HelloFresh Alternatives (2026): 10 Recipe Boxes Compared

HelloFresh is the recipe box most people have heard of, and plenty of households try it first. But some want no weekly commitment, some want food that's already cooked, and some only want help with flavour while they buy their own vegetables.

The ten services below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Each description comes from the service's own App Store listing, read this week, covering both US and UK boxes. If you just need tonight sorted, my list of easy ideas for what to make for dinner might save you the box altogether.

HelloFresh alternatives at a glance

I checked the free plan column on each app's own App Store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names a free app, a free version, a free plan, free posting or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, even where there's a download button, so check the tool's own page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Blue Apron	Meal kit and ready meal app	Ordering without a weekly commitment	Not stated
CookUnity	Chef-made meal delivery	Ready meals with no prep or clean-up	Not stated
Dinnerly	Simple meal kit	Keeping recipe boxes simple	Not stated
Gousto	UK recipe box	A huge weekly menu in the UK	Not stated
Home Chef	Meal kit and ready meal app	Customising recipes each week	Not stated
Hungryroot	Recipes and grocery delivery	Recipes and groceries picked around your tastes	Not stated
Marley Spoon	Meal kit and extras box	Adding breakfast and snacks to the box	Not stated
Mindful Chef	Healthy UK recipe box	Gluten-free cooking in the UK	Not stated
Purple Carrot	Plant-based meal kit	Plant-based households	Not stated
SimplyCook	Letterbox recipe kit	Flavour kits that fit through the letterbox	Not stated

Ten recipe boxes and meal kits worth a look

Blue Apron

Best for: Cooks who don't want a subscription, since you can order what you want without committing to weekly deliveries.

CookUnity

Best for: People who've stopped wanting to cook at all, with fully prepared chef-made meals across dozens of cuisines and diets.

Dinnerly

Best for: Families who want easy recipes and pre-portioned ingredients, choosing from a weekly menu and picking their own delivery days.

Gousto

Best for: UK households who want a big, ever-changing menu, from 10 minute meals to global dishes, with box sizes that change with the household.

Home Chef

Best for: Cooks who like to tweak, with nearly 40 new recipes a week and select recipes you can customise, plus ready meals in the same app.

Hungryroot

Best for: People who want recipes and groceries chosen around what they like, saved into cookbooks and delivered together.

Marley Spoon

Best for: Households who want more than dinner, with recipes, prepared meals, quick-prep shortcuts and extra items added to the weekly box.

Mindful Chef

Best for: UK cooks who avoid gluten, with recipes free from gluten and refined carbs and deliveries you can move or skip weeks ahead.

Purple Carrot

Best for: Vegan and plant-curious cooks who want weekly plant-powered recipes, grab-and-go meals and pantry staples in one delivery.

SimplyCook

Best for: Confident cooks who'd rather buy their own fresh food and get the spice blends and recipes delivered through the letterbox.

Which box suits which kitchen

• You hate weekly commitments: Blue Apron.
• You want no cooking at all: CookUnity.
• You eat plant-based: Purple Carrot.
• You avoid gluten and live in the UK: Mindful Chef.
• You only want the flavours, not the groceries: SimplyCook.

Some rivals belong to the same family

Not every box that looks like a rival is one. On the Apple App Store, the seller listed for the EveryPlate app is Hellofresh GmbH, the same seller as the HelloFresh app. That's why this list leaves out brands from the same group: if you're switching because of the company, check who sells the app before you sign up.

A doorstep box is a food safety question too

Recipe boxes arrive chilled, often while you're at work. The Food Standards Agency says your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C, and chilled food should be kept out of the fridge for the shortest time possible, a maximum of four hours.

So pick a delivery slot when someone's home, or ask the service about a safe place in the shade. Put meat and fish away first, and if a box has sat out all day in warm weather, contact the service before you cook from it.

Questions to ask before you swap boxes

1. Do you want to cook, assemble, or just heat?
2. Can you skip weeks or order without a subscription?
3. Does the menu cover your diet, such as plant-based or gluten-free?
4. Which days and time slots deliver to your postcode or zip code?
5. How much packaging comes with each box, and can it be recycled?
6. How far ahead can you pause or change a delivery?

How to switch without paying for two boxes

Skip or pause your current box before you order the new one, and note the cut-off day, because most services lock the next box several days ahead. Try the new box for a couple of weeks before you cancel the old account for good, and save any recipes you liked first.

If you're interested in how these brands win customers, my look at how one UK recipe box built its brand is a good read.

Do you make recipe boxes, meal kits or meal delivery services? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing a HelloFresh alternative

Be honest about how much you'll cook on a Wednesday night. If the answer is not much, a ready meal service will waste less food than a box of raw ingredients. If you love cooking but hate planning, a full recipe box makes sense. If you only want new flavours, a letterbox kit is the lightest commitment.

Whichever you choose, set a reminder for the skip deadline. That one habit stops most recipe box regret.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to HelloFresh?

It depends on how much you want to cook. Full recipe boxes suit keen cooks, ready meal services suit busy weeks, and letterbox kits suit people who buy their own groceries.

Is there a recipe box with no subscription?

At least one service here says you can order without committing to weekly deliveries. Check each listing before you sign up.

Which recipe box is plant-based?

Some services here focus on plant-based recipes and meals. Look for a menu that's plant-based by default, not just a few vegan options.

Is it safe to leave a recipe box on the doorstep?

The Food Standards Agency says chilled food should be out of the fridge for a maximum of four hours, so choose a slot when someone's home.

Are some recipe boxes owned by the same company?

Yes. Check the seller on the App Store listing, because some brands that look like rivals share a parent company.

How do I stop paying for a box I don't want?

Skip or pause before the weekly cut-off, which is often several days before delivery.