Our meal delivery experts have logged more than five years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting upwards of 100 prepared meals, from popular meal delivery services to help land on our list of the best cheap meal subscriptions.
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If saving money on food is your goal, cutting down on delivery and dining out is a good place to start. A recent CNET survey found that the average adult spends more than $4,000 yearly on restaurant food. Cooking at home is a natural foil for a bloated food budget, and a cheap meal delivery service makes it easy to enjoy healthy, flavorful dishes without the hassle. As a bonus, meal kits cut down on grocery waste since they only send you the ingredients you need. With plenty of budget-friendly choices -- some as cheap as $6 per serving -- you can save time, eat well and even cut costs.
What's the best cheap meal delivery service overall?
EveryPlate has the cheapest meal kits of any service I tried. David Watsky/CNET
There are plenty of reasons to delve into the world of meal kits and prepared meal services. For one, groceries aren't as cheap as they used to be but meal kit prices have remained relatively stable, which in some cases make them a better bargain in 2025 than buying groceries to make the same meal. And for those worried about committing to a subscription, one of our top picks, Blue Apron, just did away with that requirement.
With all this to consider, you might be wondering what the best cheap meal delivery service actually is. After much testing, I've found that there are plenty of options with services as cheap as $6 a serving. If you're looking for the most affordable meal kits, you can't go wrong with EveryPlate or Mosaic Foods, which is a vegetarian favorite. At CNET, we've tested EveryPlate numerous times over the years, and the budget-friendly option is the best cheap meal kit delivery service for several years running.
There are great budget-friendly options available, including services that offer nutritious vegan meals and meal kits for $6 per serving. For those looking to elevate their meals, some meal kit services even include steak and seafood in their standard plans without extra charges.
Here are the most affordable meal delivery services in 2025, plus, why they impressed us.
Cheapest meal delivery services for 2025
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