HelloFresh vs. Blue Apron: How They Compare

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a global meal delivery industry giant and a household name in the U.S. When it comes to the meals served by the company, rather than focusing on a specific diet niche or customer base, HelloFresh wants to provide meals that are flavorful, filling, and fresh, served at an approachable price point. While it may not be the central focus, these are the dietary options available from HelloFresh:

• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Calorie Smart
• Protein Smart
• Carb Smart
  

About Blue Apron

Blue Apron wants to help you achieve exceptional meals every night of the week with chef-curated menus and an obsessive commitment to sourcing quality ingredients. With its home base in NYC, there's plenty of inspiration to draw on and talent to support its mission. The service doesn't necessarily cater to specialty diets but does offer up the following accommodations in its menus: 

• Vegetarian
• Wellness
• WW

HelloFresh vs. Blue Apron at a Glance

Company	Starting Price	Delivery Area	Products Arrive	Customers Can Choose Delivery Date?	Free Shipping?
HelloFresh	$8.99 per serving	48 states	Fresh	Yes	No
Blue Apron	$7.99 per serving	48 states	Fresh	Yes	No

Price Comparison

Company	Starting Price per Serving	Highest Price per Serving	Additional Pricing
HelloFresh	$8.99 per serving	$12.49 per serving	$10.99 shipping
Blue Apron	$7.99 per serving	$11.99 per serving	$9.99 shipping

HelloFresh Customer Review

"HelloFresh has really found a way to thread the needle on successfully appealing to its customers without really having a niche. It's incredibly difficult to please everyone, especially with food, but HelloFresh seems to have cracked the code." 

Blue Apron Customer Review

"I have never come across a flavor experience that is superior to Blue Apron. It is definitely not the best choice for all palates and food preferences, but the menu feels like a siren song for the epicure who needs support during a busy week like the rest of us but still wants dinner to feel exceptional." 

Pros and Cons

HelloFresh

Pros

• Large weekly menu 
• Punchy flavors
• Satisfying portions
• Uses less plastic than other kits

Cons

• Not many diet accommodations
• Menus can feel repetitive

Blue Apron

Pros

• Focus on culinary excellence
• Kits, heat-and-eat meals, and add-ons are available
• Reasonably priced, especially for the quality

Cons

• Smaller menu by comparison
• Plastic packaging overload
  

Alternatives to HelloFresh and Blue Apron

If you're not feeling particularly jazzed about either HelloFresh or Blue Apron, there are still plenty of other meal delivery services to try. If both services are asking too much of your culinary skills, you may want to check out Home Chef, which is focused on getting meal kits to be as convenient and quick as possible while still involving some cooking. Sunbasket is another well-loved meal kit service that focuses on sustainability, with a menu that falls somewhere between the comfort classics of HelloFresh and the culinary refinement of Blue Apron. If you realize that all meal kits sound like too much effort, you can always opt for a prepared meal delivery service instead, and we recommend checking out CookUnity as a starting point there. 

Final Thoughts

When comparing two of America's favorite meal kits, HelloFresh and Blue Apron are well matched regarding price point, ease of use for the service, and the level of kitchen hustle you'll have to put in. However, if you want something that's a more epicurean experience, Blue Apron is a better bet, but if it's a hearty and crowd-pleasing dinner you're after, HelloFresh may be more up your alley.