Companies Like Blue Apron: Blue Apron Alternatives and Blue Apron Competitors
Blue Apron has become the most well-known company in the meal kit delivery industry. The companies deliver meal kits with recipes and accompanying ingredients, making meal preparation easy for busy individuals who do not want to waste money eating out.
It is a terrific idea that is meeting the market for convenient yet healthy food choices, but of course, there are Blue Apron competitors.
This article will go over the reputation and reviews of companies like Blue Apron and place particular focus on Blue Apron competitors and Blue Apron alternatives. It will tackle the companies similar to Blue Apron and those that differ.
Image source: Pexels
In order to understand the gap that Blue Apron competitors can fill, it is important to understand the ways in which Blue Apron is lacking.
These Blue Apron alternatives meet needs that Blue Apron has not managed to meet thus far. Blue Apron enjoys a rather positive reputation, so many of the reasons people either switch from Blue Apron to a Blue Apron competitor or decide to go with companies like Blue Apron from the start is generally because Blue Apron cannot meet some specific needs.
Five popular Blue Apron alternatives are:
This review will discuss all of these Blue Apron competitors in turn.
See Also: DHgate Reviews – Is It Safe? Reliable? What You Should Know about Dhgate
Blue Apron Competitor: Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh is perhaps the most well-known Blue Apron competitor. Its packaging easily labels which ingredients go with which recipe; Blue Apron does not label its ingredients with a recipe indicator.
Additionally, this Blue Apron alternative provides a specifically vegetarian subscription, whereas Blue Apron subscribers have to settle for whatever one or two vegetarian options are available on that week’s menu.
When looking at sites like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, it is clear that they follow the same philosophy on meal delivery subscriptions. Hello Fresh offers a weekly subscription of three recipes for two or four people.
This Blue Apron alternative provides the same limitation as Blue Apron when it comes to flexibility. Unless you are shopping for two or a small family, you will be stuck with either too much or too little. As with Blue Apron, this Blue Apron competitor provides free delivery.
The Hello Fresh delivery zone stacks up the same as Blue Apron: both companies deliver across the continental United States. This Blue Apron competitor offers pretty much the same service as Blue Apron at roughly the same cost, depending on the package.
The biggest difference between the two is that Hello Fresh offers more options for dietary restrictions — but only slightly. Both companies enjoy good reputations in terms of service and delivery; it ultimately comes down to a preference between the two companies’ recipes.
Blue Apron Competitor: Peach Dish
Peach Dish is a Blue Apron competitor that offers a little more flexibility and more options. For starters, as one of the Blue Apron alternatives, Peach Dish has a particular niche that it fills by offering meals with a Southern twist. As with most meal kit delivery services, the kit includes all the necessary ingredients for a given recipe excluding salt, pepper, and oil.
Peach Dish Review
Peach Dish does not require users to subscribe; however, free delivery is only available to subscribers. Those who make one-time orders are required to pay a delivery fee on a sliding scale depending on where they are located. Like other Blue Apron alternatives, this company delivers across the continental United States.
Additionally, this Blue Apron competitor provides not only Southern infused recipes, which add an original kick to a potentially mundane meal kit, they also provide desserts and other categories of food that differentiates it from other websites like Blue Apron. That said, Peach Dish’s variety only extends so far.
One review notes that only a small percentage of the total meals seemed “Southern infused” despite the supposed overall theme. Moreover, the variety was limited.
Even though there were eight options per week, only four of the recipes were switched on a weekly basis and the other four rotated on a seasonal basis. As a result, among the Blue Apron alternatives, this one stands out for its frequent repetition. The minimum order is for $50, which can provide two servings of two recipes. The reviewer writes:
Of the weekly meals offered, I also didn’t actually feel like very many were Southern. Those meals seemed to make up only a small portion of the weekly menu, while the majority of the meal offerings were Asian, Italian, or American options.
As with most companies like Blue Apron and Blue Apron competitors, Peach Dish comes with step-by-step instructions that provide photos of what the finished meal is supposed to look like.
As an additional personalized touch, Peach Dish includes a brief bio of the chef who created that particular recipe. The review concludes that the recipes were easy enough to follow for a novice chef, and the end result turned out exactly as advertised both in terms of aesthetics and taste.
Don’t Miss: Ipsy vs. Birchbox | What You Need to Know About These Beauty Boxes (Birchbox or Ipsy)
All-in-One Change Management Tools
Top Rated Toolkit for Change Managers.
Get Your Change Management Tool Today...
Blue Apron Competitor: Plated
Compared to other Blue Apron competitors, Plated is a bit pricier at $12 per person with a minimum meal kit of two servings. As with most Blue Apron alternatives, Plated offers free delivery with the exception of those who opt for only two dinners a week. In that case, there is a delivery fee. Plated also provides upgrade options that allow subscribers to receive specialty items for a premium.
Like most companies like Blue Apron, Plated meal kits arrive with ice packages that keep the food fresh in addition to all of the necessary ingredients. As well as the ingredients, the food comes with step-by-step instructions to prepare an easy meal that is enjoyable.
Exactly like other Blue Apron competitors and Blue Apron alternatives, Plated allows subscribers to skip as many weeks as needed. Additionally, Plated customers can choose which date they would like their meals to be delivered.
The delivery area for Plated is much like other companies like Blue Apron: they deliver to most of the continental United States with the exception of some areas in the state of Texas. Plated also provides the option of adding dessert, which is a nice way to round out any meal kit, and a service that is only offered by a couple of Blue Apron competitors. Additionally, this reviewer writes that the meals were a lot more filling that most meal kits and resulted in a satisfying but manageable amount of leftovers that could be easily finished the following day.
Plated also experiences a similar criticism to other Blue Apron competitors: the amount of packaging included in the meal kits. Although the items are advertised as either recyclable or compostable, it is still a disproportionate amount of packaging that would make environmentally conscious subscribers uncomfortable.
Also, like most Blue Apron alternatives, Plated saves time in terms of the mental energy dedicated to finding recipes and planning ingredients, not in terms of time spent on meal preparation. It will not save money compared to staying in, but it will definitely save money over eating out.
Related: Is RoseGal Legit & Safe? Is It a Scam? What You Need to Know Before Shopping on RoseGal
Blue Apron Competitor: Home Chef
This Blue Apron competitor delivers to about 90 percent of the United States, just slightly below other Blue Apron competitors. Those who are curious if Home Chef delivers to their area can enter their zip code on their site to verify. Customers are able to create what’s known as a taste profile upon signing up. Here, they can specify their unique dietary restrictions (pescatarian, vegan, etc.) and also indicate any allergies they may have to things like shellfish or gluten. Based on these specifications, Home Chef provides recommendations of meals it thinks you would enjoy, and subscribers still have the option of browsing other meals.
Image source: Home Chef
This is a feature that sets Home Chef apart from its Blue Apron competitors. One of the biggest criticisms of these Blue Apron alternatives is that while they excel in convenience, they are lacking in variety. This Blue Apron competitor also provides nine to ten meal options that customers can choose from each week.
Home Chef is comparable in terms of pricing to Blue Apron competitors: for two people, it is close to $20. Again, it is cheaper than going out to eat as a couple but definitely not as cheap as cooking for the two of you at home. Meat is delivered in packaging that ensures the food is refrigerated but not frozen so that customers can still enjoy a meal that is made with fresh ingredients. The reviewer found that compared to other Blue Apron alternatives, Home Chef had relatively less packaging (although it is still a significant amount).
Popular Article: Is DHgate Legit? Is It a Real Site & Safe for Your Credit Card?
Blue Apron Competitor: The Purple Carrot
The Purple Carrot stands out among the Blue Apron competitors because it has created a niche market within a market that is already niche. Meal kit delivery services are a relatively new concept, and as a result, many of these Blue Apron alternatives are getting their feet wet by starting with a few well-developed recipes that mean the quality is good but the variety is low. Additionally, many companies like Blue Apron struggle to meet the needs of individuals with specific dietary restrictions. As a vegan meal kit service, The Purple Carrot is distinctive.
Image source: The Purple Carrot
The Purple Carrot carries much of the same features as other companies like Blue Apron (the ability to skip weeks, a minimum of two servings packages, convenient recipes), but it addresses an underserved market. Vegans already struggle to find variety in terms of restaurant and convenient meals.
Additionally, the Purple Carrot meal service provides a terrific option for people who have considered trying veganism but were unsure whether they could commit due to the amount of preparation involved. This Blue Apron competitor provides variety and ease of preparation that assists seasoned vegans and new vegans alike.
Evidently, while Blue Apron has made a name for itself as one of the most prominent meal kit companies, there are a number of companies like Blue Apron that are positioning themselves as fierce Blue Apron competitors. Moreover, these Blue Apron alternatives are progressively finding ways to distinguish themselves from the competition and provide various options for consumers.
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:
Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.
Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.
