Dinnerly vs. HelloFresh 2021 In-Depth Comparison + Discounts

What sets Dinnerly and HelloFresh apart? There are several things you should consider before settling on the better meal kit delivery service of the two.

In many ways, Dinnerly and HelloFresh are pretty similar. They both send fresh ingredients and recipes so you can make simple, wholesome meals in your kitchen at home.

But while Dinnerly is the more affordable service, HelloFresh has a lot more variety that will make for a comprehensive dinner experience for just a few extra dollars.

So, does the pricier option really provide you with more value? To find out the answer, I tested both services and prepared this detailed breakdown of Dinnerly vs. HelloFresh so you can decide for yourself.

At a Glance: Dinnerly vs. HelloFresh

Dietary Preferences

You might happen to be highly selective about the food you eat – whether that’s due to allergies, medical advice, or simply personal preference. If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry too much when ordering from HelloFresh and Dinnerly.

Both services are constantly adapting to the rapidly changing dietary landscape and allow customers to choose specific dietary preferences, though HelloFresh does so more than Dinnerly.

As well as having six specific plans to choose from, including Veggie, Pescatarian, and Calorie Smart, HelloFresh also lets you filter for seafood-free, pork-free, or beef-free meals.

While Dinnerly also allows you to choose meals according to your dietary preferences, it doesn’t provide as much variety as HelloFresh. At first, the only filter I could find was one for vegetarian meal kits.

But after I had signed up, I was able to identify allergens from tags such as Low-Calorie, Low-Carb, and No Added Gluten. Each recipe page also has information such as the amount of fat, protein, carbs, and potential allergens in the meal.

HelloFresh stood out for me in this category because of its better defined dietary filters

Winner: HelloFresh

Menu Variety

Dinnerly provides 18 recipes every week , with each meal featuring approximately six ingredients. The week I signed up, there was a wide selection of beef, pork, and poultry, with around five meals suitable for vegetarians, including Kimchi Fried Rice and Low-Cal Tomato & Red Pepper Shakshuka.

HelloFresh offers a similarly diverse selection of family-friendly meals, with around 25 to 27 recipes available each week . I found a good number of global-inspired dishes like the Tunisian Harissa Chicken Bowl and the French Cranberry Dijon Pork Tenderloin. There were local foods too, such as the Juicy Lucy Burger and the Backyard Grill Bourbon Steak.

What sets HelloFresh’s menu apart is that you can see which recipes have been given high ratings by fellow customers. There’s also a huge variety of options when it comes to choosing meals that suit your schedule, including Easy Prep and Easy Cleanup kits, and a small selection of prepared meals.

Winner: HelloFresh

Starting Prices

Affordability is Dinnerly’s main selling point, and as you might expect, the service is virtually unbeaten in this sector, with meals as low as $4.69 per serving. However, this price point depends on your meal plan and the number of meals you order each week.

Dinnerly will ask you to choose between a Two-Person Box or a Family Box. You’ll also have to select the number of meals you want each week. The more meals you order, the lower the price per serving.

Dinnerly regularly offers discounts, too, making its already-affordable prices even cheaper for new customers. Check out our code to save $60 off of your first four boxes .

While HelloFresh also has fairly economical prices compared to other meal kit delivery services, its cost per meal is more expensive than Dinnerly’s.

The working model, however, is similar in that the price per serving depends on the number of diners and the number of recipes you order each week. The cost per plate on HelloFresh’s two-person box will average at around $8.99, while a serving on the family plan will cost $7.49.

Dinnerly and HelloFresh both ship across most states in the US and charge a flat shipping fee of $8.99. For new customers, though, HelloFresh offers free shipping and an $80 discount .

Winner: Dinnerly

Delivery and Packaging

Both Dinnerly and HelloFresh pack their meal kits in specially designed boxes. Packages that include proteins are filled with an appropriate amount of ice packs at the bottom of the box to keep them cool as they’re delivered to your home.

The difference is that HelloFresh sorts the items for each recipe into labeled brown paper bags, making it easier for you to find the ingredients you need for that particular dish.

With Dinnerly, you’ll have to do the sorting yourself.

One way Dinnerly cuts down on costs is by creating a digital recipe card that customers can access online. HelloFresh, on the other hand, delivers its meal kits with a printed recipe card to guide customers with their cooking.

One aspect that I admired from both companies is that they try to limit the environmental impact of their shipping materials.

Although Dinnerly is focused on cost-efficiency, it’s still committed to using recyclable shipping materials such as the outer cardboard box, parts of the liner, and ingredient packaging.

HelloFresh’s packaging materials are also recyclable, apart from ice pack gel contents that can be disposed of in the trash.

Winner: It’s a draw.

Meal Prep

If you often find yourself hungry and tired after work, it can be easy to skip the grocery shop and opt for takeout instead. Since hitting the drive-thru every evening is not exactly budget-friendly, let’s look at the time and effort that goes into preparing meals from HelloFresh and Dinnerly.

Because Dinnerly aims to keep prices low for its customers, expect the meals to have fewer ingredients and simpler recipes.

Of the 18 recipes on the menu each week, around half of them could be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Some of the slightly more complex recipes could take up to 45 minutes to prepare.

Since the ingredients aren’t labeled, it might take you some time to sift through all the items to find what you’re looking for. Also, remember that Dinnerly posts its recipes online so you’ll need to have an internet-ready device to hand when cooking.

With HelloFresh, I found that most of its recipes were not quick fixer-uppers. Only four of them could be prepared in 20 minutes or less, with the more premium recipes ranging between 40 and 45 minutes.

That said, it does offer a range of sheet-pan recipes, one-pot dishes, and meals that are specifically labeled Easy Prep, so you should have no problem finding recipes that’ll be simple to put together, even when you don’t really feel like cooking.

Winner: HelloFresh

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a cost-friendly meal kit service that takes the stress out of deciding what’s for dinner, then both Dinnerly and HelloFresh will be right up your alley. However, HelloFresh is my top pick as you get to enjoy more variety at moderate prices, with recipes made from fresh, seasonal, and nutritious ingredients.

Dinnerly is a good choice if budget is your number one priority, and you can also check out our list of the 10 most affordable meal kit services today.

Overall winner: HelloFresh