EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh

When comparing two subscription meal kits, there are a lot of things to examine. In this article, I'm going to start by looking at the food itself, and then I'll explore the recipes, menus, ingredients, accommodations for special diets, packaging, price, and overall convenience. You can jump straight to a particular section (or skip to the end to read my verdict) by using the table of contents on the left. Or, continue reading for the full, unabridged story!

Here’s what I've found to be the most notable differences (and similarities) between these two meal kit services:

The Food

Whenever I'm evaluating a meal kit subscription service, I always start by talking about the food. I mean, let's be real, if the food isn't tasty... you've lost me. Happily, both of these boxes are on their game in the food department. Both know how to turn out consistently tasty meals, but they're quite a bit different.

Image from our review.

EveryPlate is one of the least expensive meal kits, and I wouldn't guess that from a quick glance at the menu. Every week, it's packed with mouthwatering homestyle meals like Garlicky Soy-Glazed Chicken Tacos and Apricot Pork Chops. The food reminds me of what my mom cooked for me when I was growing up: comfort classics that are often just a wee bit adventurous. (But not so adventurous that it isn't kid-friendly.) One thing to call out is that dishes often contain rice, potatoes, or pasta. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, of course, and it makes sense for an affordable meal kit to pad out meals with low-cost ingredients. Still, I think it's worth mentioning, as this might not appeal to everyone.

Image from our review.

The food from HelloFresh is a bit more refined. While EveryPlate meals remind me of solid home cooking, I wouldn't be surprised to see HelloFresh meals on the menu at a cozy neighborhood cafe. Expect to see recipes like Ancho BBQ Sloppy Joes with Pickle Slices & Oven Gold Potatoes and Pork & Caramelized Pineapple Tacos with Pickled Veggies & Lime Crema. At heart, the food from both subscriptions is similar. I think both design recipes that tend to be "classic" and "family-friendly," but HelloFresh meals typically feel more elevated.

If you'd like to check out upcoming menus for yourself, hop over to my weekly menu roundup! Every Monday, I take a look at what's coming up on the menu for EveryPlate, HelloFresh, and more (including Home Chef, Dinnerly, Blue Apron, EveryPlate, and Green Chef)!

The Menu & Meal Plans

Both EveryPlate and HelloFresh have menus that change up regularly, and you are welcome to choose whichever meals look best to you. Every week, EveryPlate has 11 different meals to choose from and HelloFresh offers 23. Let's look at some more specifics:

Image via EveryPlate.

EveryPlate publishes a weekly menu with 11 different meal options to choose from. Homestyle classics and kid-friendly offerings abound. You're likely to see one or two vegetarian options, but meat-free meals are not a focus and EveryPlate does not claim to cater to vegetarian diets. You can choose how many servings and how many meals you receive in each order, making this an easy choice for couples and larger families alike.

Menu via HelloFresh.

With 23 different recipes available every single week, HelloFresh's menu is substantial. If you sign up for the classic plan, you can select from all of the available recipes, or you can customize your box with the following preferences: Beef-Free, Pork-Free, Seafood-Free, Veggie, Calorie Smart, Quick, Variety, and Family-Friendly. Choosing one of these options will filter out any recipes that won't work with your diet. Just like with EveryPlate, it's up to you how many meals you get per week. You can opt for a two-person plan or order enough for a family of four.

The Recipes

Recipes are super important when it comes to meal kits: without a chef-designed recipe, you're really just getting a big box of ingredients. Well-written recipes are crucial, and how easy a recipe is to follow can make or break your cooking experience. (And determine whether or not you have to make a last-minute call for pizza delivery.) Let's look at each one in a bit more detail:

Image from our review.

EveryPlate takes a simple and straightforward approach to their recipe cards. Every meal you choose will be accompanied by a two-sided card that outlines ingredients, extras you'll need to provide (like olive oil, salt, and pepper), cooking time, allergen information, and step-by-step instructions. In my experience, the recipes are quick and very easy to follow. The meals are often a bit more streamlined than the average box (due to fewer ingredients), which simplifies the cooking process.

HelloFresh recipes are similar in that they're also easy to follow and include basic info about the cooking process; however, they go a little bit further by outlining calorie content, nutrition info, and difficulty level. Another nice thing is that HelloFresh prints their phone number at the bottom of every recipe, and you're welcome to call and ask for help if you run into any issues while cooking.

I'm confident in the kitchen, but even if you're new to cooking I think you'll be satisfied with the recipes from both subscriptions. In my experience, the instructions have always been clear and straightforward. That said, regardless of which box you choose and how comfortable you are in the kitchen, I always recommend taking a peek at the full recipe before adding a meal to your box.

Plans & Pricing

If price is a major driving factor in your search for a meal kit subscription, it's no contest. EveryPlate is much more affordable than HelloFresh. Both subscriptions charge a flat $8.99 shipping fee, but EveryPlate costs $4.99 per serving, and the average price of a HelloFresh meal is $8.99.

Whether you're looking for a two-person plan or feeding four people, both boxes should have a plan to suit your needs. You can choose the number of meals in every order, and switch things up from week to week if needed.

HelloFresh delivers to the contiguous United States. EveryPlate ships to most zip codes in the contiguous United States (you can find out if EveryPlate ships to you by entering your zip code at signup). Neither company ships to Hawaii or Alaska.

Here’s a full outline of all the available plans with pricing:

EveryPlate Plans & Pricing

Image via EveryPlate.

• 2 Person Plans:
  • 3 meals per week, 2 servings each, for $29.94 + $8.99 shipping
  • 4 meals per week, 2 servings each, for $39.92 + $8.99 shipping
  • 5 meals per week, 2 servings each, for $49.90 + $8.99 shipping
• 4 Person Family Plans:
  • 3 meals per week, 4 servings each, for $59.88 + $8.99 shipping

EveryPlate ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 1 Month Free at Planet Fitness + 50% off your 1st box. No coupon needed - just use this link.

HelloFresh Plans & Pricing

Image via HelloFresh.

• 2 Person Plans:
  • 3 meals per week, 2 servings each:
    • $53.94 + $8.99 shipping
  • 4 meals per week, 2 servings each:
    • $71.92 + $8.99 shipping
  • 5 meals per week, 2 serving each:
    • $89.90 + $8.99 shipping
• 4 Person Family Plans:
  • 2 meals per week, 4 servings each:
    • $71.92 + $8.99 shipping
  • 3 meals per week, 4 servings each:
    • $89.88 + $8.99 shipping
  • 4 meals per week, 4 servings each:
    • $119.84 + $8.99 shipping

Save on your first order with our coupons! Don't forget to use them when signing up!

HelloFresh ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! Free High Protein Item for Life + Up to 10 Free Meals One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Dietary Restrictions

Do you follow a special diet? Have food allergies? If so, finding the right meal kit can be challenging. Let's take a look at EveryPlate and HelloFresh to see whether their plans might work for you:

Special Diets

EveryPlate doesn't offer a lot of special accommodations for those who follow specific diets. As one of the most affordable meal kit subscriptions on the market, the focus is primarily on keeping costs as low as possible. Their website states: "we do not cater for special diets yet, such as keto, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, low carb or vegan. We do offer a range of 11 diverse recipes every week that are well suited to regular diets." I typically expect to see one or two vegetarian recipes on EveryPlate's menu, but I think vegetarians are likely to struggle to find enough variety to fill their order. Those on a keto, gluten-free, paleo, pescatarian, or vegan diet are also likely to come up short with EveryPlate.

HelloFresh has more to offer those with dietary restrictions. Subscriptions can be customized to be Beef-Free, Pork-Free, Seafood-Free, Veggie, Family-Friendly, Calorie Smart, or Quick. There's still not a ton of accommodation for those with special diets, but with more menu items to choose from every week, there's a bit more wiggle room. (Though, none of the meals offered are guaranteed to be gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free.) My recommendation is to check the individual menu items to see if they might work for you. (FYI if you're a vegan, I highly recommend checking out Purple Carrot. Keto or Paleo? Try Green Chef. If you're looking for diabetic-friendly meals, take a look at Sun Basket.)

Food Allergies

Food allergies shouldn't be taken lightly, and I think it's important to look at how EveryPlate and HelloFresh handle ingredients and treat potential allergens.

I can't find a lot of information regarding food allergies on EveryPlate's website. They do make a point of saying they clearly list allergen information online (on every recipe detail page) as well as on the printed recipe cards; however, there's no mention of ingredient handling or cross-contamination risks in the production chain. I think it's safe to say that this subscription is not designed to accommodate those with food allergies. With that in mind, I'd advise doing your homework and proceeding with caution.

HelloFresh is likely a better option if you're trying to avoid certain ingredients. As one of the biggest meal kit subscriptions, the company is large enough that it's able to operate as a large grocery store would. Ingredients are often received and held in the original packaging, and additionally, foods are segregated in the processing facility which protects against cross-contamination. There are staff members tasked with reviewing the recipes and identifying the presence of the 8 major allergens: wheat, milk, soy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, and shellfish. If any of these things are present in a recipe, it will be noted on the recipe card and online. Still, they leave it up to customers to review the recipes and ingredient labels to ensure they're avoiding any off-limit foods.

I think this is always good advice. It's wise to read through recipes thoroughly and use your best discretion, especially if your allergies are severe!

The Ingredients

Sourcing

I couldn't find a lot of info about how EveryPlate sources ingredients. Here's what they do have to say: "Our suppliers vary by week and region. When we choose our suppliers, our first priority is to get to know them and ensure the highest quality of all ingredients." What does this mean in practice? Well, I think you can expect to see fresh and tasty produce, but you're unlikely to receive organic produce or meat. (To be fair, at under $5 per serving, I wouldn't expect to see organic ingredients.)

Image from our review.

You may see some organic ingredients in your HelloFresh box, but that's typically the exception, not the rule. Fish is all sustainably-sourced, and meat suppliers must adhere to USDA Inspection Guidelines as well as third-party food safety audit programs. All pork and chicken is hormone-free, and HelloFresh representatives visit every meat vendor to ensure facilities are safe.

Use-By Dates

In the box, ingredients from EveryPlate can stay fresh for up to 48 hours, but you should unpack everything as soon as it arrives and refrigerate chilled items to prolong freshness. EveryPlate recommends cooking everything within a week.

With HelloFresh, the recommendation is to freeze your proteins as soon as they arrive to keep them fresher longer and to only thaw what you need a few hours before cooking. Once thawed, the meat should be used within 5 days and seafood should be used within 2.

The Packaging

Packaging is unavoidable in the world of meal kit deliveries. (Delicate and perishable items need to be kept safe and cold en route.) Thankfully, recyclable packaging that limits environmental impact is becoming the norm.

Image from our review.

EveryPlate delivery boxes and separators are recyclable, and the outside plastic wrap of the ice packs is recyclable, too, as long as you first drain the gel filling into the trash can. Parts of the box liners are also recyclable (just make sure to discard the cotton lining before recycling the outer plastic film).

Image from our review.

You can recycle most of HelloFresh's packaging, too. The outer box, separator, paper bags, and honeycomb liners are all curbside-friendly. Gel ice packs can be recycled after emptying the gel filler into the trash can, summer liners can be taken to the recycling center, and winter liners go in the trash can. If you have any questions about how to dispose of packaging materials, there's a page on their website that helps identify what packaging can go where.

Modifications & Cancellations

You can easily adjust your delivery schedule or stop your subscription with both EveryPlate and HelloFresh. It's easy to make updates on the website, and you can even cancel your subscription online (without having to call and speak to someone).

Deadlines for Order Changes:

Want to make changes to your menu or change your delivery day? Both subscriptions allow for order changes up until the week before delivery. Here are the specific cutoff deadlines for making changes to your upcoming deliveries:

With EveryPlate, all changes must be made by 11.59 pm EST 5 days prior to your next scheduled delivery.

HelloFresh requires that all changes are made by 11.59 pm PST 5 days prior to your next scheduled delivery.

The Final Verdict

Still unsure about which box is right for you? Let's take one final look at how they match up:

Price? If you're looking for an affordable meal kit subscription that will save you money, EveryPlate wins hands down. At only $4.99 per serving, it's far cheaper than HelloFresh, which averages $8.99 per meal. (You'll always pay $8.99 shipping costs with both.) That said, price isn't everything, and if you're willing to pay more you're going to get more. More elevated cuisine. More menu variety. More high-quality ingredients. It's a no brainer that EveryPlate is the lower-cost option, but I still think HelloFresh offers good value for money.

Taste? In my opinion, HelloFresh wins this round. Both subscriptions deliver tasty meals, sure, but I think the food from HelloFresh is more exciting and very often restaurant-quality. For me, EveryPlate meals are more like solid home cooking. If you like homestyle cooking that's simple and tasty, you'll probably be very happy with EveryPlate. (I also recommend it for families with kids or picky eaters.) But if you're looking for more adventurous recipes that will take the place of dining out, try HelloFresh.

Recipes? When it comes to recipes, I have to call it a tie. Both companies send recipes that are clearly written and easy to follow. You'll also get essential info like cooking times, ingredient lists, and allergen info. You really can't go wrong here.

Ingredients? You can expect fresh and delicious ingredients from both HelloFresh and EveryPlate, but if you care about where your food comes from you might appreciate that HelloFresh is more likely to send organic produce (note that HelloFresh does not guarantee organic produce, but will occasionally include it) and that they are more dedicated to sourcing sustainably-sourced seafood.

Special Diet? EveryPlate really doesn't have a lot to offer those with special diets. You're likely to see a couple of vegetarian meals on every menu, but since the primary focus is on keeping costs low, there are currently no special accommodations for keto, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, low carb, or vegan diets. If you're looking for vegetarian meals, in search of low-calorie entrees, or avoiding pork, beef, or seafood, HelloFresh's customization options should work for you.

Convenience? When it comes to convenience, I have to call it a tie. Both subscriptions offer pre-portioned ingredients that are grouped by meal, easy to follow recipes, and user-friendly online portals. They're both extremely convenient and will save you the time it takes to do your weekly meal planning and go grocery shopping.

Final Thoughts: Here's the bottom line. If you're looking for affordable meals that are simple and tasty, EveryPlate is a great option. It's a solid choice for families and those on a budget. But if you have a bit more to spend, I think HelloFresh is worth the additional cost. (There's a reason why it's so popular!)

Ready to skip takeout this week and give one of these boxes a try? Check out our HelloFresh and EveryPlate offers to score some free meals and save on your first box!

HelloFresh ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! Free High Protein Item for Life + Up to 10 Free Meals One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. No coupon needed - just use this link.

EveryPlate ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 1 Month Free at Planet Fitness + 50% off your 1st box. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Want to explore other meal kit subscriptions? Click here to see which ones came out on top in our 2020 Readers' Choice Awards! Have you tried one of the boxes featured in this article? Share your experience in the comments!