Factor alternative
Factor reheats a tray. We send a chef who cooks in your kitchen.
4.9 ★ · 35K+ dinners cooked
Two ways to handle dinner
Factor ships ready-to-eat meals you microwave, around $11 to $14 each. If you want zero cooking and the lowest effort, it is a solid pick. Livin is different. A vetted chef cooks fresh in your kitchen each week from dishes you choose, cooks around your allergies and dietary needs, and shows macros computed from USDA data.
| What we compared | Livin | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Who's cooking | ||
| Who cooks | LivinA vetted chef cooks in your kitchen | FactorCooked in a facility, shipped to you |
| What you eat | ||
| Freshness | LivinCooked fresh, eaten that week | FactorCooked days ahead, chilled, reheated |
| Variety | LivinHundreds of dishes you choose from | FactorSet weekly menu of trays |
| Nutrition data | LivinMacros computed from USDA data, per dish | FactorCalories and macros on the label |
| What it asks of you | ||
| Customization | LivinCooked around your allergies, dietary needs, and hard-nos | FactorPick from the menu, no swaps |
| Effort | LivinShopping, cooking, and cleanup handled | FactorMicrowave, then toss the tray |
| Coverage | LivinAtlanta and Los Angeles | FactorShips nationwide |
| What it costs | ||
| Per plate | LivinAround $26 a plate. | Factor$11 to $14 a meal $10.99 and up per box |
Factor details verified July 2026.
Now, the easiest part of your day: dinner.
Fresh, not frozen.
Your chef shops for fresh ingredients, with your household's preferences and needs as their guide.
Cooked in your kitchen.
No commissary. No ghost kitchen. No meal kit box. Your stove, your standards, your table.
This month, your chef is making
Real dishes from the current menu. Customizable, with USDA-verified nutrition on every plate.
“For the first Sunday in like a year, I don't feel exhausted. I actually went outside and played with my boys. It was awesome! This is truly the best thing I've spent money on in a long time! Best. Service. Ever!”
— Crystal, Executive and Mom of Twins
Be honest with yourself
Stay with Factor if
You want the lowest effort and price, no cooking at all, and you are fine reheating meals made days earlier and shipped. Factor does ready-to-eat well, and for that brief it is a strong pick.
Switch to Livin if
You want meals cooked fresh in your kitchen, not reheated from a tray. You want to choose from hundreds of dishes, have a chef cook around your allergies and dietary needs, and see macros computed from USDA data.
It gets better every week
A box is the same on week one and week fifty. Livin learns. You give feedback, your profile updates, next week is sharper. Same chef or a new one.
- 01
We learn your household.
Allergies, picky eaters, the way your Tuesdays go. We build your profile before anyone steps in your kitchen.
- 02
We propose your menu
Each week, dinners built for your household. Keep what we send, swap a dish, or send us a request.
- 03
Your chef handles the kitchen
Shopping, cooking, cleanup. Plus heating notes so the rest of the week is easy.
- 04
We keep tuning
You give feedback. We update your profile. Sometimes a new dish. Sometimes a new chef. Either way, next week is sharper.
Who's behind it
“I built Livin so dinner could feel like an actual part of life again, not a thing to survive.”
Erica
Founder of Livin
A chef who learns your household. Not a box from a menu.
Get StartedFrequently asked questions
- Livin is the alternative for people who want a real meal cooked fresh instead of a tray they reheat. A vetted chef cooks for your household in your kitchen, cooks around your allergies and dietary needs, and every dish shows macros computed from USDA data. Factor ships ready-to-eat meals you microwave.
- If you want zero cooking, the lowest effort, and a low price per meal, Factor is a strong pick. The common trade-offs are reheated-not-fresh food, menus that feel repetitive over time, and no real customization. Whether it is worth it depends on whether you value the convenience over a meal cooked fresh in your home.
- Factor meals are cooked in a facility, chilled, and shipped, then you reheat them in the microwave. They are fresh, not frozen, but they are cooked days before you eat them. Livin meals are cooked fresh in your kitchen the week you eat them.
- No. Factor meals come as built, so you choose from the menu but do not change the dish. With Livin you choose from hundreds of dishes, and your chef cooks around your allergies, dietary needs, and hard-nos.