HelloFresh alternative
HelloFresh sends the ingredients. We send the chef who cooks them.
4.9 ★ · 35K+ dinners cooked
Two ways to handle dinner
HelloFresh ships pre-portioned ingredients and recipes, around $9 to $12.50 a serving, but you still cook and clean every meal. Livin is the upgrade when you are done cooking. A vetted chef shops, cooks a full week of meals fresh in your kitchen, and cleans up, from dishes you choose and around your dietary needs.
| What we compared | Livin | HelloFresh |
|---|---|---|
| Who's cooking | ||
| Who cooks | LivinA vetted chef cooks in your kitchen | HelloFreshYou cook from the recipe card |
| What you eat | ||
| Freshness | LivinA full week, cooked fresh at once | HelloFreshYou cook each meal the night you eat it |
| Variety | LivinHundreds of dishes you choose from | HelloFreshWeekly recipe menu |
| Nutrition data | LivinMacros computed from USDA data, per dish | HelloFreshNutrition listed per recipe |
| What it asks of you | ||
| Effort | LivinShopping, cooking, and cleanup handled | HelloFreshYou cook and clean every meal |
| Customization | LivinCooked around your allergies, dietary needs, and hard-nos | HelloFreshSwap a protein on some recipes |
| Coverage | LivinAtlanta and Los Angeles | HelloFreshShips nationwide |
| What it costs | ||
| Per plate | LivinAround $26 a plate. | HelloFresharound $9 to $12.50 a serving $10.99 flat shipping per box |
HelloFresh 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 HelloFresh if
You like to cook and want the planning and shopping done for you. HelloFresh delivers ingredients and recipes well, and it is cheaper than a chef.
Switch to Livin if
You are done cooking and cleaning every night. You want a chef to cook a week of meals fresh in your kitchen, chosen by you and cooked around your dietary needs.
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 are done cooking. A vetted chef shops, cooks a week of meals fresh in your kitchen, and cleans up, from dishes you choose and around your allergies and dietary needs. HelloFresh ships ingredients and recipes, but you still cook.
- Yes. HelloFresh sends pre-portioned ingredients and a recipe card, and you cook the meal, usually thirty to forty-five minutes including cleanup. With Livin, a chef does the cooking and the cleanup in your kitchen.
- If you enjoy cooking and want the planning and shopping handled, HelloFresh is a good value and cheaper than a personal chef. The common complaints are that you still cook and clean every night, the recipes repeat over time, and the packaging adds up.
- A personal chef service. Livin sends a vetted chef to cook a full week of meals fresh in your kitchen, from dishes you choose, around your dietary needs, with cleanup included. It costs more than a meal kit because no cooking is left for you.