MealPrepDirectory / Cook vs buy
Cook it or buy it?
Put in your own numbers and compare your cost per meal with the lowest published price per meal from 23 services.
Assumptions, stated plainly
- Your cost per meal = weekly groceries ÷ meals. “With time” adds hours × your hourly value ÷ meals.
- Service prices are each provider’s lowest published price per meal or per serving (largest plan, usually). Shipping, tax, tips and add-ons are not included unless the listing says so.
- Meal kits still need cooking time; prepared meals don’t. Compare kits to your “with time” number with that in mind.
- Prices older than 30 days are left out. The default inputs are examples, not averages.
Decided to cook?
MealConductor turns a week of meals into one batch-prep schedule and an aisle-sorted shopping list, which is where the time in this calculator goes.
Join the MealConductor waitlist →Services in the comparison
| Service | Type | From / meal | vs you |
|---|---|---|---|
| EveryPlate | Meal kits | $5.99/serving | – |
| Dinnerly | Meal kits | $6.32/serving | – |
| Blue Apron | Meal kits | $6.50/serving | – |
| HelloFresh | Meal kits | $7.99/serving | – |
| Brain Food Meal Prep | Local NYC & Long Island meal prep | $8/meal | – |
| Clean Eatz | Prepared meal delivery | $8.50/meal | – |
| Home Chef | Meal kits | $8.99/serving | – |
| Hungryroot | Meal kits | $8.99/serving | – |
| Redefine Meals | Local NYC & Long Island meal prep | $8.99/meal | – |
| Tovala | Prepared meal delivery | $8.99/serving | – |
| Healthy Meals Direct | Local NYC & Long Island meal prep | $9.99/meal | – |
| Factor | Prepared meal delivery | $10.99/serving | – |
| Purple Carrot | Meal kits | $11/serving | – |
| Trifecta Nutrition | Prepared meal delivery | $11/meal | – |
| ICON Meals | Prepared meal delivery | $11.50/meal | – |
| Hummus Fit | Prepared meal delivery | $11.75/meal | – |
| Mosaic Foods | Prepared meal delivery | $11.99/meal | – |
| Chefry | Personal chefs & classes | $12/meal | – |
| Magic Kitchen | Prepared meal delivery | $12/meal | – |
| CookUnity | Prepared meal delivery | $12.59/meal | – |
| Eat Clean Bro | Prepared meal delivery | $13.25/meal | – |
| MegaFit Meals | Prepared meal delivery | $15.99/meal | – |
| Sunday Spread | Local NYC & Long Island meal prep | $17.50/meal | – |
Prices checked Oct 25, 2026–Oct 25, 2026. Tap a service for the source link.
FAQ
Is meal prep cheaper than buying prepared meals?
Usually, if you count groceries only. Once you value your prep time, buying can come out closer. The calculator shows both numbers so you can decide.
Where do the service prices come from?
Each comparison price is the lowest per-meal or per-serving price the provider publishes on its own page, with the date we checked it. Shipping, tax and add-ons are not included unless stated.
What does the calculator assume?
Only what you enter: meals per week, weekly grocery spend, weekly prep time and what an hour of your time is worth. Defaults are placeholders, not national averages.