EveryPlate vs Blue Apron 2026: Which is Better?

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I spent $287 of my own money testing EveryPlate and Blue Apron over three weeks. Same household, same week, rotating between both services to see which one I’d actually keep paying for.

The answer surprised me. EveryPlate at $5.99/meal should be the obvious winner on price alone. Blue Apron at $6.99-$13.49/meal looks expensive by comparison. But after cooking 18 meals from each service, the gap isn’t as simple as the price tags suggest.

EveryPlate delivered exactly what it promised: simple, hearty comfort food that my kids actually ate without complaint. The Sausage & Pepper Pasta tasted like something I’d order at an Italian chain restaurant. not fancy, but solid. Blue Apron’s Seared Steaks with Romesco Sauce and Roasted Potatoes tasted like I was trying to impress someone on a third date. More effort, more reward, more expensive.

Here’s what I learned: if you’re feeding a family on a tight budget and don’t care about culinary adventures, EveryPlate wins. If you want restaurant-quality meals and variety matters more than saving $2/serving, Blue Apron is the move. Both are good at what they do. Neither tries to be the other.

EveryPlate wins on price and simplicity. Blue Apron wins on taste, variety, and flexibility. Pick based on what you value more: your wallet or your palate.

You’re feeding a family of 4+ and your grocery budget is tight. EveryPlate at $71.88/week for three meals beats the $120+ you’d spend buying the same ingredients at Kroger or Whole Foods, especially when you factor in the stuff you’d waste.

You don’t cook often and need recipes that won’t intimidate you. Six steps, 30-40 minutes, nothing exotic. If you can boil pasta and brown ground beef, you can handle every recipe EveryPlate sends.

Your kids are picky eaters who live on chicken tenders and mac and cheese. EveryPlate’s menu is built around American comfort food. meatloaf, burgers, pasta with red sauce, tacos. Not adventurous, but that’s the point.

You’re trying meal kits for the first time and want the cheapest entry point. At $2.99/meal for your first box, you’re basically testing it for free. If you hate it, you’re out $18 instead of $70.

You don’t care about dietary restrictions. EveryPlate doesn’t do keto, paleo, gluten-free, or proper vegan options. If that doesn’t bother you, the savings are real.

You’re bored with the same 10 dinners on rotation and want to actually learn cooking techniques. Blue Apron recipes taught me how to make romesco sauce from scratch and properly sear a steak without turning it into leather. EveryPlate taught me how to follow directions on a box.

You want flexibility without a subscription commitment. Blue Apron’s 2025 rebrand means you can order one week, skip three weeks, and come back whenever. No cancellation drama, no guilt about pausing.

You’re cooking for two adults who care about food quality. Blue Apron sources better ingredients. I could taste the difference in the steak, the produce was noticeably fresher, and the spice blends weren’t just generic garlic powder.

You need variety and 25 recipes a week isn’t cutting it. Blue Apron’s 80-100+ weekly options include meal kits, prepared meals you just heat up, and oven-ready dishes. EveryPlate gives you 25-30 variations of the same comfort food themes.

You’re willing to pay $1-7 more per serving for restaurant-quality results. The gap between $5.99 and $11.49/meal is $44/week for a family of four. If that’s worth it for meals that don’t taste like budget food, Blue Apron wins.

EveryPlate charges $5.99-$6.99 per serving depending on your plan size. The more servings you order, the cheaper it gets. A family plan (4 servings, 3 meals/week) costs $71.88/week before shipping. Add the $10.99 flat shipping fee and you’re at $82.87/week total, or $6.91/meal delivered.

Blue Apron ranges from $6.99/serving for their basic two-person plan to $13.49/serving for premium meals with upgraded proteins. A comparable two-person plan (3 meals/week, 2 servings each) costs $72/week before shipping. Add $9.99 shipping (unless you have Blue Apron+ membership for $9.99/month with free shipping) and you’re at $81.99/week, or $13.67/meal delivered.

Do the math for a month: EveryPlate costs $331.48 for four weeks of three dinners. Blue Apron costs $327.96 for the same. The gap is $3.52/month if you’re feeding two people. EveryPlate wins by a rounding error.

Where it changes: families. EveryPlate’s four-serving plan costs $287.52/month with shipping (12 meals, 48 servings). Blue Apron’s four-serving equivalent costs $383.96/month with shipping. That’s a $96.44 monthly gap, or $1,157.28 per year. Now the savings matter.

First-time discounts shift the equation temporarily. EveryPlate offers $2.99/meal on your first box plus 10% off the first month. Blue Apron offers $100-$180 off your first five weeks depending on the promo. Both are basically giving you the first month at a steep discount to hook you. After that, you’re paying full price.

Blue Apron’s premium meals add $3.99-$6.50 extra per serving. If you order premium every week, you’re paying $10.48-$13.49/serving instead of $6.99. EveryPlate’s premium meals add $3.99/serving, pushing the cost to $9.98-$10.98/serving. still cheaper than Blue Apron’s premium tier but not by much.

EveryPlate rotates 25-30 recipes weekly across four categories: Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Quick & Easy, and Family Faves. Every week I saw variations on the same themes. pasta with ground beef, chicken thighs with roasted vegetables, pork chops with mashed potatoes, tacos. Comforting, predictable, occasionally boring.

Specific meals I tried: Sausage & Pepper Pasta (solid, kids ate it without complaining), Garlic Herb Butter Chicken (tasted like something from Applebee’s in the best way), Southwest Beef Tacos (fine but nothing I couldn’t make with $8 of Kroger ingredients). Nothing adventurous, nothing that required a culinary degree, nothing that made me want to recreate it on my own.

Blue Apron offers 80-100+ weekly options after their August 2025 rebrand. The menu splits into meal kits (traditional Blue Apron), prepared meals (heat and eat), and Assemble & Bake (dump everything in a pan, cook for 30 minutes). I tested all three formats.

Specific meals I tried from Blue Apron: Seared Steaks with Romesco Sauce and Roasted Potatoes (genuinely restaurant-quality, taught me how to make romesco from scratch), Miso-Butter Salmon with Bok Choy (better than most $25 restaurant salmon dishes), Chicken Tikka Masala (prepared meal format, microwaved in 4 minutes, tasted shockingly good for something I didn’t cook).

Dietary options: EveryPlate has a Veggie category with 4-6 vegetarian options per week. No vegan, no keto, no paleo, no gluten-free accommodations. If you have dietary restrictions, EveryPlate doesn’t care. Blue Apron offers vegetarian, pescatarian, and wellness-tagged meals. Still no dedicated keto or gluten-free line, but you can filter by dietary preferences and actually find 15-20 options that work.

Blue Apron’s Customize It feature lets you swap proteins on select meals. The Seared Steaks recipe offered chicken, salmon, or Beyond Meat as alternatives. EveryPlate doesn’t offer customization. you get what you get.

Variety matters if you’re ordering weekly. EveryPlate’s 25-30 options sound fine until you realize 10 of them are variations on “ground beef with carbs.” Blue Apron’s 80-100+ options include Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, Korean, and actual chef-designed recipes that don’t feel like they came from a 1990s Midwestern cookbook.

EveryPlate tastes like solid home cooking. Not exciting, not gourmet, but reliably good in the way that Cracker Barrel is reliably good. The Garlic Herb Butter Chicken had crispy skin, juicy meat, and a butter sauce that my kids sopped up with bread. The Sausage & Pepper Pasta tasted exactly like something I’d get at Olive Garden. lots of garlic, lots of cheese, nothing subtle. The Southwest Beef Tacos were fine but forgettable, the kind of meal you eat on a Tuesday and don’t think about again.

Where EveryPlate disappointed: the Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes. The pork was thin, overcooked easily, and the mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box even though I made them from real potatoes. The seasoning packets EveryPlate includes are basic. garlic powder, Italian seasoning, taco spice mix. Nothing you couldn’t buy at Walmart for $2.

Blue Apron tastes like you’re trying. The Seared Steaks with Romesco Sauce were the best meal I cooked all month. The romesco. a Spanish pepper and almond sauce. had depth and complexity I didn’t expect from a meal kit. The steak was thick-cut, well-marbled, and came with actual cooking instructions that taught me how to get a proper sear without burning it. I’d order this meal again at a restaurant for $28.

The Miso-Butter Salmon tasted better than 90% of the salmon I’ve had at mid-tier restaurants. The miso glaze was sweet and savory, the bok choy was fresh and crisp, and the portion size was generous. The Chicken Tikka Masala (prepared meal) was shockingly good for something I microwaved. rich, creamy, spiced correctly, better than most delivery Indian food.

Where Blue Apron disappointed: the Mushroom & Kale Pasta. It was fine. Not bad, not memorable, just fine. The mushrooms were bland, the kale was tough, and the pasta sauce was thin. For $11.49/serving, I expected more. This tasted like a $7 meal, not a $12 meal.

The taste gap is real. EveryPlate delivers 7/10 meals consistently. Blue Apron swings between 8/10 and 9/10 with occasional 6/10 misses. If you want food that tastes like you cooked it yourself using a basic recipe from Pinterest, EveryPlate works. If you want food that tastes like you’re actually learning to cook well, Blue Apron wins.

Portions: EveryPlate’s servings are generous, sometimes too generous. The pasta dishes could easily feed three people, not two. Blue Apron’s portions are restaurant-accurate. enough to feel satisfied without feeling stuffed. I had leftovers from EveryPlate 70% of the time. I had leftovers from Blue Apron 30% of the time.

EveryPlate recipes take 20-40 minutes and follow a simple six-step format. Every recipe card looks identical: numbered steps, basic instructions, a photo of the finished meal. I never felt confused or lost. I also never felt like I was learning anything new. Brown the meat, boil the pasta, mix the sauce, serve. Repeat.

Blue Apron recipes take 30-50+ minutes and include actual cooking techniques. The Seared Steaks recipe taught me how to properly rest meat after cooking. The Miso-Butter Salmon recipe explained how to get crispy skin without overcooking the fish. The recipe cards include chef tips, substitution suggestions, and explanations for why you’re doing each step. I actually learned something.

Ingredient packaging: EveryPlate throws everything into one bag. You have to sort through the box and figure out which ingredients go with which meal. It’s not hard, but it’s annoying when you’re juggling three meals’ worth of produce, proteins, and pantry items. Blue Apron used to pre-sort ingredients by meal but stopped doing that consistently after the Wonder Group acquisition in 2023. Now it’s a coin flip whether your ingredients are organized or jumbled.

Ingredient freshness: both services delivered fresh produce and proteins. EveryPlate’s vegetables were fine. not organic, not premium, but perfectly usable. Blue Apron’s vegetables were noticeably better quality. The bell peppers were crisper, the greens were fresher, the herbs weren’t wilted. You’re paying for that quality difference.

Instruction clarity: EveryPlate’s recipe cards are written for people who don’t cook often. “Dice the onion” is accompanied by a diagram showing what diced means. “Bring to a boil” includes a note about what boiling looks like. It’s slightly condescending if you know how to cook, but helpful if you don’t. Blue Apron assumes you know basic techniques and focuses on teaching advanced skills.

Cleanup: EveryPlate meals typically use 2-3 pans and minimal prep bowls. Blue Apron meals use 3-4 pans, multiple prep bowls, and occasionally a baking sheet plus a skillet. The taste difference is worth it, but if you hate doing dishes, EveryPlate wins.

Both services deliver to the 48 contiguous US states. EveryPlate ships via FedEx or regional carriers with a $10.99 flat shipping fee. Blue Apron ships via FedEx with a $9.99 shipping fee unless you’re a Blue Apron+ member ($9.99/month gets you free shipping on all orders).

Packaging: EveryPlate uses recyclable cardboard boxes with ice packs and insulated liners. Everything arrived cold. The ice packs were mostly melted after 8+ hours on my porch in 85-degree weather, but the proteins were still cold to the touch. Blue Apron uses similar packaging with slightly better insulation. Their ice packs stayed frozen longer, and the box interior felt colder when I opened it.

Delivery timing: both services let you choose your delivery day. EveryPlate delivered on Tuesday, Blue Apron delivered on Wednesday. Both arrived in the delivery window they promised (8 AM – 8 PM). I got tracking notifications from both services the day before delivery.

Box size: EveryPlate’s boxes are massive if you order the family plan. I needed both hands to carry the four-serving, three-meal box from my porch to my kitchen. Blue Apron’s boxes are more compact, easier to store in the fridge if you’re not cooking immediately.

Sustainability: both services use recyclable packaging, but you’re still dealing with a lot of cardboard and plastic. EveryPlate’s ingredients aren’t individually bagged, which reduces plastic waste slightly. Blue Apron uses more small plastic containers for sauces and pre-measured ingredients, which feels wasteful even if it’s technically recyclable.

Freshness guarantee: both services promise to replace or refund any ingredients that arrive damaged or spoiled. I had zero issues with either service over three weeks, but the guarantee exists if you need it.

EveryPlate wins if you’re feeding a family on a tight budget and want simple, reliable meals that don’t require culinary skills. At $5.99-$6.99/serving, it’s the cheapest meal kit on the market that doesn’t sacrifice quality. The food tastes good, the recipes are easy, and your kids will actually eat it. If saving $96/month matters more than culinary variety, EveryPlate is the obvious choice.

Blue Apron wins if you want restaurant-quality meals, variety, and flexibility. The taste difference is real. Blue Apron’s meals are noticeably better, the ingredients are higher quality, and the recipes teach you actual cooking skills. At $6.99-$13.49/serving, you’re paying a premium, but you’re getting premium results. If you’re bored with the same 10 dinners on rotation and want to feel like you’re eating well, Blue Apron is worth the extra cost.

My personal pick: I kept Blue Apron. The variety matters to me, I like learning new techniques, and I can afford the extra $50-70/month. But I’d recommend EveryPlate to anyone feeding kids, trying meal kits for the first time, or genuinely struggling with grocery costs. Both services are good at what they do. just pick the one that matches your priorities.

If you’re still undecided, try both with their intro discounts. EveryPlate at $2.99/meal and Blue Apron with $100-$180 off means you’re basically testing both for free. Order one week of each, cook the meals, and see which one you’d actually keep paying for. The answer will be obvious after you eat the food.

Is EveryPlate better than Blue Apron?

EveryPlate is better if you prioritize price and simplicity. Blue Apron is better if you prioritize taste, variety, and cooking quality. Neither is objectively better. it depends on what matters more to you.

Which is cheaper, EveryPlate or Blue Apron?

EveryPlate is cheaper at $5.99-$6.99 per serving versus Blue Apron’s $6.99-$13.49 per serving. For a family of four eating three dinners per week, EveryPlate saves you $96.44 per month compared to Blue Apron’s standard plan, or $1,157.28 per year.

Which has better meals, EveryPlate or Blue Apron?

Blue Apron has better-tasting meals with higher-quality ingredients and more complex recipes. EveryPlate delivers solid comfort food that tastes good but not restaurant-quality. If taste is your priority, Blue Apron wins clearly.

Which should I try first, EveryPlate or Blue Apron?

Try EveryPlate first if you’re new to meal kits, feeding kids, or on a tight budget. Try Blue Apron first if you care about food quality, want variety, or already know how to cook. Both offer heavy intro discounts, so you can test both for under $50 total.

Does EveryPlate have better value than Blue Apron?

EveryPlate has better value if you define value as price per serving. Blue Apron has better value if you define value as quality per dollar. At $5.99/serving, EveryPlate is hard to beat on pure cost. At $11.49/serving, Blue Apron delivers meals that would cost $20-25 at a restaurant.

Can I customize meals with EveryPlate or Blue Apron?

Blue Apron offers protein swaps on select meals through their Customize It feature. EveryPlate doesn’t offer any customization. you get the meal as designed. If flexibility matters, Blue Apron wins.

Which service is easier to cook, EveryPlate or Blue Apron?

EveryPlate is easier with simpler six-step recipes that take 20-40 minutes. Blue Apron requires 30-50+ minutes and teaches more advanced techniques. If you hate cooking or don’t have time, EveryPlate wins on ease.

Do EveryPlate and Blue Apron deliver to my area?

Both services deliver to the 48 contiguous US states. Check your ZIP code on each website to confirm coverage. EveryPlate charges $10.99 flat shipping, Blue Apron charges $9.99 unless you have Blue Apron+ membership.