The 9 Best Grocery Delivery Services That Bring Food To Your Doorstep (2024)

When you don’t have time to run to the store, grocery delivery services make it possible to get fresh, high-quality food with the click of a button. Simply fill up your shopping cart online with everything from seasonal produce to pantry staples, choose your desired delivery time and then wait for your bags to arrive at your doorstep—it’s that easy. Out of the best grocery delivery services out there, our top recommendation is Amazon Fresh, which is available in major cities across the country.

When deciding which grocery delivery service might make the most sense for you, you first need to consider where you live, as many only service select states or cities. Additionally, you want to consider whether you’re interested in a service that requires a membership or if you just want to place the occasional order when you don’t have time to run to the grocery store. Lastly, there’s the matter of cost. Most have delivery fees that range from $3 to $15, and the price typically varies depending on your order size, delivery time and location. To help you find an option that works for your needs, we’ve compiled a curated list of the very best grocery delivery services in 2024.

Best Grocery Delivery Service Overall

A Popular Service With Benefits For Prime Members

Amazon Fresh

Delivery Fee: $7.95–$13.95 for non-Prime members | Availability: Major cities across the US | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • No membership needed to shop
  • Delivery discounts for Prime members
  • Unattended delivery available
  • Accepts SNAP EBT

Cons:

  • Fees vary based on delivery time

If you live in a city where Amazon Fresh is available, this food delivery service is our top pick overall. To start, Amazon Fresh offers a wide assortment of national and local brands, including high-quality produce, meat and seafood, and you can get same-day delivery on many orders. It’s also one of the few grocery delivery services that accepts SNAP benefits.

While it was once only available for Prime members, Amazon recently changed its policy to allow anyone to use the grocery delivery service. However, if you do have an Amazon Prime account, there are several perks, including free delivery on orders over $100 and exclusive discounts and coupons.

Best Value Grocery Delivery Service

A Subscription Service For Discounted Groceries

Delivery Fee: $5.99 | Availability: 48 states | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • Prices up to 30% lower than the grocery store
  • Free to join and no membership needed
  • Easy to change or skip a delivery

Cons:

  • No same-day delivery

You can get the most for your money by shopping through Misfits Market, a subscription-style grocery delivery service that offers organic fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, bakery goods and dairy products. Because the brand focuses on “imperfect” items and overstock inventory, its products are up to 30 percent cheaper than they would be in a standard grocery store.

Misfits Market doesn’t offer on-demand delivery—instead, you receive a box of groceries each week, and you have a three-day shopping window where you can stock up your box. (It gets shipped to your door for a flat fee.) And if you ever need to skip a weekly delivery, you can do so whenever (and for free).

Best Grocery Delivery Service For Freshness

High-Quality Ingredients In Select East Coast Locations

FreshDirect

Delivery Fee: $5.99–$7.99 | Availability: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • Rating system helps you find the freshest ingredients
  • Weekly sales on popular items
  • Backs products with Happiness Guarantee

Cons:

  • Limited delivery areas

One common complaint about grocery delivery services is that the produce isn’t always fresh, but FreshDirect takes several steps to ensure you only receive high-quality products. When shopping on their website, you’ll see items listed with a “peak quality” badge, indicating they’re the freshest options you can buy that day. Many produce items also have a guaranteed freshness date that lists how long they’ll last in your fridge.

In addition to regular groceries, you can shop prepared meals, as well as wine and spirits in select locations. There’s no membership needed to shop through the site, but you can sign up for the DeliveryPass subscription program to get free shipping on your orders. The only downside? FreshDirect has a fairly limited delivery area: It only services locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For Variety

An App That Lets You Shop A Range Of Local Stores

Instacart

Delivery Fee: $3.99 and up | Availability: Major cities across the U.S. and Canada | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • Offers delivery from a wide range of stores
  • Ability to communicate with your shopper
  • Specialized support for seniors

Cons:

  • Prices may be different than in-store

If you like to shop around to get the best prices, Instacart allows you to place orders from a variety of local retailers, including supermarkets, warehouse clubs like Costco, big box retailers like Target and even specialty stores like PetSmart or Home Depot. There’s no membership needed, and delivery fees start at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35.

Once you place an order through Instacart, you’ll receive real-time updates as your shopper picks up your goods, and you can communicate with them through the app—handy if something is out of stock. However, because retailers are able to set their prices in the Instacart app, you may find some discrepancies compared to their in-store prices.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For Organic Food

A Subscription That Prioritizes Sustainability

Thrive Market

Delivery Fee: $5.95 and up | Availability: 48 states | Membership required: Yes, $12 per month or $60 a year

Pros:

  • Wide selection of organic and sustainable products
  • Accepts SNAP EBT
  • Priorities sustainable shipping

Cons:

  • No same-day delivery
  • No fresh food or produce

Thrive Market is another subscription-based grocery delivery service that ships you food on a weekly basis. It carries thousands of high-quality organic items, including specialty items for many different lifestyle and dietary needs, and though it offers meat and seafood, it doesn’t carry fresh foods or produce. Food from Thrive doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or synthetic colors, and many of its products cost up to 30 percent less than they would at a regular grocery store.

You do have to sign up for a Thrive Membership to shop the site, and it costs $12 per month or $60 a year. However, it’s one of the few online grocery services that accepts SNAP benefits, and the brand is committed to sustainability, offering carbon neutral shipping and operating out of no-waste warehouses.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For Seniors

In-Home Delivery For Food, Household Essentials And More

Walmart+ InHome

Delivery Fee: Free on orders over $35 | Availability: 50 major cities | Membership required: Yes, $19.95 per month

Pros:

  • Groceries are brought inside and put away for you
  • Ability to order household essentials and more
  • Unlimited free deliveries with membership

Cons:

  • Somewhat limited availability
  • More expensive membership than most

For seniors or those with limited mobility, Walmart+ InHome is a special service from the well-known retailer. Not only does your delivery driver bring the food right into your home, but they also put away all the groceries for you. What’s more, they can deliver and put away your order when you’re not home if you have a compatible Level Smart Lock to allow entry.

While this is one of the most expensive delivery services, Walmart+ InHome offers unmatched convenience. In addition to groceries, you can have all sorts of household items delivered—essentially anything you’d buy at your local Walmart. Your delivery person can even process returns for you, saving you a trip to the store.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For Students

An App To Shop At A Variety Of Local Stores

Shipt

Delivery Fee: Free on orders over $35 | Availability: 47 states | Membership required: Yes, $10.99 per month; $4.99 per month for students

Pros:

  • Offers delivery from a wide range of stores
  • Discounted memberships for students
  • Allows you to communicate with your shopper

Cons:

  • Membership required

Shipt is a top choice for college students who need to have products delivered from local stores. The membership-based service allows you to shop at a wide range of retailers, including grocery stores, pharmacies and specialty stores like Ulta Beauty. A standard membership to the service is $10.99 per month or $99 per year, but students qualify for a reduced price of $4.99 per month, making it an affordable option that’s especially convenient if you don’t have a car or access to public transportation.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For The West Coast

Inexpensive Delivery Options For Safeway Customers

Safeway Delivery

Delivery Fee: $3.99 and up | Availability: 18 states | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • Unlimited free delivery with FreshPass subscription
  • Ability to clip digital coupons
  • Meal planning feature

Cons:

  • Sometimes uses third-party delivery services

If you live on the West Coast, you’re probably familiar with the popular grocery chain Safeway, but what you might not know is that Safeway runs a delivery service for its grocery stores. You can do all your shopping online and have your food delivered right to your doorstep, and the delivery fees are fairly low, starting at just $3.99. Alternatively, if you sign up for a FreshPass subscription, which costs $12.99 a month or $99 a year, you get free delivery on orders over $30, as well as a $5 monthly credit and double rewards points.

Best Grocery Delivery Service For The East Coast

Local Delivery Throughout New England

Stop & Shop Delivery

Delivery Fee: $6.95–$9.95 | Availability: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island | Membership required: No

Pros:

  • Same-day delivery available
  • Option for unattended delivery
  • Ability to clip digital coupons
  • Accepts SNAP EBT

Cons:

  • Only available in select New England states

Once called Peapod, Stop & Shop Delivery lets you order groceries online and have them delivered as soon as that day. This service is available mostly on the East Coast, where Stop & Shop is a popular grocery chain, and fees are between $6.95 and $9.95 for each delivery. Alternatively, you can sign up for a ​​GO Pass, which costs $12.95 a month or $119 annually and qualifies you for free delivery on orders over $100.

With Stop & Shop Delivery, you’re able to use SNAP benefits while shopping online, as well as clip digital coupons to help save money. Plus, there’s also an unattended delivery option where your food is packed in temperature-controlled bins and left in a secure area.

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Why Trust Forbes Vetted

The Forbes Vetted team has years of experience testing and writing about popular meal delivery services, as well as other kitchen and dining products.

  • Our food and kitchen coverage is overseen by a seasoned group of home and kitchen editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin, senior editor Amanda Arnold and editor Sholeen Damarwala.
  • The author of this piece, Camryn Rabideau, is a regular contributor with extensive experience covering home and lifestyle topics.
  • We regularly refresh all our stories to ensure they remain up to date. This story was published in June 2024.

How We Chose The Best Grocery Delivery Services

To find the best grocery delivery services, we looked for top-rated options that serve locations around the country, many of which have been tested by staff members.

  • When comparing different delivery services, we looked at factors like membership requirements, delivery and service fees, payment types and product selection.
  • We prioritized services that are widely available, serving most of the country, as well as regional-specific options offered by popular grocery chains.
  • We included a mix of both on-demand grocery services that offer same- or next-day delivery, as well as subscription services that have recurring deliveries.
  • Our editors and contributors have firsthand experience with multiple delivery services on this list, including Instacart, Walmart+ and Stop & Shop Delivery.

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The 9 Best Grocery Delivery Services That Bring Food To Your Doorstep (2024)

FAQs

The 9 Best Grocery Delivery Services That Bring Food To Your Doorstep? ›

We looked at three of the most popular national grocers with at least some form of delivery -- Amazon Fresh, Target and Walmart. In the end, Walmart nabbed the top spot as the cheapest place to buy groceries online. The big box store came out about 10% cheaper than Target and 18% cheaper than Amazon Fresh.

What is the cheapest way to get groceries delivered? ›

We looked at three of the most popular national grocers with at least some form of delivery -- Amazon Fresh, Target and Walmart. In the end, Walmart nabbed the top spot as the cheapest place to buy groceries online. The big box store came out about 10% cheaper than Target and 18% cheaper than Amazon Fresh.

Who else delivers groceries besides Instacart? ›

Best Paid & Free Alternatives to Instacart
  • goPuff.
  • Shipt.
  • Rappi.
  • FreshDirect.
  • Uber Eats for Merchants.
  • Burpy.
  • Onfleet.
  • OurHarvest.

How do you make money delivering groceries? ›

But food-delivery apps offer legit opportunities for you to earn extra money to supplement your income.
  1. Start shopping with Instacart.
  2. Deliver with Shipt.
  3. Spark Driver.
  4. Deliver with Uber Eats.
  5. Become a Dasher.
  6. Deliver meals with Grubhub.
  7. Become a TaskRabbit Tasker.
6 days ago

Who makes the most delivering food? ›

On average, Uber Eats delivery drivers make around $20 per hour, making it one of the highest-paying delivery apps. One advantage of working for Uber Eats is the option to offer rideshare services with the same vehicle while delivering food, allowing drivers to diversify their income.

What grocery store has the lowest delivery fee? ›

The 5 Most Affordable Grocery Delivery Services Ranked
  • Kroger has the lowest delivery fee, at $6.95 for next-day delivery.
  • Walmart charges $7.75 to $9.95 for same-day grocery delivery, with free shipping for Walmart Plus members.
  • Order directly from grocers to avoid paying more expensive third-party fees.
Nov 19, 2023

What is the least expensive way to get food delivered? ›

Cheapest Food Delivery App | 4 Options
  • Technically, DoorDash offers customers the least amount of fees. ...
  • DoorDash is just a tad bit cheaper than Uber Eats. ...
  • DoorDash is known to be significantly less expensive than Grubhub. ...
  • The best food delivery apps are Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
Sep 25, 2023

Who is Instacart's biggest competitor? ›

Top 12 Instacart Competitors and Alternatives
  • DoorDash.
  • Grubhub.
  • Uber Eats.
  • Postmates.
  • Amazon Fresh.
  • FreshDirect.
  • Dumpling.
  • Gopuff.
Apr 10, 2024

What app is better than Instacart? ›

However, it is important to explore alternative options when looking for the best apps similar to Instacart. Key Takeaways: UberEats, GrubHub, Postmates, Favor, Shipt, GoPuff, Caviar, Dumpling. Amazon Shopping, Hello Fresh, DoorDash.

What are the two types of Instacart shoppers? ›

There are two different shopper roles with Instacart: full-service shopper and in-store shopper. Each has different benefits and requirements.

What grocery delivery service pays the best? ›

Instacart stands out as the food delivery service that offers the highest pay to its workers, topping the list of food delivery services. Following Instacart, Amazon Flex, Uber Eats, Postmates, Shipt, Favor, GoPuff, and DoorDash are among the top companies that compensate their delivery personnel generously.

What is the best paying delivery app? ›

Here's how top delivery apps stack up, wage-wise
Food delivery appHourly wage
Uber Eats$20.00
Grubhub$18.12
Amazon Flex$18.09
Instacart$18.00
1 more row
Jul 19, 2024

How much should you tip for Instacart? ›

Even though Instacart sets its default tip amount to 5 percent, you're able to change that amount. In general, it's recommended to tip grocery delivery workers 15 to 20 percent—or more if it's a large or complicated order. Instacart also allows you to adjust your tip for 14 days after your order.

Which food delivery service is most worth it? ›

Most restaurant options

Uber Eats and Postmates are great options for people who want the most food options and the fastest delivery and don't mind paying for it. Uber bought Postmates in 2020. The main difference is that you can order an Uber in Uber Eats, not Postmates.

Who is the top delivery service? ›

DoorDash, Inc. (NYSE:DASH) is the most popular food delivery service in the country, having an overwhelming 65% of the market share along with its subsidiaries. It is followed at second with 23% by Uber Eats, which is owned by Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER).

What is the most common delivery food? ›

The Top Food Delivery Orders of 2022
  • Burrito (bowl or regular)
  • Cheeseburger.
  • Cheese Pizza.
  • Pad Thai.
  • Chicken Quesadilla.
  • California Roll.
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich.
  • Caesar Salad.
Dec 20, 2022

Is Instacart or DoorDash cheaper for groceries? ›

The Short Answer. DoorDash tends to be cheaper for meal deliveries, while Instacart specializes in grocery deliveries. Since DoorDash focuses on food delivery from restaurants and has a larger market share in the US, they can sometimes offer better deals for meals than Instacart.

What delivery option is the cheapest? ›

USPS Priority Mail is generally the cheapest shipping service for 2-3 day shipping. FedEx, UPS, and other courier companies offer delivery services with similar lead time expectations, but USPS offers the lowest rates.

Where is the cheapest place to get groceries? ›

  • WinCo Foods. ...
  • Lidl. ...
  • Trader Joe's. ...
  • Costco. ...
  • Walmart. ...
  • Food 4 Less. Food 4 Less is an affordable grocery chain (you knew that already—it made the cheapest grocery store list!) with stores scattered throughout the West Coast. ...
  • H-E-B. Texas lovers, this one's for you! ...
  • Sam's Club. Sam's Club is Walmart's version of Costco.
Aug 5, 2024

What food delivery app costs the most? ›

According to the report, Postmates have the highest markups, making orders some 92% more expensive than menu price. Uber Eats, on the other hand, boasts the lowest markups, making meals some 69% more expensive than their regular menu price, Finance Buzz reported.

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