Apron
Blue Apron Pros:
- Sustainable, high-quality ingredients.
- Cultural chef-designed recipes and cuisines.
- Unique ingredients and seasoning blends.
- Ideal for singles, couples, or large families.
- Flexible options for various diets, including low-calorie, WW, and vegetarian
Blue Apron Cons:
- Children and picky eaters might not enjoy the exotic food choices.
- Some meals take a long time to prepare and cook.
- Menu options on the website are not as clearly labeled with dietary needs as many other meal kit services.
Blue Apron Recommended Meals To Try
- Gnocchi Mac & Cheese with Spinach, Mushrooms & Breadcrumbs
- Miso-Ginger Chicken with Sesame Rice & Green Beans
- Beef & Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Marinated Radishes & Spicy Mayo
- Lemon-Caper Salmon with Creamy Calabrian Zucchini & Orzo
What Do Customers Say About Blue Apron?
In reviews of Blue Apron, customers praise the quality and freshness of the ingredients and the menu variety, though some note that easily bruised ingredients are sometimes damaged in transit.
Reddit user @WanderWorld says they prefer Blue Apron to other kits they’ve tried because “The quality has been pretty good and I have generally liked the taste of the meals.”
BistroMD – Best Meal Service For Weight Loss
BistroMD is a prepared meal delivery service with meals designed by a doctor to create a healthy diet. The meals from BistroMD are well-balanced to meet your dietary needs and support a healthy lifestyle. It is an ideal option for those short on time and still want to enjoy a nutritional diet with fresh ingredients.
With BistroMD, customers choose from various plans to support their current goals, including the signature weight-loss program, gluten-free program, heart-healthy program, and programs designed to support diabetics and people going through menopause.
Each plan offers several fully prepared meals each week, with optional add-ons for breakfast and snacks. You can choose the full program to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the entire week, or go with the lunches & dinners only plan for five or seven days.
Pros and Cons of BistroMD
BistroMD Pros:
- Balanced meals designed by a doctor to support health & weight loss
- Fully prepared meals cut down on prep and save you time
- Custom options to support a variety of health needs and special diets
- Many familiar classic recipes with a healthy spin to satisfy picky eaters
BistroMD Cons:
- Plans are best suited to an individual or household of one
- Menu options vary depending on the specialty diet, with some plans offering fewer choices each week
BistroMD Recommended Meals To Try
- Chicken Egg Roll Bowl with Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Mojo Pork with Black Beans & Rice
- Manicotti with Vodka Marinara Sauce
- Barramundi Seabass with Mango Coconut Salsa
What Do Customers Say About BistroMD?
BistroMD customers appreciate the variety and the ease of meeting nutrition goals, though some wish portions were larger.
Regarding their BistroMD experience, @lostbrains says: “They have a huge variety of meals in the 300-400 range, and they are pretty low in fat and sodium. They also taste great!”
How We Chose The Best HelloFresh Alternatives For You?
Our team at Meal Kit Review considered several factors to help you pick the best HelloFresh alternative.
Meal Variety
Having many different meal options is key with a meal kit delivery service to keep things fresh. When looking at alternatives to HelloFresh, our team reviewed the available recipe options to ensure menus have a good number of different options to choose from each week.
Diet Support
Whether you’re vegetarian or looking for a low-calorie diet, finding a meal kit delivery service to suit your needs and preferences is important. When reviewing meal kit delivery companies, our team noted the different diets and needs that each supports. Our HelloFresh alternatives each provide options for various special diets and preferences.
Price Range
Not everyone has the same budget, and it’s important to consider price when choosing the best HelloFresh alternative. We made sure our list of meal kit deliveries offers many price ranges, from budget options like EveryPlate to more high-end and customized services like Factor and Martha & Marley Spoon.
Quality of Ingredients
No matter your budget or goals, you deserve a meal kit delivery service that provides fresh, quality ingredients. All of the meal kit services we recommend as HelloFresh alternatives provide high-quality ingredients to create tasty, nutritious meals.
Taste
Of course, when choosing a meal kit service, you want to enjoy delicious meals! We taste every meal kit we review to ensure that the recipes are tasty and enjoyable while noting those that may not be suitable for every palette. Our recommendations include meal kits with more classic-style recipes and those with more culinary exploration.
Bottom Line
When choosing a meal kit service, the bottom line is that you have a wide assortment of really great companies to choose between.
When comparing each one to Hello Fresh, you’ll see that they all have some key differences that set them apart. Each offers a unique weekly menu, style of meals, and pricing points.
Whether you like traditional dining choices, something with a little more exotic flair, or following a specific diet, you’ll find the meal delivery service to deliver your favorite recipes each week.
Hello Fresh continues to stand out as one of the leading meal kit services, but the competition – meal kit companies like Blue Apron, EveryPlate, Home Chef, and more – also gives them a good run for the money.
With so many options on the market, you, as a customer, can easily find the right fit for your tastes and your budget.
