Meal Delivery Services Best Grocery Delivery Services Get your groceries sent right to your doorstep By Ally Hirschlag Ally Hirschlag Facebook Twitter Ally is a senior editor for Verywell, who covers topics in the health, wellness, and lifestyle spaces. She has written for The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Guardian, BBC Future, and more. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 17, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Ayana Habtemariam, MSW, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Ayana Habtemariam, MSW, RDN, LDN Facebook Ayana Habtemariam, MSW, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian, nutrition therapist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and macro social worker. Learn about our Medical Review Board Fact checked Verywell Fit content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Sean Blackburn Fact checked by Sean Blackburn LinkedIn Sean is a fact-checker and researcher with experience in sociology and field research. Learn about our editorial process Print We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products. Healthcare professionals review articles for medical accuracy. Learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Grocery delivery services can make life in the kitchen, as well as life in general, much easier. If you have a demanding job, kids, get overwhelmed by vast grocery store aisles, hate waiting in line, or all of the above, these services are for you. They can help you get food and necessity shopping done quickly and efficiently. What’s more, you don’t have to lug heavy grocery bags home, which is an undeniable plus. The best grocery delivery services offer user-friendly online systems, options that fit your lifestyle, quick and easy deliveries, and great deals on products. Here’s a list of our top choices. Best Grocery Delivery Services of 2023 Best Organic: Thrive Market Best East Coat: FreshDirect Best for Whole Foods Lovers: Instacart Best for Target Lovers: Shipt Best for Amazon Prime Members: Amazon Fresh Best for Empowering Shoppers: Dumpling Best Grocery Delivery Services View All Best Grocery Delivery Services Our Top Picks Thrive Market FreshDirect Instacart Shipt Amazon Fresh Dumpling See More (3) Final Verdict Frequently Asked Questions Methodology Best Organic : Thrive Market Thrive Market Sign Up Now Why We Chose It: Grocery items are screened to ensure that they are free of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Pros Prices 25% to 50% off regular retail prices Curates organic, non-GMO products Ships to all contiguous US states Free 30-day trial Generous return policy Cons No free shipping Choices on bulk orders somewhat limited Thrive is a market looking to bring people into a more food-accessible community. Touting wholesale prices that save you 25%-50% off retail prices, their direct buying strategy brings you fresh, quality products for less. Grocery items are screened to ensure that they are free of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Customers are offered a 30-day trial to test this option, and shoppers can search based on their “values.” The categories listed include items that are gluten-free, for moms, paleo-friendly, raw, staples, or vegan. And don’t forget about Fido. Thrive also sells pet products for your cat and dog. The company is also helping others along the way. For each paid annual membership of about $60, the company offers free membership to a low-income family, student, teacher, veteran, or first responder. You can order Thrive from anywhere in the contiguous United States. Membership: $59 annually or about $10 each month Delivery Fee: Free shipping on orders over $49 for members Best East Coat : FreshDirect FreshDirect Sign Up Now Use code VERYWELL50 for $50 Off Your First Order of $99+ Why We Chose It: Customers can order their items a week in advance or at 11 pm the night before a delivery. Pros Available in most major Northeast cities High quality produce and meats Reasonable delivery fee Unlimited free deliveries with pass Cons Usually need to order a day in advance Limited coverage area Many East Coast residents rely on FreshDirect for their home and office grocery deliveries. The service is available in locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Washington D.C. Over the summer, FreshDirect also goes to homes on the Jersey Shore and the Hamptons. Partnerships with local farms, dairies, and fisheries help you get fresh food fast. They offer more than 3,000 food products and the list of available items changes depending on the season. Because of this focus, there are more food items and fewer home essentials compared to other services. That being said, there is a sizable selection of goods in the “Supplies” tab on the site. FreshDirect is geared toward solving your time Constraint problems. Customers can order their items a week in advance or at 11 pm the night before delivery. Membership: $79 for six months or $129 a year Delivery Fee: Starting at $6 Best for Whole Foods Lovers : Instacart Instacart Sign Up Now Why We Chose It: Have your products delivered in as little as an hour, or you can pick them up at your local store. Pros Fast, easy deliveries Ability to shop from wide array of stores Membership includes unlimited free deliveries on orders over roughly $35 Option to order from multiple stores with no added fees Delivery fee only about $4 for non-members Cons No free shipping Limited service area Residents in cities like LA, Miami, New York City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and others can enjoy Instacart delivery service for all of their grocery necessities. You can have your products delivered in as little as an hour, or you can pick them up at your local store. Instacart hires personal shoppers to fulfill each request from whichever store you’ve selected. Whole Foods Market, Fairway, Costco, CVS, and Petco are just a few of the stores affiliated with Instacart. The company also sets itself apart with Instacart Express, a grocery delivery membership that you can sign up for on a monthly or yearly basis. The feature includes unlimited free deliveries on orders over $35, and the opportunity to order from multiple stores for a single order with no added fees. Membership: About $99 a year or roughly $10 a month. Delivery Fee: Starts at about $4 for non-members. Best for Target Lovers : Shipt Shipt Sign Up Now Why We Chose It: This more personable option brings your food and everyday essentials to you with same-day delivery. Pros Delivery as quickly as within one hour Can place orders 24/7 (as long as a store is open) Easy communication with shopper Free, 30-day trial Cons Requires membership No free shipping Launched in 2014, Shipt caters to people in 5,000 cities in the U.S. and lets you shop at a variety of different stores near you, but has an exclusive partnership with Target. Shipt partners with retailers in each of the 72 cities where the service is provided, and Shipt shoppers pick up everything you need. This more personable option brings your food and everyday essentials to you with same-day delivery. Shipt sells products from Target, so lovers of the retailer will enjoy this delivery option. Membership: About $99 a year or roughly $14 a month Delivery Fee: Around $7 for orders below roughly $35 Best for Amazon Prime Members : Amazon Fresh Amazon Why We Chose It: We chose Amazon Fresh because it offers fast, free delivery and a vast inventory. Plus, it's widely available across the United States. Sign Up Now Pros Available in more than 2,000 cities Free to Amazon Prime members Fast delivery times Free shipping with $35 order minimum Wide selection of products Cons No free shipping Have to be an Amazon Prime member Lots of packaging waste Amazon Prime members have access to fast, free grocery deliveries thanks to Amazon Fresh. Their selection of products is vast, and includes Whole Foods 365 products. If you’re already a fan of Amazon's simple online ordering interface, you’ll appreciate that Amazon Fresh offers the same simple, streamlined system. You can get free two-hour shipping in most cases, or one-hour shipping for a small fee. Like other grocery delivery services on this list, there’s a “Past Purchases” section where you can easily find products you buy frequently. A nice incentive to use Amazon Fresh is the Amazon Smile program, which donates a portion of your order cost to the charity of your choice. You can access this feature through smile.amazon.com. Membership: Free for Amazon Prime members Delivery Fee: Around $10 for orders below roughly $35. Free Over $35 Best for Empowering Shoppers : Dumpling Dumpling Why We Chose It: Dumpling provides more autonomy to its shoppers, which translates to more personable service. Sign Up Now Pros Available in all 50 states Wide range of local stores Empowers shoppers Personalized service Quick delivery times Cons App not user-friendly Potentially pricey fees If you’re dubious about how other delivery services treat their shoppers, and appreciate supporting local groceries, Dumpling is the service for you. Dumpling shoppers set their own hours, fees and where they’ll shop for you. Of course, that means service will vary significantly depending on where you are and what time you’re shopping. The app is also not as user-friendly as some of the other apps on this list. That said because Dumpling shoppers have more autonomy, they tend to be very communicative and efficient because they want you to use them more than once (an option that most other delivery services don’t offer). But with that more personalized service comes higher delivery fees which are set by each individual shopper. Membership: Not required Delivery Fee: Varies based on shopper Final Verdict All of these grocery delivery services offer the convenience of having someone else go to the store, shop for, and deliver your groceries, but Instacart stands out among the rest. It’s widely available across the U.S., the membership is well-priced, and non-member delivery fees are reasonable. It also allows you the freedom to shop from multiple stores at once, so you’re virtually guaranteed to find what you’re looking for (as long as it’s in stock), all without any additional fees. But at the end of the day, which service you choose will be based on your individual needs. Frequently Asked Questions How Do Grocery Delivery Services Work? For most grocery delivery services, you shop online and select your groceries, rather than going to the supermarket. You then pay for your order, including any additional delivery service fees, and the groceries are delivered right to your door. How Much Should I Tip? In general, you should tip in the range of 10% to 20% of the bill or at least $5, whichever is higher. If you used a coupon to get a discounted price, make sure you base the tip on the pre-discount amount. Is a Grocery Delivery Service Worth It? Using a grocery delivery service can save you the hassle and time of going to a grocery store. It can be very convenient for busy people who don’t have a lot of time for grocery shopping or parents who don’t want to have to bring young children to a store. Your food choices will be much more deliberate, so you can choose healthier foods and you can avoid making impulse buys because you’re distracted, tired, or hungry. However, using a grocery delivery service will cost more than if you went to the store yourself. On top of delivery fees and tips, you may find that some items are priced higher than at a supermarket and it can be harder to search for bargains or compare prices. For foods such as produce, you can’t handpick your items, and you may not always get the freshest, highest-quality picks. If your free time is extremely limited, you only want to purchase exactly what's on your shopping list, or it’s not always convenient for you to get to the store, the extra expense of grocery delivery may be well worth it. How Much Do These Services Cost? The cost of grocery delivery services varies, as most retailers offer the option of paying a fee for each order or buying a membership that includes unlimited free orders over a certain amount. Retailers generally charge in the range of $7 to $10 per order, with some including extra fees for heavy orders or items such as alcohol. You may be able to save some money on delivery fees if you choose less desirable time slots, such as Tuesday to Thursday evenings. Memberships generally cost about $10 to $13 per month, with discounts for longer plans. Can You Use EBT for Grocery Delivery? Using EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards for grocery delivery services is not common, but may be available through certain retailers in some areas. Some retailers may allow customers to pay with EBT for grocery pick-up, but not delivery. Check with your local retailer to see which services are available. Methodology To create our list of the best grocery delivery services, we searched for companies that were widely available across the U.S., offered a wide range of products, and had relatively intuitive apps and websites. Pricing and affordability was also prioritized, as was the ability to shop from a number of stores. Finally, companies that made it easy to communicate with shoppers, as well as customer support, were given high marks. Verywell / Designed by Amelia Manley By Ally Hirschlag Ally is a senior editor for Verywell, who covers topics in the health, wellness, and lifestyle spaces. 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