12 best online grocery delivery services to use right now
Clicked, sealed, delivered — it’s yours.
In a world of instant gratification, why should groceries be any different? Especially when it comes to the holiday season and grocery stores turn mad.
Lucky for all of us, there is an abundance of apps willing to check off our grocery lists. For a fee, that is.
Many turn to larger retailers like Walmart or Amazon for their groceries and food delivery, or you can check out other stand-alone apps like Instacart, Shipt and more listed below.
Most of these services do not require a membership, but for some it may be a great idea, saving you money on fees associated with one-off deliveries.
With so many to choose from, here is a list of the best grocery delivery services, big and small — and tailored for every budget.
1. Amazon Fresh, requires Amazon Prime membership
Ask, and Amazon will deliver. Literally.
Amazon Fresh fulfills orders using its unbelievably fast two-hour delivery, making it among the quickest in the game. Another plus specific to Amazon is the ability to shop Whole Foods’ wide selection of produce in addition to other name brands.
The delivery platform is offering multiple ways to receive your order, including attended delivery where you are home to receive it, doorstep contactless delivery and an option to pick up your order at an Amazon location.
One drawback is that Amazon Fresh is exclusive to Amazon Prime and Prime Student members, and is not available for regular Amazon users or guests. And even with the Prime membership, shipping is only free with a minimum order of $35–$50, depending on region.
2. Instacart, delivery starts at $3.99/order, membership optional
It’s all in the name for this one.
Instacart is ideal for those who want their groceries and personal items delivered as instantly as possible. They offer same-day delivery and allow you to pick a drop-off window for a seamless exchange.
The platform is also great for those who like to shop at different stores, as Instacart partners with many regional and national grocery chains, such as Costco, Wegmans, Kroger and even CVS for pharmacy needs.
One of the best features, especially for picky shoppers, is the option to choose replacements for items that may be sold out when your Instacart shopper is filling your order. That way, there’s no surprises when you get a different brand or flavor, and no missing items from your list. The site and app both let you message in real time with your shopper, should anything change.
While you don’t need it for your occasional shop, Instacart does offer an Instacart Express membership that guarantees free delivery, bypassing the normal $35 minimum order. The monthly plan is $9.99 and the yearly is $99.
Get yourself a superstore that can do both.
Walmart released their Express Delivery option to customers back in April, and it’s been a hit ever since. They offer a two-hour delivery window with contactless delivery, so you don’t even need to stand up to answer the door.
Walmart also boasts a wide selection of name-brand products at discount prices, including fresh produce and frozen items, packaged to ensure quality during transit and no melty messes on your doorstep.
While no membership is necessary, if you are a regular shopper, it could save you money to sign up. Instead of the steep $9.99 delivery fee per order, Walmart+ members can pay a monthly fee of $12.95 or a yearly fee of $98 to waive delivery charges altogether.
4. Shipt, $9.99/order, membership optional
Target lovers take note. The red-bullseye brand acquired this delivery platform back in 2017, which has expanded to include other major retailers including Costco, Petco, CVS and Office Depot.
A major perk is that when shopping at Target, you can get your grocery list fulfilled at the same time as you do your holiday shopping, restock your toiletries or pick up a cozy bathrobe for yourself.
For the Target-specific customer, it’s also worth noting that you can use your Target RedCard to pay for the delivery while saving 5%. Same-day delivery is available in most areas and can be scheduled in the app or online.
Like other sites, customers don’t need to sign up for a membership to use Shipt, but it is recommended for repeat users. Without a membership, each order has a $9.99 delivery fee. The subscription costs $99 per year, which works out to $8.25 per month and gives members free delivery for orders $35 and over. The only downside is that there isn’t a free delivery option for smaller orders, so you might as well throw in a treat for yourself to make it to the minimum.
5. Hungryroot, plans start at $65 per delivery, use our link for $30 off three orders plus a free gift in every delivery for life.
Getting hungry yet?
This grocery delivery platform goes above and beyond just produce and snacks. Hungryroot also provides full recipes for you and your family, making sure you have all the ingredients and the ideas to fuel you for the week.
We were actually able to put Hungryroot to the test ourselves, so be sure to read the full review here. But, to save you time, here are the highlights. Take a quiz when making your account to see what types of foods you are in the market for. Then, receive a customized plan and add in other options like breakfast, snacks and more.
This really is the hybrid between a meal kit service and a grocery delivery platform, making it a great solution for those who enjoy cooking and coming up with ideas on their own, but may not want to spend too long at a grocery store or meal planning on their own.
The best part is that New York Post readers like yourself can save $90 total, when you shop through the button below.
6. Public Goods, annual memberships start at $79/month
Do your pantry some good, and help the planet at the same time.
Public Goods is a wholesale grocery and household product delivery service that does their part to help the environment. With every order, they plant a tree to offset carbon emissions and help out world.
Back to the food, once signed up for a membership (or a two-week free trial) you can shop their assortment of grocery items, household products, personal care items and even pet supplies.
Be sure to also check out their surplus store, which has food and personal items on clearance, helping you save money and eliminate food waste.
7. Imperfect Foods, delivery starts at $4.99/order, sign-up required
No one said saving the planet was pretty, but it sure is delicious.
Imperfect Foods is a great option for those who are both environmentally conscious and love to have fresh produce and pantry staples without heading to the farmers market themselves.
The delivery service works closely with food banks and farms across the country and establishes partnerships to make food waste a thing of the past. They are focused on responsibly sourcing your fruits and veggies where they can, while supporting local nonprofits and food banks. For the customer, this could mean that oblong carrots or misshapen tomatoes that don’t pass the beauty inspections for traditional grocery stores end up in your box. Imperfect, yes. Yummy, absolutely.
This service runs on a subscription model, with options that take into account the size of your household and your dietary needs. After you take a short quiz to determine those preferences, choose between a regular box (starts at $16) or the organic box (starts at $24). Imperfect Foods follows a weekly selection and delivery schedule, but customers can choose to skip as many weeks as they need and bypass the charge for that week’s box.
8. FreshDirect, delivery starts at $5.99/order, membership optional
A great option for shopping locally, but only if you live on the East Coast.
Because of the specific regional reach, FreshDirect is able to provide the freshest produce possible, priding themselves on what they call their “short supply chain.”
Basically, they streamline the process, getting the food from the farm to the consumer with as little outside interference as possible, ensuring that all produce is checked for quality daily and that no one handles the food aside from the farmers and FreshDirect employees. This is a great option for those who want to know exactly where their garden salad is grown.
FreshDirect is available in select areas in New York (including the entire NYC metro area), New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. They are continuously expanding, adding places like the Jersey Shore and the Hamptons to their delivery map. In terms of speed, lucky NYC residents can enjoy their two-hour delivery options, soon to be expanded as well. Depending on the location of your delivery, fees and minimum orders vary. They also offer a monthly and yearly DeliveryPass membership, which ranges from $39 to $129, that waives those fees.
9. Thrive Market, membership starts at $5/month, $5.95 fee for orders under $49
This is a godsend for those with food allergies, dietary restrictions or who just need the nudge toward healthier eating but don’t want to break the bank. Thrive Market is an online warehouse club of sorts, specializing in organic products. It follows a subscription model, but has a lot more customization than other companies when it comes to natural and allergen-friendly foods.
The site is very user-friendly, and you can shop by dietary need, by “aisle” or by category, including grocery, household products and baby. They also use a carbon-neutral shipping model, which helps to justify the fee for smaller orders.
Memberships can be paid monthly at $9.95, or sign up for a year for $5 per month, which also comes with a free 30-day trial and a free gift. They do ship a bit slower than the other companies, coming in at an average ship time of two to three days after ordering.
10. Weee, free delivery and no fees on orders worth $35 and up
Say “weee!” if you love Asian and Hispanic foods but can’t find them in your neighborhood.
For those that don’t live near a local grocer that sells Asian and Hispanic foods, this is a service for you. Weee is the largest online grocery store for these regional foods, selling ingredients and snacks from Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, India and the Philippines to name a few.
As long as your order is worth $35 or more, delivery and fees are free, and you can enjoy your groceries without a monthly membership. Simply sign up for an account and get started. They deliver to most states in the United States, but be sure to enter your delivery address when creating you account to verify.
11. DoorDash, free to use, subscriptions start at $9.99/month
Get groceries as well as food delivered in a dash with DoorDash.
DoorDash works like any other food delivery platform, working in tandem with local restaurants to deliver your order with speed and accuracy. Now, the same goes for participating grocery stores and local bodegas, so long as they are within your delivery location.
Sign up for a free account to browse the available stores and then start your order. If you love the service, but hate the fees, you can also sign up for the DoorDash membership to wave them.
12. Postmates, delivery starts at 99 cents/order, membership optional
It’s so popular, Postmates has become a verb when speaking with food-delivery lovers.
Now, Postmates can handle your burger order and drop off all the ingredients for you to make your own in the same app. Customers can browse items listed by their participating grocery stores, and shop like they normally would on the app or on the website.
A new feature helpful for specific shoppers is the option to create a custom order. Add a name and description of the item you are looking for, and even include a photo for your shopper to avoid confusion, and then add that entry to your cart. This site is perfect for those who love choosing instantly from a list of pre-decided options; picky shoppers may want to stick to just ordering takeout.
Customers have the option to avoid all delivery fees with orders over $12 by signing up for their Unlimited plan. The plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually and comes with additional perks like special offers, no blitz pricing for peak-hour delivery, and access to events and giveaways. Delivery fees vary by store and location, and an additional small-cart fee of $1.99 may be applied for orders under a designated amount.
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