5 Best Purple Carrot Alternatives in 2026

I spent three months rotating through vegan meal services. Purple Carrot was fine. the recipes work, the food shows up. but $11-13 per serving adds up fast when you’re eating this way every night. And if you’re not 100% vegan, paying premium prices for plant-based-only boxes starts feeling wasteful.

So I tested the alternatives. Some are cheaper. Some have more variety. Some let you mix in meat if you want. Here’s what actually competes with Purple Carrot in 2026, ranked by what they do better.

Best Purple Carrot Alternatives in 2026

1. Green Chef. $6-15/serving, USDA organic with vegan plans (plus keto/paleo if you want flexibility)
2. Sunbasket. $11.49+/serving, plant-forward with better ingredients and fuller flavors
3. Hungryroot. $7.99-12.99/meal, hybrid grocery delivery with 2,000+ vegan-friendly recipes
4. Dinnerly. $5.89+/serving, budget vegan options without the Purple Carrot markup
5. Veestro. comparable pricing, 100% vegan prepared meals (zero cooking)

Green Chef: Best for Organic Vegans Who Want Flexibility

Price per serving: $6-15 (starts at $71.94/week)

Shipping: $9.99 flat rate

Current deal: Up to $130 off + free shipping first box

Green Chef is USDA certified organic. Purple Carrot isn’t. That matters if you care about pesticides and soil quality. They run 80+ weekly recipes across vegan, keto, paleo, and omnivore plans. The vegan options hit 20-30 grams of plant protein per serving, and ingredients come pre-chopped, which Purple Carrot doesn’t always do.

The flexibility is the real differentiator. You’re not locked into vegan-only. If your partner eats meat or you want to try keto for a month, you just switch plans. Purple Carrot doesn’t give you that option. it’s plants or nothing.

Downside: the $9.99 shipping fee. Purple Carrot waves shipping over $99-100. Green Chef charges it every time unless you hit a promo. Do the math on your weekly order size before committing.

Best for: vegans who want certified organic ingredients and the option to switch to other diets without changing services

Read our full Green Chef review

Sunbasket: Best for Ingredient Quality and Flavor

Price per serving: $11.49+

Shipping: free on most plans

Sunbasket costs about the same as Purple Carrot but tastes better. I’m not being dramatic. the flavor profiles are fuller, the spice blends are more interesting, and the produce quality is noticeably higher. They focus on organic and regenerative agriculture suppliers, which you can taste in the vegetables.

They’re plant-forward, not vegan-only. That means most meals are vegetable-heavy but some include optional fish or meat proteins. If you’re strictly vegan, you filter for that and still get 15-20 options weekly. If you’re flexitarian, you get way more variety than Purple Carrot offers.

The prepared meal line (Fresh & Ready) is where Sunbasket pulls ahead. Purple Carrot’s prepared meals are fine. Sunbasket’s are legitimately restaurant-quality. The red curry with crispy tofu I had last month was better than most takeout.

Best for: people who prioritize ingredient quality and flavor over strict vegan-only menus

Read our full Sunbasket review

Hungryroot: Best for Customization and Grocery Hybrid

Price per serving: $7.99-12.99 per meal

Shipping: free over $70, $6.99 under

Hungryroot isn’t a meal kit. It’s a grocery delivery service that suggests recipes based on what you order. You get whole ingredients (not pre-portioned packets) and build meals from a 2,000+ recipe database. If you’re vegan, you filter for that and the algorithm learns what you like.

The points-based ordering system takes getting used to. You don’t pick “3 meals for 2 people” like Purple Carrot. You pick ingredients up to your weekly point limit, then Hungryroot suggests what to make with them. It’s more flexible but requires more mental work upfront.

Where this beats Purple Carrot: you’re not stuck with their 20 weekly recipes. You have 2,000+ options and can swap ingredients freely. You also get actual groceries. oat milk, vegan cheese, snacks. not just dinner components. If you hate meal kit waste and want to eat like a normal person who also buys cereal, Hungryroot makes more sense.

Best for: vegans who want full control over ingredients and don’t need pre-portioned meal kits

Read our full Hungryroot review

Dinnerly: Best for Budget Vegans

Price per serving: $5.89+ (starts around $35/week)

Shipping: $8.99 flat rate

Dinnerly is the cheapest meal kit that still has decent vegan options. You’re looking at $5.89/serving vs Purple Carrot’s $11-13. That’s a $150-200/month difference if you’re doing three dinners a week.

The tradeoff: simpler recipes (4-6 ingredients), digital-only recipe cards, and less exotic produce. You’re not getting purple cauliflower and za’atar. You’re getting zucchini, chickpeas, and standard spices. But the food works, it’s filling, and it doesn’t taste like you’re eating on a budget.

Dinnerly has better vegetarian variety than EveryPlate (the other budget leader) because they don’t default to meat-heavy American comfort food. If you’re vegan and broke, this is it.

Best for: vegans on a tight budget who don’t need gourmet ingredients or complex recipes

Read our full Dinnerly review

Veestro: Best for Zero-Cooking Vegan Meals

Price per serving: comparable to Purple Carrot’s prepared meals (~$13)

Shipping: free on most plans

Veestro is 100% vegan, 100% prepared. No cooking. You microwave or oven-heat for 3-5 minutes and eat. If you’re comparing to Purple Carrot’s prepared meal line (not their meal kits), Veestro is the direct competitor.

The meals are designed by chefs and nutritionists, flash-frozen to preserve nutrients, and shelf-stable in your freezer for months. Purple Carrot’s prepared meals arrive fresh and last 5-7 days in the fridge. Veestro gives you more flexibility. order a month’s worth, store them, eat them whenever.

The menu is smaller (20-30 options vs Purple Carrot’s rotating selection), but if you find 5-6 meals you like, you can reorder them indefinitely. Purple Carrot rotates weekly, which is great for variety but annoying if you loved last week’s sesame noodles and they’re gone now.

Best for: vegans who want zero-prep meals with long freezer life and don’t need weekly variety

Note: Veestro doesn’t have a MealFan review page yet. we’re testing them in Q2 2026

How I Picked These Purple Carrot Alternatives

I ordered from 12 vegan and plant-forward meal services over three months, using my own credit card, no press accounts. I tracked cost per serving, ingredient quality, recipe complexity, and whether the food actually tasted good after cooking.

The five services here made the cut because they either cost less than Purple Carrot, taste better, offer more flexibility, or solve a specific problem Purple Carrot doesn’t (like freezer storage or grocery hybrid models). I excluded services that are vegan-friendly but not vegan-focused. HelloFresh and Home Chef have vegetarian options, but you’re swimming through 30+ meat-heavy recipes to find them.

Pricing data is current as of April 2026. Promos change weekly, but the base per-serving costs are stable. I also contacted each service directly to verify delivery coverage, cancellation policies, and ingredient sourcing claims. If a brand says “organic,” I checked whether they mean USDA certified or just marketing language.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s better than Purple Carrot?

Depends what you need. Green Chef if you want certified organic and diet flexibility. Sunbasket if you prioritize flavor and ingredient quality. Dinnerly if you’re on a budget. All three beat Purple Carrot in their specific lanes.

Are Purple Carrot alternatives cheaper?

Some are, some aren’t. Dinnerly ($5.89/serving) and Hungryroot ($7.99-12.99/meal) are cheaper. Green Chef ($6-15/serving) can be cheaper depending on plan size. Sunbasket ($11.49+) costs about the same but delivers better quality. Veestro (comparable to Purple Carrot’s ~$13 prepared meals) is priced similarly but offers freezer storage flexibility.

Which Purple Carrot alternative should I try first?

If you’re switching because of cost: start with Dinnerly. If you’re switching because Purple Carrot’s recipes feel repetitive: try Hungryroot (2,000+ recipes). If you want better ingredients: Sunbasket. If you need flexibility to switch between vegan and other diets: Green Chef. If you’re tired of cooking entirely: Veestro.

Can I get vegan meals from non-vegan services?

Yes, but it’s a worse experience. HelloFresh, Home Chef, and Blue Apron all have 10-15 vegetarian options weekly, and some are vegan. But you’re filtering through 40+ meat recipes to find them, and the vegan options feel like afterthoughts. If you’re committed to plant-based eating, stick with vegan-focused or plant-forward services like the ones on this list.

Does Purple Carrot have the most vegan options?

By count, no. Hungryroot has 2,000+ vegan-compatible recipes. Green Chef offers 80+ weekly recipes across all diets, with 15-20 vegan. Purple Carrot has 20+ weekly options, which is solid but not the largest selection. Where Purple Carrot wins: every single recipe is vegan, so you’re not filtering or second-guessing ingredients.

Are meal kits worth it if I’m vegan?

Do the math. If you’re spending $40-60/week on Uber Eats or grocery shopping without a plan, meal kits at $6-13/serving can save money and reduce food waste. If you’re already an efficient grocery shopper who meal preps, you’ll spend less cooking from scratch. Meal kits are worth it for convenience and variety, not for raw cost savings vs DIY.