{"id":116547,"date":"2019-01-08T23:15:28","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T23:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=116547"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:32:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:32:03","slug":"best-grocery-delivery-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/best-grocery-delivery-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Free up your time with home grocery delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going to the grocery store is a pain.<\/p>\n

A trip to the store means losing an hour or more of time better spent doing, well, anything else.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget about the hassle of dragging heavy bags around town when you don\u2019t have a car. There\u2019s a reason that city dwellers love their takeout.<\/p>\n

Why spend time standing in line when you can just buy your groceries online? What was once a luxury has become a relatively affordable convenience option\u2014and some services even offer same-day delivery and high-end items\u2014more than canned goods and snack items.<\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ve included a list of home grocery delivery options that can help you free up your time and in some cases, help you save some cash while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n

Pros and cons of grocery delivery<\/h2>\n

\"have<\/p>\n

Advantages of ordering groceries online<\/h3>\n

Obviously, the convenience factor is the most attractive selling point when it comes to buying food online. People don\u2019t always have the time to make it to the store \u2014 and city folk can especially benefit from skipping walks to the store or train rides with brown bags in tow.<\/p>\n

Many digital shoppers also like that ordering online makes it easy to stick to a budget and reduces the number of impulse buys made during a trip to the store.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re prone to picking up junky magazines at the checkout or junky foods in the middle aisles of your local market, shopping online can keep you on track.<\/p>\n

Additionally, ordering food online is great for those people who feel rushed at the supermarket. Instead, you\u2019ll get the chance to kick back, browse the virtual aisles at your leisure and create a meal plan based on what\u2019s on sale and in season.<\/p>\n

While delivery fees and higher per-item costs are associated with the service, there are a lot of deals out there that may make this process relatively affordable.<\/p>\n

Disadvantages<\/h3>\n

Of course, everything has a downside.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t pay for a delivery service membership, chances are, you\u2019ll be paying delivery fees each time you buy. Over time, fees can add up. In some cases, delivery services don\u2019t offer everything that the IRL store has on the shelves. Nonperishables are always easy to find, though you might have trouble finding fresh foods on a reliable basis.<\/p>\n

Finally, the main disadvantage of online grocery shopping is you don\u2019t get to feel and smell the food up close. A successful produce haul often depends on a sensory evaluation \u2014 something you lose when ordering through a site \u2014 underripe, bruised, or overripe items can put a damper on even the best-planned meals.<\/p>\n

\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Top 4 free apps to help you in the kitchen <\/p>\r\n Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

Best options for grocery delivery<\/h2>\n

Amazon Fresh<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Amazon Fresh is the food delivery service for Amazon Prime members. In general, pricing is better than some of the other options out there\u2014Whole Foods brands are offered at lower rates than in store, and members have access to meal kits, and the option for same-day delivery.<\/p>\n

Oh, and there\u2019s the added benefit of ordering through Alexa.<\/p>\n

Getting started with an account<\/a> requires a $14.99 monthly fee and from there, delivery is free for orders over $40.<\/p>\n

Deals range considerably when compared to what you\u2019ll pay at a conventional grocery store. For example, you might find your favorite chips are cheaper through Amazon Fresh, while fresh foods can cost a bit more than what you\u2019d find in person.<\/p>\n

For example, a bundle of scallions is $1.29 and a bunch of organic broccoli goes for $4.48. Non-perishables tend to be a better deal.<\/p>\n

That said, the delivery costs are minimal, especially if you order a good chunk of your meals through the site. And while you might spend more on your scallion fix, the produce prices aren\u2019t that much higher than IRL grocery.<\/p>\n

Instacart<\/h3>\n

\"Instacart<\/p>\n

Instacart\u2019s key benefit is that\u00a0they source products from several stores<\/a> such as Costco, Aldi, and even drug stores, but compile all of the items into one interface.<\/p>\n

Groceries can be delivered within an hour, so this option is best suited for those who need food in a hurry.<\/p>\n

That said, costs tend to be higher than you\u2019ll find with other food delivery services. You\u2019re paying for the personal shopper who can communicate with you via text, as well as the fast turnaround time. We don\u2019t really see this being a sustainable alternative to traditional grocery shopping, but it\u2019s a nice convenience on occasion.<\/p>\n

The company has recently introduced a subscription fee for frequent shoppers \u2014 $149 annually for free deliveries over $35.<\/p>\n

FreshDirect<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"FreshDirect<\/a><\/p>\n

FreshDirect is another great option<\/a> for those who can\u2019t make it to the market or let\u2019s face it, don\u2019t want to venture out to buy their refrigerator staples.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll say this outright, this company has a relatively small list of delivery areas \u2014 catering to NYC, and parts of New Jersey, DC, Delaware, and Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Delivery fees range by metropolitan area, though you can pay for a DeliveryPass, which covers six months or a year of delivery fees for $79 and $129, respectively.<\/p>\n

The site offers a ton of discounts and provides food sourced from local farms. Unlike Amazon Fresh \u2014 which runs the gamut from junk food to organics and everything in between, FreshDirect has a focus on gourmet items, sustainable proteins, and specialty foods that cater to the vegan, paleo, and gluten-free crowds.<\/p>\n

Thrive Market<\/h3>\n

\"Thrive<\/p>\n

Thrive Market<\/a> falls into a slightly different category than the options mentioned above. Thrive delivers healthy options like antibiotic-free meats and sustainable seafood, and makes it easy to shop for specialty items \u2014 think Paleo, Vegan, or Keto foods \u2014 without breaking the bank. Membership is $59.95 per year and orders over $49 ship for free.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, you can\u2019t find fresh produce on the site. However, discounts on higher-end items like oils, energy bars, and more make the membership worthwhile \u2014 discounts average about 25 to 50 percent off retail \u2014 so this is a good place to stock up on organic soups, bone broth, and matcha tea that costs an arm and a leg at the local Whole Foods.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Looking for a prepared meal instead? Check out our article on the best takeout delivery apps.<\/a><\/p>\n

\r\n

More from Softonic<\/p>\r\n

\r\n \r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

How to find the best restaurant wherever you are \u25ba<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n

\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

6 best apps for foodies \u25ba<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

\r\n \r\n
\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Are meal planning apps the best way to plan meals? \u25ba<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n

\r\n
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n

How to get the most out of your spice rack \u25ba<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Need groceries delivered to your door? Here are our favorite services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9161,"featured_media":116558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[3150],"tags":[1432],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-116547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-food"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9161"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116547"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":326776,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116547\/revisions\/326776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116547"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=116547"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=116547"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=116547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}