Are you overwhelmed by the number of meal kit delivery services available these days? You’re not alone. There are many companies offering different price points and menu options.
Using well-known meal delivery services like HelloFresh and EveryPlate can simplify things. These affordable meal kits offer ready-to-make meals that reduce your need for grocery shopping and meal planning.
We’ve compared EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh to help you determine which one is best for your needs.
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Is HelloFresh or EveryPlate Better?
It can be challenging to choose between HelloFresh vs. EveryPlate. One is a budget-friendly meal kit delivery service, while the other is more robust.
We’ve tested both of these services extensively and compared them based on the following criteria:
- Cost: total price, including shipping, add-ons, etc.
- Specialty diets: offerings for dietary restrictions and preferences
- Add-ons: availability of optional meals or snacks
- Packaging: sustainability and convenience of the packaging
- Preparation ease: time and skill needed for meal prep and cooking
- Supporting materials: quality and helpfulness of recipe cards
- Taste: variety of recipes and flavors
- Customer service: ease of changing or canceling your subscription
EveryPlate is actually owned by HelloFresh, so there are some similarities between the two meal kit companies. However, they’re still two separate services that are very different.
Here’s our breakdown to help you decide which is a better fit for your family.
EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh: Cost
Both services are considered budget-friendly meal delivery kits, but EveryPlate offers the lowest price per serving.
EveryPlate starts at $4.99 per serving, with shipping at $8.99 per box. Here’s a breakdown of their pricing:
| Servings per week | Total cost |
|---|---|
| 2 people, 3 dinners | $38.93 |
| 2 people, 4 dinners | $48.91 |
| 2 people, 5 dinners | $58.89 |
| 4 people, 3 dinners | $68.87 |
*For a limited time, Frugal Rules readers can get $1.49/meal on their first EveryPlate order.
On the other hand, HelloFresh starts at $7.49 per serving. Shipping is $8.99 per box. Their pricing is as follows:
| Servings Per Week | Total Cost with Shipping |
|---|---|
| 2 people, 2 recipes per week | $58.95 |
| 2 people, 3 recipes per week | $62.93 |
| 2 people, 4 recipes per week | $80.91 |
| 2 people, 5 recipes per week | $98.89 |
| 2 people, 6 recipes per week | $116.87 |
| 4 people, 2 recipes per week | $80.91 |
| 4 people, 3 recipes per week | $98.87 |
| 4 people, 4 recipes per week | $128.83 |
| 4 people, 5 recipes per week | $158.79 |
| 4 people, 6 recipes per week | $188.75 |
Currently, new HelloFresh subscribers can get free shipping on their first box and 16 free meals across their first seven boxes.
Winner: EveryPlate
HelloFresh vs. EveryPlate: Specialty Diets
HelloFresh and EveryPlate are both geared towards the typical American family that doesn’t have any major food allergies or diet preferences.
However, HelloFresh is easier to work with if you have unique dietary needs.
Both HelloFresh and EveryPlate offer vegetarian meal plans, but HelloFresh also offers an option for pescatarians(people who don’t eat any meat except fish and shellfish).
It also provides a low-calorie option for people who are trying to lose weight.
Unfortunately, neither service has gluten-free meals or many selections for vegans, so Green Chef (also owned by HelloFresh) could be worth considering if you follow one of these diets.
Read our Green Chef review to learn more about that service.
Winner: HelloFresh
EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh: Add-ons
Several at-home meal kits allow you to purchase add-on items for an extra fee. These can include breakfasts, snacks, side dishes, extra protein portions, grocery items, or microwave meals.
However, HelloFresh and EveryPlate do not offer many of these options. Fortunately, they sell premium meals that are more expensive than their typical meals.
Better yet, they include gourmet meals with a wider assortment of ingredients.
Some meal delivery services that offer a variety of add-on grocery items include Factor (which is owned by HelloFresh) and Hungryroot.
Winner: Tie
HelloFresh vs. EveryPlate: Packaging
One of the key differences between EveryPlate and HelloFresh is their packaging. Both meal kits are shipped in recyclable insulated boxes with reusable ice packs to keep your food fresh and cool.
However, the similarities end there.
With EveryPlate, all of the fresh ingredients for your meals are packed loose in the box. For this reason, some of your items can become damaged in transit (especially if the box doesn’t remain upright).
Additionally, you’ll need to gather ingredients before you start cooking.
With HelloFresh, each meal’s pre-portioned ingredients are neatly packed in a labeled and sealed paper bag. Plus, meats are kept separate.
This makes it easy to prepare and cook the meals. Just take the meat and the right bag of ingredients out of the fridge.
Winner: HelloFresh
EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh: Preparation Ease
HelloFresh and EveryPlate meals both take roughly 20-30 minutes of prep time, but HelloFresh wins out slightly on ease of preparation.
This is because all of the ingredients for your HelloFresh meals are neatly divided into their own bag (with one bag per recipe).
With EveryPlate, you receive one large box of ingredients that you’ll need to sort and divide between meals. This includes some ingredients that might be used for multiple meals, such as a garlic bulb.
Still, both services offer simple dishes that are a good fit for novice chefs.
Winner: HelloFresh
HelloFresh vs. EveryPlate: Supporting Materials
When it comes to making dinner, HelloFresh and EveryPlate each send full-color recipe cards with step-by-step photos to help you prepare your meals.
These recipe cards outline prep time, easy-to-follow instructions, ways to tweak the recipe, nutrition information, and more.
For this reason, HelloFresh and EveryPlate are equal when it comes to their supporting materials.
Winner: Tie
EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh: Taste
Overall, I enjoyed the taste and portion size of the EveryPlate meals and the HelloFresh meals I tried.
However, HelloFresh wins out for variety, healthy recipes, customizable plans, unique ingredients and flavors, and how many weekly meal options they offer.
EveryPlate provides about 20 meal choices each week, while HelloFresh offers around 50. HelloFresh also allows you to swap out the protein in some meals, which provides additional flexibility.
Additionally, HelloFresh’s meals contain a wider variety of ingredients, with dishes like One-Pan Sweet & Spicy Cashew Shrimp Tacos with Gochujang Sauce & Tangy Slaw, or Spiced Chickpea Fritters & Chicken with Greek Salad, Pita & Garlicky White Sauce.
HelloFresh’s Chicken Ramen in a Shoyu-Style Broth with Mushrooms, Chili Garlic Oil & Crispy Onions
On the other hand, EveryPlate’s meals are fairly limited to chicken, beef, and pork. Seafood is only offered as a premium meal.
They also stick to inexpensive veggies like zucchini, carrots, and potatoes.
EveryPlate’s Creamy Dijon Chicken with Zucchini and Herby Potatoes
Regardless, both EveryPlate and HelloFresh offer a good balance of American dishes, homestyle meals, comfort food, and kid-friendly meals.
When testing both of these services, I tried several delicious meals. Nevertheless, HelloFresh has the edge.
Read our HelloFresh review to learn more.
Read our EveryPlate review to learn more.
Winner: HelloFresh
HelloFresh vs. EveryPlate: Customer Service
I had no problems with my HelloFresh or EveryPlate orders that warranted contacting customer service.
They both made it simple to choose meals for each week, skip weeks, and cancel my subscription.
For this reason, I rated them equally for customer service. This is no surprise since they’re owned by the same company.
Winner: Tie
What’s The Difference Between HelloFresh and EveryPlate?
Both meal kit companies have a lot going for them, so we assessed them based on our chosen criteria.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Price | EveryPlate |
| Best for specialty diets | HelloFresh |
| Best add-ons | Tie |
| Best packaging | HelloFresh |
| Best prep | HelloFresh |
| Best supporting materials | Tie |
| Best taste | HelloFresh |
| Best customer service | Tie |
HelloFresh is the clear winner, but that is only if you’re comfortable paying more for your meals than you would with EveryPlate.
If budget is your main concern, EveryPlate is the winner.
Remember, they are both owned by the same company, so they offer ingredients of equal quality and have similar recipe cards as well as customer service.
You may also find comparable meals with each service. However, EveryPlate will be more repetitive with fewer unique ingredients and less exciting flavors.
Still, HelloFresh and EveryPlate are both cheaper than some other meal delivery subscription services, like Gobble or Sunbasket.
Overall, HelloFresh is an ideal choice if you can spend more, but EveryPlate is a good lower-cost alternative.
Bottom Line
EveryPlate and HelloFresh are two of the most popular and inexpensive meal kit delivery services available. They’re both owned by the same company.
HelloFresh offers a wider variety of meal options and ingredients, some healthier meals, and convenient packaging for a more streamlined cooking process.
EveryPlate is an affordable alternative to HelloFresh that includes many similarities.
Overall, it’s important to know the differences between the two services so that you can choose the one that’s the best fit for your household.
What’s most important to you when choosing a meal kit company?
SaVanna is a registered dietitian, freelance writer, and recipe developer. She’s a regular contributor for Healthline Nutrition and Greatist, and she blogs about low carb meal planning at SaVannaShoemaker.com. When she’s not writing about food and nutrition, she’s brainstorming ways to make meals that are inexpensive, kid friendly, tasty, and healthy.
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