Health-focused ready meals are gaining serious traction, with the UK ready-meals market projected to reach £8.7 billion (around $11.1 billion) by 2027. As more people look to replace takeaways and supermarket ready meals with healthier options that don’t require hours in the kitchen, two brands are redefining what convenience looks like.
Frive delivers fresh, whole-food balanced meals that cater to a wide range of diets and are ready in minutes, while Allplants offers frozen, 100% plant-based dishes with easy, no-subscription convenience.
In this guide, we compare Frive and Allplants across quality, nutrition, pricing and flexibility to help you choose the best meal delivery service for you.
| Category | Frive | Allplants |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | The only UK meal prep provider using 100% natural ingredients with no ultra-processed foods. Chef-prepared and nutritionist-approved. | 100% plant-based meals made from natural ingredients with no artificial flavours or preservatives. Nutritionist-reviewed with a focus on diverse plants. |
| Variety | 40+ dishes weekly, including breakfasts, snacks and mains. | A wide selection of single-serve frozen mains that update periodically. |
| Delivery | Four delivery days (Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu). Meals last up to 7 days in the fridge. Split deliveries mean fresher food and greater flexibility. | Free nationwide Monday delivery. Meals arrive frozen in recyclable packaging. |
| Cooking | Fully cooked, ready in less than 5 minutes in the microwave. All meals can also be oven-heated in under 40 minutes. | Cook straight from frozen in around 7 minutes in the microwave or oven-bake for a golden, crispy top if you have more time. |
| Price | A 6-meal plan costs £47.94 (£7.99 per meal). 40% off week 1 and 20% off weeks 2 & 3. Student and Blue Light discounts are also available. | 4 meals cost £24 on average (£6 per meal). |
| Reputation | 4.5/5 on Trustpilot (9k+ reviews). | 4.5/5 on Trustpilot (9k reviews). |
| Dietary Requirements Supported | Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal. | 100% vegan with allergens clearly labelled on packaging and online product pages. |
| Diet Plans Available | High Protein (40g+), Low Carb, Low-Calorie, Plant-Based, Balanced. | Focused on plant diversity and whole-food nutrition, helping customers reach 30 plants per week (with an average of 11 “plant points” per meal). |
| Additional Factors | Customer Rewards Club: earn points every time you order (“the more you eat, the more you save”). Strong eco-focus with recyclable, portion-controlled packaging. | Build-a-box model with no subscription. Freezer-friendly meals, recyclable packaging and a plant-diversity ethos for better long-term health. Discounts based on the number of meals ordered. |
| Tech Compatibility | All meals are barcode-scannable and fully compatible with MyFitnessPal for easy calorie and macro tracking. Orders via website or app. | Orders are managed via the website. Clear nutritional breakdowns per meal, but there is no direct tracking integration or app available. |
| Best For | Households with both vegan and protein-based dietary requirements; fitness-focused users; busy professionals; couples; families; eco-conscious customers; and busy parents who want fresh, all-day variety. | Those exclusively on a plant-based diet who want to stock their freezer with healthy, plant-based meals with minimal effort and no ongoing commitment. |
Brand Overviews
Frive
Frive originally launched as Lions Prep in 2016 and rebranded in 2024 to become one of the UK’s most trusted names in fresh, healthy meal delivery. Its goal is to make eating well effortless, offering chef-crafted, nutritionist-approved dishes made entirely from whole ingredients.
Every meal is free from ultra-processed foods, seed oils and artificial additives, designed to support long-term wellbeing. With more than 40 rotating meals across breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, Frive caters to busy professionals, fitness-focused customers and families who want fresh, real food that’s ready to heat and eat in minutes.
Allplants
Founded in 2016 by brothers Alex and Jonathan Petrides, Allplants quickly became one of the UK’s best-known plant-based meal brands, serving over 10 million meals nationwide. The company gained recognition for its 100% vegan, cook-from-frozen dishes made from natural ingredients with no artificial flavours or preservatives.
After entering administration in late 2024, the brand was acquired by Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella, with a vision to reshape it around real, nourishing food and position Allplants for a new era of simple, natural, plant-based convenience.
Frive vs Allplants: A Detailed Comparison
Meal Quality & Ingredients
The foundation of any good meal delivery service lies in its ingredients. Quality, freshness and balance all determine whether a service can deliver on both taste and nutrition.
Frive
Frive takes a whole-food, no-compromise approach to healthy eating. Every meal is fresh, chef-prepared and made with 100% natural ingredients and premium oils, with no seed oils, refined sugars or artificial additives. Around 30% of the menu already uses organic ingredients and ingredients are British and locally sourced where possible.
Allplants
Allplants creates 100% plant-based meals made from whole, unprocessed ingredients with no artificial flavours or preservatives. Each dish is made to maximise plant diversity, delivering an average of 11 different plant points per meal. Meals are frozen to lock in nutrients and freshness, providing a practical way to eat more plants without compromise.
Summary
Frive and Allplants share a clean-food ethos, but their approaches differ, with one centred on whole-food balance and the other on plant diversity and convenience.
Find out more about meal prepping in our guide ‘How to Meal Prep Like a Pro’.
Menu Variety & Specialisation
Menu variety shapes how well a service fits into real life. From weekday fuel to weekend meals, it’s about having options that suit your goals, dietary needs and, of course, appetite.
Frive
Frive’s weekly menu features over 40 rotating dishes, covering everything from breakfasts and snacks to hearty mains. Each meal is built around clear nutrition goals, with options for high-protein, low-carb and calorie-controlled eating. The menu supports vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets, making it ideal for mixed households that want convenient, nutritious food from one place.
Allplants
Allplants takes a simpler, plant-only approach with a rotating range of single-serve mains inspired by global flavours. While the website doesn’t specify a set number of dishes, new recipes are added regularly.
The focus is on plant diversity rather than macro precision, with each meal contributing to the recommended 30 plants per week. All meals are 100% vegan and clearly labelled for allergens, with portion sizes that can easily be paired with grains or salad for larger appetites.
Summary
Frive offers greater variety, with meals for every time of day and nutrition goals that suit different lifestyles and diets.
Allplants keeps things simpler with single-serve vegan mains designed for ease and flexibility. The range is smaller, and bigger appetites may want to add sides like grains or salad, but it’s a convenient choice for quick, wholesome plant-based eating.
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Preparation & Delivery
Convenience is where meal services either fit into your lifestyle or fall short. The best ones make it effortless to eat well without rearranging your schedule.
Frive
Frive’s model is built for routine and freshness. Customers can choose between 3, 5, or 6-day meal plans, with flexible deliveries on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to keep food tasting its best throughout the week.
There’s no prep required, just heat and eat in under 5 minutes. Meals can also be oven-heated for those who prefer that option. Subscriptions can be paused, skipped or cancelled anytime, making it easy to stay consistent without feeling tied down.
Allplants
Allplants takes a freezer-first approach with no subscription. Using a build-a-box model, customers pick 4–8 vegan meals at a time and have them delivered frozen every Monday with free shipping.
The dishes cook straight from frozen in around seven minutes in the microwave or longer in the oven. You can also find a selection of Allplants meals in UK supermarkets like Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Ocado for extra convenience when stocking up.
Summary
Frive works best for those who want fresh meals to slot easily into a busy week, with regular deliveries that keep things simple and predictable. Allplants gives you more control over when and what you order, with frozen meals that wait for you rather than the other way around.
Find out more with our how long meal prep really lastsguide.
Pricing & Value
With food prices climbing and busy schedules getting tighter, people want meals that feel worth the spend. Price matters, but so does what you get in return, from quality ingredients to a plan that actually fits your week.
Frive
Frive uses a simple, transparent pricing model based on plan size. The 3-day plan starts from £35 per week, the 5-day plan from £52 and the 6-day plan from £60. That works out to roughly £7.85 per meal, with discounts for students and Blue Light cardholders.
Allplants
Allplants lets you choose between 4 and 8 frozen meals at a time, with 4 meals working out to be £24 on average (£6 per meal). The more you order, the lower the price per meal, and delivery is always free. There’s no ongoing commitment or subscription, so you only pay when you place an order.
Summary
Frive is a great fit if you want structure, premium ingredients and consistent nutrition built into your week. Allplants focuses more on flexibility, ideal for those who like to stock the freezer and order when it suits them. One offers a set routine, the other offers greater flexibility, so the best choice depends on how you like to plan your meals.
See how you can save more with how much meal prep delivery can save you.
Shop Now: Frive’s Firecracker Tempeh
Customer Satisfaction
Real customer reviews offer a real look at how well each brand delivers on flavour, freshness and everyday convenience once the meals hit the table.
Frive
Frive has built an impressive reputation, earning a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot from over 9,000 reviews. The company’s clean, whole-food ethos has been featured in Cosmopolitan and Glamour, and the brand has received positive mentions from names like Rita Ora and Olympian Niamh Emerson.
Allplants
Allplants also holds an equally impressive 4.5 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot. Customers frequently describe Allplants as a practical, tasty solution for busy days, offering restaurant-quality vegan meals that cook straight from the freezer.
Summary
Both brands receive glowing feedback for making healthy eating easier without compromising on taste, showing that ready meals can be wholesome and nutritious as well as enjoyable.
Tech compatibility
We’re surrounded by tech that makes life easier, so it only makes sense that meal services are getting smarter too. Tools that help you manage orders or track nutrition can make healthy habits far easier to stick to.
Frive
Frive’s tech features are designed to help customers stay consistent with their nutrition goals. Every meal comes with a barcode that can be scanned directly into MyFitnessPal, allowing users to log calories, protein and macros instantly. Orders can be managed easily through the website or app, where customers can adjust, skip or pause deliveries with just a few clicks.
Allplants
Allplants keeps things simple and no-frills, focusing on easy online ordering and account management. While there’s no direct integration with tracking apps, or even an app for the service itself, nutritional details are clearly listed on every product page and label.
Summary
Frive leads on tech with MyFitnessPal integration and an easy app and website, making it an easy setup for those who like having full control and visibility over their meals and progress. Allplants falls short in this category, focusing on straightforward ordering without an app or extra tracking features.
Additional Factors
Sometimes it’s the smaller, practical details that make a meal service stand out. Flexibility, storage, sustainability and sourcing all play a part in how easy it is to fit healthy eating into real life.
Frive
- - Fully flexible subscriptions that you can pause, skip or cancel anytime
- - Delivered fresh up to four times a week (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) for better freshness, texture and flexibility.
- - Meals now last up to 7 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 28 days.
- - Uses British and up to 30% organic ingredients to support local sourcing.
- - Rewards Club lets customers earn points and discounts with every order.
- - Recyclable packaging and a strong focus on reducing food waste.
- - Barcode-scannable meals are fully compatible with MyFitnessPal.
Allplants
- - Delivered frozen for long shelf life and minimal waste, so you cook only what you need.
- - Single-serve mains that can be paired with easy sides for larger portions.
- - Recyclable packaging, including trays, sleeves and dry-ice bags recyclable with plastics.
- - Also available in select retailers such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Ocado for added convenience.
Which Service is Right for You?
Choosing the right meal service comes down to how you like to eat and what makes your week run smoother. Both brands are designed to simplify healthy eating, but the kind of convenience they offer is very different. It’s less about one being better than the other and more about what fits naturally into your lifestyle.
Frive is a better fit if you are:
- - Part of a mixed household that eats both plant-based and meat or fish.
- - A busy professional, couple or family who wants fresh meals ready in under five minutes.
- - Training regularly or going to the gym and wanting high-protein meals that support muscle gain and recovery.
- - Focused on eating clean, whole foods made without ultra-processed ingredients or seed oils.
- - Looking for predictable nutrition with clear macros and MyFitnessPal tracking.
- - Keen to earn rewards and savings through Frive’s Customer Rewards Club.
- - Managing dietary needs such as gluten-free, dairy-free or halal.
Allplants is a better fit if you are:
- - Fully plant-based or aiming to eat more vegan meals without the need to cook from scratch.
- - Looking for freezer-friendly convenience with single-serve meals ready in 7 minutes.
- - Someone who prefers flexibility and no long-term commitment.
- - Interested in plant diversity and nutrition, with meals rich in natural ingredients.
- - Looking for an easy way to keep healthy vegan meals on standby for busy weeks.
Try Frive today and take advantage of introductory discounts on premium, whole-food meals crafted by chefs and approved by nutritionists.
Is Frive better than Allplants for vegans?
Both brands cater to plant-based eaters, but in different ways.
Allplants is 100% vegan, offering frozen mains focused on plant diversity.
Frive provides fresh vegan and plant-based options within a wider menu that also includes vegetarian, gluten-free and halal choices. It’s ideal for mixed households where not everyone is vegan.
FAQs
What is the main difference between Frive and Allplants?
Frive delivers fresh, ready-to-eat meals that take less than five minutes to heat, while Allplants delivers frozen vegan meals that can be stored for weeks and cooked when needed.
Frive focuses on freshness, balance and whole-food ingredients, whereas Allplants prioritises plant diversity and freezer-friendly convenience.
Are Frive meals healthier than Allplants meals?
Frive meals are chef-made and nutritionist-approved, using 100% natural ingredients and no ultra-processed foods or seed oils.
Allplants also focuses on whole ingredients but uses freezing to preserve nutrients. Both are healthy choices, though Frive offers fresher meals with controlled macros that make it easier to stay on track with fitness or weight goals.
Is Frive suitable for vegans and non-vegans in the same household?
Yes. Frive offers vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and halal options all under one plan. This makes it ideal for households with different dietary preferences, allowing everyone to enjoy fresh, ready-to-eat meals without separate cooking.
Do fresh meals taste better than frozen ones?
Generally, fresh meals retain better texture and flavour than frozen ones once reheated.
Frive meals arrive chilled and stay fresh in the fridge for up to seven days, maintaining the quality of ingredients and sauces.
Allplants meals are frozen for longer shelf life, which can slightly affect texture, but they are still convenient and tasty for freezer storage.
Which is better value for money, Frive or Allplants?
Frive meals start from £7.85 each, while Allplants meals average £6 per meal when you order a box of four or more.
Although Allplants costs less per portion, Frive includes premium ingredients, chef preparation and fresh delivery up to four times a week.
For those who value freshness and time saved, Frive offers stronger value overall.
Can Frive help with fitness or high-protein goals?
Yes. Frive offers dedicated High-Protein and Balanced plans, with meals containing 40g+ of protein and MyFitnessPal barcode tracking for accurate logging.
Allplants focuses on plant diversity rather than macros, so it may not suit people following structured nutrition plans or high-protein diets.
Can I use Frive and Allplants together?
Yes. Many customers use Frive during busy weeks for fresh, ready meals and freezer based services like Allplants for backups when they want to stock up.
Combining both gives you flexibility, ensuring you always have healthy options whether you prefer fresh or frozen meals.
How does Frive compare to other UK meal delivery brands?
Frive is regularly compared with leading UK meal delivery services, each offering its own approach to convenience, nutrition and taste.
If you’re exploring alternatives, you can read our detailed comparisons with HelloFresh, COOK, Simmer Eats, Prep Kitchen, Calo, Field Doctor, Prepped Pots and Gousto.
Each comparison covers price, nutrition, freshness and flexibility, helping you find the meal delivery service that fits your lifestyle best.
