Compare meal delivery and meal kit services

Compare Australia's meal delivery and meal kit services to find a service that best suits your needs.

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Best Meal Delivery Services

Best Rated Meal Delivery Services Brand: Youfoodz

Youfoodz topped the list for variety, helping it take out the overall best meal delivery service against competitors MarleySpoon, HelloFresh and Dietlicious. It also ranked highly for taste and timely delivery – both important when you've got the munchies.

Preparing a home-cooked, nutritious meal can be a struggle when juggling work, family, friends and other commitments. Australia's wide variety of meal delivery services and food box subscriptions offer a solution, making healthy eating easier and more cost-efficient. Whether you're after gourmet meals for one, dietician-approved meal plans or family dinners, there is a meal delivery service that can cater to your needs.

Compare meal delivery services

Name Product Subscription Type Number of People Average Meal Price Delivery Cost Delivery Area
Délidoor
Délidoor
Flexible, A la carte
2-4, Family & group catering, Individual
$9
$12 for order $60 to $120, free for orders over $120
Sydney
Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh
Flexible, No lock-in plan
2-4
$11.66
Mostly free - depends on your location
Across Australia mainland (not currently shipping to Tasmania)
Marley Spoon
Marley Spoon
Flexible
2-4
$10
Free
Sydney, Melbourne, Central Coast, Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston
EveryPlate
EveryPlate
Subscription, No-commitment subscription
Up to 6
$0
Varies on location
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC
Youfoodz
Youfoodz
Flexible with roll over option
1
$9.95
Varies on location
Australia wide
Dinner Sorted
Dinner Sorted
Flexible, No lock-in plan
2-4
$8.25
Free
Melbourne Metro
Core Powerfoods
Core Powerfoods
Flexible
Individual
$9
$9.95 for all orders over $49, $19.95 for orders under $40
Australia wide
Thr1ve
Thr1ve
Flexible, Subscription
1
$12.95
$30, Free shipping on orders over $80
NSW, QLD, VIC, Central Coast, Wollongong, ACT Metro
Dinner Ladies
Dinner Ladies
Flexible
2-8
$9
$15 for orders $100-$200, Free for orders over $200
Sydney, Brisbane Metro, NSW, VIC, Melbourne, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Goulburn, Canberra, Geelong, Sunshine Coast
The Cook's Grocer
The Cook's Grocer
Flexible, Subscription
2-4
$11
Free
Sydney, ACT, Central Coast, Newcastle, Southern Highlands
Eat Fit Food
Eat Fit Food
Subscription
1
$21.5
Included except for min. order with delivery cost of $7.00, Additional charge of $9.50 per delivery day
Sydney, Melbourne
Fit Foods Club
Fit Foods Club
Subscription
1
$12.49
Small fee applies to regional areas
Sydney, QLD, Melbourne, SE Queensland
Gym Food Australia
Gym Food Australia
Flexible
1
$9
Varies on location
NSW, VIC, WA, SA, North Queensland, South East Queensland, Northern NSW, Darwin
Workout Meals
Workout Meals
Flexible
1
$10.55
$15, Free for recurring customer
Sydney, ACT, NSW, QLD, Melbourne, Central Coast, Brisbane, Blue Mountains, Adelaide, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Geelong, Ballarat, Bathurst, Bendigo, Central Highlands, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Forbes, Gippsland,Hervey Bay, Lismore, Mudgee, Orange, Port Macquarie, Singleton, Taree, Toowoomba, Tweed Heads
Hexey
Hexey
Flexible
1
$10
$7
Sydney
Soulara
Soulara
Flexible, Subscription
1
$9.95
Varies on location, $10 average delivery
Sydney Metro, QLD, Melbourne, Central Coast, Newcastle, Adelaide, Wollongong, Canberra
Dineamic
Dineamic
Flexible, Subscription
Individual & group catering
$10
Free for orders over $99
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, Newcastle, Brisbane, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Geelong, Perth Metro, Victorian Metro,Armidale, Ballarat, Bathurst, Bendigo, Coffs Harbour, Horsham, Dubbo, Griffith, Mudgee, Northam, Orange, Portland, South Coast, Tamworth, Toowoomba
Five Point Four
Five Point Four
Flexible, Subscription
1
$7.95
Delivery is an additional $10 to metro areas
Australia wide
Dinner Twist
Dinner Twist
Flexible, Subscription
2-4
$10
Free, Small fee applies to regional areas
WA
My Goodness Organics
My Goodness Organics
Flexible, Subscription
1
$20.99
$17 for Melbourne Metropolitan areas, $24 for Greater Metro areas
Melbourne, Melbourne Metro
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Compare up to 4 providers

What is a meal delivery service?

A meal delivery service offers fresh, wholesome produce prepared, packaged and delivered to your door in ready-made meal form. Some services deliver their meals fresh, some are frozen. It’s important to check how the meals are chilled before you decide to subscribe. We have done the hard work for you and will provide these details in the table below.

Customers sign up to the service online, pick their plan and have a specific number of meals delivered to their door on a weekly basis. These pre-proportioned meals come in plastic containers labelled with nutritional information.

Youfoodz, Gourmet Dinner Service and Dinner Ladies offer fully prepared meals. Customers can choose from their dedicated meal lists before ordering. The meals are then delivered in insulated cool boxes on a specified date.

Meal delivery services vs meal kits

Meal kit delivery services, or food boxes, provide all the ingredients for each meal along with menus for the week, meal cards and cooking instructions. These services sometimes offer healthy eating guides and diet plans that are devised for your personally.

The number of meal kit delivery options is steadily increasing to meet the growing demand of busy people who don’t want to forgo a healthy, well-balanced diet of home-cooked food.

Companies like HelloFresh, Marley Spoon and The Cook’s Grocer offer a variety of subscription and pay-as-you-go food box services, which deliver meal kits with all the ingredients you’ll need. Meal cards show how each meal needs to be prepared and the cooking time. Many companies try to keep meal prep and cooking within the 30-minute mark.

What ingredients do you need?

Meal kits will require you to have some staple ingredients at hand to be able to complete the meal. These include olive oil, salt, sugar and milk. Most of the services will tell you what extras you’ll need when you order or the week before your box arrives. The meal kit should include any extra ingredients you need to make the meal.

Pros and cons

  • Convenience. Not everyone wants their daily diet to come pre-packaged. You may want to choose only one meal a day to cut down on your cooking time. Or maybe you enjoy cooking, but don't always get around to it and want to avoid takeaway food. Having healthy meals at the ready provides a flexible solution to a busy life.
  • Easier decisions. Knowing you have a batch of meals in the fridge or freezer means you don't need to think about what to make. And if you've chosen a meal kit, even the small extras like herbs and spices are provided for you.
  • Less food waste. Most meal kit companies provide just the right amount of ingredients so that there is little waste. If you order from the same company regularly, you'll soon learn what extras they send so you don't have to buy these at the shops.
  • Nutritious meals. Every meal prepared has been created to assist in maintaining a well-balanced, healthy diet. If you're prone to snacking on unhealthy food, at least you know one meal of the day is packed with goodness. Some companies use dietitians or nutritionists to help build their menus.
  • Learn how to cook. Meal kit services provide easy-to-follow cooking instructions with every meal, which gives you the opportunity to cook new dishes or learn how to cook properly for the first time.
  • Less shopping. Signing up for a meal service means you only need to hit the shops when you're running low on the essentials.
  • Lack of flexibility. Some meal delivery services focus more on the protein in the meal rather than the veg, therefore you may need to buy extra to ensure you get a good portion of vegetables with every meal. Some services offer vegetables as a side dish, however, this will increase the total cost of the meal.
  • Portion sizes might not suit your needs. Many companies make the same size meal for all, while others recognise that a 5-foot woman will need less than a 6-foot man. You may want to check out the services that offer varied portion sizes rather than just one.
  • Not usually designed for large families. Life can be incredibly busy for families in which both parents work. Having meals delivered makes for an easier life, but some of these services don't send enough food for large families, which means you'll need to hit the shops anyway. You'll need to hunt for the companies that offer larger family portions.
  • Requires storage. Not everyone has a large fridge or chest freezer in which to store a week's worth of meals. Having enough space to store the meals will dictate which service you join and how much you can order.

How to compare meal delivery services and meal kits

When choosing the right option for you, consider the following factors:

Dietary requirements

Many meal delivery services cater to different dietary requirements. Some are vegan-only, some offer paleo options and others are specifically designed for diabetics. Most companies have vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you have specific requirements or allergies, check with the service before you sign up.

Family size

Many of the promotions you'll see are based on a two-person subscription. It's important to check the fine print of each offer to ensure you don't get hit with extra costs when you sign up.

Cost

Meal delivery and meal kits services are more expensive than buying your groceries in the supermarket. Before you sign up for a service, compare the costs with your average shopping bill. Keep all the receipts from your shopping for the month and record what you spend on food items separately.

Terms and conditions

No matter what you buy online, it's important to check terms and conditions. Meal delivery services may have a minimum spend amount or ask that you sign up for at least one month. Some services will allow you to pay as you go. Also remember to check the FAQ of each service for more information, or get in touch with the company directly.

Which meal delivery services have keto meals?

Order keto-friendly meal plans with any of the following companies:

  • My Muscle Chef
  • Foober
  • A Life Plus
  • Dietlicious

Which meal delivery services have vegan meals?

Keep it plant-based with these meal delivery services:

  • Flave
  • Garden of Vegan
  • Fresh n Lean
  • Herbidoor

What's the cheapest meal delivery service?

Based on the average price of the meals, Gourmet Meals comes in as the cheapest at $6.38. This doesn't include customised meal plans.

In terms of delivery, Dinner Sorted, Marley Spoon, Core Powerfoods, The Cook's Grocer, Be Fit Food, Food Club Australia, Pepper Leaf and Tender Loving Cuisine offer free delivery across the board.

Are meal delivery services more expensive than buying groceries?

This depends on the meal service and the grocery store. In most cases, buying groceries works out cheaper as you have the option to buy more for less and choose the store's home brands.

Which meal delivery services provide kits, and which ones provide pre-made meals?

Where to buy meal kits:

  • The Cook's Grocer
  • Dinner Twist
  • Pepper LEaf
  • Kelly Cube
  • Home Chef

Where to buy pre-made meals:

  • Délidoor
  • Youfoodz
  • Core Powerfoods
  • Tr1ve
  • Dinner Ladies
  • Eat Fit Food
  • Muscle Meal Direct
  • Fit Foods Club
  • Gym Food Australia
  • Workout Meals
  • Hexey
  • Primal Foods
  • Soulara
  • MACROS
  • Dineamic
  • My Muscle Chef
  • My Goodness Organics
  • Lite n' Easy
  • Chef Good
  • Dietlicious
  • Be Fit Food
  • Food Club Australia
  • Gourmet Dinner Service
  • Gourmet Meals
  • Caveman Kitchen
  • Diabetes Meals Online
  • Tender Loving Cuisine
  • Foober
  • A Life Plus
  • Herbidoor
  • Flave
  • Garden of Vegan
  • Fresh n Lean

Which meal delivery kits are good for singles?

Dinner for one is made easy when you order with:

  • Délidoor
  • Youfoodz
  • Core Powerfoods
  • Tr1ve
  • Eat Fit Food
  • Muscle Meals Direct
  • Fit Foods Club
  • Gym Food Australia
  • Workout Meals
  • Hexey
  • Primal Food
  • MACROS
  • Dineamic
  • Five Point Four
  • My Goodness Organics
  • Lite n' Easy
  • Chef Good
  • Dietlicious
  • Be Fit Food
  • Food Club Australia
  • Gourmet Dinner Service
  • Your Private Chef
  • Gourmet Meals
  • Kelly Cube
  • Caveman Kitchen
  • Home Chef
  • Diabetes Meals Online
  • Tender Loving Cuisine

Which meal delivery kits are good for families?

Enjoy family-sized meal kits with:

  • Dinner Twist
  • Gourmet Dinner Service
  • Your Private Chef
  • Pepper Leaf
  • Kelly Cube
  • MACROS

Meal delivery services and the NDIS

If you receive support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), part of the cost of your meal delivery service could be covered. To qualify, delivered meals must be considered reasonable and necessary in your support plan. The NDIS typically only covers the cost of meal prep and delivery, so you'll likely still have to pay for the cost of the ingredients.

Providers offering NDIS services include:

  • Dineamic
  • Tender Loving Cuisine
  • Gourmet Meals
  • THR1VE
  • The Good Meal
  • Fresh Meals 2 U
*Disclaimer: Meal delivery services are designed with your health in mind, however, if you have any ongoing health issues it is important to check with your doctor before embarking on a weight loss plan or new diet regime.

Best rated meal delivery service brand award breakdown

Total ScoreOverall ratingValue for MoneyTasteVarietyTimely Delivery
Soulara*7.854.384.254.254.134.50
Other7.794.263.964.244.084.40
Youfoodz7.744.203.984.224.264.38
Dietlicious7.614.134.334.334.003.87
HelloFresh7.574.143.744.204.024.24
Lite ‘n’ Easy7.514.153.753.904.024.21
Marley Spoon7.343.963.903.984.104.35
Chefgood7.303.783.893.944.114.22
My Muscle Chef6.713.683.443.563.804.00
*Brand did not meet the sample threshold to qualify for the award
Data: Finder Retail Brand Survey, 2020, Kantar. Metric out of 5 stars unless indicated. Methodology and more info.Kantar logo

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