Meal kit deliveries offer ample convenience, cutting down on the time it takes to decide what to cook, find a recipe, and go to the grocery store. They also can help reduce food waste, since they typically send ingredients pre-measured, and they even teach you new cooking skills and methods. I barely knew how to make a week’s worth of meals before trying out HelloFresh for myself, and now I feel confident enough in the kitchen to try just about any technique.
All this said, anything subscription-based, including meal delivery kits, isn’t always cheap. We’ve seen Sakara Life charge anywhere between $60 up to even $100 a day — that’s more than what I spend on groceries per week!
But trust me, there are other affordable options available. Prepared delivery kits often cost more than services that require cooking, and you can save money by ordering more meals from your service. Below, you’ll find the cheapest, most convenient meal delivery kit services on the market right now for your budget — and save up for a rainy day when you really need the comfort of your favorite local restaurant’s food. Keep in mind that the price will vary slightly depending on your location.
Download the Krazy Coupon Lady for the latest meal kit deals and other money-saving tips, deals, and coupons.
The Cheapest Meal Kit Delivery Services in 2023:
Here’s a look at the standouts for meal kit delivery services. Whether it’s overall value, versatility, or dietary options, you’ll find just the right service for your needs.
- Best Overall: Dinnerly, starts at $2.81
- Best Value: Every Plate, starts at $2.09
- Best Dairy- and Gluten-Free: Daily Harvest, starts at $6.79
- Best Personalized: Home Chef, starts at $6.99
- Best for Improving Cooking Skills: HelloFresh, starts at $5.99
- Healthiest: Clean Eatz Kitchen, starts at $7.99
- Most Versatile: Blue Apron, starts at $2.96
- Best Flexible: Hungry Root, starts at $8.49
- Best for Dietary Restrictions: Fresh n Lean, starts at $8.49
- Best Plant-Based: Splendid Spoon, starts at $9.99
Best Overall: Dinnerly, from $1.99/meal
Dinnerly markets itself as “The Affordable Meal Kit,” and we’d say it deserves the title. The meal kits show up at your door with pre-portioned ingredients in an insulated box, and recipes involve only five easy steps. The best part? The price. While they provide quality ingredients, they only use digital recipe cards, fewer ingredients per dish, and simple packaging, which brings costs down. Personalize your plan to serve two or four people, and choose from three to six meals per week. The best value comes in at $1.99 per portion if you choose to serve four people with six meals.
Pricing and plans for Dinnerly:
- Meals start at $1.99 per serving
- Serves two to four people, three to six meals a week
- Free shipping
Best Value: Every Plate, from $1.49/meal
Every Plate offers 21 delicious new recipe options every week, with options such as herb butter steak and scallop linguine. The best part: dishes can be made in under 30 minutes. Plan preferences include meat and veggie, veggie, family-friendly, and quick-and-easy. Get the best value by ordering a box that serves four people, (starting at $1.49 per meal). No matter which plan you select at checkout, you can’t really go wrong — the most expensive option is their 2-person and 3-meal box, coming in at a very reasonable price of $2.09 per serving.
Pricing and plans for Every Plate:
- Meals start at $1.49 per serving
- Serves two to four people, three to five meals a week
- $8.99 shipping
Current EveryPlate meal deals:
Best Dairy- and Gluten-Free: Daily Harvest, from $6.79
Two words describe Daily Harvest: clean and simple. The delivery service is unique in that its weekly subscription boxes come in small, medium, or large sizes that include nine, 14, or 24 items. Ultimately, most of the food is vegan, and all of their food is dairy- and gluten-free. You’ll find smoothies, harvest bowls, harvest bakes, flatbreads, soups, forager bowls, scoops (ice cream), bites, lattes, and Mylk (plant-based milk). The largest box gets you the best value, with $35 of savings, and the total cost of your box depends on what you select. Forager bowls are the cheapest option at $6.79 per serving and are perfect for breakfast or lunch. The best-selling smoothies cost $8.49 each, and harvest bakes (the best option for dinner) ring up at $11.99. You can get up to $35 off your first order, depending on which size box you get.
Pricing and plans for Daily Harvest:
- Meals start at $6.79 per serving
- Serves two people, at a customized number of meals per week
- Free shipping
Best Personalized: Home Chef, from $6.99
Whether you just want to heat and eat your meal in under five minutes or create a 30+ minute masterpiece, you can do it on a budget with Home Chef. After taking a quiz about your preferences (tastes, serving sizes, and delivery), you can further customize your plan by choosing from a variety of recipes each week — it’s even possible to upgrade, swap, or double up on the included protein. The “Meal Kits” include pre-portioned ingredients that can be ready in under half an hour, the “15-Minute Meal Kits” come prepped, and “Oven Ready” gives you pre-portioned ingredients that arrive in an oven-safe tin. You can order online and choose your delivery dates or visit your local Kroger to get prepped meals. The subscription service can be paused or stopped at any time.
Pricing and plans for Home Chef:
- Meals start at $6.99 per serving
- Serves two to six people, two to six meals a week
- $9.99 shipping
Best for Improving Cooking Skills: HelloFresh, from $5.99
HelloFresh is probably the most well-known meal delivery service out there, thanks to its many podcast ad features. In 2021 alone, they delivered more than 1 billion meals across the country. So is it worth the hype? We think so! Along with six recipe preferences to choose from — Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Meat & Veggies, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian — and highly customizable plans, HelloFresh prides itself on its chef-quality meals. I’ve used the service before, and one of my favorite parts is how generous the serving sizes are (I always have leftovers). Boxes are delivered weekly on the day of your choice, and you can skip a week whenever you wish. If you place an order now, you can get 42 free meals across six boxes, three surprise gifts, and free shipping on your first box.
Pricing and plans for Hello Fresh:
- Meals start at $5.99 per serving
- Serves two to four people, two to six meals a week
- $9.99 shipping
Right now, when you join HelloFresh, you can get 16 Free Meals + 3 Surprise Gifts + First Box Ships Free with code KRAZY16. Discount is also automatically applied with the links below. Here are the current HelloFresh meal deals for new users.
TIP: As a new subscriber, there are a few ways to score meal kit discount codes, download the KCL app, visit the individual sites, your favorite podcast or YouTuber, or ask for codes in Facebook groups like Meal Kit Free Group (free codes we tested from this group worked).
Healthiest: Clean Eatz Kitchen, from $7.99
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be challenging (or bland). Clean Eatz Kitchen focuses on providing affordable, flavorful meal plans that focus on health, and you can select yours based on whatever diet you follow. If you’re gluten-free, keto, or want to increase your protein intake, Clean Eatz Kitchen has options for you. You can even build your own plan based on your needs. They don’t offer subscriptions, so you’re free to just make a one-time purchase whenever you feel like it. The meals are cooked weekly, frozen to lock in nutritional value, and delivered right to your doorstep — all you have to do is heat them up and enjoy.
Pricing and plans for Clean Eatz Kitchen:
- Meals start at $7.99 per serving
- Serves one to two people, five meals a week
- Shipping varies by order quantity, starts at $7.99
Most Versatile: Blue Apron, from $2.96
Blue Apron is one of the most popular meal kit deliveries in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why. With 50+ recipes to choose from weekly, five menus (including Veggies, Family Friendly, and Fast & Easy) and plans starting at $7.99 per serving, you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. You can even subscribe to monthly wine deliveries, shop pantry essentials, and buy yourself some new kitchen tools. And if you place an order today you get $200 off across your first six orders but the highest discount ($45 off and free shipping) will be applied towards your first box.
Pricing and plans for Blue Apron:
- Pay as little as $2.96 (plus tax) That’s as low as $0.74 per serving.
- Serves two to four people, two to four meals a week
- Plus, free shipping.
Best Flexible: HungryRoot, from $8.49/meal
HungryRoot has a wide range of meal options, so if you’re in charge of feeding a family with varying preferences, consider trying it out. The affordable meal kit delivery service allows you to completely customize your weekly menus by having you take a detailed quiz before ordering. They offer plans of two or four servings, and all the recipes are curated by chefs. You can also skip your weekly trip to the store and order your groceries through HungryRoot, whether you need to stock up on fresh produce or pounds of protein. According to the website, the average customer saves at least $22 each week on groceries. Plus, making an account (which you have to do to place an order) gets you 30% off the first time you check out.
Pricing and plans for HungryRoot:
- Meals start at $8.49 per serving
- Custom serving size plan
- $6.99 shipping, free for plans over $70
Best for Dietary Restrictions: Fresh n Lean, from $8.49
Shopping for organic ingredients can get pricey, but Fresh n Lean makes it affordable. They deliver fresh (not frozen) and nutritious meals already prepared by professional chefs so you don’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience. Select from over 100 breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options each week, and follow meal plans like Protein Plus, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, Mediterranean, and more. The service is subscription-based, and you can skip, pause, or cancel at any time. Price per meal varies depending on which plan you pick (for example, Protein+ breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans starts at $10.82 per meal, while Keto starts at $11.16). They offer $80 off your first four weeks of orders, plus free shipping.
Pricing and plans for Fresh n Lean:
- Meals start at $8.49 per serving
- Serves one person, five to seven meals a week
- Free shipping
Best Plant-Based: Splendid Spoon, from $9.99/meal
It can be costly and time-consuming to stick to a plant-based diet — that’s where Splendid Spoon comes in. The subscription delivery service specializes in making healthy eating more accessible, delivering ready-made meals (aka no prep work) weekly, biweekly, or monthly. They offer four plans: breakfast; breakfast and lunch; breakfast, lunch, and reset (best value); and breakfast, lunch, dinner, and reset. Choose from over 50 meals, and get $30 off your first four boxes on plans $100 or more.
Pricing and plans for Splendid Spoon:
- Meals start at $9.99 per serving
- Serves one person, one to four meals a week
- Free shipping
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