Meal Delivery Comparisons

CookUnity vs Paleo On The Go: Which is Delivery Service is Right for You?

In today’s busy world, meal delivery services have become increasingly popular for their convenience and time-saving benefits. Whether you’re following a specific dietary protocol, trying to eat healthier, or just looking for a way to simplify meal prep, there are many options available to choose from. Two popular meal delivery services that cater to different dietary needs are Paleo On The Go and CookUnity.

Paleo On The Go specializes in paleo, gluten-free, and autoimmune-friendly meals made from high-quality, organic ingredients. They offer a range of meal plans and individual dishes, all of which are free from grains, dairy, and legumes. See our full Paleo On The Go review here.

CookUnity, on the other hand, offers chef-prepared meals that cater to a variety of dietary preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and keto. They source their ingredients from local farms and use sustainable packaging to minimize their environmental impact. See our full CookUnity review here.

In this comparison article, we’ll take a closer look at these two meal delivery services, examining their menus, pricing, delivery options, and more to help you decide which one is the best fit for your dietary needs and lifestyle. Whether you’re following a strict paleo diet or just looking for healthy and delicious meals delivered straight to your door, we’ll provide all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Price

CookUnity

Menu

Tie

Quality & Taste

Tie

Ease of Customization

Tie

Customer Service

Paleo On The Go

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

CookUnity

Overall, the choice between CookUnity vs Paleo On The Go ultimately depends on personal preferences and priorities. If you are looking for paleo-friendly meals with a focus on American and European cuisine and don’t mind spending a little extra, then Paleo On The Go is a great option. If you prioritize a wide variety of cuisines and dietary options at a more affordable price point, then CookUnity is the way to go.

Paleo On The Go and CookUnity offer different meal plans and pricing options to cater to their customers’ needs.

Winner: CookUnity offers more affordable subscription options and a lower price per meal

Paleo On The Go offers a la carte meals, meal plans, and specialty plans. The a la carte meals range from $13.99 to $29.99 per meal, depending on the serving size and ingredients used. Meal plans are available for 8, 12 or 16 meals, and you can get those delivered every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Specialty plans are available for autoimmune protocol (AIP), ketogenic, and low-FODMAP diets, and prices range from $14.99 to $29.99 per meal.

CookUnity offers subscription-based meal plans, where customers can choose from a large variety of plans. The lowest plan starts at 4 meals per week and goes all the way up to 16 meals per week. Prices range from $11.09 to $13.59 per meal, depending on the plan selected.

Here is how their plans breakdown:

  • 4 meals at $54.36 per week or $13.59 per meal
  • 6 meals at $73.74 per week or $12.29 per meal
  • 8 meals at $93.52 per week or $11.69 per meal
  • 12 meals at $134.28 per week or $11.19 per meal
  • 16 meals at $177.44 per week or $11.09 per meal

Overall, both services are very different when it comes to pricing. Paleo On The Go is on the higher end for meal delivery services and also offers more flexibility with their a la carte meals and specialty plans, while CookUnity focuses more on subscription-based meal plans and is more competitively priced. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and needs when deciding which service to choose.

Shipping Cost

Shipping is an important factor to consider when choosing a meal delivery service. The cost and speed of delivery can vary significantly between companies. Here’s how Paleo On The Go and CookUnity compare in terms of shipping:

Paleo On The Go offers shipping to all 50 states in the United States. The cost of shipping varies depending on the size of the order and the shipping location. Shipping costs range from $10 to $30 per box.

CookUnity, on the other hand, offers free shipping on all orders, regardless of the order size or delivery location. This is a significant advantage for customers who want to avoid additional shipping costs.

It’s important to note that both companies use insulated packaging and ice packs to keep meals fresh during transport. However, the difference in shipping costs may be a deciding factor for some customers. If you’re looking for a meal delivery service with free shipping, CookUnity may be the better option for you. If you’re willing to pay for shipping, Paleo On The Go offers a wider variety of meal options and dietary accommodations.

When it comes to meal options and dietary restrictions, both Paleo On The Go and CookUnity have a lot to offer.

Winner: It’s a tie…for more variety go with CookUnity, for strict adherence to Paleo go with Paleo On The Go

Paleo On The Go specializes in meals that follow the paleo diet, which focuses on whole, unprocessed foods and avoids grains, dairy, and legumes. Their menu includes a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as snacks and desserts. One thing that sets Paleo On The Go apart is their commitment to using high-quality, sustainably-sourced ingredients. For example, their meats are grass-fed and free-range, and their seafood is wild-caught. They also offer options for those with specific dietary restrictions, including AIP (autoimmune protocol), low-FODMAP, and keto.

CookUnity, on the other hand, offers a wider variety of cuisine styles to choose from, including Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian-inspired dishes. Their menu includes options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks and desserts. CookUnity also caters to a variety of dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. One thing that sets CookUnity apart is their emphasis on using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients, which not only supports small farms and businesses but also ensures that their meals are fresh and flavorful.

In terms of meal options, CookUnity may have a slight edge over Paleo On The Go due to their wider variety of cuisines and dishes. However, if you follow a strict paleo diet, then Paleo On The Go would be a better option. Both services cater to a variety of dietary restrictions, so you can rest assured that you will find something that fits your needs.

Amount of Meals to Choose

When it comes to the number of meals to choose from, CookUnity offers a larger selection than Paleo On The Go. CookUnity offers around hundreds of meals per week, while Paleo On The Go offers around 20-35 meals. However, it’s important to note that Paleo On The Go also offers additional items such as snacks, desserts, and pantry staples, which CookUnity does not.

Dietary Choices

Both services offer a variety of dietary options to accommodate various lifestyles and preferences. CookUnity caters to a range of dietary choices, including vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and more. To see the full list of options, see our in depth CookUnity review here .

Meanwhile, Paleo On The Go caters specifically to the Paleo diet, which eliminates grains, dairy, and processed foods.

Menu Variety

Because CookUnity menu options are sourced from over 70 different chefs, CookUnity offers more meals to choose from.

Paleo On The Go’s menu is more limited due to its focus on the Paleo diet, but they regularly introduce new menu items to keep things fresh. Additionally, Paleo On The Go offers seasonal menus that rotate throughout the year, providing customers with variety and the opportunity to try new dishes.

Overall, both services offer a good range of meal options to suit various dietary needs and preferences. While CookUnity has a wider variety of meals to choose from, Paleo On The Go provides a more focused and specialized menu for those following the Paleo diet.

Quality and Taste

When it comes to meal delivery services, quality and taste are of utmost importance. After all, what good is a convenient and healthy meal if it doesn’t taste good?

Winner: Tie

Paleo On The Go places a strong emphasis on quality and sources their ingredients from organic, non-GMO, and sustainable farms. They also use high-quality meats and wild-caught seafood, and all of their meals are free from gluten, grains, dairy, soy, and refined sugar. These strict sourcing standards are reflected in the taste of their meals, which are often praised for being both flavorful and satisfying.

In a review of Paleo On The Go by Healthline , the author noted that the meals were “impressively flavorful and filling,” with a “home-cooked feel.” Another reviewer on Yelp praised the “amazing quality and taste” of the meals, calling them “absolutely delicious.”

CookUnity also places a strong emphasis on quality, sourcing their ingredients from small-scale, sustainable farms and using high-quality proteins. They also offer a wide range of cuisine styles, with options inspired by international flavors and seasonal ingredients.

In a review of CookUnity by The New York Times, the author praised the “freshness and quality” of the meals, noting that the “flavors were bright and the textures varied.” Another reviewer on Yelp noted that the meals were “restaurant-quality” and “surprisingly flavorful.”

Overall, both Paleo On The Go and CookUnity prioritize quality ingredients and flavorful meals, with a focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing. While Paleo On The Go’s meals tend to have a home-cooked feel, CookUnity’s cuisine style is more diverse and international. Ultimately, the choice between the two will come down to personal preference and taste.

Ease of Customization

Winner: Tie…mostly

When it comes to customizing your meals, CookUnity offers more flexibility than Paleo On The Go. CookUnity allows you to filter meals based on dietary preferences, such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or dairy-free. You can also filter by specific ingredients you want to include or exclude, such as nuts or soy.

CookUnity Review - Menu Variety

On the other hand, Paleo On The Go doesn’t offer as much flexibility in terms of customization. While they do offer a variety of meal plans and options for dietary restrictions, you can’t customize your meals as easily. There’s no option to exclude specific ingredients or build your own meal from scratch.

However, Paleo On The Go gets bonus points for it’s a la carte menu, allowing you to add things like Paleo pop tarts and cakes to your order. This is a rare find in the Paleo community so it has to be noted.

Strawberry Vanilla Cake - Paleo On The Go

Overall, CookUnity’s ease of customization may be more appealing to those with specific dietary needs or who prefer more control over their meal choices. However, if you’re looking for pre-set meal plans without the hassle of customization, Paleo On The Go may be a better fit for you.

Customer Service

Customer service and support are essential aspects of any business, and the meal delivery industry is no exception. Both Paleo On The Go and CookUnity have a reputation for providing excellent customer service and support.

Winner: Paleo On The Go

Paleo On The Go has a dedicated customer service team that is available via phone or email to answer any questions or concerns. Their phone support is currently available Monday through Friday from 8am-4PM ET.

The company has also received high marks from customers for its responsiveness and willingness to accommodate special requests. For instance, many customers have praised Paleo On The Go’s ability to cater to specific dietary needs, such as autoimmune-friendly or low-FODMAP diets.

Similarly, CookUnity on the other hand provides only email support from what I have been able to find. I was not able to find any chat or phone support options. However, I did stumble upon an FAQ that was really helpful. Additionally, when I had a problem and emailed CookUnity, they were quick to respond and were able to solve my issue within the same week.

CookUnity also provides customers with a satisfaction guarantee, which means that if you’re not completely satisfied with your meal, the company will either replace it or refund your money.

Both companies also provide a wealth of resources on their websites, such as FAQs, blogs, and recipe ideas, to help customers get the most out of their meal delivery experience.

Overall, Paleo On The Go wins this category easily due to having more options for support and clear working hours. However, customers can rest assured that both companies prioritize their satisfaction and are committed to providing top-notch customer service.

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

Both Paleo On The Go and CookUnity have their unique ways of delivering their meals. Let’s take a closer look at their delivery and packaging methods.

Winner: CookUnity because of FREE shipping

Paleo On The Go delivers its meals using UPS or FedEx. The company offers shipping rates from $10 to $30, and the meals arrive in a well-insulated box with dry ice. The meals can last up to six months if frozen, allowing customers to stock up on meals if needed. The packaging is eco-friendly, with the containers being made recyclable and reusable material.

CookUnity, on the other hand, offers nationwide shipping through FedEx, and the meals are delivered fresh. The company’s delivery schedule varies based on the customer’s location. Shipping with CookUnity is free with a subscription. This is a huge plus for CookUnity as most other services charge at least $9.99 for shipping. The meals are packed in a biodegradable and compostable box with insulation made from recycled materials. The insulation helps keep the meals fresh during transit.

Both companies prioritize sustainability in their packaging. Paleo On The Go uses eco-friendly containers, while CookUnity uses biodegradable and compostable boxes. Additionally, CookUnity offers a recycling program, allowing customers to send back their packaging for reuse.

When it comes to delivery and packaging, both companies offer high-quality services that cater to their customers’ needs. 

And The Verdict – Who is the winner between CookUnity and POTG

In conclusion, both Paleo On The Go and CookUnity are great options for those who want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals without the hassle of cooking and meal planning.

When it comes to picking a plan and pricing out your meals, CookUnity is on the cheaper side of the two. CookUnity’s meals are very competitively priced at around $11-$14 per meal. Meanwhile, Paleo On The Go is more specialized and therefore their meals are on the higher side of things with some meals costing up to $30 per meal.

When it comes to meal options and dietary restrictions, it’s a tie. Paleo On The Go is ideal for people looking to maintain a high quality Paleo diet. They specialize in paleo and autoimmune protocol meals, making them a great choice for those with specific dietary needs.

CookUnity, on the other hand, offers a wider variety of cuisine options, but may not have as many options for those with dietary restrictions.

In terms of quality and taste, both services received high marks in our reviews. Paleo On The Go uses high-quality, grass-fed meats and organic produce, while CookUnity works with local, sustainable farmers and artisanal food makers to source their ingredients. Taste is subjective, but in our experience, both services offer delicious meals that are sure to satisfy.

When it comes to delivery and packaging, CookUnity is the clear winner due to its free shipping. Paleo On The Go shipping can be as high as $30 a box, which is very pricey.
Finally, when it comes to customer service and support, both services are committed to providing excellent service to their customers. Paleo On The Go offers a satisfaction guarantee and has a dedicated customer service team to help with any issues. CookUnity also has a responsive customer service team and offers a referral program for loyal customers.

Ultimately, the choice between Paleo On The Go and CookUnity comes down to personal preferences and needs.

If you have specific dietary restrictions or follow a paleo or autoimmune protocol diet, Paleo On The Go may be the better choice for you.

If you’re looking for a wider variety of cuisine options or more flexible delivery options, CookUnity may be the better choice.

Regardless of which service you choose, both offer high-quality, delicious meals that can help make healthy eating easier and more enjoyable.

If you are still unsure what delivery service you should get, be sure to check out our new review on Proper Good here.

Factor vs Trifecta Comparison Review

Trifecta vs Factor: Which is better for you?

These days there’s a plethora of choices to get fresh and tasty meals delivered to your door. Services like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh offer meal kit deliveries.

Meanwhile, services like Factor 75, Freshly, and Trifecta focus on delivering ready-to-eat meals. The main selling point of these services is saving time during your day as there is no cooking involved.

Unlike Freshly, which we reviewed here, Factor and Trifecta take this a step further by providing meals with a focus right balance of macros, healthy ingredients, and the ability to focus on specific diets. Both of these services are more on the expensive side but the quality of meals seems to reflect that as well.

I looked into both services to see how they stack up against each other, which one is better depending on your lifestyle, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each delivery service.

I broke out my research based on several measurable categories: average price, the plans available, menu, prep time, ease of customization, and customer service.

Price

Factor

Menu

Tie

Meal Prep

Tie

Ease of Customization

Factor

Customer Service

Trifecta

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

Factor

While these two services have their similarities and are very comparable, I think I am going to have to go with Factor. Although you can’t go wrong with either meal delivery service, Factor ultimately offers just a tad more with very similar quality and ingredients.

When deciding which meal delivery service to try, pricing may be one of the first questions that comes to mind. So in this review, I will lead with the pricing section and try to compare several different plans offered by Factor and Trifecta.

Winner: Factor is the winner here, they offer lower cost per meal and more flexible plan options

Neither of these meal delivery services are on the cheap side. Factor plans start from $15 per meal on a 4 meal per week plan. This comes out to roughly $60 per week plus shipping and taxes.

Trifecta’s plans, on the other hand, are a little bit more confusing. The lowest cost plan I could find is for 7 meals for $110.99 per week. This comes out to roughly $15.85 per meal.

While this may seems comparable to Factor’s 4 meal a week plan, Factor’s plans with more meals start to become a little bit cheaper per meal. For example, a comparable plan on Factor is 6 meals per week and that comes out to about $12.83 per meal or $76.98 per week.

Here’s a little more detail about what plans are available in Factor:

Subscription Options - Factor Review

You can choose anywhere from 4 meals a week to 18 meals per week depending on what you are looking for.

Trifecta doesn’t have an easy image I can share like this so I created the below chart to compare some of their meal plans. One thing I noticed about Trifecta is that they do not have nearly as many plan options as Factor. There’s essentially just four plans: 5 breakfasts and 5 entrees, 7 entrees, 10 entrees, and 14 entrees. You do have the option to add breakfasts to each of the entrée only plans so there is some customizability there.

Focusing on the prices of Trifecta plans, I broke it out based on meals that have meat, and meals that do not (the Vegan and Vegetarian plans). The costs below are per week.

7 Entrees

10 Entrees

14 Entrees

Meals with meat

$110.99

$157.99

$219.99

Meals without meat

$99.99

$134.99

$179.99

If you want to know how much you would be paying per meal, don’t worry, I crunched those numbers and did the math for you. Here is the same breakdown but with costs per meal:

7 Entrees

10 Entrees

14 Entrees

Meals with meat

$15.85/meal

$15.79/meal

$15.71/meal

Meals without meat

$14.28/meal

$13.49/meal

$12.85/meal

Both services start at about the $15 price mark per meal. However, with Factor you can get your cost per meal reduced with more meals. Those savings cannot be seen with Trifecta even when ordering bigger boxes.

Shipping Cost

In regards to shipping, both services seem comparable.

Trifecta advertises a flat rate of $9.99 per box to anywhere in the continental United States. While Factor doesn’t have a flat rate, the shipping cost depends on location and size of the box, when I bought my 6 meal box with shipping to Texas, my shipping rate came out to $9.99 as well.

What’s on the menu? What will you be eating with either of these services? How much variety is offered? These are important questions to ask before deciding which meal delivery service to pick.

Winner: Well it depends…Factor is the winner for menu variety and choice. Trifecta is the winner if you have a strict diet to follow.

There are a lot of deciding factors when it goes into picking what’s right for you. So I will do my best to break down the menu of both services a little deeper.

Amount of Meals to Choose

When looking at the menus for both services, I was a little disappointed with the choices (or lack of) available with Trifecta.

When I visited Factor, they had 32 different meal options and advertised that new recipes rotate in weekly. While ordering a box, I was able to pick which meals I wanted and was able to filter based on several dietary categories (I will get into those next).

Trifecta, on the other hand, doesn’t let you choose which meals you receive weekly. Instead, their service is more focused on a diet and/or powering your workouts. They have 6 different lifestyle plans and you have to pick one. From there, you will receive meals each week that are tailored to your nutrition goals.

Trifecta does also advertise that they have over 25 recipes with new ones coming in weekly. Trifecta focuses on healthy eating catered to your dietary choices while utilizing farm fresh ingredients.

If you are someone that wants to stick to a diet and you aren’t too picky, it seems like Trifecta is a good choice. If you are less strict in your diet and want a little more choice, you can’t go wrong with Factor.

Dietary Choices

This is where Trifecta differentiates itself the most from other meal deliver services. According to their website, they focus their attention on providing meals with balanced macros and organic, fresh ingredients. However, this is not a knock on Factor. I was still pleasantly surprised by how many choices Factor had. I will review both here.

Since you don’t get to pick your meals with Trifecta, you have to select a meal plan that aligns with your goals. They have 6 to choose from. The meal plans that are available:

  • Clean Eating – simple meals with proteins, organic vegetables, and whole grains
  • Whole30 Approved – meals with whole30 compatible ingredients, portion controlled, and nutritionally balanced
  • Paleo – dairy-free and grain free meals with grass-fed protein and organic vegetables
  • Keto – meals with low carbs, healthy fats, and quality proteins
  • Vegan – meals with organic ingredients and plant-based proteins
  • Vegetarian – meals with plant protein, organic vegetables, and healthy carbs

Meal Types - Trifecta vs Factor Comparison

And if you are not sure which one is right for you, don’t worry. Trifecta offers a simple quiz you can take. If you are still not sure, no problem. You can easily talk to one of their nutritional coaches at no extra charge. They will be able to guide you along your journey whether that is losing weight, building muscle, or just maintaining your current lifestyle.

While Factor isn’t as in depth with their choices, they have 4 different categories that you can filter meals on. The four options are Keto, Calorie Smart (low calorie), Vegan & Veggie, and Chef’s Choice (all of the above). On their website, when choosing your meals, you can select one of those options to filter down to see meals that fit one of the specific categories or browse all the meals in one view.

Factor Comparison Meal Types

Overall, if you are someone that wants to stick to a Paleo, Whole30, Vegan or Vegetarian diet, Trifecta is absolutely the way to go. I haven’t seen any other meal delivery service be as focused and detailed as they are. But if you are a little bit more flexible and just want to eat healthy, than Factor might be right for you.

Menu Variety

If you are like me, you don’t want to be eating the same thing every week, you want a little variety in your life. Well you are in luck. Both of these services rotate new recipes each week. With Factor you get to select which ones you will receive. And with Trifecta, they will simply send you new meals each week. On Trifecta’s website they advertise that their menu changes weekly to utilize only the freshest ingredients from their local farmers.

However, I’m going to have to give this category to Factor simply because you can choose to try new meals or stick with a favorite from last week. Although, there is something to be said about not worrying about logging in each week and having to browse tens of recipes and choose. If you are somebody that has choice paralysis, Trifecta may be the winner for you in this category as well.

Meal Prep

This category is pretty even. Unlike other meal delivery services like Blue Apron and Dinnerly, both Factor and Trifecta deliver ready to eat meals to your doorstep. All you have to do is heat up and you are ready to eat.

Winner: Tie

Both of these services deliver meals in microwave-safe containers so all you have to do is stick in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. If your plans change and you have to skip a meal, just stick the package in the freezer and save it for later.

I will add that Trifecta has directions on the box to heat up your meals in a microwave, oven, or even a skillet. I have tried all three and I think oven is the best method in terms of ease and saving the flavor.

Ease of Customization

Winner: Factor

While Trifecta offers 6 different categories of meals, which is 2 more than Factor, it does not give you the ability to pick which meals you will receive on a week to week basis. This alone makes Factor the clear winner in this category.

With Factor, you have 4 different meal categories to choose from and each one of those has meals for you to pick. However, if you forget to pick your meals one week, don’t worry. Factor will send you a box based on your previous selections.

On the meal menu page, Factor also displays the Nutritional Information of the meal as well as all the ingredients that go into it. This is a nice bonus for picky eaters or people who generally want to know what they are about to eat. For example, I don’t like cilantro so any meals with those are an instant skip. With Trifecta, I will have to cross my fingers and hope they don’t send any meals with cilantro.

Here is what that experience looks like:

Nutritional Information - Factor Freshly Comparison

Ingredient List - Factor Comparison

With Trifecta, that information isn’t as readily available. However, when selecting your meal plan you will be able to see the average macros that are in that meal plan. For example, here are the average macros for two different meal plans, Clean Eating and Keto:

Macro Nutritional Information - Trifecta vs Factor Comparison

Keto Macro Nutritional Information - Trifecta vs Factor Comparison

While not as precise as the Factor, this does give you a good idea of what kind of meals you will receive and the macros of each.

Additionally, since you can’t pick your own meals and avoid specific ingredients you don’t like, Trifecta does have an option to not include meals that have some common ingredients. For the Clean Eating plan, you can exclude shellfish, salmon, white fish, nuts, chicken, red meat, mushrooms, and turkey.

Build Your Plan - Factor vs Trifecta Comparison

I think this is a good middle ground between not being able to pick your meals but also being able to avoid meals you have no interest in eating.

Customer Service

Winner: Trifecta, by a hair

Both of these meal delivery services offer top of the line customer service from what I have experience.

They have robust options for self help such as the ability to pause deliveries for a set amount of time and the plans are all easy to cancel with no hoops to jump through.
Factor’s support team is available 7 days a week with phone and chat support being available Monday through Friday from 9am-9pm CT and on the weekends from 9am-6pm.

Trifecta also offers phone, chat, and email support throughout the week. The thing that separated Trifecta from Factor is the ability to schedule a consultation with a nutritional coach.

While both services give you an option to talk to a nutritional coach, I believe Factor is limited to a one time consultation while Trifecta’s coaches are available whenever you want to talk and need some guidance on reaching your fitness or weight loss goals. However, with this level of support does come a higher price tag.

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

This is an important category for me because I like to receive my meals on a specific day of the week so I can plan out when I eat what.

Winner: Factor

When planning out when to get your box, you might want to pick a day of the week that is most convenient to you. For example, if you plan to take these meals to work like me, I like to have my meals delivered on Sunday before the week starts. That way I have something to eat when I go to work on Monday.

Neither of these services deliver on the weekend so I was a little bit disappointed by that.

Factor offers delivery Monday through Wednesday. And Trifecta offers delivery only on Friday.

This may not be a big deal to you, depending on your use case. However, I gave this category to Factor simply of having more options when it comes to delivery.

And The Verdict – Who wins between Trifecta and Factor?

Today there are so many options for meal delivery services and each one tries to differentiate itself from the others by offering different kinds of meals, more customizability, or more support. So I think a lot of this depends on personal preferences and your individual goals.

Ultimately, I am going to have to give this one to Factor. Although, I think this is the closest comparison I have done yet.

Both of these services are on the pricier side but they offer great meals to go along with it.

If you are someone who wants to stick to a strict diet and eat only the healthiest, organic meals then I think Trifecta is for you.

If you are someone who prefers being able to choose your own meals while still being able to stick to a particular diet, then I don’t think you can go wrong with Factor. Special bonus if you order more than 8 meals per week because that is when Factor starts to become much more affordable compared to Trifecta.

Factor vs Freshly Comparison Review - Sunday Meal Prepper

Factor vs Freshly: Which is Better?

Today there are loads of choices to get fresh, tasty, and cost-effective ready to eat meals delivered to your door. Whether you are a student, a parent, or simply a busy professional, these meal delivery services will help you save time in your day while keeping you eating healthy and tasty.

Two of the biggest names in the ready to eat meal delivery service game are Factor and Freshly. I looked into both services to try to find out which one is better, what strengths and weaknesses each service has, and I am back to provide you with my review on both services and which one I think fits better for your lifestyle.

In the following article, I will compare each service based on average price, menu, prep time, ease of customization, and customer service. Keep reading to see which one is better: Factor vs Freshly.

Price

Freshly

Menu

Tie

Meal Prep

Freshly (by a hair)

Ease of Customization

Factor

Customer Service

Freshly

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

Freshly

Ultimately, Freshly is really hard to beat. They offer low cost meal plans, their menu features both innovative and traditional menu choices, and their website and app makes it super easy to order and track your order as well as manage your account.

Pricing may be one of the most important factors (no pun intended) when it comes to deciding which meal delivery service fits your needs. Below we compare several plans from Factor and Freshly.

Winner: Freshly is the clear winner when it comes to pricing per meal.

Both Freshly and Factor offer a variety of plans to fit your needs. If you just want some fresh lunches to take to work with you, 5 meals per week plan might be suitable for you. If you want dinner and lunches, you might want to consider some of the larger plans.

As far as variety, when I ordered my first box, I had a choice of 27 different menu options to choose from. While availability does change, it safe to say there is plenty of variety in what you can get. Each meal is tagged with a color coded category which I found healthy while browsing for Calorie Smart meals.

Freshly Plans Screenshot - Freshly Review

Subscription Options - Factor Review

Factor plans start from 4 meals per week at $15.00 per meal. This comes out to $60 per week.

Freshly plans start from 4 meals per week as well but come for a lower price of $11.79 per meal, or roughly $47 per week. However, like most meal plans, the more you order the lower the cost per meal becomes.

If you are looking for the most savings, Freshly offers a 12 meal per week plan for a mere $8.99 per meal! That comes out to just $107 per week for 12 full meals. A comparable plan on Factor would come out to $11.50 per meal for 12 meals a week. This comes out to $138 per week.

Both websites give you estimated shipping costs based on which meal you select. This cost depends a lot on location and plan size so I won’t go into too much detail here. I will say that usually the shipping costs between the two are comparable. I live in Texas and shipping to my location for a 6 meal plan was $9.99 on both websites. To learn more visit Freshly and Factor to see which shipping costs are more favorable for you.

So to summarize:

Freshly is the clear winner when it comes to price. They have the lowest cost per meal for small and larger plans. They also offer more variety in the plan size i.e. how many meals per week.

Here is a breakdown of comparable plans between the two ready to eat meal delivery services:

4 Meals

6 Meals

8 Meals

12 Meals

Factor

$15.00 /meal

$12.83 /meal

$12.38 /meal

$11.50 /meal

Freshly

$11.79 /meal

$9.99 /meal

$9.49 /meal

$8.99 /meal

Menu selection and choice is usually one of the top deciding factors. After all, what good is an affordable meal plan if it doesn’t fit your taste preferences? Below we compare the menus of Freshly and Factor.

Winner: It’s a tie…well mostly

There are a lot of different variables that go into deciding which menu options are right for you. So we will try to dig in a little deeper and look at the differences offered by the two services.

Amount of Meals to Choose

When looking at both available menus in 2022, I was able to find that Freshly offered a whopping 47 different meal options! They have everything from traditional meals like homestyle chicken, chipotle chicken bowls, chicken parm and creamy mushroom risotto to more unique options like Cuban Mojo Shrimp, Dijon Pork Chops, and Chicken Tikka Masala. It is clear that Freshly caters to a wide range of palates while offering mostly chicken, beef, and pork based meals.

Factor on the other hand offers 32 different meal options. While that may seems like a lot, it pales in comparison to Freshly’s 47 different choices.

Dietary Choices

Where Factor excels past Freshly is in the dietary choices category.

Factor offers 4 different preferences for you to choose from, including Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, and Vegan & Veggie. These meal preferences come with their own set of recipes for you to choose from making it super easy for you to stick to a Keto or Vegan diet!

Factor Comparison Meal Types

Freshly, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily offer any specific plans for your dietary needs. However, their meal planner does offer handy filter options so you can narrow down your meal options to what best fits your needs. While they don’t offer anything Keto friendly, they do have Carb Conscious meals to choose from. Other diet options include Gluten-Free, Plant-Based and Dairy-Free.

They also have categories of recipes including Purely Plant, Signature Collection, FreshlyFit, and Proteins & Sides.

Menu Categories - Factor Freshly Comparison

Menu Variety

When looking at both available menus in 2022, I was able to find that Freshly offered a whopping 47 different meal options! They have everything from traditional meals like homestyle chicken, chipotle chicken bowls, chicken parm and creamy mushroom risotto to more unique options like Cuban Mojo Shrimp, Dijon Pork Chops, and Chicken Tikka Masala. It is clear that Freshly caters to a wide range of palates while offering mostly chicken, beef, and pork based meals.

Factor on the other hand offers 32 different meal options. While that may seems like a lot, it pales in comparison to Freshly’s 47 different choices.

Meal Prep

Unlike many other meal delivery services like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron, both Factor and Freshly deliver ready to eat meals straight to your door. This means there is no cooking or kitchen required!

Winner: Freshly (by a hair)

Both services meal prep consists of simply warming up your pre-packaged meals for 2-3 minutes in a microwave. Freshly wins this category simply because they also put badges on the food you should eat first. This offers peace of mind from having to worry about your meals going bad.

Both Freshly and Factor come in microwave-safe plastic containers. All you have to do is stick a container in the microwave and follow the heating instructions.
If life gets in the way and you have to skip a meal, simply stick it in your freezer for another time.

Additionally, both Freshly and Factor use fresh, not frozen ingredients for their meals. I love the fact that when I get these meals, I can stick them in the fridge or warm one up right away. You don’t even have to wait for it thaw out. I also don’t have to spend an hour reading a recipe and then prepping and cooking a meal. I can eat these fresh meals whenever I’m hungry.

Ease of Customization

Winner: Factor

Being able to customize your meals based on taste and diet preferences is important for most people, including myself.

Like I mentioned before in the Menu section, Factor has 4 meal categories (Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, or Chef’s Choice) which makes it super easy for you to narrow down to your preferred diet choices. When browsing the menu, each recipe has a badge for each category making it easy to browse and select based on your preferences.

Freshly does not offer any “set menu” options, instead you are free to select whichever meals you would like in any given week. It does have a few filter options to make it easier to find something that suits you. These filter options seem to be more loosely defined than the ones offered by Factor.

With Factor, you can either pick your own meals or have Factor choose a whole week’s of meals for you, saving you time and hassle of browsing over tens of different recipes.

Once you select a meal, Factor displays the Nutritional Information of the meal along all of the ingredients. I found this very helpful and easy to navigate. I am a picky eater so being able to quickly find out if a recipe uses Cilantro (which I don’t like) helped me pick Factor over Freshly in this category.

Here is what Factor’s nutritional information and ingredient list looks like on their website:

Nutritional Information - Factor Freshly Comparison

Ingredient List - Factor Comparison

With Freshly, the Nutritional Info and Ingredients isn’t as easily available. When you add a meal to your basket, you can click on the meal and Freshly will show you a bird’s eye view of the meals, showing you the main ingredients and the Calories, Carbs, Fat, and Protein content of the meal. I found this high level view very interesting and the visual aspect is pleasing. It gives you a quick snapshot of the meal you are about to order.

The full list and nutritional information is available, however, it takes an extra click to get to which I found to be a mild inconvenience.

Ingredient List - Freshly Factor Comparison

Nutritional Information - Freshly Factor Comparison

Customer Service

Winner: Freshly

It seems like both Factor and Freshly are very good when it comes to Customer Support. Both websites offer live chat and phone customer support.

However, Freshly wins out in this category because they offer 24/7 phone support, and chat support 7 days a week (8am-1am ET through Facebook Messenger).

Meanwhile, Factor’s support team is available 7 days a week but with limited hours of operation. Phone and chat is available Monday through Friday from 9am-9pm CT and on the weekends from 9am-6pm CT.

In either case, both of these companies are easy to reach out to whether you are thinking about starting a meal plan, are a first time customer with questions, or a regular customer encountering a problem.

Bonus: Ordering & Delivery

This is an important category if you are someone who wants to plan out when you eat each meal.

Winner: Freshly

When trying to plan out your meals for the week, you might want to pick a day for delivery that is convenient for you. Since this is fresh food we are talking about here, you might want to plan for somebody to be home. Additionally, if you are taking these meals for lunches at work, you might want the meals to come every Monday so you have a week worth of lunches ready to go.

While both Freshly and Factor offer weekly delivery of your meals, Freshly seems to be a little bit more flexible in their delivery times. Freshly offers delivery seven days a week. By contrast, Factor only offers delivery Monday through Wednesday.

If I am wanting to use these services for taking lunches to work, I would go with Freshly because I can pick a Sunday delivery and have my meals ready to go on Monday. Others may not be as picky and want deliveries every Monday, in which case both of these services would be good.

And The Verdict – Who wins between Freshly and Factor?

Each of these ready to eat meal delivery services have their own strengths and weaknesses. Freshly seems to be the cheaper, more flexible option. While Factor provides more options for people trying to stick to a diet.

If you are a busy individual looking to get some meals to get you through the day for a lower cost, Freshly might be better choice for you. They ultimately have a lot more recipe options, the service is cheaper in price, you can pick out the exact amount of meals you want per week, and customer support is readily available through their website or app.

If you have more room in your budget and want to follow a more specific dietary preference, than Factor might be the right choice for you.

If you don’t think either of these ready to eat meal delivery services are for you, check out my review of Fresh and Easy, a Home Chef company.