The UK meal delivery market is thriving as more people look for smarter, healthier ways to eat well without the stress of planning, shopping or spending hours in the kitchen.
Rising food prices and time pressures have made convenience just as important as nutrition, pushing meal services like Frive and HelloFresh into the spotlight.
Both make eating healthy more convenient, but what they offer couldn’t be more different. Frive’s meal prep delivery service helps customers save time with fresh, ready-to-eat meals that are warmed up in 5 minutes or less.
HelloFresh focuses on meal-kit boxes and hands-on cooking using pre-portioned ingredients with meals ready in 25-40 minutes.
So, the real question is whether you have time to cook before or after a long day at work, or if you’d prefer a solution that lets you enjoy healthy, chef-prepared meals in minutes.
In this guide, we compare Frive and HelloFresh. Looking at the quality of ingredients used, reviews, delivery services, pricing and more to see which is the best fit for your routine.
| Category | Frive | HelloFresh |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | The only UK meal prep provider using 100% natural ingredients with no ultra-processed foods. Chef-prepared and nutritionist-approved. | Fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipe cards delivered weekly. Advertises as the UK’s #1 recipe box brand with chef-tested dishes. |
| Reputation | 4.5/5 on Trustpilot (9k+ reviews). | 3.3/5 on Trustpilot (100k reviews). |
| Variety | 40+ dishes weekly including breakfasts, snacks and mains. | 50+ new recipes weekly across global cuisines. |
| 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. | Weekly delivery with flexible scheduling. Ingredients arrive fresh and pre-portioned for the week ahead. |
| Cooking | Fully cooked, ready in less than 5 minutes in the microwave. All meals can also be oven-heated in under 40 minutes. | Customers cook from scratch using fresh ingredients, with most recipes taking 20–45 minutes. |
| 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. | No single-person plans available. Meals start from around £7 each, depending on box size and recipes. Each meal includes two portions and costs about £52 including delivery. Like Frive, HelloFresh offers introductory discounts. |
| Dietary Requirements Supported | Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal. | Vegetarian, pescatarian and flexitarian options. |
| Meal Plans Available | High Protein (40g+), Low Carb, Low-Calorie, Plant-Based, Balanced. | Menus include Calorie Smart, Quick Cook, High Protein and Family Friendly. Currently no plan for single-person households. |
| 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. | Flexible subscriptions, which you can skip, pause or cancel anytime. HelloFresh claims 25% fewer carbon emissions vs supermarket equivalents. Recyclable packaging and pre-portioned ingredients reduce food waste. |
| 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 and mobile app. |
| Best For | Fitness-focused users, busy professionals, health-conscious customers, couples, families, eco-conscious customers, and busy parents who want fresh, all-day variety. | Those who have more time, enjoy cooking, want variety and like experimenting with cooking new recipes. |
Brand Overviews
Frive
Launched as Lions Prep in 2016 and rebranded in 2024, Frive has grown into a premium meal delivery service offering chef-crafted, nutritionist-approved dishes made entirely from whole ingredients. Every meal is free from ultra-processed foods, seed oils and artificial additives, supporting a clean, health-focused lifestyle.
All meal options are ready to heat and eat in 5 minutes or less. Frive’s 40+ rotating dishes span breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, catering to busy professionals, fitness enthusiasts, families and anyone who wants fresh, flavourful food built around real ingredients.
HelloFresh
Founded in Germany in 2011 and now the UK’s leading recipe box brand, HelloFresh delivers pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards so customers can cook meals at home without the need for meal planning or supermarket trips.
With over 50 recipes each week, it caters to a wide range of diets, including vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian and family-friendly options. Its appeal lies in helping people enjoy cooking while reducing food waste and keeping dinnertime interesting.
Frive vs HelloFresh: A Detailed Comparison
Meal Quality & Ingredients
The foundation of any great meal service is simple: high-quality ingredients that taste as good as they are nutritious. Services that prioritise freshness and balance make it easier to eat well every day without sacrificing flavour or enjoyment.
Frive
Frive meals are made with 100% whole-food ingredients and no ultra-processed additives. Every dish is crafted by chefs and approved by nutritionists, using premium oils and real, natural flavours instead of refined sugars or artificial ingredients. Ingredients are British and locally sourced where possible, with Red Tractor-certified meat ensuring quality and traceability from farm to fork.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh sources quality, fresh ingredients from trusted suppliers, including Red Tractor meat and sustainably caught fish. Each box arrives with pre-portioned produce and recipe cards so you can cook from scratch at home. Because you prepare the meals yourself, the final result depends on how you cook and what you add in your own kitchen.
Summary
Frive appeals most to those steering clear of ultra-processed foods and looking for a clean, health-first approach to eating well. HelloFresh suits those who enjoy cooking from scratch and want to experiment with fresh ingredients while keeping mealtimes organised and stress-free.
Menu Variety & Specialisation
Meal variety goes beyond simple numbers on a menu. What really matters is how well a service supports different diets, preferences and goals, helping you stay consistent whether you’re eating for performance, health or convenience.
Frive
Frive offers over 40 rotating dishes every week across breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. The menu supports a wide range of goals with options for high-protein, low-carb, balanced and weight loss meals. It also caters to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets, meaning households with different dietary requirements can easily order together.
Read our guide “Why Couples Love Frive: Making Mealtimes Work for Two” to find out more about making meal times work in households with varying diet requirements.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh offers over 50 new recipes each week across global cuisines, with filters such as Calorie Smart, Quick Cook and Protein Rich to match different goals.
With veggie, pescatarian, flexitarian and family options, it’s a good choice for those who enjoy trying new recipes while maintaining a balanced and varied diet. However, there doesn’t appear to be a plan for single-person households, so the smallest box serves two.
Summary
Frive keeps things simple for anyone who wants variety without losing sight of their nutrition goals. HelloFresh offers more recipe choices for those who love cooking and trying new flavours, though portions and macros depend on how you prepare each dish, which can make calorie/macro counting a little tricky.
Order Now: Tom Yum Beef Soup with Japanese Vegetables & Fragrant Herbs
Preparation & Delivery
For most people, convenience is what turns a meal service from a short-term fix into part of everyday life. The right balance of delivery flexibility, prep time and freshness has a direct impact on how easily it fits into a busy schedule.
Frive
Frive offers four delivery days each week (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) to keep meals fresh throughout the week. Everything arrives fully cooked, chilled and ready to heat in under five minutes in the microwave or around 40 minutes in the oven. Meals last up to seven days in the fridge and can also be frozen for longer storage.
HelloFresh
As a weekly subscription service, HelloFresh delivers a box to you each week with everything you need to cook your chosen recipes at home. As the name suggests, ingredients arrive fresh and pre-portioned, helping to cut down on waste and shopping trips. Each box includes step-by-step recipe cards, and most meals take between 20 and 45 minutes to prepare, depending on the recipe.
Summary
With fully prepared meals that go from fridge to plate in minutes, Frive suits anyone short on time who still wants to eat well with no prep, washing up or extra ingredients required. HelloFresh takes more time and effort but is ideal for those who enjoy hands-on cooking while cutting down on meal planning and supermarket runs.
Read our guide to find out how long prepped meals actually last in the fridge.
Pricing & Value
Cost is often the deciding factor in whether a meal delivery service becomes part of your weekly routine or just a short-term trial. Both Frive and HelloFresh sit in the affordable-to-premium range, but their pricing structures reflect two very different types of convenience.
Frive
Frive’s pricing is clear and straightforward, based on the number of meals in your plan. A 6-meal plan costs £47.94, working out at £7.99 per meal. New customers can enjoy 40% off in week one and 20% off in weeks two and three, making it excellent value for trying the service. These introductory discounts can save you between £30 and £50 in your first three weeks, depending on your meal plan, and include free delivery.
Student and Blue Light discounts are also available, and delivery is free on orders over £40.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh pricing varies depending on box size and the number of recipes per week. For example, a box for two people with five recipes costs around £51.98, with per-serving prices starting at roughly £3.50. Larger boxes typically lower the cost per meal, and all customers are charged a standard delivery fee.
Summary
On paper, Frive sits at a higher price point, but the cost reflects the convenience of ready-to-eat, chef-prepared meals made entirely from whole ingredients. Frive saves customers upwards of 7 hours per week through time saved shopping, preparing, and cooking food.
HelloFresh works out cheaper per serving, though you’ll still need to invest time in cooking and cleaning up. Both brands often run welcome discounts, so it’s easy to test which one fits your routine if you’re unsure.
Read our guide “How Much Does Meal Prep Delivery Really Save You?” to find out more.
Customer Satisfaction
What customers say after trying a service often tells you more than any marketing campaign can. Reviews reveal how these meals actually fit into daily life, from freshness and flavour to customer support.
Frive
Frive holds an impressive 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot from over 9,000 reviews.
Customers praise the freshness, taste and quality of the meals, along with the ease of having nutritious food ready in minutes. Its health-first approach and focus on real ingredients have earned it features in Cosmopolitan and Glamour, plus endorsements from well-known names, including Rita Ora, Simon Pegg and Olympian Niamh Emerson.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh scores lower with a 3.3/5 rating on Trustpilot from tens of thousands of reviews. Customers like the convenience of delivered ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes that make home cooking simpler. Some mention issues like missing items, limited delivery flexibility, or smaller portion sizes, but many still enjoy the variety and fresh flavours. Past celebrity endorsements have included Jamie Oliver and Davina McCall, both of whom helped build the brand’s strong UK presence.
Summary
Both Frive and HelloFresh enjoy strong reputations and loyal customer bases. Frive edges ahead for reliability and the quality of its fresh meals, while HelloFresh remains a trusted choice for variety and the enjoyment of cooking something new each week.
Order Now: Cajun King Prawns & Spanish-Style Rice
Tech compatibility
Whether it's managing subscriptions or keeping an eye on nutrition goals, technology has become a big part of how people plan and track their meals. Here’s how Frive and HelloFresh compare.
Frive
Every Frive meal comes with a barcode that’s fully compatible with MyFitnessPal, allowing customers to log calories, macros and protein instantly. This makes it simple to stay on track with fitness or weight-loss goals without extra effort. Customers can also manage their subscriptions, deliveries and rewards directly through the Frive website or app, making the whole process quick and convenient.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh customers can manage their meal plans through an easy-to-use website and mobile app, where they can swap recipes, skip deliveries or adjust portion sizes in a few taps. However, it doesn’t integrate directly with nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal, so users who want to track calories or macros will need to input this information manually.
Summary
Frive leads the way on tech integration, offering built-in nutrition tracking. HelloFresh provides a polished, user-friendly platform for selecting and managing recipes but doesn’t yet offer the same level of connectivity for detailed nutritional insights.
Additional Factors
Beyond meal quality and pricing, the smaller details often determine which service fits better into everyday life.
Frive
- - Flexible subscriptions with the option to pause, skip or cancel anytime.
- - Strong sustainability focus with recyclable and biodegradable packaging.
- - Uses British and up to 30% organic ingredients to support local sourcing.
- - Inclusive dietary coverage: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and halal options.
- - Meals now last up to 7 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 28 days.
- - Customer Rewards Club lets you earn savings the more you order.
- - All meals are compatible with MyFitnessPal via barcode scanning for easy tracking.
Frive’s strong eco-focus also ties into reducing food waste, a growing priority for many households.
HelloFresh
- - Flexible plans that can be managed online or in the app - skip, pause or change anytime.
- - Recyclable packaging and pre-portioned ingredients to cut food waste.
- - Fresh ingredients designed to be cooked within a few days of delivery.
- - Requires basic pantry staples such as oil, salt and pepper, plus access to an oven or hob.
- - Meals are cooked at home, so managing cross-contact remains the customer’s responsibility.
- - Encourages home cooking and helps customers learn new skills and recipes.
Frive vs HelloFresh: Which Service Comes Out on Top?
Frive and HelloFresh both make eating well easier, but suit very different lifestyles. What works best for you depends on how much time you have, how hands-on you want to be, and whether you care more about convenience or the cooking experience itself.
Frive is a better fit if you are:
- - A busy professional, couple or family who wants healthy meals ready in minutes with zero prep or washing up.
- - Someone who trains regularly and needs 35–45g of protein after workouts.
- - Focused on eating clean, whole foods made without ultra-processed ingredients, seed oils or refined sugars.
- - Looking for predictable nutrition with clear macros and MyFitnessPal barcode tracking.
- - Interested in high-protein, low-carb plans designed by chefs and nutritionists.
- - Someone who values sustainability and wants recyclable, portion-controlled packaging.
- - A customer who likes the idea of a Rewards Club, earning more savings the more meals you order.
- - Managing dietary needs like gluten-free, dairy-free or halal.
HelloFresh is a better fit if you are:
- - Someone who enjoys cooking and wants to learn or try new recipes each week.
- - A couple or family who like spending time together in the kitchen.
- - Happy to spend 20–45 minutes cooking with fresh ingredients and recipe cards.
- - Looking for variety with over 50 rotating dishes each week.
- - Someone who prefers hands-on cooking but wants to skip meal planning and supermarket trips.
- - Interested in pre-portioned ingredients that reduce waste and keep portions consistent.
- - Attracted by frequent new-customer discounts and flexible subscription options.
Try Frive today and take advantage of introductory discounts on balanced, flavour-packed meals made to support your health and lifestyle.
FAQs
Is Frive cheaper than HelloFresh?
Frive meals usually cost between £7.75 and £8.75 each, depending on your plan size, while HelloFresh boxes start at around £3.50 per serving. Although HelloFresh looks cheaper per portion, Frive includes the full cooking and prep, saving up to 7 hours a week on shopping, cooking and cleaning. If you value convenience and nutrition, Frive offers better overall value for time and quality.
Which is healthier, Frive or HelloFresh?
Frive is built around whole, natural ingredients with no ultra-processed foods, seed oils or refined sugars. Every meal is chef-made and nutritionist-approved.
HelloFresh provides fresh ingredients to cook from scratch, but the nutritional balance depends on how you prepare the meal and what extras you add. For predictable, health-focused nutrition, Frive comes out ahead.
What is the main difference between Frive and HelloFresh?
Frive delivers ready-to-eat, chef-prepared meals that take under five minutes to heat. HelloFresh sends meal kits with raw ingredients for you to cook at home.
If you want healthy convenience, choose Frive. If you enjoy cooking and have time to spare, HelloFresh is a good fit.
Can Frive and HelloFresh both help with weight loss or fitness goals?
Yes, but in different ways.
Frive offers High-Protein, Low-Carb and Balanced plans designed to support specific goals, with every meal barcode-scannable in MyFitnessPal for easy tracking.
HelloFresh provides Calorie Smart and Protein Rich recipes, though you need to track manually. Frive is more suitable if you want structured nutrition for fitness or body-composition goals.
How long do Frive and HelloFresh meals last?
Frive meals stay fresh in the fridge for up to 7 days and can be frozen for up to 28 days, giving you flexible storage and no food waste.
HelloFresh ingredients should be cooked within 3 to 5 days of delivery, depending on the recipe, since they arrive raw and perishable.
Does Frive support more dietary requirements than HelloFresh?
Frive caters to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and halal diets, along with low-carb and high-protein options.
HelloFresh offers vegetarian, pescatarian and flexitarian menus but does not currently support halal or gluten-free diets.
If you manage allergies or prefer to avoid ultra-processed foods, Frive offers more inclusive and transparent options.
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 Allplants, 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.
