Meal Delivery Buyer's Guide

Whether you're hoping to cut back on ordering takeout, eat healthier, or save time in the kitchen, a meal delivery service can solve all those problems and more. These days, you can choose between DIY meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and simple instructions for cooking, or super easy heat-and-eat meals that don't require any cooking at all. 

We've reviewed and rated the most popular meal services on the market and helped break down which types of customers and families each one is best for. Read on to find the best meal delivery services for busy singles, budget-conscious families, and everyone in between.

Visit our overall top pick for Meal Delivery Services, Home Chef.

Our Top 3 Meal Delivery Picks

Home Chef

Quick, Family-Friendly Meal Kits and Heat-and-Eat Meals Best For: Time-strapped families Meals Offered: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks Prep Time: 30 minutes or less, including no-prep heat and eat options What sets Home Chef apart: Few if any other meal subscription services offer the customization options that Home Chef offers, with options to choose DIY meal kits, oven- or grill-ready meals, or even microwavable heat-and-eat meals all from the same meal service. What's in the box: Each week subscribers receive an insulated box containing their prepped, portioned meal kit ingredients or heat-and-eat meals. Subscribers can choose which day of the week is most convenient to receive their box. Pros: DIY, quick & easy, and heat-and-eat options Dedicated family plan with family-friendly recipes and portions Affordable pricing Cons: Some diets such as vegan and keto are not offered Portion sizes make Home Chef not an ideal choice for singles

18 Free Meals - 50% Off First 4 Boxes

View Deal

HelloFresh

Easy-to-make DIY Meal Kits Best For:Busy families and couples Meals Offered:Lunch and dinner Prep Time: 30 minutes or less What sets HelloFresh apart: It's hard to beat HelloFresh for weekly menu variety. Since they offer such a wide variety of types of dishes, it gives subscribers the opportunity to learn how to cook new cuisines in an easy, inviting way. Their pricing also makes them a better option than the grocery store for many families. What's in the box: Each week subscribers receive an insulated box with each meal kit in a separate, labeled recyclable paper bag. If there is any meat with their meals, the meat will arrive in a frozen section at the bottom of the box, separate from the rest. Many weekly boxes from HelloFresh also include freebies and coupons. Pros: Wide variety of meal options Easy-to-follow cooking instructions Up to 4 servings per meal, good for families Cons: Some special diets are not offered No heat-and-eat meal options

18 Free Meals + 1st Box Ships Free + 3 Gifts, code WF18HF

View Deal

Factor

Healthy Heat-and-Eat Meals Best For: Health-conscious busy singles and couples Meals Offered: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, smoothies Prep Time: 5 minutes or less  What sets Factor apart: For health-conscious people, there are few better heat-and-eat meal delivery subscription options than Factor. They are able to provide variety, flavor, and convenience in their meals. What's in the box: Each week subscribers receive an insulated box containing their fresh, never-frozen single-serving microwaveable meals. Pros: No-prep, no mess, no cooking required Healthy, special diet compliant options Chef-created, flavorful meals Cons: Single-serving meals not appropriate for families Premium pricing

50% Off 1st Box, 20% Off Next 4 Boxes, code BG50

View Deal

ABOUT BUYER'S GUIDE



Navigating the many choices for every consumer purchase can be challenging. Our team spends hours doing research, combing through forums, and reading consumer reviews on even the most basic of household items, and we summarize that information in clear, precise comparisons.

Join the millions that have trusted BuyersGuide.org to help them make smarter buying decisions. We help our readers spend their money wisely and find the right product to suit their specific needs. Our independent expert reviews and data-driven shopping recommendations empower you find the meal delivery service that's right for you.

We leverage user data to understand decision-making and put the best products in front of each user. We tailor our comparisons to what matters to our user's needs, specific or broad. We keep our content up to date, we are constantly looking for new merchants and products to compare, and we are quick to remove any that are outdated or no longer meeting our standards.

Our rankings change day-to-day based on our proprietary algorithms that crunch data to identify top-performing products and tailor recommendations to exactly what our readers are looking for.