HelloFresh vs Gousto UK: Comparing Prices, Quality & Alternatives
TL;DR: Once delivery is included, Gousto is cheaper than HelloFresh at every box size we priced: by 4p to 15p a portion for two people and 35p a portion for a family of four. It's also the only one of the two with a one-person box and one-off orders. HelloFresh gave the most calories per portion in MoneySavingExpert's side-by-side test. Both mean cooking every night, and neither says its food is free from ultra-processed ingredients, which is where we're different.
HelloFresh and Gousto work the same way: they send you pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards, and you do the cooking. They differ less on price than most comparisons suggest, and more on box sizes, flexibility and how filling the meals are. Since August 2026, Gousto has also sold a small range of ready meals, which changes the question for anyone who's tired of cooking.
We priced both on their own websites, at the same box sizes, with delivery included, so the numbers below compare like with like. Here's what you actually pay, which one suits your household and, if you'd rather have cooking-free evenings, where Frive fits in.
HelloFresh vs Gousto: a quick comparison
| HelloFresh vs Gousto at a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | HelloFresh | Gousto |
| What you get | Ingredients and recipe cards | Ingredients and recipe cards, plus Heat & Eat ready meals |
| Box sizes | 2, 3 or 4 people; 2 to 5 recipes | 1 to 5 people; 2 to 5 recipes |
| Box for one | No | Yes, from £7.40 a portion |
| 2 people, 3 recipes (6 portions) | £31.49 plus £4.99 delivery | £32.25 plus £3.99 delivery |
| 2 people, 5 recipes (10 portions) | £46.99 plus £4.99 delivery | £46.50 plus £3.99 delivery |
| Delivery | £4.99 a box | £3.99 a box, first box free; seven days a week |
| One-off orders | No, subscription only | Yes |
| Cooking time | 10 to 40 minutes, most 20 to 30 | Varies by recipe, with a 10-minute Meals range |
| Health filters | Calorie Smart, Protein Rich, Carb Smart, Quick Cook | Health Hub, Protein Hit, Fibre Fix, Calorie Controlled |
| Sourcing | All meat and poultry farm assured | All meat for UK customers 100% British; B Corp |
| Processing | No statement on how processed its ingredients are | Tracks processing with the NOVA system; no artificial colours, flavourings or MSG in newly developed ingredients; no UPF-free claim |
| Trustpilot | 3.2 from 109,297 reviews | 3.6 from 50,821 reviews |
| Best for | Families of two to four who want more filling dinners | Solo cooks, flexible ordering and the lower price |
Deep dive: head-to-head comparison
Here's how they compare where it matters.
Meal quality and ingredients
With a recipe box, the quality of dinner depends on what's in the box, including the parts that arrive ready-made, and what you do with it.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh says all of its meat and poultry is farm assured. Your ingredients arrive pre-portioned, and the spice blends, stock pastes and sauce sachets come made for you, so part of every dinner is ready before you start. Its FAQ doesn't say anything about how processed its ingredients are. There's simply nothing to go on. One practical note: in MoneySavingExpert's test, its first box arrived without the recipe cards.
Gousto
Gousto says all meat for UK customers is 100% British, and describes itself as a B Corp. Its help centre goes further on processing than HelloFresh does. Gousto says it tracks how processed its ingredients are using the NOVA system, and uses additives “only when they serve an important purpose”, such as food safety or shelf life. It doesn't allow artificial colours, flavourings or MSG in newly developed ingredients. What it doesn't do is describe its meals as UPF free. And in MoneySavingExpert's test, Gousto's ingredients arrived mixed together rather than bagged by recipe.
In both cases, the finished meal depends on your cooking, and on the oil and seasoning you add from your own cupboard.
Gousto is best if you want a brand that sets out how it handles processing, alongside British meat and B Corp credentials. HelloFresh suits you if farm-assured meat and a familiar family-friendly kit are enough.
Menu variety and nutrition
Choice keeps a recipe box interesting; the filters decide whether it fits how you eat.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh lets you filter by preference: Calorie Smart (under 650 calories), Quick Cook (20 minutes), Protein Rich, Carb Smart, Vegetarian, Pescatarian and Family Friendly. Its Market sells add-ons too: breakfasts, lunches, desserts, snacks, sides and drinks. The number that stands out comes from MoneySavingExpert. Of the five boxes it tested, HelloFresh had the most calories per portion. If you're feeding hungry people, that counts.
Gousto
Gousto has more ways to eat to a goal. Its ranges include Health Hub, Protein Hit, Fibre Fix, Veg Boost, Calorie Controlled and 10-minute Meals, alongside plant-based, vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy-free and gluten-free. So if you're watching your protein or fibre, there's a range built for it. Its Market sells drinks, desserts and kitchen gadgets. The trade-off? MoneySavingExpert found Gousto had the smallest average portions of the five boxes it tested.
HelloFresh is best if you want more filling dinners, with the most calories per portion in MoneySavingExpert's test. Gousto suits you if you want more ways to filter by health goal, such as protein or fibre.
Delivery, box sizes and flexibility
This is where the two differ most, and it decides which one fits your week.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh sells boxes for 2, 3 or 4 people, with 2 to 5 recipes. There's no box for one person. It's also subscription only (HelloFresh says it doesn't offer one-off orders), with deliveries weekly, every two weeks or every four weeks, and delivery costs £4.99. Need a break? You can skip up to four weeks at a time, as long as you do it by 11.59pm five days before delivery.
Gousto
Gousto goes from 1 to 5 people, with 2 to 5 recipes, so it works if you live alone. You can order a one-off box with or without a subscription. It delivers seven days a week, at £3.99 a box, and your first box is free. Changes and skips need to be in by noon three days before delivery, which gives you two more days to make up your mind than HelloFresh does.
Gousto is best for solo cooks and anyone who wants to order only when they need to. HelloFresh suits households of two to four who are happy with a regular subscription.
Pricing and value for money
Both price per portion, and the price per portion falls as the box gets bigger.
HelloFresh
Two people and three recipes costs £31.49, or £36.48 once you add the £4.99 delivery, which is £6.08 a portion. Two people, five recipes (ten portions) costs £46.99. Add the £4.99 delivery and it's £51.98, or £5.20 a portion delivered. The biggest box, four people and five recipes, is £69.99, or £74.98 delivered. That's £3.75 a portion.
Gousto
The same two-person, three-recipe box from Gousto costs £32.25, or £36.24 with the £3.99 delivery, which is £6.04 a portion. The same two-person, five-recipe box costs £46.50, or £50.49 with the £3.99 delivery. That's £5.05 a portion delivered. Four people, five recipes is £64.00, or £67.99 delivered, which works out at £3.40 a portion.
Both need your own oil, seasoning and staples, and your time, so it's worth knowing how much cooking really costs you in time.
Gousto is the cheaper box at every size we priced once delivery is included: 4p to 15p a portion for two, 35p a portion for four. HelloFresh suits you if more filling portions are worth the difference.
Customer reviews and reputation
Reviews are the best check on whether a box turns up complete and on time.
HelloFresh
3.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 109,297 reviews, checked 23 September 2026. That's more than twice as many reviews as Gousto behind the score.
Gousto
3.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 50,821 reviews, checked 23 September 2026.
HelloFresh has more than twice as many reviews behind its score. Gousto has the better score, 3.6 against 3.2.
Is HelloFresh or Gousto cheaper?
Gousto, once delivery is included: by 4p to 15p a portion for two people and 35p a portion for a family of four. Here's every box we priced, side by side.
| Price per portion at matched box sizes, full price, delivery included | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box | HelloFresh | Gousto |
| 1 person, 5 recipes5 portions | Not available | £8.20a portion£37.00 + £3.99 delivery = £40.99 |
| 2 people, 3 recipes6 portions | £6.08a portion£31.49 + £4.99 delivery = £36.48 | £6.04a portion£32.25 + £3.99 delivery = £36.24 |
| 2 people, 5 recipes10 portions | £5.20a portion£46.99 + £4.99 delivery = £51.98 | £5.05a portion£46.50 + £3.99 delivery = £50.49 |
| 4 people, 5 recipes20 portions | £3.75a portion£69.99 + £4.99 delivery = £74.98 | £3.40a portion£64.00 + £3.99 delivery = £67.99 |
Both brands discount the first boxes heavily for new customers, so your first few weeks will cost less than this, and the prices above are what you pay after that.
MoneySavingExpert's April 2026 test agreed on price but added a twist: Gousto was cheaper per serving, while HelloFresh gave “better value for money by weight”.
If you live alone, only Gousto sells a box for one: five recipes for £40.99 delivered, or £8.20 a portion. And if you're wondering how much is HelloFresh a week, two people and three recipes comes to £36.48 a week delivered.
Do HelloFresh or Gousto do ready meals?
Gousto does now; HelloFresh doesn't make its own in the UK.
In August 2026 Gousto launched Heat & Eat: chilled ready meals that go in the microwave and, in Gousto's words, are “ready in 7 mins”. It's a small range, and there was a vegetarian dish on it when we checked. You buy them through a Gousto box, as a one-off or on a subscription, and you can fill a box with only Heat & Eat meals.
One thing to know before you order: every dish arrives as two single portions. Gousto's product card says “You'll receive 2 single portions of this meal”, so five dishes means ten meals, each eaten twice. Here's how Heat & Eat compares with Frive.
HelloFresh doesn't sell its own ready meal range in the UK. Its ready meal brand, Factor, isn't sold here, though its Market sometimes resells ready meals from other brands as add-ons.
If the cooking is the part you want to stop, a ready-to-eat meal service is a different product from a recipe box. See how the other ready-to-eat services compare.
The pivot: why Frive is the more convenient choice
Recipe boxes take the planning and the shopping off your hands, and the cooking is yours. What's in the box isn't, entirely: the sauce sachets, stock pastes and spice blends arrive made for you, and neither brand describes its food as UPF free. You still prep, cook and wash up every night.
Every meal we make is made from 100% natural ingredients with no artificial ingredients or UPFs, from the sauce up. Then we cook it for you: it arrives fresh and it's ready in about three minutes.
| HelloFresh vs Frive vs Gousto | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | HelloFresh | Frive | Gousto |
| Ultra-processed ingredients | No UPF-free claim; no statement on processing | None: 100% natural, no artificial ingredients or UPFs | No UPF-free claim; tracks processing with NOVA and limits additives |
| What arrives | Ingredients and recipe cards | Cooked meals, ready to heat | Ingredients and recipe cards; Heat & Eat ready meals too |
| Time on the night | 10 to 40 minutes cooking | About three minutes in the microwave | Varies by recipe; Heat & Eat 7 minutes |
| Price | £5.20 a portion delivered (2 people, 5 recipes) | £7.90 a meat meal; six meat meals £47.40 delivered | £5.05 a portion delivered (2 people, 5 recipes); £8.20 in a box for one |
| Delivery | £4.99 | £6; free on orders of £40 or more | £3.99; first box free |
| Order without subscribing | No | No; skip or cancel any time | Yes |
| Sourcing | Farm-assured meat | Red Tractor beef, chicken and turkey; ASC fish | 100% British meat; B Corp |
| Protein | Protein Rich filter | Median 44g across 43 main meals | Protein Hit range |
| Trustpilot | 3.2 (109,297 reviews) | 4.4 (13,133 reviews) | 3.6 (50,821 reviews) |
Why Frive is the brand to beat
No ultra-processed ingredients: every meal is made from 100% natural ingredients, with no artificial ingredients or UPFs and only olive, avocado and sesame oils.
No cooking, no washing up: meals arrive cooked and are ready in about three minutes.
Built around protein: a median of 44g across the 43 main meals on this week's menu.
Good value for one: six meat meals delivered cost £47.40, £7.90 each, less per meal than Gousto's box for one at £8.20 a portion delivered.
Plans for how you eat: high protein, weight loss, low carb, balanced, vegetarian, vegan and halal.
If you're feeding two or more and you enjoy cooking, a recipe box costs less per portion than we do. Where we win is what's in the food, protein and time. For the full head-to-heads, see Frive vs HelloFresh and Frive vs Gousto.
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HelloFresh vs Gousto: the final verdict
Choose Gousto if you live alone, want to order only some weeks, or want the lower price.
Choose HelloFresh if you're feeding a family of two to four and want more filling dinners on a regular subscription.
Choose Frive if you want food made with no ultra-processed ingredients, without the cooking.
1. Once delivery is included, Gousto is cheaper at every box size we priced: £5.05 against £5.20 a portion for two people and five recipes.
2. Only Gousto has a box for one person and one-off orders.
3. HelloFresh gave the most calories per portion in MoneySavingExpert's test.
4. Gousto scores 3.6 on Trustpilot; HelloFresh 3.2.
5. Gousto now sells a small range of ready meals, each dish arriving as two portions; HelloFresh doesn't make its own in the UK.
6. Neither recipe box describes its food as UPF free; every Frive meal is made with no artificial ingredients or UPFs.
Want the food without the cooking? Every Frive meal is chef-crafted and nutritionist-approved, made from 100% natural ingredients with no artificial ingredients or UPFs. The median meal carries 44g of protein, and it's ready in about three minutes. Pick a plan for high protein, weight loss, low carb, balanced, vegetarian, vegan or halal, then have a look at this week's menu. New customer discount available.
FAQs
Is HelloFresh or Gousto cheaper?
Gousto, once delivery is included. For two people and five recipes, Gousto costs £50.49 delivered (£5.05 a portion) against HelloFresh's £51.98 (£5.20 a portion). Gousto delivery is £3.99 a box and HelloFresh's is £4.99. Those are full prices, before any first-box discounts.
How much is HelloFresh a week?
At full price, before new customer discounts, two people and three recipes costs £31.49 plus £4.99 delivery, so £36.48 a week. Two people and five recipes is £51.98 a week delivered, and four people and five recipes is £74.98 a week delivered.
How much is Gousto a week?
At full price, before new customer discounts, one person and five recipes costs £40.99 a week delivered. Two people and five recipes is £50.49, and four people and five recipes is £67.99, both delivered. Delivery is £3.99 a box, and the first box ships free.
Is Gousto worth it?
It's the cheaper of the two once delivery is included, at £5.05 a portion for two people and five recipes. It has a box for one and lets you order one-off. The catch: MoneySavingExpert found its portions the smallest of the five boxes it tested. You still cook every night.
Is HelloFresh worth it?
It gave the most calories per portion in MoneySavingExpert's test, which suits families. But it's subscription only, has no box for one, and costs more a portion than Gousto once delivery is included (£5.20 against £5.05 for two people, five recipes). It scores 3.2 on Trustpilot.
Are HelloFresh and Gousto meals ultra-processed?
Neither describes its meals as UPF free. Gousto says it tracks processing using the NOVA system and uses additives only where they serve a purpose, such as food safety or shelf life. HelloFresh's FAQ doesn't address processing. Frive meals are made with no artificial ingredients or UPFs.
Do HelloFresh or Gousto sell ready meals?
Gousto does. It launched Heat & Eat chilled ready meals in August 2026: a small range, including a vegetarian dish, bought through a Gousto box. Each dish arrives as two single portions, so five dishes means ten meals. HelloFresh doesn't sell its own ready meals in the UK.
HelloFresh and Gousto prices were checked on each brand's website on 23 September 2026 and Gousto Heat & Eat on 28 September 2026. All prices are full price before introductory discounts; HelloFresh says prices may vary by postcode. Frive prices were checked on 28 September 2026.
Prices checked on each brand's website in September 2026.
