HelloFresh delivers pre-portioned meal kits to your door. It is a convenient option, but typically more expensive per serving than cooking from supermarket ingredients — and it only covers the meals in your box. For everything else, you still need a separate supermarket trip. Mealia connects directly to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons, building your grocery basket automatically at supermarket prices. Your meal ingredients sit alongside your household essentials, snacks, and everything else in one shop. Start with a free 1-week trial, then a subscription.
HelloFresh sends a weekly box of pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards to your door. Mealia is a meal planning app that connects directly to your UK supermarket and builds your grocery basket automatically from your chosen recipes.
The practical difference: HelloFresh replaces your supermarket shop for those meals, but you still need to do a full supermarket shop for everything else (household essentials, snacks, breakfast, lunch, drinks). Mealia works alongside your supermarket shop, or replaces it entirely, because it covers your full weekly order in one basket.
| Feature | Mealia | HelloFresh |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Plans your meals, builds your supermarket basket automatically | Delivers pre-portioned ingredient boxes to your door |
| Where you shop | Your chosen UK supermarket (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons) | HelloFresh delivers directly |
| Cost per meal | Supermarket prices (typically £1.50 to £3.50 per portion) | From £3.99 per portion (min. order applies) |
| Full household shop | Yes, one basket covers meals and household essentials | No, you still need a separate supermarket shop |
| Recipe choice | Wide selection, customisable to your preferences | Limited weekly menu selected by HelloFresh |
| Dietary flexibility | Full filter options set by you | Some dietary options available |
| Commitment | Monthly subscription, cancel anytime | Weekly box, can pause or cancel |
| Packaging waste | Standard supermarket packaging | Significant box and ice pack waste |
HelloFresh starts at around £3.99 per portion for a 2-person plan, rising to £5 to £7 per portion on smaller plans. A family of four eating HelloFresh meals five nights a week would spend £80 to £140 on HelloFresh alone, before buying any household essentials, breakfasts, or lunches.
With Mealia, your five dinners for four are built into your Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, or Morrisons basket at standard supermarket prices, typically £1.50 to £3.50 per portion. Everything else goes in the same basket. One checkout, one delivery fee.
HelloFresh works well if you want recipes and ingredients delivered without any planning or shopping at all, and you're comfortable paying a premium for that convenience. It can be useful for people who find grocery shopping genuinely difficult or time-consuming, and who don't mind receiving a fixed weekly menu.
Mealia is the better choice for most UK households because it covers your full weekly shop in one basket, at supermarket prices. You choose your recipes, set your budget, and Mealia builds a complete basket at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, or Morrisons automatically. Household essentials, snacks, and everything else go in the same order. There is no separate delivery and no premium pricing on ingredients.
Yes, significantly. HelloFresh costs £3.99 to £7 per portion depending on your plan. Mealia builds your basket at standard supermarket prices, typically £1.50 to £3.50 per portion. For a family eating 5 dinners per week, the difference can be £50 to £80 per week.
No. HelloFresh only delivers the ingredients for the specific meals in your box. You still need to separately shop for breakfast, lunch, household essentials, snacks, and drinks. Mealia covers all of this in one supermarket basket.
HelloFresh gives you a set weekly menu with limited customisation. Mealia gives you full control over your meal choices, dietary filters, budget, and serving sizes, with your selections automatically built into your supermarket basket.
Tasty, healthy, and budget friendly meal plan and grocery shopping done in a few clicks. Download Mealia today for free on the App Store or GooglePlay.
