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When it comes to embracing a healthy lifestyle, one of the most important considerations is shopping. Simply put, you need to keep your fridge and pantry well-stocked with nutritious items; depending on your dietary preferences, this may include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or organic foods. But shopping can be incredibly time intensive and inconvenient, especially when you're already trying to balance work and family responsibilities with regular workouts.
One option is to use a grocery delivery service, so you can have fresh, healthy foods sent straight to your front door. At ACTIVE, we've researched some of the best grocery delivery services and come up with a list of recommendations.
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The Best Grocery Delivery Services - Our Top Picks
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- Best Overall Grocery Delivery Service: Instacart
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Families: Walmart
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Singles: Amazon Fresh
- Best Grocery Delivery for Bulk Groceries: Boxed
- Best Plant-Based Grocery Delivery Service: Imperfect Foods
- Best Budget Grocery Delivery Service: Gopuff
- Best Organic Grocery Delivery Service: Hungryroot
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Specialty Diets: Thrive Market
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Last-Minute Delivery: Shipt
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Product Variety: FreshDirect
What to Look for in a Grocery Delivery Service
Minimum Order Amount
Many grocery delivery services will require you to pay a certain amount for each order. This can be a minor inconvenience if you just want to send out for a couple of items that you need in order to prepare dinner.
Delivery Fee
The delivery fee can vary from one grocery service to the next, and represents the most significant cost difference between having groceries delivered and simply heading to the supermarket yourself.
Membership Options
Be on the lookout for membership plans, which usually involve you paying a monthly or annual fee in favor of lowered or waived delivery fees on each order. If you use a grocery delivery service regularly, memberships are usually the way to go.
How to Choose the Best Grocery Delivery Service for You
As you seek the best grocery delivery service, the first step you'll want to take is to ensure that the service actually delivers to your area. Then, consider minimum order amounts and delivery fees, confirming that the service makes financial sense for you and your household. Don't forget to assess membership plans to see if there are options for you to save some money.
If you have a local grocery store where you do most of your shopping, you may want to see if they offer their own online delivery option, or if they partner with a carrier like Instacart.
Best Overall - Instacart
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: $10
- Delivery fee: Starts at $4
- Membership options: $99/year or $10/month; includes free delivery on all orders over $35
Instacart is the best-known and most-used grocery delivery service, and it's not hard to understand why. With this platform, personal shoppers head to a participating grocery store, pick up your items for you, and bring them to your front door. Most major grocery retailers participate, and most offer an option for quick, same-day delivery. You can even find specialty retailers, like butchers, if there's something you're specifically hankering for. With a low minimum order amount and a range of membership options, Instacart offers you tons of flexibility to get the fit and healthy items you need to maintain your diet.
What We Like
- Lots of grocery stores partner with Instacart, including specialty stores and major retailers
- Minimum order amount of just $10
- Range of membership options
What We Don't Like
- You'll need to budget for a tip for your personal shopper
- Quality of personal shoppers can vary
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Families - Walmart
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: $35
- Delivery fee: Free with membership
- Membership options: $19.95/month or $138/year for Walmart+ membership along with InHome delivery
Ordering groceries for your entire clan? If you have a spouse and kids to shop for, Walmart may be your best option. With a membership, shipping is free, and the minimum order amount is a very reasonable $35. You can arrange to have your delivery associate set up your groceries in your garage or your kitchen, depending on your preference. Also, with Walmart, there's no need to budget for a tip—all costs are already factored into your membership.
What We Like
- With membership, no delivery/shipping cost
- Tip already included in price
- Minimum order amount of just $35
- Can arrange to have groceries brought into your kitchen or garage
What We Don't Like
- You'll need to plan ahead; Walmart isn't quite as good for last-minute items
- 3,000 stores participate, which is a lot, but this service won't be available everywhere
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Singles - Amazon Fresh
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: None
- Delivery fee: $10 for orders below $35, orders above $35 get free delivery in most markets
- Membership options: Included with Amazon Prime membership
Amazon Fresh is a great pick for anyone who already has a Prime membership in place, but it can be especially worthwhile for singles. That's because there's no minimum order amount, meaning this is a great service even if you just need a couple of items to get you through the week. Also be aware that Amazon Prime will offer some cashback rewards when you use this service extensively, a nice financial incentive that shouldn't be discounted. Note that Amazon has a partnership with Whole Foods, which is great for those seeking holistic and natural foods, but there are plenty of other grocery partners affiliated with Amazon Fresh.
What We Like
- No minimum order
- Incentives, including cashback, available to Prime members
- Partnership with Whole Foods and other grocers
What We Don't Like
- Not as recommended if you don't already have Amazon Prime
- Delivery times aren't always as quick or convenient as you might like
Best Grocery Delivery for Bulk Groceries - Boxed
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: None
- Delivery fee: $7 delivery fee on orders under $49; free shipping on orders over $49
- Membership options: $49/year for free shipping on all orders over $20
Boxed is the service we recommend if you want bulk groceries shipped straight to your home. With free shipping on orders over $49, and no membership required, this is really the most economical option for anyone who's buying in larger quantities. Delivery times usually fall somewhere in the 1-3-day range, which means this isn't the most nimble grocery delivery service. But with plenty of vegan and natural choices, it's definitely a worthwhile option for those looking to shop and eat healthy.
What We Like
- No minimum order
- Free shipping on larger orders
- Plenty of vegan and healthy options
What We Don't Like
- Longer delivery lead times
- Not as well-suited for smaller orders
Best Plant-Based Grocery Delivery Service - Imperfect Foods
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: None
- Delivery fee: $6
- Membership options: Membership is required, but it's free
Imperfect Foods has an admirable mission: In an effort to curb organic waste, they provide access to "imperfect" foods that would otherwise be discarded—usually foods that have minor packaging issues or were simply produced in surplus. Not only does Imperfect Foods use a great, eco-friendly model, they offer a lot of seasonal selections, organic foods, and more. From a cost perspective, it's pretty close to perfect, with no minimum order, no membership fee, and just a small delivery charge.
What We Like
- No minimum order
- Very modest delivery fee
- Sustainable model
- Range of seasonal and vegan options
What We Don't Like
- Selection is more limited than other grocery delivery services
- You'll be assigned a cart full of foods based on your preferences, which you can adjust and tweak, but this can take some time
Best Budget Grocery Delivery Service - Gopuff
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: $13-$15 (varies by market)
- Delivery fee: $2.95 (extra fees may be applied for alcohol)
- Membership options: $5.95/month
Gopuff has made its name on low prices, making it incredibly economical to get a range of groceries, toiletries, personal hygiene, and other products delivered straight to your home. While the selection is so-so, and vegan options are especially dicey, it's tough to argue with the $2.95 delivery charge and the low subscription price.
What We Like
- Modestly priced all the way around
- A range of food and non-food items, including alcohol
- Works well for singles and families alike
What We Don't Like
- Vegan and organic options are limited
- Alcohol products will come with additional fees
Best Organic Grocery Delivery Service - Hungryroot
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: $70
- Delivery fee: Free
- Membership options: Weekly subscription starting at $70 per week
Looking for a grocery delivery service that offers organic options? Hungryroot is one of your best bets, providing a crossover between grocery delivery and meal prep. Basically, you'll fill out a quiz relating to your dietary preferences, then receive a custom grocery list, all set to be delivered. Best of all, the foods delivered by Hungryroot are all guaranteed to be free of any artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.
What We Like
- Healthy, organic options
- No delivery fee
- Crossover meal-prep service
What We Don't Like
- $70 order threshold
- Not everyone will want to manage the meal prep options
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Specialty Diets - Thrive Market
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: None
- Delivery fee: $5.95 for orders under $49; free shipping on orders $49+
- Membership options: $59 annually or $5 each month
Beyond its affordable pricing model, Thrive Market makes our roundup due to its accommodation for specialty diets. You can actually search their options via your dietary preferences, making it incredibly simple to find the foods you need. And while you do have to pay a membership fee, we think it's well worth it for the convenience and for the product selection.
What We Like
- Healthy, organic options
- Modest pricing
- Ability to search by diet
What We Don't Like
- Membership required
- Not as recommended if you have no dietary limitations
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Last-Minute Delivery - Shipt
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: None
- Delivery fee: $7 for orders below $35, free for orders above $35
- Membership options: $99/year or $11/month
Shipt allows you to shop from multiple stores in your community, and to receive deliveries of groceries as well as household products and personal hygiene items. Delivery times are usually really quick—same day and sometimes within an hour to two. A great pick for last-minute items and also for families with extensive shopping needs.
What We Like
- Quick delivery times
- Get a range of products delivered
- Excellent for families
What We Don't Like
- Membership required
- Quality of personal shoppers can vary
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Product Variety - FreshDirect
SPECS
- Minimum order amount: $30
- Delivery fee: $6+
- Membership options: Optional membership to waive delivery fees; $79 for six months or $129 a year
Though only available in select markets, FreshDirect is notable for providing a full range of fresh products and high-quality meat options. Also note the optional membership, which creates an affordable way to waive delivery fees.
What We Like
- High-quality products and meat
- Great membership options
- Wide product range
What We Don't Like
- $30 order minimum
- Only available in select markets
FAQs About Grocery Delivery Services
What are the benefits of grocery delivery?
The obvious benefit is convenience: Having groceries delivered can save you a shopping trip, so you can focus more on things like family or personal fitness. But also, grocery delivery services make it easier for you to be healthy. They incentivize you to plan meals, they decrease the risk of impulse buys, and they make it easy to always have fresh, healthy foods on hand.
What is the most used grocery delivery service?
Instacart is the most well-known and most-used grocery delivery service.
Do you save money having groceries delivered?
Having groceries delivered means paying a delivery fee, and potentially a tip. In other words, there are some extra costs that you wouldn't have to pay if you went to the store yourself. However, having groceries delivered saves you gas money and can help prevent impulse purchases, which can help to balance the cost.
Easy Healthy Meals | Best Grocery Delivery Services | Best Snack Subscription Boxes | Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss | Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services | Best Keto Meal Delivery Services | Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services | Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services | Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services | Best Coffee Subscription Services