How Much Does HelloFresh Cost?

Last Updated on September 19, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

HelloFresh has revolutionized home cooking by delivering weekly meal kits with recipe cards and pre-portioned ingredients right to your door. But how much does a HelloFresh subscription really cost on a monthly and weekly basis?

In this guide, we’ll break down HelloFresh’s pricing for different plan sizes, meal quantities, shipping fees, menu add-ons, and specialty options. Understanding HelloFresh’s complete cost structure enables picking the optimal meal kit plan to suit your household’s budget, cooking habits, and dietary needs.

Article Highlights

• Approximately $8 – $12 per meal kit serving
• 2-person plans from $48 – $100 weekly
• Family plans from $80 – $250 weekly
• Added $9.99 weekly shipping charge
• Specialty or premium meals cost extra
• Rewards programs and promos can offset costs
• Easy to cancel, pause, or modify weekly

How Much Does HelloFresh Cost?

On average, HelloFresh meal kit pricing breaks down as:

• 2-person plan: $10 – $12 per serving, or $20 – $24 per meal
• 4-person family plan: $8 – $10 per serving, or $32 – $40 per meal

The more weekly servings ordered, the lower cost per meal thanks to bulk discounts. For the average household, most full meal kit deliveries end up costing:

• 2 meals x 2 people: $40 – $50 per shipment
• 4 meals x 4 people: $130 – $160 per weekly box

Keep in mind, shipping fees, sales tax, and premium meal upgrades add further costs. Let’s look at complete pricing next.

Pricing Breakdown by Meal Plan

HelloFresh bases subscription pricing on total number of meals and servings per weekly box.

Meal Plan	Meals per Week	Total Servings	Price Range
Two-Person Plan	2	4	$47.95 – $59.95
Two-Person Plan	3	6	$63.93 – $79.93
Two-Person Plan	4	8	$79.92 – $99.92
Four-Person Family Plan	2	8	$79.92 – $99.92
Four-Person Family Plan	3	12	$119.87 – $149.87
Four-Person Family Plan	5	20	$199.75 – $249.75

According to NerdWallet, HelloFresh prices range from $8.99 to $12.49 per serving, depending on the meal plan chosen. For example, ordering two meals per week for two people starts at $49.96, which equates to $12.49 per serving. If you increase your order to three meals per week, the per-serving price drops to $9.99. Additionally, a shipping fee and potential sales tax may apply, which can vary by location.

NBC News reports that HelloFresh pricing starts at $9.99 per serving, with a shipping fee of $10.99 per week. They explain that customers can choose from various plans based on how many people they are feeding (two, four, or six) and how many meals they want each week (ranging from two to six meals). For instance, a two-person plan for three meals costs around $69.96, while a four-person plan for six meals would be approximately $239.76 before taxes and fees.

According to Garage Gym Reviews, the price per meal for HelloFresh starts at $8.99 and can go up to $12.49, depending on the number of meals ordered and the number of servings per meal. They note that ordering more servings generally results in a lower cost per meal, making it a budget-friendly option for families or couples looking to simplify meal preparation.

As you can see, larger meal plans with more servings earn progressively lower per-meal costs thanks to HelloFresh’s bulk pricing.

How HelloFresh Works

Founded in 2011, HelloFresh pioneered the subscription meal kit concept. Each weekly package contains measured fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards tailored to the number of servings ordered.

Customers can choose meals from numerous categories including:

• Meat and vegetarian
• Family-friendly classics
• Low-calorie and healthy options
• International and gourmet cuisine
• Premium high-end meals

With HelloFresh handling grocery shopping, planning, and measuring, families can enjoy cooking delicious dinners at home every night. But how cost-effective are these convenient meal kits?

Additional Fees and Charges

Be aware of a few supplemental HelloFresh charges:

• Weekly $9.99 shipping fee added to all meal plans
• Potential state and local sales taxes depending on your location
• Premium meal upgrades like gourmet recipes that cost $3 – $5 extra per serving
• Extra servings beyond base meal kit plan portions that add incremental cost

Factor these into your total projected weekly and monthly costs.

You might also like our articles about the cost of Red Mountain, Livea, or Body Smart Fitness.

HelloFresh Pricing vs Other Companies

Among the dozens of meal kit companies, HelloFresh falls somewhere in the middle price-wise:

• Budget kits like EveryPlate and Dinnerly offer meals as low as $4 – $5 per serving.
• HelloFresh and Home Chef land in the moderate range from $8 – $12 per serving.
• Premium services like Blue Apron and Green Chef run $12+ per individual serving.

HelloFresh strikes a balance with very affordable pricing but high-quality fresh ingredients, creative recipes, and meal variety.

Score Discounts and Save

Use these tips to lower your total HelloFresh subscription expenses:

• Take full advantage of new subscriber promotions like 50% off your first delivery box.
• Strategically select lower-priced basic recipes each week and avoid premium meal upgrades.
• Adjust weekly meal quantity and servings precisely to your needs to avoid overpaying for excess portions.
• Pause or skip upcoming deliveries when traveling or too busy to cook, saving that week’s costs.
• Pay with a credit card that earns rewards you can redeem to subsidize your subscription fees.

With some smart moves, you can keep your weekly HelloFresh bill lower while still enjoying delicious meals.

Are HelloFresh Kits Worthwhile?

For many busy consumers, HelloFresh’s meal kit delivery fee provides excellent value:

• Convenience of pre-planned menus, recipes, and measured ingredients without time-consuming grocery store runs.
• Perfectly portioned meals help reduce household food waste.
• Fun weekly package adds excitement and takes the chore out of meal planning.
• Even novice cooks can produce impressive dinners following the straightforward recipes.

Carefully weigh the weekly price against convenience factor and time savings over home meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking everything from scratch yourself.

Special Diet and Premium Meal Options

To accommodate various tastes and diets, HelloFresh offers specialty meal choices, often at a price uptick:

• Vegetarian and Pescatarian – Generally no added cost over standard options
• Low-Calorie and Health-Conscious – Around $2 extra per serving
• Gourmet Recipes – Approximately $3 – $5 more per serving
• “Craft Burger” Selections – Roughly $2 additional per premium burger meal

Determine if splurging on fancier meal options aligns with your budget and culinary adventurousness.

HelloFresh’s Cancellation Policy

One advantage of HelloFresh is the subscription flexibility:

• Pause or completely cancel anytime without penalty
• Skip upcoming weeks when traveling or don’t need deliveries
• Adjust meal quantities week-to-week or reduce portions
• Reactivate deliveries seamlessly through your account

This hassle-free adaptability makes HelloFresh easy to tailor to your family’s changing needs and schedules.

Expert Insights

Food and money-saving experts offer insider tricks to keep HelloFresh affordable without sacrificing convenience or meal quality:

“Take a freezer inventory before ordering each week and build meals around what proteins and veggies you already have.” – Mark Chang, Meal Planning Blogger

“Double recipes that freeze well so you have easy homemade dinners ready for busy nights.” – Priya Mistry, Frugal Cookbook Author

“Search online coupon sites for latest promo codes before first orders and subsequent deliveries.” – James Wong, Deal-Hunting Pro

“Compare prices between HelloFresh and competitors occasionally to ensure you have the best rate for your menu preferences.” – Emily Choi, Subscription Box Analyst

“Don’t over-customize with add-ons and upgrades unless you truly value splurging on special occasion meals.” – Ryan Kim, Budgeting App Founder

Following their creative tips helps you control subscription costs without sacrificing food quality or meal kit convenience.

Answers to Common Questions

Here are answers to some of the most common HelloFresh meal kit pricing and subscription questions:

What is the downside of HelloFresh?

Potential drawbacks include food packaging waste, receiving repeated recipes sometimes, quality dependent on ingredients handling in transit, and added shipping fees which reduce cost savings versus grocery shopping yourself.

Does using HelloFresh save you money?

HelloFresh costs about the same as home grocery shopping and cooking. The main value is time savings from convenient meal planning, shopping, and pre-measured ingredients. Cost savings versus takeout or dining out depend on specific meal choices.

Is it hard to cancel HelloFresh?

HelloFresh offers exceptional subscription flexibility online or through their app. You can easily adjust portions, skip weeks in advance at no cost, pause your account indefinitely, and seamlessly resume deliveries when ready. Cancelling is straightforward with no hidden fees.

Can I redeem HelloFresh gift cards I received?

Yes, HelloFresh gift cards can be applied toward your weekly meal plan fees to lower your out-of-pocket subscription costs. They make great gifts for HelloFresh users focused on maximizing meal kit affordability.

Final Words

While the per-serving cost of HelloFresh meal kits may initially seem high, smart subscription adjustments enable keeping weekly delivery fees quite affordable. With discounts for larger meal plans, flexible shipping, specialty menu options for dietary preferences, and easy subscription modifications, HelloFresh can adapt to fit your lifestyle.

For many busy households, the convenience merits the competitive pricing for fresh, home-cooked dinners without any planning or grocery shopping hassle required.