Home Chef vs. Green Chef vs HelloFresh Comparison Review and Prices (+11 Features of Each)
Navigating the world of meal kit delivery services can be a challenge, especially with so many options that promise delicious, easy-to-make meals. Among the popular choices, Home Chef, Green Chef, and HelloFresh stand out, each bringing something unique to the table. Whether you’re looking for quick prep times, healthy recipes, or a specific dietary plan, these companies claim to make meal preparation easier and more enjoyable.
But with all these promises, how do you know which service truly fits your lifestyle and budget? Is one better for special diets, while another offers more flexibility with recipes and pricing?
In this comparison, we’ll dive into what sets each of these meal kits apart, breaking down everything from cost and menu variety to prep time and taste, so you can find the ideal match for your needs.
By reading this article, you’ll get a complete picture of what Home Chef, Green Chef, and HelloFresh offer, helping you make an informed choice on which meal kit delivery service is right for you. Whether you’re new to meal kits or ready to try a different one, this guide will arm you with all the insights you need.
Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
The following table will depict the various characteristics that you can find in Home Chef, Green Chef and HelloFresh, as meal kit delivery services. Using the information here, you can decide which one of these meal kit delivery services is the right choice for you.
| Feature | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Delivery areas | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii & parts of LouisianaUnited Kingdom | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden |
| Price range | $30 to $120 per week for two | $11.99 to $13.49 per serving | $120 to $460 per month |
| Price per plate | $8.99 per plate | $11.99 per plate | $7.49 per plate |
| Difficulty levels | EasyIntermediateExpert | EasyIntermediateExpert | Easy, Intermediate, Expert |
| Avg. cooking time | 30 minutes per meal | 15 – 40 minutes per meal | 20 – 50 minutes per meal |
| Avg. calorie count | 400-600 calories per serving | 600-800 calories per serving | 500-800 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Meal descriptionNutritional facts, Recipe cards, Mobile app | Nutritional factsRecipe cardsHelpful footnotesMobile app | Recipe cards, Nutritional facts, Meal description |
| Recipes supported | VegetarianPoultry, Without nuts, Without soy, Seafood Without wheat, PorkCarb-conscious, Calorie conscious | Keto + Paleo Plant-powered, Balanced Living Gluten Free, Mediterranean Fast & FitVegan | Calorie-smart, Carb-smart, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Beef, Chicken, Beans, and Legumes Grain |
| No. of choices | 13 per week | 24 per week | 30 per week |
| Introductory deal | $20 off in first box with free shipping | $135 off for first 5 boxes | 60% off on first box |
| Avg. shelf life | 3-5 days for meat, 1-2 days for seafood | 5 days after arrival, 3 days for seafood | 3-5 days for meat, 1-2 days for seafood |
Types of Plans: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Two-person box $39.96 for 2 meals per week 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week | Two-Person box $12.99 per portion + $9.99 shipping 3 or 4 meals per week | Meat & Veggies Meal kits containing meat and veggies |
| Four-person box $79.92 for 2 meals per week2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week | Four-Person box $12.99 per portion + $9.99 shipping2 or 3 or 4 meals per week | Vegetarian Plant-based meals, Not always vegan |
| Six-person box $119.88 for 2 meals per week, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week | Six-Person box $11.99 per portion + $9.99 shipping, 3 or 4 meals per week | Family Friendly Kid-approved meals |
| Calorie-Smart meals 650 calories or less in each serving | ||
| Quick and Easy Meals which can be cooked within 30 minutes | ||
| Pescatarian Meals containing seafood proteins |
When it comes to the plans offered in the meal kit delivery services, each of these platforms provides a range of choices for customers to choose from. In Home Chef, for instance, the customer can choose from various sized boxes depending on the needs of their families. They can also choose from Fresh and Easy options, which require very little cooking.
Green Chef also offers various plans to its customers. There are various sized boxes in this meal kit delivery service, from the two person box to the four person box and the six person box. There are also various healthy recipes which the customer can choose from to add to their meal kit boxes.
HelloFresh provides plenty of options for the customer to choose from. Customers can opt from various types of recipes and even meals, which range in their cooking time. HelloFresh also offers a number of kid-friendly options, which are superb for picky eaters in the family. There are also calorie-smart options here for those who are trying to trim down their waistline.
Winner: HelloFresh wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs Hello Fresh
| Ingredient type | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Produce | Not always organic produceMore of seasonal produce | Fully organic produceNo GMOs or pesticides | Farm-fresh produce |
| Meat, eggs, fish | USDA FSIS approved | USDA certified meatSustainably sourced ingredientsAntibiotic free | Hormone-freeAntibiotic-free |
| Other ingredients | SeasoningsSpicesSauces | Pre-made saucesMarinadesSpice blends | SeasoningsSpice blends |
Home Chef, Green Chef as well as HelloFresh use very top-quality ingredients to create their meal kits for customers. The ingredients in Home Chef come from family-run farms who are partnered with the meal kit delivery service. The meat in the Home Chef meal kits is USDA FSIS approved.
Green Chef meal kits contain only healthy and fully organic ingredients, and therefore many customers may not worry about spending a little extra money on this meal kit delivery service. Green Chef uses only GMO-free products which contain no pesticides. The meat is USDA certified and comes from sustainable sources.
HelloFresh also uses the best quality of ingredients in its meal kits, and it is no wonder that this platform has been able to successfully expand to many other countries. However, one drawback of HelloFresh is that organic produce is not guaranteed to be used in all the meal kits all the time. This can be a limitation that many customers experience on this platform.
Winner: Green Chef wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Dessert Salad Bread Fruit Smoothie | Juice Gluten-free bread, Oatmeal cups, Bone Broth, Yogurt Pastas Soups | Garlic bread, Yogurt Dip, Garden Salad, Cheesecake Mousse Parfait |
In Home Chef, the customers can add more items to their meal boxes in the form of add-ons. The add-ons in the meal boxes can include healthy sides and even tasty desserts. Everyday staples like bread are also present in Home Chef for the customer to add to their meal box. Fruit plates and breakfast smoothies are also present in Home Chef.
Green Chef also allows the customer to create add-ons for their meal boxes. The add-ons in Green Chef follow the healthy route that the rest of the ingredients and recipes in this platform follow. Add-ons also include gluten-free bread and oatmeal cups which can start anyone’s day on the right note.
Add-ons are also available in HelloFresh. However, the number of add-ons in this meal kit delivery service is pretty limited. Customers can add sides like garlic bread and yogurt dip to their meal boxes as add-ons. Garden salads are also available here. For those who feel like dessert, HelloFresh offers a delicious cheesecake mousse parfait in the form of an add-on.
Winner: Green Chef wins the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal kit: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Meal box Divider Produce bags, Insulated liners, Ice packs, Plastic containers, Recipe cards | Meal box, Cold Packs, BPA free plastic bags, Recipe cards | Cardboard box, Kit bag, Separator Insulator Ice packs |
| Fully recyclable | Fully recyclable | Fully recyclable |
When it comes to the packaging, all these three meal kit delivery services offer fully recyclable packaging. The elements in the meal kit boxes of Home Chef, Green Chef and also HelloFresh are easily recyclable. Furthermore, these platforms give detailed instructions to their customers about reusing and recycling processes, which contribute to the environment.
Winner: Home Chef, Green Chef, and HelloFresh win the Packaging of Meal kit segment.
Customer Support: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Feature | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Chat support | – | + | + |
| Email support | + | – | – |
| Phone support | + | + | + |
| Availability | Monday-Saturday | All days of the week | All days of the week |
Home Chef allows its customers to reach out with their problems as well as their compliments, through the email support and the phone support. The email support in this meal kit delivery service can be reached at any time of the day. On the other hand, phone support is available at any time, but only from Monday to Saturday.
Green Chef as well as HelloFresh allows their customers to reach out with their problems through a number of ways. In these platforms, the customer can reach out through live chat as well as phone support. The customer support is present on all days of the week, and therefore the customer should not have any issue in reaching out for assistance.
Winner: Green Chef and HelloFresh win the Customer Support segment.
| Also read: Home Chef vs. HelloFresh Comparison Review |
Sample Meals: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Sample | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Sample 1 | Name: Japanese BBQ Burger, Preparation time: 35-45 mins, Spice level: Mild, Difficulty: Easy | Name: Spicy Chili-Ginger Chicken Kale Salad, Preparation time: 20 mins, Spice level: Medium, Difficulty: Easy | Name: Hearty Steak and Potatoes, Preparation time: 40 mins, Spice level: Mild, Difficulty: Easy |
| Sample 2 | Name: Korean Fried Chicken, Preparation time: 30-40 mins, Spice level: Medium, Difficulty: Intermediate | Name: Lemon-Basil Caper Pork, Preparation time: 35 mins, Spice level: Medium, Difficulty: Intermediate | Name: Winner Winner Chicken Orzo Dinner, Preparation time: 30 mins, Spice level: Mild, Difficulty: Easy |
| Sample 3 | Name: Garlic-Parmesan Crusted Filet Mignon, Preparation time: 35-45 mins, Spice level: Not spicy, Difficulty: Expert | Name: Beef Tenderloin with Savory Mushroom Sauce, Preparation time: 30 mins, Spice level: Mild, Difficulty: Intermediate | Name: Ginger Beef Stir-Fry, Preparation time: 30 mins, Spice level: Medium, Difficulty: Easy |
Home Chef offers a number of recipes for customers to choose from. The recipes in this meal kit delivery service cover not only everyday cooking but even extravagant cooking for special occasions. The recipes in the culinary collection of Home Chef require a little more effort and time in the kitchen, while the others can be cooked in a very short span of time.
Green Chef offers only healthy and organic recipes for customers to choose from. Most of the recipes in Green Chef can be cooked within 30 minutes and come with various difficulty levels, like easy, intermediate, and expert. The spice levels in these recipes also differ from meal to meal and only use top-rated ingredients.
HelloFresh is also great for households that want to save time and effort in cooking on a day to day basis. HelloFresh also presents various difficulty levels for customers to pick based on the experience of cooking that they have. In this meal kit delivery service, the customer can be assured of very little time in the kitchen since most of the recipes are prepared within 30 minutes.
Winner: Green Chef wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh
| Platform | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh |
| Google Play Store | 2.1 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
| Apple App Store | 3.2 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| TWP Rating | 3.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
Final Verdict: The winner of this showdown is Green Chef with its high app-rating and variety of choices.
Home Chef is definitely pretty popular among the masses due to its easy recipes and variety of meals for customers to cook. There are not only easy to follow recipes here, but even recipes requiring a little more effort in the kitchen for those who are eager to learn new cooking techniques.
Green Chef is completely oriented towards healthy and clean eating and therefore, charges the customer a little more for the meal kits. Furthermore, the ingredients in the meal kits are completely organic and safe to eat for long-term consumption. The recipes are not bland like many other health-oriented meal delivery services, and come with flavor as well as nutrition.
HelloFresh is one of the first meal kit delivery services in the world today, and is certainly the most popular one. HelloFresh offers recipes in various difficulty levels which can tickle any person’s cooking bone. Furthermore, there are also several fully-prepared meals in HelloFresh for those who want a break from the kitchen.
Among these three meal kit delivery services, Green Chef is the winner. While this service may be a little more expensive, one cannot simply ignore the healthy aim of this meal kit platform. The meals are packed with nutrition and flavor and also have several options that are limited in calories but are filled with goodness.
Methodology
To bring you the best reviews of every meal delivery service, we spoke with testers and real users, examined user reviews of these platforms on a range of social media sites, conducted primary research on social media platforms, and examined the information each service provided on their respective websites. The relevant Google and Apple apps have also been utilized to read reviews left by current users of these services.
As we proceed with our internal evaluation, we will be uploading pictures and videos of our experiences to this page. We will update this site to give you both points of view if they differ considerably from those of our external reviewers. This way, you may use the information above to decide which service provider best meets your needs.
The recipes’ ease of use, the variety of meals available, the inclusivity of diets and cuisines, and even the supporting paperwork are our main evaluation factors for these meal delivery services.
In addition to these, we have taken into account how recyclable and sustainable the packaging for these services is. Lastly, we have also considered the shipping and customer service offered by these sites.
FAQs on “Home Chef vs Green Chef vs HelloFresh”
Is Home Chef cheaper than grocery stores?
No, Home Chef is not cheaper than the grocery store. While the meal kit delivery service states so, this is not true since in a grocery store the customer can choose among various priced options and pick the one that suits their wallet better.
Can you lose weight eating Green Chef?
No, you cannot lose weight eating Green Chef meal kits. While the meal kits in Green Chef are definitely touted as healthy and nutritious, weight loss depends on several factors, such as physical exercise and genetics. However, there are certain meals in Green Chef which may aid in weight loss as they contain very few calories.
Does HelloFresh meat come frozen?
No, HelloFresh meat does not come frozen. Instead, the meat comes vacuum sealed in plastic bags and covered with ice packs. The entire meal kit is packed into an insulated box so that the freshness of the meal is preserved.
