Are Meal Kits Cheaper Than Grocery Shopping? US Costs in 2026
In the US, grocery shopping is usually cheaper per serving than a meal kit if you cook what you buy, while meal kits can come close when they cut food waste and takeout. Prepared meals like Factor compete with takeout, not groceries. Here is the per-serving math, the delivery fees that change it, and how to pay less on either.
Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Jean Goh, Travel Destinations Editor, ShopBack
ShopBack US is a free cashback app and website. You start on ShopBack, order from Factor, Instacart or Walmart as usual, and part of what you spent comes back to you as cash. Sign up for ShopBack US before your next food order.
Are meal kits cheaper than grocery shopping?
Usually not, per serving. Groceries cost less for the same recipe because you pay for ingredients only, not for portioning, packing and a box delivered to your door. But "cheaper" depends on what the meal kit replaces. If it replaces a grocery run you would have cooked fully, groceries win. If it replaces takeout or food you would have thrown out, a meal kit can come out close, or even ahead.
| Option | What you get | Price signal | Usually cheapest when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget meal kit (e.g. EveryPlate) | Pre-portioned ingredients plus recipes | Around $6 a serving (CNET, early 2023) | You want kits but price comes first |
| Mainstream meal kit (e.g. HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef) | Pre-portioned ingredients plus recipes | $9 to $10 a serving (CNET, early 2023) | You would otherwise waste ingredients or order in |
| Premium meal kit (e.g. Sunbasket, Green Chef) | Organic or diet-focused kits | $10 to $13 a serving (CNET, early 2023) | You follow a specific diet |
| Prepared meals (Factor) | Ready-to-eat meals you heat | Set price per meal by plan size, on Factor's plans page | It replaces takeout or a bought lunch |
| Grocery delivery (Instacart) | Groceries from local stores | Store prices plus fees; Instacart+ $99 a year or $9.99 a month | You cook most meals and order $10+ per store |
| Grocery delivery or pickup (Walmart) | Groceries from Walmart stores | Store prices; Walmart+ $98 a year or $12.95 a month | You order $35+ from your local store, or pick up |
Sources: Wikipedia's meal kit page, citing CNET (early 2023); Instacart+ page and Instacart fees help article; Wikipedia's Walmart+ page; Wikipedia's HelloFresh page for Factor's ownership. Checked 8 October 2026. Meal kit prices have moved since 2023, so treat those as a starting range and check each brand's own plans page.
Other US meal and grocery options shoppers compare include HelloFresh, Home Chef, EveryPlate, Blue Apron, Green Chef, Hungryroot, Target, Kroger and Sam's Club.
Meal kit costs in 2026: how to do the per-serving math
The fair way to compare is cost per serving, including delivery and the food you actually eat. Here is the simple method.
- Meal kit: take the box price (including shipping) and divide by the number of servings. That is your per-serving cost.
- Groceries: add up what the same recipe's ingredients cost, then divide by the servings. Only count the part of each pack you use, unless you will throw the rest away, in which case count all of it.
- Add fees: delivery fees, service fees, tips and memberships belong in the total for whichever option uses them.
- Be honest about waste and takeout: if half a bunch of herbs and a tub of cream usually go off, or a busy night usually ends in takeout, those costs belong on the grocery side.
A worked example, illustrative numbers only: say a 4-serving chicken dinner costs you $16 in groceries, or $4 a serving. A mainstream kit at $10 a serving costs $40 for the same 4 servings, so groceries save $24. But if $8 of those groceries usually go to waste, and one night a week turns into a $45 takeout order, the kit can come out ahead for that week. Use your own receipts to run this for your household.
Meal kit 2026: what has changed
The big change in meal kits by 2026 is the split between cook-it-yourself kits and ready-to-eat meals. HelloFresh, one of the largest meal-kit companies, bought the ready-made meal brand Factor in 2020 and later expanded Factor into Europe, according to HelloFresh's Wikipedia page. That matters for price comparisons: prepared meals save cooking time, so their real competitor is takeout and frozen meals, not a grocery cart.
Grocery delivery has also become easier to price in advance. According to Instacart's help center, the delivery fee and service fee are both shown at checkout, and Instacart pickup orders have no service fee. Instacart's site also lists a "Ready meals" category, so you can compare store-made meals with a meal kit in the same place.
Meal kit best deals in the US for 2026
The best meal kit deal is usually the lowest per-serving price you will actually keep paying after the intro offer ends. Follow the same four steps for any meal kit, prepared meal plan or grocery order.
Step 1: compare prices. Compare price per serving across brands, and compare the meal kit with the grocery cost of the same meals.
Step 2: look for a promo code. Check the brand's own site or app and its ShopBack page. Intro offers often apply to the first box only, so read when the plan renews and how to skip or pause a week.
Step 3: go through ShopBack. Open the store's page on ShopBack US, tap through, and order as usual. Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store.
Step 4: pay with your best rewards card. Your card issuer's rewards usually still apply to the payment, under its own terms.
Two traps to avoid: forgetting to skip a week you will be away, which turns a cheap plan into food you do not eat, and choosing a large plan for a low per-serving price when your household cannot finish it.
Paying with a rewards card
You can usually use ShopBack and your credit card's rewards on the same order, because the card issuer pays its own points or cash back and ShopBack returns cash separately. Some cards earn more in grocery or dining categories, and how a meal kit purchase is categorised depends on the card issuer. Check the merchant's terms on its ShopBack page and your card's rewards terms before you rely on both.
Factor vs Instacart: meal price comparison for 2026
Factor and Instacart solve different problems, so the "cheaper" one depends on whether you want to cook.
Factor sells ready-to-eat meals delivered on a plan. You pick how many meals you get each week, and Factor's plans page shows the price per meal for each plan size. With meal plans like this, the price per meal usually falls as you order more meals a week, so check the current figures before you choose. There is no cooking and almost no waste, which is where the value comes from.
Instacart delivers groceries from local stores. According to Instacart's Instacart+ page, membership costs $99 a year or $9.99 a month and gives $0 delivery fees on grocery and retail orders of $10 or more, with service fees still applying. Instacart says that if you order just twice a month, the membership can pay for itself. Without a membership, the delivery fee varies by store, time window and order total, and every delivery order must be at least $10.
How to compare them for your household: price a week of Factor meals for the number of meals you need, then price the groceries for the same number of home-cooked meals on Instacart, including fees and tip. If you cook reliably, the Instacart cart is usually cheaper. If those meals would otherwise be takeout, Factor can be the cheaper of the two.
Factor, Instacart and Walmart: meal options in the US
Factor
Ready-to-eat prepared meals on a weekly plan, owned by HelloFresh. Best for people who want no cooking and fixed portions. Open Factor on ShopBack before you order; ShopBack's Factor terms say free trials, Factor Bucks purchases, fees, taxes and shipping are excluded.
Instacart
Grocery delivery and pickup from local stores, plus a ready meals section. Best for people who cook most meals and want the store's own prices delivered. Open Instacart on ShopBack before you check out; fees, taxes, service charges and delivery are excluded from cashback.
Walmart
Groceries for delivery or pickup from Walmart stores. Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month and includes free same-day delivery from Walmart stores on orders of $35 or more, as summarised on Wikipedia's Walmart+ page, and Walmart+ Assist is $49 a year for eligible shoppers, including SNAP recipients. Best for big weekly shops. Open Walmart on ShopBack before you pay.
When this does NOT apply
- Single-person households: grocery packs are often sized for families, so a meal kit's exact portions can beat groceries for one person who would waste the rest.
- Special diets: if a diet needs costly specialty ingredients, a diet-focused kit or prepared meal can be close to the grocery cost.
- Time-poor weeks: if the realistic alternative is takeout, compare the meal kit or prepared meal with takeout, not groceries.
How ShopBack US lowers what you pay for meal kits and groceries
Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.
- Open the store's page on ShopBack US: Factor, Instacart or Walmart.
- Tap through to the store and order in the same visit.
- Use a code listed on the store's ShopBack page if you want one, since codes not featured on ShopBack may stop cashback.
- Your cash back shows in your ShopBack account once the order is confirmed.
A worked example, illustrative only: on a $90 order at a store paying an illustrative 5%, $4.50 comes back, so the effective price is $85.50. Factor and Walmart work differently: ShopBack pays a fixed cash amount on eligible Factor and Walmart orders, so your effective price is what you pay at checkout minus that amount; the live amount is on each store's ShopBack page. Rates and amounts change, so check the live offer on each store's ShopBack page before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Are meal kits cheaper than grocery shopping?
Usually not, per serving, if you cook what you buy. An early-2023 CNET analysis, cited on Wikipedia's meal kit page, put the cheapest US meal kits at around $6 a serving and the median at $9 to $10. Groceries for the same recipes usually cost less, but meal kits can come close when they stop you wasting food or ordering takeout. Before you buy either, go through ShopBack US so the effective price drops.
How much does a meal kit cost per serving in the US?
According to an early-2023 CNET analysis cited on Wikipedia's meal kit page, budget meal kits such as EveryPlate started at around $6 a serving, mainstream kits such as HelloFresh, Blue Apron and Home Chef sat around $9 to $10, and premium kits such as Sunbasket and Green Chef ran $10 to $13. Prices have changed since, so check each brand's plans page for the current price per serving.
Is Factor a meal kit?
Not quite. Factor sells ready-to-eat prepared meals that you heat, not ingredients you cook. It is owned by HelloFresh, which bought Factor in 2020. Because there is no cooking, Factor competes more with takeout and frozen meals than with a grocery run, so compare it with what you would otherwise spend on a quick lunch or dinner.
Factor vs Instacart: which is cheaper for meals?
They do different jobs. Factor delivers prepared meals at a set price per meal for your plan. Instacart delivers groceries from local stores, so the price depends on the store and what you cook, plus fees. According to Instacart, Instacart+ costs $99 a year or $9.99 a month and gives $0 delivery fees on grocery orders of $10 or more, with service fees still applying. Cooking from groceries is usually cheaper per serving; Factor wins on time.
How much does Instacart delivery cost?
According to Instacart's help center, the delivery fee varies by retailer, delivery window and order total, and you see it at checkout. All delivery orders must be at least $10. Service fees also apply and vary by location and cart. Instacart+ members get $0 delivery fees on eligible orders of $10 or more per retailer, and Instacart pickup orders have no service fee.
Is Walmart grocery delivery cheaper than a meal kit?
For the same recipes, groceries from Walmart are usually cheaper per serving than a meal kit, but delivery costs matter. Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month and includes free same-day delivery from Walmart stores on orders of $35 or more, as summarised on Wikipedia's Walmart+ page. Pickup avoids delivery fees altogether.
When is a meal kit worth it?
A meal kit is usually worth it when it replaces takeout rather than groceries, when you often throw away half-used ingredients, when a recipe needs specialty items you would only use once, or when you are learning to cook. If you already plan meals and use leftovers, groceries usually win on price.
How do I find the best meal kit deals in the US in 2026?
Step 1: compare prices per serving across brands. Step 2: look for a promo code on the brand's own site or on its ShopBack page. Step 3: go through ShopBack. Step 4: pay with your best rewards card. Check whether an intro offer applies only to the first box, and note the date your plan renews.
How does ShopBack lower what I pay for meal kits and groceries?
Going through ShopBack gets you a cash rebate on the same order, at the same store. Open the store's page on ShopBack US, such as Factor, Instacart or Walmart, tap through and order as usual. Fees, taxes and delivery charges are excluded, and codes not featured on ShopBack may stop cashback, so check each store's terms on its ShopBack page.
Is cashback the same as points?
No. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.
Key takeaways
- Grocery shopping is usually cheaper per serving than a meal kit in the US, as long as you cook what you buy.
- An early-2023 CNET analysis put meal kits at around $6 a serving at the budget end and $9 to $10 for mainstream brands; check current prices.
- Factor sells prepared meals, so compare it with takeout, not groceries.
- Instacart+ costs $99 a year or $9.99 a month; Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month; both cut delivery fees on qualifying orders.
- Compare prices, look for a code, go through ShopBack US, then pay with your best rewards card.
Related reads
Order meals and groceries through ShopBack US: Factor · Instacart · Walmart
Disclaimer
The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Meal kit prices, prepared meal plan prices, delivery fees, service fees and membership prices at Factor, Instacart, Walmart and other brands are as shown on each company's pages or as reported at the time of writing, and can change and vary by location. Cashback rates and terms vary by store and over time; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you order.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.
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