Meal delivery plans are all the rage these days, and it’s no wonder why. As life speeds up, we have less and less time to focus on preparing intricate meals. However, we’re still as conscious and picky as ever about things like taste, cost, dietary preferences, quality, and food waste. Enter: the ever-expanding market of meal delivery services, which are aiming to take all the stress out of meal prep while ticking all your boxes of what makes a great meal.

Home Chef: Best Meal Kit for Beginners

We’re looking at you, first-time chefs. We know meal delivery services can be intimidating, especially when most require you to do a bit of cooking yourself. That’s the beauty in Home Chef—it’s virtually amateur-proof. What does that mean, exactly? It means recipes, which hardly take more than 15 minutes to make, are straightforward. Home Chef doesn’t compromise on taste or customizability. Recipes include everything from all-American dinner options like Baked Chicken to slightly more elevated dishes like Shrimp Risotto. And we can’t forget the new oven-ready meals; all you have to do is pop them in the oven. You won’t even need a cooking or baking tray, making the new product even more appealing.  

On top of all that, Home Chef won’t break the bank. You choose your subscription based on how many people are eating. On average, meals cost about $9, but can range from $7 to $18 depending on how premium the ingredients are. Shipping’s also free for any order over $45. Home Chef is a great option for newbies especially because it might teach you a thing or two about cooking thanks to its accessible recipes. You’ll be cooking like one of your favorite TV chefs in no time!

Crowd Cow: Best Meal Kit for Expert Chefs

On the other end of the spectrum is a meal delivery service for the more refined home chef. What sets Crowd Cow apart is that it doesn’t provide full meal kits, but instead supplies individual meat and fish options. That’s why it’s probably better for those who are just looking for quality ingredients and already know exactly how or what they’re going to be cooking. 

First things first: Crowd Cow’s specialty is meat of the finest quality sourced from independent farms. The company provides you with information about exactly where it sources the meat by giving users access to farmer profiles. Customers have even found that Crowd Cow’s meat quality is better than the meat quality at most local stores, especially for the price. If you’re more of a fish eater, Crowd Cow also has a range of responsibly sourced seafood options to choose from. 

At first look, Crowd Cow doesn’t seem like the most thrifty meal delivery service out there. When you consider the quality of its products, however, the $50 minimum spend becomes a pretty easy feat. You’ll have to pay for shipping unless your order totals $150 or more, but repeat orders get a five percent discount as well as free shipping for orders over $125. Crowd Cow is essentially like visiting an online butcher, sparing you the hassle of shopping without compromising quality. 

EveryPlate: Best Meal Kit for Those on a Budget

EveryPlate is a fantastic option for those who want to try a meal delivery service, but don’t want to break the bank. EveryPlate meals cost only $4.99 per serving. While recipes aren’t necessarily for those with the most sophisticated taste buds, they certainly still value the flavors in every meal. Comfort food at an exceptional value is EveryPlate’s expertise, with a range of options that hark back to childhood favorites. That said, the service probably isn’t for you if you have specific dietary restrictions. It’s important to remember that EveryPlate is a meal kit, so a tiny bit of prep will still need to go into your meals. (Recipe cooking time should never surpass 30 minutes, though.)

While EveryPlate is truly for non-fussy eaters, you do have the option to receive premium ingredients like salmon or steak for an extra $3. Did you know you can also refer your friends and get a $20 freebie off your next order? And while the amount you spend never exceeds $4.99 per portion, you’ll obviously pay more the more people you feed—which makes sense. There are different plans for two or four diners with varying frequencies of delivery per week, depending on your preferences and budget. 

Sunbasket: Best Meal Kit for Vegans and Vegetarians

If you’re interested in going vegan or vegetarian, or are already an avid veg-head, give Sunbasket a try. The company offers two different types of meals: Fresh & Ready—which are premade and heat up in under four minutes, and Meal Kits, which requires you to cook the meal yourself in about 45 minutes. Each meal type has a variety of plant-based options on the menu, or you can substitute ingredients in non-veggie meals to make it work for your diet—like Impossible Burgers instead of traditional meat. (One of our favorite extras of these meals is the included condiments, which are packaged in cute little jars.)

Along with the customization and variety of options, Sunbasket’s team of dietitians approve of all of Sunbasket’s meals and 99% of ingredients are USDA-certified organic, so you can feel good and trust what you receive. If you’re health-conscious and looking for a reasonable way to adhere to your vegan or vegetarian diet, Sunbasket could be the go-to meal delivery service for you.

Freshly: Best Meal Kit for Individuals

Are you cooking for one? While Freshly isn’t necessarily for those looking to explore the latest  food fad, it is worth considering for single-serving meals. Menu options are mostly crowd-pleasers, with meals like Buffalo Chicken and Turkey Meatloaf. While dishes might not be packed with nutrients, they always have a healthy bend with side options like cauliflower mash. Meals come cold, so you can either heat them on the skillet, eat them cold (to each their own!), or toss them in the freezer to save for later. One of the best things about Freshly is that meals hardly require any actual prep, so it’s also a great option if you’re especially short on time. 

What makes these boxes so great for solo eaters is that they’re individually packaged and portioned. Meals range from $9 to $12 a piece and you can choose between four and 12 meals a week, depending on how many pre-packaged meals you think you’ll want to eat. If you’re aiming to increase your protein intake, you also have the option to add some more grilled chicken to your meals (for a small fee, of course). Lastly, shipping costs vary, but will never exceed $12. While Freshly is probably more expensive than a weekly grocery trip to the grocery store, if you’re just looking to feed yourself and want to save time on meals, it’s an ideal option. 

Hungryroot: Best Meal Kits for Most

Think of Hungryroot’s meal delivery service as taking a trip to the online grocery store. If you want to avoid the grocery store and too much takeout all at once, this company aims to be your solution. While Hungryroot has all your grocery store staples for purchase, it also provides suggested 10-minute recipes that call for no more than four ingredients. The grocery list tries to be inclusive of everyone’s dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and more. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for multiple people, Hungryroot probably has what everyone is looking for.

On top of its broad selection of options, the company also wants to be financially accessible for most. The average grocery shopper spends between $50 and $91 on groceries per week and Hungryroot aims to stay within the same price range with an average delivery cost of $65 per week. You’re probably going to spend more than this, though, if you want to get all of your meal and snack ingredients from Hungryroot. 

Blue Apron: Best Meal Kit for Families

Blue Apron was one of the original meal delivery companies and offers a wide variety of chef-designed family-favorite recipe options. The “Signature for Four” meal plan would be your best bet for securing multiple family-friendly recipes per week. Your family will get to try all manner of flavors, like Cheesy Pork Chorizo Enchiladas or Ground Pork Ragu & Lumaca Rigata Pasta, and you can switch up recipes every week to accommodate all of your family’s palates. 

Blue Apron prides itself on responsibly sourcing its ingredients to make sure everything you receive is sustainable, of high quality, and reaches higher safety standards. The company also uses recyclable ice packs and packaging to lessen its environmental impact—and to help you do the same. You can expect the “Signature for Four” meals to start at $7.49 per serving and you can choose from two, three, or four recipes per week. 

Splendid Spoon: Best Meal Kit for Those With Packed Schedules

If your schedule is jam-packed every week, Splendid Spoon could be a great help when it comes to your meals. Splendid Spoon is all about healthy options, too. Meals are ready-to-eat and plant-based, making it the perfect option for those looking for light meals to eat on the go. Smoothies, soups, bowls, and wellness shots are the name of the game here. You’ll never have to skip breakfast again when it’s only a matter of taking your smoothie out of the fridge. Basically, if convenience and healthy eating are your top priorities, Splendid Spoon is worth a try. 

Splendid Spoon strikes that rare balance between super fast and healthy. Each item on the menu ranges from $9 to $13 and the company offers different plans to cater to a variety of people (like the “Breakfast Plan,” which delivers you a week’s worth of smoothies for $65). You can also opt for plans that include breakfast and lunch or breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if you aren’t looking to completely switch your life over to a Splendid Spoon eating plan, you can cancel it at any time.

Which meal plan is right for me?

First things first: How do meal delivery services work? It’s simple. For most delivery services, you select the number and type of meals you’d like delivered right to your door. Prices vary depending on the service and your needs. If you’re looking for a budget meal delivery service, you can find meals for as little as $5. If you’re looking for something a little bit fancier or suited to different dietary needs, expect to spend a little closer to $10 per portion. Prices are also reflective of things like the shipping cost and any premium ingredients you opt to add to your meals. 

The benefits of signing up for a meal delivery service are plentiful, but we’ll spotlight a few. The most obvious perk of meal delivery services is efficiency. Meals sometimes come pre-prepared entirely, or with ingredients and accompanying straightforward recipes. Another advantage of meal delivery services is that they tend to make healthier eating more accessible. Of course, not all meal delivery services have a health focus, but most do the bare minimum to ensure a well-balanced meal. (That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of meal delivery subscriptions that prioritize healthfulness.) Last but not least, all of our favorite meal delivery services have flexible ordering and cancellation policies. We made sure to spotlight the services that suit busy and last-minute lifestyles. 

What if you’re a vegetarian? Or how about an amateur chef? Feeding a whole family? Everyone requires something a little bit different out of their meals these days. Our list of the best meal delivery services contains a versatile range of options, illustrating that there is truly a meal plan out there for everyone. 

Meal delivery services have some serious perks, and we’ve collected some of the best on the market right now to make your decision easier. Let’s dive in.