Companies Like Home Chef: 6 Best Meal Service Alternatives
Are meal delivery services worth it? We’d like to think so.
Today, meal delivery companies like Home Chef have become more popular. Yet, who would blame them? They offer three things cooking at home doesn’t: convenience, variety, and time.
Home Chef has gained a solid reputation among their customers. But you may be looking for services like Home Chef that aren’t as steep in price. Or maybe you’ve stumbled upon some mixed reviews that left you a bit hesitant.
Learning how to choose the right meal kit service can be overwhelming. So, let’s dive into our low price Home Chef alternative list. You’ll never run out of choices!
Highly-Rated Home Chef Alternatives
There are a wide range of options. The best one for you will depend on your objectives, diet, lifestyle, preferences for food, and the process for preparing each meal. That’s why we created a quick list that explains how each alternative stands out:
- Gobble: Best for Busy People Who Still Want a Gourmet Meal
- Hungryroot: Best for Meal Kits and Groceries
- Purple Carrot: Best for People With Plant-Based Diets
- Sakara: Best for Nutrient-Dense Meals
- CookUnity: Best for Pre-Made Meals
- Daily Harvest: Best for Healthy Frozen Meals
1. Gobble
Best for Busy People Who Still Want a Gourmet Meal
If we were to do a meal delivery service comparison between Home Chef and Gobble, Gobble would win—hands down!
We offer pre-prepared, gourmet meals that come to life in just 15 minutes. That’s why we stand out as one of the best companies like Home Chef. Gobble is perfect for busy individuals who want to enjoy delicious, high-quality meals.
Our menu is full of diverse and flavorful options, like the:
Price:
Gobble’s meal plans start at $11.99 per serving for 5 nights per week. We also have a special offer for two weeks of 6 meals for only $36! This makes us a fantastic low-price home chef alternative. You can pause your contract anytime, so you’re free to enjoy our services at your own pace.
Pros:
- Many ingredients are pre-cooked or prepped to save time
- Meals are ready in 15 minutes
- Preparation is easy and low effort
- We offer one of the best customizable meal delivery options to suit your taste
- There are dishes for every meal, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more
Cons:
- We’re not the cheapest option on this list (but we believe we’re the most cost-effective!)
- Free shipping is only available for one week
Reviews:
“Outstanding meals. I invite my friends to dinner when I get my order. Way too much food for me, but my friends absolutely love the meals and I love serving them. Just excellent!” – Peggy on Trustpilot
“I am loving Gobble! It’s easy, delicious and fun to prepare. At 75, one of my greatest daily challenges is figuring out what to prepare for dinner each night. I started w/ a gift certificate from Christmas and I’ve been doing it 3x per week. Perfect solution. And it’s ready in 15 minutes!” – Denise Klassy on Trustpilot
2. Hungryroot
Best for Meal Kits and Groceries
Personalized grocery delivery is where Hungryroot shines. As one of the six companies like Home Chef, they include easy-to-follow recipes. You can choose meals based on your dietary preferences and goals.
For example, they offer plant-based meals catering to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets. Also, Hungryroot is one of the best high protein meal delivery services to support your fitness goals.
Price:
Hungryroot pricing varies based on your chosen plan. The small plans start at $65 per delivery, but you can cancel or skip anytime. It’s one of the best meal delivery services like Home Chef if you’re not worried about saving money.
Pros:
- Through the flexible ordering system, you can order meals, individual ingredients, and snacks
- Offers both groceries and custom meal plans
- For deliveries, they use recyclable packaging
Cons:
- It can be tricky to estimate the right amount of food to order
- It may be pricier than traditional grocery shopping
- A nutritionally balanced recipe may call for extra ingredients
Reviews:
“The food I chose is healthy and the prep time is minimal, as requested in my plan. Delivery was as promised. The free weekly gift, Almond chickpea cookie dough, is pretty good! Only downfalls was that some items went bad before I could eat them (pre-chopped veg and bean salad) and the salmon isn’t labeled wild-caught, which surprised me.” – Kacy Hendrickson on Trustpilot
“The food is decent but not as good as most other meal services I have tried. It’s great to be able to add other groceries though and they do accommodate a TON of food restrictions and some have quick prep time. I was hoping for a lot more vegetables in my meals and have been pretty disappointed that I have to add veggies to get enough in my diet. The other thing I haven’t loved is the amount of waste. I end the week with several half full containers of different sauces.” – Molly on Trustpilot
3. Purple Carrot
Best for People With Plant-Based Diets
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, Purple Carrot will have options for you. It is a fantastic Home Chef alternative if you are transitioning into a plant-based diet.
They specialize in plant-based kits and ready-to-eat meals. Also, they offer a bunch of delicious recipes that are both healthy and satisfying. That’s why it’s one of the best home chef alternatives!
Price:
Purple Carrot’s most popular plan is $8.92 per serving—for the 4-servings per meal, 3 meals per week option.
The price drops to $7.88 per serving for the 4-servings per meal, 2 meals per week option.
Their prepared meals begin at $10.50 per meal for 10 meals per week. This may not work for you depending on how many meals you eat in a day.
Pros:
- They use creative flavor combinations
- The options include both prepared meals and meal kits
- They offer a rotating menu of vegan and vegetarian entrees
Cons:
- They may not be suitable for those with dietary restrictions or food allergies
- The plans are not suitable for large families or households
- The use of conventionally grown produce in some meals is not ideal for organic eaters
Reviews:
“Convenient service, easy to follow, delicious recipes, and I feel healthier because of it all! Some of the produce isn’t the best (I get a lot of soggy, brown green onions), and even if I need ONE (1) clove of garlic they send a whole bulb, but the food is always very flavorful.” – Customer on Trustpilot
“Good options. Timely delivery (tho I wish it were a little earlier in the day). Good ingredients except for avocados, which are consistently so hard I need to put them on the windowsill for at least 3 days before they’re usable. A little pricey, but worth the convenience.” – Bjh on Trustpilot
4. Sakara
Best for Nutrient-Dense Meals
Sakara is one of the best meal companies like Home Chef. They offer organic, plant-based meals. You can eat these to improve your health and well-being.
Sakara provides nutrient-dense, whole foods that support:
- Optimal digestion
- Energy levels
- Weight management
Price:
Sakara’s prices vary depending on your meals and the length of the subscription. Plans start at $56 and can reach $420 per week. You can also add a beverage for $39 or a sweet treat for $20 per week. You can customize your plan on their website.
Pros:
- All meals come pre-prepared and ready-to-eat
- Innovative healthy dishes with a wide variety of flavors
- All meals are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free
Cons:
- Pre-set menus have limited customization options
- It’s not ideal for large families
- One of the priciest services like Home Chef
Reviews:
“Excellent customer service; would be better if you could just talk to someone instead of email though.” – Customer on Google
“Love all the Sakara products. Shipping could be faster…especially when almost out of supplements!” – Customer on Google
5. CookUnity
Best for Pre-Made Meals
CookUnity offers meal delivery like Home Chef with fresh, chef-prepared meals. They cater to many different dietary needs. Although they focus on pre-prepped meal kits, their menu of 150 meals rotates weekly.
This is one of the services like Home Chef with the most variety. That means you’ll never have to worry about eating the same thing over and over (unless you want to).
Price:
The cheapest CookUnity plan starts at $11.09 per meal for 16 meals. They offer $11.19 per meal for the 12-meal plan, and $11.69 per meal for the 8-meal plan.
Also, you can choose $12.29 per meal for 6 meals or $13.59 for 4 meals. There’s a 30% discount for the first week.
Pros:
- Restaurant-quality, chef-crafted meals
- Very detailed ratios and macros
- They offer diet-specific options such as keto, paleo, low-carb, plant-based, and more
Cons:
- The price isn’t as low as some of the other prepared meal delivery services
- Even single-serving portions are small
- Not ideal for families
Reviews:
“I would say my experience was moderately happy. Delivery and packaging are excellent. Food quality is good but overall taste deteriorates quickly from the delivery date.” – Peter Newell on Trustpilot
“The delivery was on time and done nicely, the food is much fresher than most and the price is fair. However I wasn’t able to order gluten and dairy free and so got lots of cheese and bland dairy-based sauces that were thin, runny, and tasteless. I think I’m going to hire a personal chef instead.” – Lisa Winston on Trustpilot
6. Daily Harvest
Best for Healthy Frozen Meals
If you want simple frozen meals, Daily Harvest does these well. They have plant-based smoothies, bowls, soups, and snacks made with whole-food ingredients.
Their ready-to-blend or ready-to-heat meals make them a good option on busy days. It’s like Gobble, a great choice for meal delivery for busy professionals, but for frozen meals. However, Daily Harvest’s prices make it not as much of a low price home chef alternative.
Price:
Daily Harvest’s prices range from $5.99 to $11.99 per item. Here are the discounts they offer:
- $5 off for orders under 11 items
- $10 off for orders under 23 items
- $25 off for orders under 26 items
The shipping fee is $9.99.
Depending on your order size, this can be an OK deal for frozen meals out of the six companies like Home Chef.
Pros:
- Most packaging is sustainable
- Healthy and unique items
- Organic ingredients
Cons:
- The majority of the portions are the size of a side dish
- Weekly menus don’t change much
- It is a bit pricey for smoothies and soups
Reviews:
“I love the ease and convenience of this product. Like all the different combinations of fruit… although I usually stick with the same ones. I think it is a little expensive to get these on a weekly basis. There needs to be some kind of reward system put into place…. But 5… get 5 or free or a discounted price” – Stacy on Trustpilot
“I love the products. They are delicious. They are expensive though and right now I can’t afford them. I have tried cancelling and haven’t been able to complete that yet.” – Customer on Trustpilot
Discover Your Dream Meal Delivery Service
We hope you find the perfect low-price home Chef Alternative to try! With this list, you will find the perfect meal delivery service.
Enjoy the benefits of delicious, healthy, and convenient meals delivered to your doorstep. There are so many options for meal delivery companies like Home Chef!
We might be biased, but we still think Gobble is the best. Place your order and see the convenience for yourself!
