What’s the BEST Meal Delivery Service? (Our Top 10 Picks Based on Affordability, Taste, & More)
Wondering what the best meal delivery service is for your budget, taste, or special diet? We’ve put in the legwork to find out!
Skip the mealtime stress!
Meal delivery kits have quickly increased in popularity and with no end in sight! It’s no surprise since most people want to spend more time enjoying a homecooked meal with the family than preparing it 🥴 and you just can’t beat the pre-measured ingredients and pre-planned recipes!
Nonetheless, if you’re feeling bombarded by endless offers with SO MANY meal delivery services available, and wondering which is truly the best for your budget OR your tastebuds, we’re sharing a roundup that has them all!
Best of all, most of these meal delivery kits are team-tested and we’ve got exclusive discounts!
Here are our top 10 picks for the best meal kit delivery service:
- Most affordable – Everyplate
- Best for families – Home Chef
- Best overall – HelloFresh
- Best keto – Factor
- Best vegan – Purple Carrot
- Best under 15-minute meals – Gobble
- Best organic – Green Chef
- Best gluten-free – Splendid Spoon
- Most healthy – Blue Apron
- Best tasting – Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon
1.) Everyplate
Most affordable meal delivery service
New EveryPlate customers can enjoy $109 off their first 3 boxes + shipping when they click through this exclusive link. Note that this promo should automatically apply. If not, use code HIP149A at checkout.
What you’ll pay: As low as $1.49 shipped per serving in a 4-person box with 5 recipes.
Everyplate meals are updated on a weekly basis with a total of 26 chef-inspired meals to choose from. They offer veggie-only, meat & veggie, quick & easy, family-friendly, and nutrish & delish meal options that are easily prepped and ready in under 30 minutes! Boxes vary from 2 to 4-person sizes with 3- 6 recipes per box and you can skip weeks or cancel anytime – no onlinemitments!
Unlike other meal boxes, Everyplate cuts costs by using less packaging (making them more eco-friendly too! 🌱) You won’t find excess baggies, containers, etc. and ingredients are not separated by recipe. Instead, all of the ingredients are prepared, chilled, and packed right before every shipment to ensure you get the freshest meals possible.
Here’s what one team member had to say…
As a full-time working mom of three under 6yo, the idea of just cooking mindlessly is SUCH a good value to me! NOT going through the ‘what to cook debate’ ❌, NOT spending extra time measuring out the ingredients ❌, basically just dump, *sometimes cut, and go– it’s almost soothing to cook! 😂 Plus, I ALWAYS let the little ones jump in and they love it, and I love it (what can they really learn just running through the drive-thru). Give yourself a cooking break, even just once, when the first-time offer is SO LOW– I’m positive you’ll appreciate it!
2.) Home Chef
Best for families
New Home Chef customers can score meals as low as $2.84 when you click through this exclusive link.
What you’ll pay: As low as $2.84 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 4 recipes.
Home Chef offers 30+ meals and 18+ extras each week and is one of the most customizable meal delivery services. In addition to choosing your meals, you can also substitute items like different meats, add sides, skip weeks, and cancel at any time. Plus, they offer one of the biggest size meal delivery boxes with a 2 up to 6-person option with 2 to 6 recipes in each box. They offer Greatest Hits, Easy-Prep, Fresh-Start, and Family-Friendly meal plans and are ranked #1 in customer satisfaction.
*Home Chef is owned by the supermarket chain, Kroger and has in-store meal kits & deals too!
Take it from Hip Sidekick, Lina…
I’ve ordered from Home Chef many times and every single meal has been amazing! I really love their Oven Ready meals that require little to no work – they’re perfect for busy nights when my kids have practice and I’m short on time. They really make it easy to serve my family a delicious meal without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. – Lina
3.) HelloFresh
Best overall
New HelloFresh customers can score up to $223.96 across their first 8 boxes + get a FREE dessert every time you order AND shipping is free on your first box!
What you’ll pay: As low as $4.49 shipped per serving in a 4-person box with 6 recipes.
On top of having the most 5-star meal kit reviews, HelloFresh was named America’s best meal delivery service by USA Today which is why we’re ranking it the best overall!
Although other meal delivery kits offer family-friendly meal options, HelloFresh is best for picky eaters and tested by kids themselves. They also offer Family-Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, Pescatarian, Veggie, and Meat & Veggie meal plans with over 100+ options each week. Boxes range from 2 or 4-person sizes with 2 to 6 recipes per box.
Hip Sidekick, Melinda shares why HelloFresh is great for kids too…
What I love most about HelloFresh is how the meals are easy enough to get my kids involved. My daughter just turned 11 and my middle child is 9 and they tag-teamed on making us dinners a few nights when our box arrived. The step-by-step instructions are perfect for them to cook the meals from start to finish with minimal supervision needed. This gave them a boost of confidence in the kitchen and allowed them to see what they were capable of. They also tried out meals they aren’t used to having (like risotto with mushrooms in it) and realized they actually like more than standard kid food 😉
HelloFresh meals are delicious and convenient but I love them the most for the experience this meal box gives our family. My husband likes to get involved too for these meals unlike a regular dinner night…haha!
Take a peek at how these best meal delivery services stack up:
Home Chef vs HelloFresh
These two meal delivery kits are nearly identical– in fact, you may have even gotten them confused once or twice! The biggest difference is that Home Chef offers serving sizes up to 6 people which is pretty rare across meal deliveries, but HelloFresh has a lower cost per serving overall.
Blue Apron vs HelloFresh
The biggest difference between these two popular meal services is that Blue Apron not only promises to deliver delicious meals, but in a way that also teaches you something new in the kitchen. On the other hand, HelloFresh is all about de-stressing in the kitchen. Note that Blue Apron is also known to have excessive amounts of plastic packaging. 🥴
Green Chef vs HelloFresh
If you have any sort of dietary restrictions, including low carb and vegetarian, Green Chef is going to be the better option. However, the cost per serving is much higher than HelloFresh. HelloFresh can also be customized with add-ons, substitutes, and more.
4.) Factor Meals
Best keto option
New customers can save up to $276 off your first 5 Factor meal delivery boxes after the automatic discount or when you apply the promo code HIP2SAVE276 at checkout!
Note that a standard flat rate shipping fee of $10.99 will apply to each delivery.
What you’ll pay: As low as $4.40 per meal in your first box with 18 meals.
Especially if you’re the only one eating keto in the house, these chef-inspired, prepared Factor meals that you simply heat & eat make it so easy on you! And, even if you’re not eating keto, their Chef’s Choice, Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, and Vegetarian options are great too. You can choose to receive 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals in your box delivered on a weekly basis.
See why this Hip Reader loves Factor meals…
We switched from HelloFresh to these for the summer because we wanted to keep the house cooler and not use the oven. These are very good, nothing like a frozen dinner! – Hip Reader, Ana
5.) Purple Carrot
Best vegan meal delivery service
New Purple Carrot customers can score 50% off their first box + free shipping when you click through this exclusive link.
Note that this promo should automatically apply. If not, use code SHOTCLOCK50 at checkout.
What you’ll pay: As low as $6.63 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 4 recipes.
Purple Carrot delivers everything you need to make tasty, healthy vegan or vegetarian meals and snacks full of nutritious veggies and fruits. You can choose either 2 or 4 servings per box with 2 or 4 recipes in each. Every meal is centered around plants and each box contains a variety of fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs. Each recipe is also packed full of nutrients and vitamins, and so full of amazing flavors!
Here’s what Hip Sidekick, Sara had to say about Purple Carrot…
I recently gave Purple Carrot a try and couldn’t have loved my vegan meal kits more – and that’s onlineing from someone who isn’t even vegan! I love flavorful, healthy, and most importantly easy dishes to whip up during the week and Purple Carrot was just that and then some! 🙌🏻 My meals were all so different, so delicious, and so unique too!
In fact, I didn’t even find myself missing meat at all and each meal left me feeling energized and full. There were even two nights where I had leftovers for lunch the next day – I couldn’t believe it! 😯
6.) Gobble Meal Kit
Best under 15-minute meal delivery service.
Even better, you can score your first TWO Gobble Boxes of 6 meals each for just $36 a piece! And your first box ships FREE!
What you’ll pay: As low as $6 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 3 recipes.
Gobble meal delivery kits promise tasty & nutritious meals in just 15 minutes! The difference? There’s no more chopping required, like so may other meal delivery kits so you have more time to unwind with the fam.
Here’s what one Hip team member had to say…
These Gobble meals were delicious, but my favorite part was that I didn’t have to do hardly any chopping or prep work! I even found that onlinepared to most other recipe meal boxes I have tried in the past, Gobble meals required quite a bit less preparation, so that I could whip up a meal in a true 15 minutes instead of the 45-60 ish with other meal delivery services.
7.) Green Chef
Best (& only) certified organic meal delivery kit.
New Green Chef customers can score up to $250 off across your first 5 boxes + FREE shipping on your 1st box – no promo code needed!
What you’ll pay: As low as $4.79 shipped per serving in a 4-person box with 4 recipes.
If you’re looking for ingredients that are free of GMOs, toxic pesticides, irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones, or steroids- Green Chef meal delivery service is for you! And with the outrageous prices on organic foods at the grocery store, you just can’t beat $4.79 per serving!
In addition to being 100% certified organic Green Chef is great for those with specific dietary needs and offers Keto, Vegetarian, Vegan, Protein Packed, Fast & Fit, Mediterannean, and Gluten-Free meal plans with 2, 4 or 6-person box sizes with 2 to 4 recipes in each box.
Hip Sidekick, Kara, LOVED trying Green Chef…
I recently tried Green Chef for the first time and was really impressed by all three meals I received. The recipes were an exciting change from what I normally make and each meal was delicious. My husband enjoyed them too, especially the BBQ Chickpea Flatbread. We look forward to getting another box the next time Green Chef has a deal. The instructions are very easy to follow and we had a blast cooking together.
We also loved that we avoided wasting any food. I have a friend who travels often for work and she always ends up tossing out her produce. This service is perfect for someone like her who is only going to be home for a few days out of the week.
8.) Splendid Spoon
Best gluten-free meal delivery service.
New Splendid Spoon subscribers can score $10 off every box + free shipping when you opt for the weekly 14-meal box!
What you’ll pay: As low as $9.27 shipped per meal in a 14-meal box.
ALL Splendid Spoon meals are vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free, but you may also select beet-free, caffeine-free, cilantro-free, soy-free, mushroom-free, and more customizations. Your box will automatically include 5 smoothies, 5 bowls, 2 noodles, and 2 dishes, or you may mix and match up to 14 meals per the offer.
Hip Sidekick, Sara, loves the smoothies as a grab-and-go option for busy workdays – especially with kids!
9.) Blue Apron
Most healthy (w/ WeightWatchers options!)
New Blue Apron customers score 13 FREE meals across 5 orders ($110 value) + your first box ships for FREE when you click through this exclusive link and click ‘Redeem Offer’.
What you’ll pay: As low as $12.82 shipped per meal in your first 2-person box with 3 recipes.
Blue Apron is known for putting more exciting meals on the table- so if you want to feel a little bit fancy, love to cook new foods, but still want to save a little time in the kitchen, this meal delivery is for you! They also partner with WeightWatchers to have those meal kits delivered and offer Chef Favorites, Family-Friendly, Wellness, Veggies, and Fast & Easy in 2 or 4-serving boxes with 2-5 recipes per week.
Here is what one reviewer had to say about Blue Apron…
Still the best I’ve found. I’ve tried almost all of the services like this and Blue Apron has always been consistent with their food quality and rotating choices of excellent recipes. Everything we’ve made from them has turned out incredible.
10.) Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon
Best-tasting
New Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon customers can score up to $250 off their first 8 meal kits + free shipping on your 1st box when you click on the ‘Get $250 off’ button.
What you’ll pay: As low as $4.99 shipped per meal in your first 2-person box with 3 recipes.
Known for gourmet cooking made easy, Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon meals are incredibly delicious and known for having larger portions than other meal delivery kits. Their recipe cards also include pro tips from Martha herself, great for those who want to improve their cooking skills.
You can choose either 2-person or 4-person size box with 2 to 6 meals per box from over 100+ chef-designed recipes each week!
Wondering about the quality? Check out this helpful review…
I love Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon! I’ve had some AMAZING dinners delivered right to my doorstep. The thing I love the most is that I don’t have to even think about what to make for dinner or pick up ingredients at the grocery store! That’s all done for you, so it’s a total time saver.
In addition, I have yet to run into a meal I didn’t enjoy! It really has boosted my cooking skills, too. I especially enjoy learning how to make all the yummy homemade salad dressings instead of just grabbing Ranch out of the fridge.
If I’m being honest, I have one of these meal kits on the way now (🤫 I won’t say which). And, after having tried 4 or 5 from this list, I can confidently say ‘mindless cooking’ is SUCH a lifesaver sometimes!
There are weeks when I’m inspired to be a gourmet chef and make 5-star meals from scratch, but since I’m really the only one who cooks in my household, other weeks, I NEED some cooking that takes almost no effort at all. 🤪 Thank you, meal delivery kits!
We want to know – which one is your favorite? 🌮🥗🥦🍅 Share with us in the onlinements below!
These make-ahead freezer meals are a dinnertime lifesaver too!
