If you’re busy at work all day, it can feel tough to make time for errands. But with so many grocery delivery services now available, you can still get fresh food—fast.
So instead of battling that after-work crowd at the store—or even more challenging, the 2 p.m.-on-Sunday supermarket scene—try one of these grocery delivery services instead. We examined several top-rated options to find the best grocery delivery service for you.
Best Grocery Delivery Services of 2026
- Best Grocery Delivery Service Overall: Hungryroot
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Produce: Instacart
- Best Grocery Delivery Service for Meat: Amazon Fresh
- Best Grocery Delivery Service Membership: Walmart+
Best Grocery Delivery Services Comparison Table
Best Grocery Delivery Service Overall: Hungryroot
Hungryroot
Our tester was happy with the quality and ordering experience
People who are sticklers for freshness
- Easy-to-navigate site
- Fresh ingredients
- Excellent packaging and shipping
- No delivery to Hawaii and Alaska, or P.O. boxes
- May have less variety than traditional supermarkets
- Customer service was hard to reach
Our Thoughts on Hungryroot
Hungryroot emphasizes healthy eating with its prepared meals (breakfasts, lunches, and dinners), “shoppable recipes,” and groceries. But what are “shoppable recipes,” you may ask? Hungryroot lets you select recipes, add the necessary ingredients to your cart, and modify your shopping cart with additional ingredients. You can also exclude certain ingredients or add other groceries you might need, whether related to a recipe or not—things like powdered greens supplements or even kids’ snacks.
Our tester, Meredith, found the Hungryroot website easy to navigate, noting the “good UX.” We did find the signup process rather lengthy—Hungyroot asks a lot of questions about your dietary preferences and what kinds of meals you’re looking for—but that’s because the company aims to provide tailored recommendations.
We were somewhat confused by the membership concept, though. It seems like you sign up for a non-traditional plan, more like a commitment, to a certain weekly budget that gets translated into credits. However, you can go over or under your credits and ultimately just pay for what you order. We tried to contact Hungryroot’s customer service for clarification, but we couldn’t reach an actual human via text or online chat (no phone number was listed).
That said, Meredith rated the general ordering experience a 4 out of 5, adding that she appreciated being able to note dietary restrictions, and she also found it easy to pause her membership if necessary.
How did the food look? Meredith awarded Hungryroot a 5 out of 5 for freshness. She said the ingredients she received “appear to be fresh and in good condition,” and that nothing looked or tasted bad. Additionally, she noted, “The box was very well packaged and sufficiently cold,” and as a bonus, all the packaging was recyclable. She gave a 5 out of 5 for the great packaging and shipping.
Overall, we loved that Hungryroot helps with meal planning and takes your dietary preferences into account, and we were thrilled with the fresh, well-packaged foods we received—even if we found the plan structure itself a little confusing.
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Produce: Instacart
Instacart
We loved the convenient delivery windows and overall ease of use
People who want a classic grocery-shopping experience, including fresh produce
- Convenient delivery options
- No membership required
- Wide variety of available items
- No ice packs for frozen items
- Some retailers may set Instacart[/hotlink] prices that differ from in-store prices
- Website can feel busy and slightly overwhelming
Our Thoughts on Instacart
Instacart was initially designed to help people get groceries delivered quickly from nearby stores. It has since become a major grocery platform that works with hundreds of retailers, so people in thousands of cities can arrange same-day grocery delivery or store pick-up.
One of our testers, Gwen, tried Instacart’s delivery service. She started by creating an account, which she said was “incredibly simple,” noting she was about to log in using her Gmail email address.
As for the next step, Gwen wrote, “The ordering process is a breeze! Instacart allows you to choose the store you order from, though you can also search by item and the app will show stores that offer this item.” She ordered from a local grocery store that had a wide selection and explained that, “Essentially, anything that’s in the store, I can order through the app. I also love that Instacart allows you to choose your item substitutions before you even order.” Gwen awarded it a 5 out of 5 for how easy and intuitive the ordering process was.
Delivery was also efficient. Gwen said Instacart offers different delivery windows, but each is a one- to two-hour window, so you can easily plan. Her delivery was prompt, and noted, “The app does provide an immediate update when your groceries are delivered, including a photo. The photo was clear, too.” She gave a 4.5 out of 5 for overall delivery.
In terms of order accuracy, Gwen said she received all the correct items, plus the items in her order were still cold. Instacart doesn’t use ice packs, so while her frozen pizza remained frozen, she wasn’t sure that ice cream would have remained fully frozen.
Gwen was happy with her Instacart experience, describing it as: “Easy to use and convenient in a pinch. The short delivery windows are definitely my favorite thing.” She also noted that the prices she paid were the same as in store.
Amazon FreshBest Grocery Delivery Service for Meat: Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh
Our tester was a big fan of the insulated delivery bags
People who frequently order items that need to remain cool, like meat or frozen goods
- Insulated delivery bags
- Pricing is similar to or cheaper than in-store prices
- Easy to order through existing Amazon Prime account
- $100 order minimum for free shipping
- Delivery windows not as convenient
- Not as widely available
Our Thoughts on Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh first launched in the Seattle area in 2007, and in subsequent years, the service expanded to other cities. The grocery delivery service remains very popular, especially because it’s integrated with Amazon Prime.
Gwen, our tester, tried Amazon Fresh and noted that the account set up was easy because she ordered directly through her Amazon account. When she started shopping, she noted, “There was definitely a wide variety of items to choose from—anything that I would need. Searching for specific items was easy, too.” She gave Amazon Fresh a 4.5 for its easy and intuitive ordering process.
One minor drawback? The delivery windows were easy to choose from, but Gwen said, “They are a little less convenient than Instacart. I ordered in the morning and the soonest window was the evening.”
However, delivery was on time at 5:30 p.m., when the delivery window was from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The delivery person placed Gwen’s groceries in front of the door just as Gwen had requested in the app. Gwen also said the items were properly chilled and came in insulated bags, “Which is a nice touch.” She gave a 4.5 out of 5 for the overall delivery process. She also said the produce was fresh, rating it a 5 out of 5.
Gwen was a big fan of this service, saying, “I like how easy Amazon Fresh is to use and how quickly things arrive. My favorite part was the insulated bags.” For that reason, we think this would be an excellent option for people who often order meat.
Best Grocery Delivery Service Membership: Walmart+
Walmart+
Our tester was impressed with the delivery and food freshness
People who want to order things besides groceries
- Smooth delivery process
- Can order non-grocery items
- Low prices
- Express delivery costs extra
- Extra item included in order (that wasn’t ordered)
- Delivery fee for small orders, even with membership
Our Thoughts on Walmart+
Walmart+ is a subscription service for Walmart shoppers that includes, among other benefits, free grocery delivery. You could think of it like Walmart’s version of Amazon Prime. If you pay for a subscription, you get additional perks that include—but aren’t limited to—grocery delivery. For the purposes of this review, we’re focused only on the grocery delivery service.
Our tester, Sophia, noted that to use Walmart+ you must first become a member. Once she had signed up, she began browsing the inventory and adding items to her cart. As she said, “It’s easy to search for anything you could possibly think of. In addition to groceries, you can get other items delivered.” Sophia rated the ordering process a 4.5 out of 5.
“It was really easy to choose a delivery window,” Sophia said, noting that all delivery windows are two hours in length. Sophia added that you can pay extra for sooner delivery. She reported receiving her groceries on-time, saying, “The delivery window was from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and my order arrived at 5:40 p.m.” She also noted that while her apartment building is tricky for delivery drivers, the driver found the drop point with no issue and even made sure Sophia could carry everything.
When Sophia unpacked the order, she noted, “My frozen asparagus was still frozen. My bananas were properly wrapped in a little bag and were on the greener side.” She awarded Walmart+ a 5 out of 5 for delivery. She also gave it a 5 out of 5 for produce freshness.
As for the order accuracy, Sophia said, “All items were correct, except I was given a roll of Clorox wipes that I didn’t order.”
She was pleasantly surprised by the delivery service, saying, “Walmart isn’t typically where I shop, but I was impressed by the low prices and how easy the delivery process was. My favorite was the variety of items you can choose from.” Sophia also noted that everything was priced exactly as in the physical store.
How We Tested and Selected the Best Grocery Delivery Services
We relied on a team of testers to try some of the most popular grocery delivery services available, asking them to order groceries for delivery and pay careful attention to several key factors throughout the process. Specifically, we were curious about:
Customization
We wanted to find a service that allowed plenty of opportunities to customize our order, so we paid attention to whether we could order a broad variety of products—including things like both fresh and frozen vegetables, for example.
Ingredient Quality
One of the reasons people like grocery shopping themselves is so they can choose produce, ensure sell-by dates are good, and so on. So, we looked at whether these grocery delivery services chose ingredients that were similar to what we’d choose ourselves. We noted whether fruit was fresh and unbruised, whether items were in good condition and not set to expire the next day, and so on.
Ease of Delivery
Importantly, we needed to know how easy (or difficult) it was to schedule delivery. Both the website interface itself, and also the available delivery days and times.
Ordering Process
Our testers walked us through their shopping process, noting whether it was easy to add items to their carts, add payment information, and place orders.
Value
We looked at a variety of factors when exploring which grocery delivery services offer the greatest value. Here’s what we prioritized:
How to Find the Best Grocery Delivery Service for You
Everyone has different needs when it comes to grocery shopping, so make sure you’re clear on your priorities when choosing a grocery delivery service. Here are some things to consider.
Dietary Variety
Just like in-person grocery shopping, you’ll find that different places offer a different assortment of food. Think about your most-purchased items, and the things you rebuy weekly, and make sure they’re available at whichever grocery delivery service you choose. Similarly, aside from repeat purchases, consider other things you might want to get—for example fresh produce—and check to see if that’s available.
Ingredient Quality
Stores may sell the same general products, but quality can vary widely. When deciding which grocery delivery service is best for you, check out which brands are available. You may want to pay attention to on-site reviews, too, to see if existing customers flag any quality issues. The real test, of course, will be placing an order yourself and seeing what gets delivered. However, if you’re not satisfied with the ingredient quality, it’s easy to switch to another service.
Cost
We paid attention not just to membership or subscription costs, but delivery charges as well. We were also looking for a delivery service that was cost-effective for individuals and families alike.
Ease of Delivery
If you have a very busy work or social life, make sure to think about that when choosing a grocery delivery service. You want to select a service with flexible delivery times that allow you to schedule delivery when it’s convenient for you.
Benefits of Grocery Delivery Services
Some people may have kind of an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude toward grocery delivery, asking why have groceries delivered when it’s simple enough to just go to the store. But here are some compelling reasons to consider a delivery service.
- Convenience: This is probably the most obvious benefit, as the whole point of grocery delivery is to save time by having your groceries delivered directly to your doorstep. It’s one errand you can cross off your list, freeing up some time.
- Accessibility: For people who can’t easily get to a store, whether because they have mobility challenges or don’t have reliable transportation, grocery delivery services make it much easier to get food and other essentials.
- Budgeting: Some services may show a running tally of how much you’ve spent so far, allowing you to add or remove items as necessary to meet your target number.
Frequently asked questions
How long do meal deliveries take for one person?
Delivery varies by company, so be sure to check before placing your order to ensure the delivery window meets your needs.
Are meal delivery services worth it for a single person?
Yes, meal delivery services can be ideal for single people, but anyone can benefit from the convenience of a grocery delivery service. While some people may prefer shopping in person, grocery delivery can be a big time saver—no matter how many people are in your household.
What is the cheapest meal to make for one person?
As a general rule, some categories of ingredients tend to be less expensive than others. For example, grains like white rice and beans—especially dried beans—are typically less expensive than proteins like ground beef, fish, or bacon. If you’re on a budget, consider looking into plant-based protein sources like lentils, black beans and garbanzo beans and pairing them with grains like rice or quinoa. You can also add vegetables to the mix (either fresh or frozen, cooked however you prefer) to create a delicious and colorful grain bowl.
