10 Best Meal Delivery Services 2023: Ranked By Our Experts

Deciding on a meal delivery service can feel overwhelming. There are dozens of options out there, from quick and easy prepared meals to DIY meal kits. There are also countless options for different dietary and budget needs, making it even harder to choose.

My colleagues and I are here to help you find the perfect match for your palate. I’ve used our combined experience and in-depth research and reviews to pick the top 10 meal delivery services for 2023.

Factor comes in at #1 thanks to its gourmet prepared meals. A strong selection of prepared meals across several dietary plans gives it an edge over many of its competitors.

I included a range of services to ensure there’s something for everyone. Whether you need help sticking to a diet, feeding a picky family, or just want to save time in the kitchen, you’ll find your ideal meal delivery service on this list.

The Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Factor – Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service

Factor specializes in prepared meals that are delivered fresh and ready for you to heat and enjoy. These single-serving lunches and dinners come in a range of cuisines, from Thai-inspired tofu dishes to Italian-style pasta dishes and many more.

Unlike most prepared meals, Factor’s dishes are never frozen. This explains why my colleague’s review raves about the flavor of Factor’s meals. More than flavor, though, Factor’s real mission is to provide healthy meals for all lifestyles.

Every dish on Factor’s menu is designed to be nutritionally balanced. You’ll get lean proteins, large servings of vegetables, and limited starches and sugars. The dishes taste great, but don’t be surprised when your burger comes without a bun!

The majority of Factor’s menu is catered to the needs of keto dieters. This means high-protein, low-carb dishes. A smaller portion of the menu is dedicated to vegan and vegetarian meals. The balance used to be 50-50, but now there are only around 5 plant-based meals each week.

Factor also offers online meetings with dietitians and nutrition coaches. This is a unique feature you won’t find with many other meal delivery services. If you need help forming healthy eating habits, you can schedule a free introductory session with a Factor subscription.

In addition to an impressive 35 dishes on the menu each week, Factor has a number of à la carte items that you can add to any shipment. These add-ons include breakfasts, smoothies, snacks, and protein packs to round out your weekly nutritional needs.

Factor is ideal if you don’t want your busy lifestyle to get in the way of a healthy diet. It’s also great for anyone who wants support from a registered dietitian. Vegans and vegetarians will likely find the selection a little too limiting for a full week of dinners, but meat-eaters and flexitarians have plenty of options on Factor’s menu.

Prices start at $6.19 per single-serving meal (best value). However, you have to commit to the maximum order size to get the best value. Subscription sizes range between 6-18 meals per week.

2. Green Chef – Best Certified Organic Meal Delivery Service

Green Chef’s specialty is organic and ethically sourced ingredients. The company is committed to using the best ingredients obtained through sustainable practices whenever possible. That’s because organic products, in general, are held to a higher standard of quality.

Organic produce contains fewer synthetic chemicals. Also, organic beef and chicken are raised with high animal welfare standards. This makes Green Chef a great meal kit option for anyone striving to eat cleaner and healthier. 

The menu is divided into 8 meal plans based on several criteria. There are 6 meal plans based on dietary needs (Mediterranean, Calorie Smart, Plant Based, Protein Packed, Keto, and Gluten Free), 1 meal plan for Quick & Easy recipes, and 1 plan for dishes inspired by global cuisines.

You have access to the full menu, and you can mix and match between plans. Our tried-and-tested review goes into more detail on the ingredients, recipes, and everything else that makes Green Chef our favorite organic meal kit delivery service.

Green Chef is a good choice for larger households. You can order for as many as 6 people per week (and up to 4 meals). You can change the size of your order whenever you want – just make sure to do it before the next week’s cutoff date.

Green Chef doesn’t currently offer prepared entrees on the core menu. So you’ll still have to do some chopping and slicing. However, its meal kits are accessible to all skill levels, and they’re easier than other services thanks to the pre-made ingredients like spice blends, sauces, and dressings.

Rounding out Green Chef’s menu is a selection of add-ons. These extra menu items change weekly, but generally include organic proteins as well as light lunches and a variety of breakfasts like vegan oatmeal and keto-friendly egg bites.

Overall, Green Chef is one of the best meal kits for ingredient quality. Being certified Organic makes it one of the pricier meal delivery services on my list, but the quality is worth it if you can fit it into your budget.

Prices for this organic meal kit vary depending on the order size and start at $9.99 per serving. You can order 3-4 meals for 2, 4, or 6 people each week. There’s also an option to get just 2 meals per week, but only on the 4-person plan.

3. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Kits

HelloFresh’s broad menu has something for just about everyone. More than its competitors, this service tries to be a one-stop shop for anyone in the market for a meal kit. No matter your dietary needs or preferences, there’s almost certainly something on the menu for you.

The massive menu has more than 70 recipes, and HelloFresh’s customization options expand it even further. For example, the popular Beef and Black Bean Quesadilla dish can be upgraded to include organic beef or made vegetarian by omitting the meat altogether.

HelloFresh also has unique recipe categories on its menu. Keep an eye out for Premium Picks, which offer gourmet recipes with ingredients like steak. These come with a variable upcharge of a few dollars per serving. Other recipe tags include Fast & Fresh, Brunch, 10-Min Lunch, and Hall of Fame. The cuisine is largely American with some international flavors.

There are usually 5 vegan dishes on the menu each week. Many services don’t offer vegan meals at all, so it’s great to see these offered. However, that doesn’t leave much choice or flexibility for strict vegans who want more than 5 meals per week.

HelloFresh excels at making easy, family-friendly meal kits. It claims to test each recipe 200 times to ensure quality. I can’t say how true that number is, but I can tell you our HelloFresh reviewer found the recipes they tried really easy to follow.

The Family Friendly menu is best for easy, kid-approved flavors. The company’s other menus include Fit & Wholesome, Pescatarian, and Quick and Easy.

HelloFresh lets you order from the full menu at any time, regardless of what plan you choose at signup. This makes HelloFresh a great service for anyone who craves variety or simply wants a large selection of meal kits.

Price per serving drops the more you order. Prices start at $3.32 per serving, but the exact rate depends on the size of your order. HelloFresh lets you order anywhere from 2-6 meals for 2 or 4 people each week..

4. Home Chef – Best Meal Delivery Service for Customization

Home Chef’s protein customization feature is the best thing about this service. Most services don’t offer customization at all, and those that do usually just give you the option to add or upgrade a single ingredient. With Home Chef, you’ll have multiple protein options for most dishes.

With 39+ unique recipes each week, Home Chef has a pretty big menu. The potential customizations greatly expand these options. For example, you can order an enchilada dish with steak, shrimp, or chicken. Meatball dishes can come with ground beef, turkey, or pork. Whatever protein suits your taste buds.

Home Chef is suitable for vegetarians too. As we discovered in our tried-and-tested Home Chef review, plant-based protein swaps are increasingly available, and there are now around 6 vegetarian entrees on the menu each week.

Vegans might have a more difficult time finding suitable dishes. Ultimately, Home Chef is suited for people whose diets include animal protein or flexitarians. Green Chef is a better choice for more plant-forward dishes, with a dedicated Plant Based plan. 

Home Chef’s dietary options are more varied for omnivores. The main menu lets you filter for carb-conscious and calorie-conscious dishes. There aren’t menus for specialized diets like keto or paleo, but you may find suitable dishes for these diets by checking each recipe’s ingredients and nutritional breakdown.

Each recipe lists its main allergens, so you can search through the recipes. Still, keep in mind that Home Chef doesn’t claim to be an allergy-friendly service. Since all the meal kits are prepared and packed in the same facility, the company can’t guarantee against cross-contamination.

Home Chef’s menu is also full of fun extras, bundles, and other add-ons. These include breakfast items, snacks, soups, salads, breads, desserts, protein packs, beverages, and more. There are even bundles, like a breakfast duo of croissant sandwiches and canned lattes, for easy meal ideas.

Pricing is lowest for the largest order and starts at $7.99 per serving. You can order anywhere from 2-6 meals for 2, 4, or 6 people. Each item on the menu is individually priced, however, so what you pay depends on what you order.

5. Fresh and Easy – Best Speedy Meal Kits

Fresh and Easy is a collection of Home Chef’s speediest meal kits. This service was designed for people who never want to spend more than 30 minutes in the kitchen. The fact that it’s actually part of Home Chef’s service makes it a unique entry on my list.

This service is also special because of its recipes. Most services offer microwavable prepared meals or cook-it-yourself meal kits. Fresh and Easy sits somewhere in between, offering shortcuts and simple recipes that are quick to prepare in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop.

The menu has tags that categorize each style of speedy prep. Express recipes are quick and easy meal kits. Oven-Ready meals require almost no prep and include a recyclable oven-safe tin. Fast & Fresh recipes take advantage of the microwave to get meals on the table in minutes.

Like Home Chef, Fresh and Easy has access to the Customize It feature. This means that you can pick your protein, but the feature is not active for all the dishes. Also, Fresh and Easy isn’t suitable for vegetarians or most other diets.  Just like Home Chef, the menu relies on animal proteins too much to be a reliable option for vegans or vegetarians. It also has limited support for food allergies.

Fresh and Easy can be a game changer for omnivores without allergies. The same is true if you don’t follow any strict diet or have strict dietary needs. In my Fresh and Easy review, I discovered that this service really delivers on its promise of convenience.

To clarify, Fresh and Easy isn’t a standalone meal delivery service. It’s a line of easy prep meal kits on Home Chef’s menu. When you sign up, you can access all the meals from either service.

Pricing for Fresh and Easy starts at $7.99 per serving. You can order 2-6 meals for 2, 4, or 6 people. As with Home Chef, every menu item is individually priced.

6. BistroMD – Best Meal Delivery Service For Weight Loss

BistroMD is the only service on my list specially designed for weight loss. Even though other meal delivery services offer low-calorie, low-carb, or other plans that can help you lose weight, BistroMD was designed by a doctor with the goal of dieting and weight loss in mind.

The Signature Program includes 150+ breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Each of these food items is nutritionally balanced and intended to replace most of your weekly food. All the meals are freshly prepared and then frozen to keep all their nutritional values.

Dishes on the weekly rotating menu are chef-prepared to be as delicious as possible. My colleague had some great things to say about the food in their BistroMD review, but keep in mind these are still frozen diet meals.

BistroMD’s dishes are inspired by classic American cuisine. There are also some recipes with more complex and creative flavors, like Jerk Spiced Tilapia and Stuffed Grape Leaves. There are also breakfast options like omelets and waffles, as well as healthy snacks like bars and crackers.

BistroMD offers 8 weight-loss programs, all designed to help people with different dietary needs. The programs include Heart Healthy, Gluten Free, Keto Flex, Vegan, Diabetic Friendly, and Menopause, as well as separate plans for men and women. A vegetarian plan is possible, but you have to sign up for the Signature plan and contact customer service to omit meat dishes.

You are free to choose the right plan for your particular dietary needs. However, the menus are all much smaller than the basic Signature Program. Most offer around 100 rotating recipes compared to the Signature Program’s 150+.

BistroMD offers a rotating menu, which means it rarely adds new dishes. Instead, your weekly meals are selected from a static collection of 150+ recipes. This means that you’ll eventually end up repeating meals after a few months.

Overall, BistroMD isn’t going to be the best choice for everyone. It caters to the specific needs of certain kinds of dieters. If you’re a picky eater or aren’t trying to lose weight, you’ll likely prefer something else on my list.

I do recommend BistroMD for people trying to lose weight with a meal delivery service. Prices start at $8.24 per serving on the largest plan, which includes all your meals for a week. Plan options include 2-3 meals a day for 5 or 7 days.

7. Purple Carrot – Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service

Purple Carrot offers a purely plant-based menu, making it suitable for strict vegans. Of course, anyone who simply wants to enjoy some plant-powered meals is also welcome. Most meal delivery services have at least 1 or 2 vegan meals, but the selection is rather limited.

Purple Carrot celebrates vegetables rather than relying on processed meat substitutes. Though it may not be the top choice for most meat eaters and omnivores, I’m really fond of this service and found it a great way to eat more veggies. And to clarify: I’m very much an omnivore!

I tried several weeks’ worth of meal kits and found many dishes I’d like to cook again. Each week’s recipes come in a reusable booklet, making it easy to revisit your favorites. My Purple Carrot review walks you through my experience testing the service for myself.

Though I only tried the meal kits, Purple Carrot also offers prepared meals. These microwavable vegan dinners can help you save time on busy weeknights or when you’re on the go. The service also has a Less Prep menu with speedy features like pre-made sauces and pre-chopped produce.

Beyond dinner, Purple Carrot’s menu includes breakfasts and lunches. These lighter meal kits are in the Less Prep category and ready within 15 minutes. Check out the Plantry for à la carte snacks, desserts, and grocery items like black bean burgers to add to any order.

Purple Carrot doesn’t guarantee organic produce. However, most of this service’s non-produce items (like tofu and nut-based products) are organic. It also claims to source the highest possible quality of ingredients and to be seeking consistent sources of organic products.

Purple Carrot is a great way to get a taste of quality, veggie-forward recipes. I’m a firm believer that everyone should try eating plant-based meals on occasion – or at least be open to trying new ways to enjoy delicious vegetables. It would also be a great choice for people just starting a vegan diet.

Purple Carrot’s pricing starts at $8.50 per serving, but the number and type of meals you order will affect this. You may order 3-4 meal kits for 2 people or 2-3 meal kits for 4 people each week. You can also subscribe for 6, 8, or 10 single-serving prepared meals per week.

8. Dinnerly – Best For Meals on a Budget

Dinnerly offers some of the most affordable meal kits around. So if you really want to save money and enjoy good meals, this is a great service to consider.

Despite the low price point, Dinnerly has an impressive menu of 100+ recipes. This includes everything from breakfasts and desserts to easy lunches and, of course, dinners. There are also some unique items like a BBQ Chicken Sliders appetizer and a small selection of prepared, heat-and-eat meals.

My favorite thing about Dinnerly is its many diet options. You’ll find around 5 vegan dinners and 25+ vegetarian-friendly recipes on the menu every week. Our reviewer loved that Dinnerly also has handy recipe tags to note which recipes are low-carb, kid-friendly, and other useful categories. Our reviewer loved that Dinnerly also has handy tags to note which recipes are low-carb, kid-friendly, and other useful categories.

On the downside, there’s a trade-off for such low prices. The dishes are simple and rarely contain more than 6 or 7 ingredients. This makes them easy to prepare, but don’t expect gourmet meals.

With the money you save, you may consider splurging on Dinnerly’s PremiYUM meals. This menu category offers slightly more complex recipes at a small, per-serving upcharge. The amount of the upcharge varies by meal.

I think Dinnerly is great for households who want low-budget meal kits. The simpler flavors and basic recipes are a small sacrifice for the affordable price you pay.

Dinnerly’s meal kits start at just $2.12 per serving, which makes it easily the cheapest service on my list. However, you have to sign up for the maximum order size to pay the lowest price per serving. You may order anywhere from 3-6 recipes for 2 or 4 people.

9. Marley Spoon – Most Sustainable Meal Delivery Service

Marley Spoon’s main marketing angle is its partnership with Martha Stewart. To be honest, I was originally expecting this to be its only draw. However, I quickly found a lot more to love about this service.

Marley Spoon has an unmatched dedication to the environment. It’s the only meal delivery service I’ve seen to include a “climatarian” tag on recipes. This highlights dishes that use only ingredients with a low carbon footprint.

The service also provides detailed information on its packaging, including the sustainably sourced cardboard it uses for its shipments. There’s also information on how Marley Spoon reduces its emissions to decrease its carbon footprint.

Marley Spoon isn’t just eco-friendly – it also offers really tasty meal kits. My colleague tested out Marley Spoon for themself and enjoyed all their dishes.

Martha’s premade signature sauces and spice blends boost each meal kit. These flavorful shortcuts make it possible to cook internationally-inspired dishes like kofta, bibimbap, and Cajun-style dirty rice.

Marley Spoon’s menu includes breakfasts, appetizers, snacks, and desserts in addition to more typical lunch and dinner meal kits. There’s even a small number of microwavable prepared meals and a selection of premium dishes that come with fancier ingredients for a variable upcharge.

Marley Spoon has a huge menu, but this can feel like more of a con than a pro. Despite the useful tags, there’s not actually an easy way to filter and sort the menu. This makes it more time-consuming for anyone with particular dietary needs or preferences.

Prices start at $2.99 per serving, with higher prices for smaller orders.  You can sign up for anywhere from 2-6 meals per week for 2 or 4 people.

10. Blue Apron – Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Service

Blue Apron offers quality ingredients and a wide variety of unique gourmet recipes. The dinners are a cut above most other meal kits with exciting flavor combinations and restaurant-quality flavors.

Despite its gourmet menu, Blue Apron’s meal kits are accessible and easy to make. Look for dishes marked with the Fast & Easy tag for low-prep recipes. To save even more time and energy, the Ready to Cook tag highlights dishes that come oven ready in a recyclable baking tin.

The menu features classic American dishes and international recipes. So, it’s quite normal to find dishes like cheeseburgers and roasted chicken next to truffle pasta and shakshuka. In their detailed review of Blue Apron, my colleague was particularly impressed with the service’s unique flavors.

Unfortunately, Blue Apron doesn’t cater to many specialized diets. It’s not a great choice for dietary needs like keto, vegan, or allergies. Other services on my list, like Factor and Green Chef, are better suited for these diets.

Blue Apron has a decent Vegetarian menu and a Wellness menu. There are also some carb-conscious and low-calorie dishes, though there are only around 4 recipes for either on any given week. This is great for an omnivore like me who likes to have some vegetarian recipes or the occasional low-carb meal.

My favorite feature about this service is its add-ons. For any weekly order, you can choose from à la carte appetizers, desserts, snacks, sides, and even microwaveable Heat & Eat prepared meals to add no-effort, single-serving lunches and dinners to your shipment.

The more you order, the lower your cost. Pricing starts at $5.74 per serving for the maximum order. You can order 2-5 meals for 2 or 4 people each week. 

Bonus: Trifecta – Best Meal Delivery Service for Specific Diets

Trifecta is a great option if you follow a specific diet to improve your physical performance. The company offers fully prepared, microwavable meals that are ready in just 3 minutes, perfect for those on the go.

What sets Trifecta apart is that its meals have optimal freshness and taste. This is possible due to the fact that all the meals are delivered in a deep chilled state, never frozen.

When it comes to quality ingredients, Trifecta goes above and beyond. It mainly sources its ingredients from local family-run suppliers who practice sustainable farming methods. This means you can enjoy high-quality meals while also supporting small businesses and reducing your carbon footprint.

With Trifecta, you don't have to worry about your meals going bad quickly. The food stays fresh in the fridge for up to 7 days after receiving it. Alternatively, if you freeze the meals immediately upon delivery, they can last for up to 3 months without losing any flavor or nutritional value.

Trifecta understands that different diets work best for different individuals. That's why it offers 4 meal plans tailored to specific diets, such as Keto, Paleo Whole30 Approved, Plant Based, and Clean Eating. Whether you're following a low-carb lifestyle or prefer plant-based options, Trifecta has got you covered with delicious and satisfying meals.

If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, Trifecta is also a great choice. According to our dedicated Trifecta review, the entire menu is gluten-free, making it safe for those with gluten sensitivities or Celiac disease. 

I also like that all the meals come with detailed nutrition information. This makes it easier to track your intake and make informed choices about what you eat.

Trifecta provides a personalized companion app with your first subscription. Through the app, you can access resources and tips and even connect with nutritionists to optimize your diet and achieve your fitness goals. You can also connect with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals focused on active lifestyles. 

When it comes to pricing, Trifecta offers great value. Meal prices start at $6.00 per serving for the maximum order of 21 meals. It’s a bit pricey, but this is to be expected considering the level of personalization and planning that goes into creating the meals.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service

Based on my team's experience testing and writing about meal delivery services, we've identified the key things to look for in a top-notch meal delivery service:

• Flexible plans: You don’t want to get penalized for skipping a week if you’re going out of town, right? The best services make it easy to tailor your subscription to your needs.

• Menu variety: Nobody wants to eat the same thing every day. The best meal delivery services offer large, varied menus with plenty of choices or dynamic menus that offer new recipes every week.

• Support for dietary preferences: Whether you’re gluten-free or pescatarian, you should be able to order meals that cater to your needs without stress or uncertainty.

• Price: Meal subscriptions can be more cost-effective compared to regular takeout. However, it's important to ensure they align with your budget for continued use. Remember to factor in recurring shipping expenses as well.
  

• Ingredients: Everything in your box should be fresh and ethically sourced. Many services also make it easy to get organic and non-GMO options, too, either as standard or as an upgrade.

• Stress-free prep: Whether you're following a recipe or reheating a prepared meal, you should be able to enjoy your food within a predetermined time frame (typically a few minutes for ready meals and up to 30 minutes for meal kits).

FAQ

What’s the highest rated prepared meal delivery service?

Factor is my top-ranked service thanks to its impressive selection of meals and dietary accommodations. Its add-ons, which include smoothies, helped give it the edge to earn the top spot.

Which meal delivery service is easiest?

Prepared meal delivery services like Factor are the quickest and easiest to enjoy. You can order up to 18 single-serving meals each week, and all that stands between you and your meal is 3 minutes in the microwave!

What’s the healthiest meal delivery service?

Purple Carrot is one of the most holistically healthy services on my list. This is due to the company’s “food as medicine” philosophy and its veggie-powered recipes that rely on natural flavors rather than processed ingredients.

What is the most affordable prepared meal delivery service?

Dinnerly is the most affordable meal delivery service on my list. It specializes in meal kits, but there are a number of easy prep options available. Factor is my top choice for microwavable prepared meals, but expect to pay more per serving.

Best Meal Delivery Services in 2023 — Final Score