The cheapest alternative is your own grocery pickup plus a free recipe site, which costs only the groceries and avoids missing-item risk. Among meal kits, EveryPlate has the lowest price at $6.99 a serving on most plans, HelloFresh has the widest menu at $9.99 a serving for 3 meals for 2, and Home Chef is closest to Blue Apron's oven-ready trays. If you used Dish by Blue Apron for heat-and-eat meals, Factor is the prepared-meal option. All of these are weekly subscriptions, so set a reminder for each skip deadline.
Blue Apron is still operating under owner Wonder and no longer requires a subscription, but its only meal maker, FreshRealm, filed for bankruptcy in April 2026. During the move to Misfits Market, customers reported late and canceled boxes, missing ingredients and trouble reaching support.
This guide is for people who liked cooking from a kit but want steadier deliveries or a lower price. One tradeoff to know up front: every alternative here is a weekly subscription you skip or cancel, while Blue Apron now lets you order one box at a time.
Below you will find our picks, why people leave Blue Apron, a price table, a do-it-yourself option, and how to turn off Blue Apron's Autoship and membership.
Company reviews
Couples and families who cook and want organic produce or a keto, gluten-free or plant-based menu without planning meals.: Green Chef
Why we picked it. Green Chef is HelloFresh's organic meal kit, with keto, gluten-free, plant-based and Mediterranean menus at $11.99 a serving plus shipping. Changes and cancellations lock 5 days before each delivery.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Organic produce and eggs from a certified organic handler
- Strong keto, gluten-free, vegan and plant-based menus
- Validated Gluten Free Safe Spot by the Gluten Intolerance Group's program
- Same per-serving price on every plan size
- Skip or cancel online, with no minimum commitment
Cons
- $11.99 a serving plus shipping, more than HelloFresh or Home Chef
- Premium meals add $6.99 to $9.99 a serving
- No allergen customization; kits are packed in facilities that also handle gluten and common allergens
- 115 BBB complaints in 3 years, many about missing items and billing
- Disputes go to individual arbitration under its terms
Busy people, especially singles, who want ready-to-heat, portion-controlled lunches or dinners and will pay for skipping the cooking.: Factor
Why we picked it. Factor, owned by HelloFresh, delivers fresh, fully cooked single-serve meals you heat in about 2 minutes, from $13.49 a meal on 6 meals to $10.99 on 18, plus $12.99 shipping.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fully prepared, never-frozen meals ready in about 2 minutes
- 100+ weekly choices, including keto, low carb and GLP-1 menus
- Nutrition facts and ingredients posted for every meal
- Price per meal drops on bigger plans
- Skip or cancel online, no contract
Cons
- $10.99 to $13.49 a meal plus $12.99 shipping
- Smallest plan is 6 meals a week
- 835 BBB complaints in three years
- Weekly cutoff is up to a week before delivery
- Meals aren't meant to be frozen; binding arbitration in its terms
Couples and families who enjoy cooking and want a big weekly menu without planning meals or shopping.: HelloFresh
Why we picked it. HelloFresh is the largest U.S. meal kit, with 100+ recipes a week from $9.99 a serving for two people plus $10.99 shipping. Skip or cancel online at least 5 days before each delivery.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 100+ recipes a week, the largest menu of the major kits
- Plans for 2, 3, 4 or 6 people with diet preferences
- Skip, pause or cancel online with no fee
- A+ BBB rating and a large, established company
Cons
- About $11.82 a serving for two once $10.99 shipping is added
- Frequent reports of missing or damaged ingredients
- You are billed if you miss the cutoff 5 days before delivery
- No delivery to Alaska or Hawaii
Show all 5 picks2 more, ranked 4 to 5
Home cooks who plan a week ahead, want varied Martha Stewart recipes, and will keep an eye on the weekly cutoff.: Marley Spoon
Why we picked it. Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon is a real meal kit subscription from Berlin-based Marley Spoon Group, with recipes from $8.90 a portion, but it holds an F BBB rating and its U.S. supplier went bankrupt in 2026.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Large weekly menu with Martha Stewart-branded recipes, prepared meals and Market add-ons
- Advertised recipes from $8.90 per portion
- Skip or pause any week before the cutoff
- Replies to most negative Trustpilot reviews
Cons
- F rating from BBB with 127 complaints in three years
- Cutoff can be 6 or 7 days before delivery, and late changes are charged in full
- U.S. fulfillment disrupted by FreshRealm's April 2026 bankruptcy
- Problems are usually settled with credits rather than refunds
- Mandatory individual arbitration
Why we picked it. Home Chef, owned by Kroger, sells weekly meal kits from $7.99 a serving with a $50.95 weekly minimum. It's BBB accredited with an A-, but Trustpilot reviewers rate it 2.3 out of 5.
Why people look for Blue Apron alternatives
Blue Apron’s reviews show four repeated complaints, and each points to a different alternative:
- Missing ingredients and substitutions, especially since the 2026 fulfillment change. HelloFresh and its sister brands run their own large fulfillment network, and Home Chef is owned by Kroger.
- Late or canceled deliveries and spoiled food. Check the box the day it arrives with any service and report problems right away.
- Hard to reach a person in customer service. HelloFresh holds an A+ BBB rating (not accredited) and Home Chef an A- (accredited), against Blue Apron’s D-.
- Smaller portions and lower quality than in past years, according to long-time customers. If value is the issue, EveryPlate and Marley Spoon’s larger boxes cost less per serving.
Blue Apron’s main advantage is that it does not require a subscription. If that matters most to you, staying with Blue Apron for one-off orders, or shopping for your own groceries, may suit you better than a weekly plan.
The do-it-yourself alternative
Ordering your own ingredients for grocery pickup and cooking from a free recipe site costs only the groceries, with no shipping fee and no subscription to manage. You do the meal planning and shopping list yourself, and portions are not pre-measured. For comparison, the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan estimates what a low-cost home-cooked diet costs each month, and SNAP benefits can be used for online grocery orders at participating retailers.
How much Blue Apron alternatives cost
| Service |
Price per serving |
Shipping per box |
| EveryPlate |
$6.99 on most plans; from $5.99 |
$10.99 |
| Home Chef |
From $7.99; standard meals average $9.99 |
Not published; $50.95 weekly minimum includes shipping |
| HelloFresh |
$9.99 at 3 meals for 2; from $7.99 |
$10.99 |
| Marley Spoon |
$11.99 at 3 meals for 2; from $8.99 |
$10.99 |
| Green Chef |
$11.99 on listed plans |
$9.99 to $10.99 |
| Factor (prepared meals) |
About $11 to $15 a meal by plan size |
Not published on the plans page |
| Blue Apron |
Shown at checkout; not confirmed |
$11.49, or free with Blue Apron+ ($9.99 a month) |
Prices as listed October 2026. Most services advertise large first-box discounts; the prices above are regular prices. Larger plans cost less per serving.
How to choose a Blue Apron replacement
- Decide between cooking and heating. Meal kits replace Blue Apron’s classic kits; Factor replaces Dish by Blue Apron’s heat-and-eat meals.
- Price your real box, with shipping, at the number of meals and servings you will actually order.
- Check the diet menus for the preferences you need, such as vegetarian, low carb or gluten-free.
- Write down the skip deadline and set a weekly reminder, since you are charged automatically if you miss it.
- Cancel the intro deal on your terms. Large first-box discounts end after the first few weeks.
Red flags with meal kit subscriptions
- Intro prices that apply only to the first box or first few weeks.
- Skip deadlines 5 to 7 days before delivery, which are easy to miss.
- Cancellation that cannot be done online. Federal law requires a simple way to stop recurring online charges.
- Missing items with no easy way to report them; take photos the day the box arrives.
Terms to know
- Meal kit
- A box of pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards that you cook at home.
- Prepared meal
- A fully cooked meal you heat in a microwave or oven.
- Skip deadline
- The last time you can skip or change a weekly order before you are charged.
- Autoship
- Blue Apron's optional recurring order, which takes 5% off repeat orders.
- Fulfillment partner
- The company that makes and ships boxes on a brand's behalf.
