The cheapest alternative is your own weekly meal plan with grocery pickup, which usually costs less per serving than any kit. Among kits, EveryPlate is the lowest price at $6.99 a serving, Blue Apron lets you order without a subscription, and Factor suits people who want to stop cooking. Choose by what pushed you away: price, skipped-box charges, diet fit or cooking time.
HelloFresh has the biggest weekly menu of the major meal kits, but at $9.99 a serving plus $10.99 shipping for 3 meals for 2 people, about $70.93 a week, it is not cheap once intro discounts end. Missing ingredients and charges for boxes people meant to skip are its most common complaints.
We compared services a HelloFresh customer would consider, on listed price per serving, shipping, how you order and how much cooking you do. Prices are as listed on each company's site in October 2026.
Note that EveryPlate, Green Chef and Factor are owned by HelloFresh SE, so they share some policies with HelloFresh.
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
Occasional cooks who want to order a week of recipes now and then without committing to a subscription.: Blue Apron
- Membership
- Optional Blue Apron+ for $9.99 a month
Why we picked it. Blue Apron is still operating under owner Wonder and no longer requires a subscription, but its 2026 switch to a new fulfillment partner brought late boxes and missing ingredients.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No subscription required, so you can order one week at a time
- Wide menu with meal kits, heat-and-eat meals and one-pan bakes
- Optional 5% off with Autoship
- Well-rated app
Cons
- 2026 fulfillment change led to late, canceled and incomplete orders
- D- BBB rating and a 2.4 Trustpilot score
- Shipping fees and current per-serving prices aren't easy to confirm before you build an order
- Customer service is hard to reach, per recent reviews
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
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.
The low-cost alternative: plan your own meals
Before you sign up for another kit, consider doing it yourself. Pick three or four recipes a week, build one grocery list, and order it for pickup. Most grocery pickup services cost little or nothing on larger orders, and you skip the per-box shipping fee that adds about $1.83 a serving to a HelloFresh plan for 2.
- What you gain: lower cost per serving, no cutoff dates, no packaging waste.
- What you give up: pre-portioned ingredients and the time it takes to plan.
- Tip: keep the HelloFresh recipe cards you liked; they list every ingredient and step.
Why people look for HelloFresh alternatives
- Missing or damaged ingredients. No kit is immune. Choose a service with easy in-account reporting and keep photos.
- Late deliveries. Unpack boxes the same day. Factor’s prepared meals and Blue Apron’s heat-and-eat meals still need refrigeration on arrival.
- Shipping costs on small plans. $10.99 a box hurts most at 2 servings. EveryPlate and Marley Spoon’s large boxes spread it over more meals.
- Charges for boxes people meant to skip. Blue Apron sells one-time orders, so nothing ships unless you order. With any subscription, set a reminder for the cutoff.
- Excess packaging. Every kit ships insulated boxes and ice packs. Planning your own meals avoids it.
How to choose a HelloFresh alternative
- Price the plan you will actually buy. Per-serving prices drop on large plans, so compare at your household size.
- Add shipping. Most kits charge $9.99 to $12.99 a box.
- Check the cutoff. HelloFresh and Green Chef use 5 days before delivery; Marley Spoon can be up to 7.
- Match the menu to your diet. Green Chef covers gluten-free and plant-based; Home Chef lists keto-friendly and calorie-conscious meals.
- Decide how much you want to cook. Kits need 20 to 45 minutes of work; Factor needs none.
What HelloFresh alternatives cost
| Service |
Price per serving |
Shipping |
| HelloFresh |
$9.99 (3 meals for 2); from $7.99 |
$10.99 |
| EveryPlate |
$6.99; from $5.99 |
$10.99 |
| Home Chef |
From $7.99; average $9.99 |
Not published |
| Marley Spoon |
$11.99 for 2; $8.99 on large boxes |
$10.99 |
| Green Chef |
$11.99 |
$9.99 to $10.99 |
| Factor |
About $11 to $13.49 a meal |
$12.99 |
| Blue Apron |
Not verified |
$11.49, or free with Blue Apron+ |
Prices as listed October 2026. Intro discounts apply only to the first few boxes.
How to cancel HelloFresh
- Sign in to your HelloFresh account online or in the app.
- Go to account settings and choose to cancel your plan.
- Do it by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, 5 days before your next delivery. A box not canceled by then ships and is charged.
- If you have HelloFresh Plus, cancel it separately under Account Settings.
- Check your account for upcoming deliveries and keep the cancellation confirmation.
Terms to know
- Meal kit
- A box of pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards that you cook at home.
- Prepared meals
- Fully cooked single-serve meals you only reheat.
- Cutoff
- The last time you can skip, change or cancel an order before it ships and is charged.
- Price per serving
- The box price divided by the number of portions, usually before shipping.
- Auto-renewal
- A subscription that keeps billing until you cancel.
