Freshly’s Shutdown: What Happened?
In a surprising move, the popular ready-to-eat meal delivery service Freshly announced its permanent closure in December 2022, with the final shipments going out in January 2023. The news came as a shock to its loyal customer base, especially since the company was acquired by Nestlé USA for a reported $1.5 billion just two years prior in 2020. The closure was attributed to a challenging economic environment for the direct-to-consumer food delivery model. Instead of receiving your weekly box of freshly prepared meals, former customers were sent final shipments and automatically removed from the autopay program.
A Look Back at Freshly’s Pricing Structure
Prior to its shutdown, Freshly offered a tiered subscription model where the cost per meal decreased as you ordered more meals per week. This was a common strategy designed to incentivize larger, more consistent orders from customers. Their pricing was competitive within the prepared meal space, offering a convenient alternative to both cooking from scratch and ordering takeout.
Historical Freshly Pricing (Before 2023)
- 4 Meals per week: Typically cost around $11.50 per meal.
- 6 Meals per week: Dropped the price to roughly $9.99 per meal.
- 9 Meals per week: Maintained the $9.99 per meal price point.
- 12 Meals per week: Offered the lowest per-meal price, around $8.99 per meal.
In addition to the base meal prices, shipping costs were added and varied by location and delivery date. Premium meals were occasionally available for an additional charge. For a more detailed look, here is a comparison table of their former plans.
Comparison Table: Historical Freshly vs. Current Competitors
| Feature | Former Freshly | Factor | CookUnity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | No longer operating | Yes | Yes |
| Meal Type | Fresh, heat-and-eat meals | Fresh, heat-and-eat meals | Chef-crafted, prepared meals |
| Per-Meal Price | ~$8.99-$11.50 (historical) | Varies by plan, often competitive | Varies by plan, typically higher-end |
| Menu Variety | Rotated weekly | Extensive menu, dietary focus | Extensive, chef-driven menu |
| Dietary Focus | Gluten-free, no artificial ingredients | Keto, High Protein, Low-Carb | Wide range of cuisines and diets |
| Shipping | Varied by location | Fixed or included | Fixed or included |
Top Freshly Alternatives for 2025
With Freshly gone, customers have turned to a variety of other prepared meal delivery services. Here are some of the most popular and highly-rated alternatives to consider:
- Factor: One of the most frequently recommended alternatives, Factor offers fresh, never-frozen, chef-prepared meals with a strong focus on nutrition. They cater to specific dietary needs such as Keto and High-Protein, and are ready to eat in minutes. The taste and portion sizes are often compared favorably to Freshly in reviews. For more info, check out this review of prepared meal services.
- CookUnity: Praised for its restaurant-quality offerings, CookUnity features a rotating lineup of meals crafted by different professional chefs. This provides a higher level of culinary variety and sophistication than many other services. While portions can sometimes be smaller, the quality is often exceptional.
- HelloFresh: While not a prepared meal service like Freshly, HelloFresh is a meal kit service that provides pre-portioned ingredients and recipes for home cooking. For those who still want to cook but appreciate a simplified process, it's a great option with comparable pricing. They also offer a wider array of family-friendly plans.
- Tovala: A service that combines prepared meals with an intelligent oven, Tovala offers meals that are almost homemade. The system guides you through the cooking process with minimal effort, providing a high-quality, convenient experience that’s a step up from a basic microwave meal.
- Daily Harvest: Focusing on plant-based and whole-food options, Daily Harvest offers items like smoothies, flatbreads, and harvest bowls. It’s a good choice for those who need quick, healthy, and affordable meals or snacks, though it’s less about traditional dinner entrees.
Conclusion
While it is no longer possible to subscribe and see how much Freshly meals cost, its closure paved the way for many other innovative players in the prepared meal delivery space. The initial acquisition by Nestlé and subsequent shutdown highlights the volatile nature of the meal kit industry. For anyone looking for a convenient, healthy alternative to cooking, services like Factor and CookUnity offer excellent, high-quality replacements. Before subscribing, consider your budget, dietary needs, and desired cooking effort to find the perfect fit among today's many robust options.
