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8 Reliable and Fast Grocery Delivery Services in 2021

We ranked these online grocery delivery services based on speed, affordability, convenience, and flexibility. It’s what’s important to us as we work to keep our families safe and healthy right now.

We know many people want to do what they can to help out right now. That’s why we’ve made it easy to shop and donate! When you use Giving Assistant, the cash back you earn from that grocery purchase can benefit a nonprofit you love at a time when they need it most. Charitable shopping that feels and tastes good! (Try some meal delivery kits too for easy home meal preparation.)

Best Grocery Delivery Services in 2023

1. Hungry Root

Hungry Root Grocery Delivery

Hungryroot is an online grocery and recipe delivery service. All Hungryroot food meets their three-point standard. First, it has to be nutritious and made from whole, trusted ingredients. Second, it has to be easy and quick to prepare in (real, hectic) life. Finally, it has to taste damn good. All the food we carry is:

  • Free of partially hydrogenated oils
  • Free of artificial sweeteners
  • Free of high-fructose corn syrup
  • Free of artificial colors
  • Free of artificial preservatives

Savings Tip: Sign up for Hungry Root and get $10 cash back and 30% off their first order.

2. Thrive Market

thrive market online delivery

If it’s gotta be organic, Thrive’s your brand. This membership-based grocery delivery program boasts over 6,000 organic products that extend from groceries, all the way to beauty and household.

Savings Tips

Why Choose Thrive Market

✅Affordability ✅Eco-Friendly ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Customer Service ✅Gives Back to Charity ✅Contactless Delivery
  • Shoppers save up 50% on quality organic products in exchange for $9.95 month-to-month (or $120 paid annually) membership fee, in addition to receiving free samples of new products.
  • If after 12 months, if you’ve paid more money in membership fees than you’ve saved via Thrive’s discounts, Thrive will issue you a credit for the difference.
  • If you sign up, pay the membership fee, and within the first 30 days decide to cancel, Thrive will refund your fee.
  • Thrive matches every membership with a free membership given to a student, teacher, veteran, and others who qualify for their Thrive Gives program.
  • Thrive has supported hundreds of thousands of families in crisis with free meals; in 2019, this included furloughed government workers, families affected by natural disasters, and families separated at the U.S., Mexico border.

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: The 48 contiguous U.S. states only. (Not Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.) No P.O. boxes.
  • Average Delivery Time: 3-5 business days for most orders. Frozen meat, seafood, and some wines may take longer. Note: As of March 2020, deliveries are delayed by 10+ days due to the coronavirus outbreak.
  • Type of Delivery: Contactless

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • Membership Costs: $9.95 month-to-month or $120 paid annually.
  • Shipping & Delivery Costs: Free shipping on your first order. $5.95 on orders under $49, free after that.

3. Walmart Grocery

walmart grocery online delivery

Walmart Grocery lets shoppers enjoy the chain’s Everyday Low Prices on their groceries, with pickup available from hundreds of Walmart locations — and delivery service straight to your door. A 100% money back guarantee ensures great value and convenience.

Savings Tips

Why Choose Walmart Grocery

✅Contactless Delivery ✅Affordability ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Same-Day Delivery ✅Free Delivery (with membership) ✅Accepts EBT (Pickup Only)
  • With a $12.95 month-to-month Groceries Unlimited membership fee, individual delivery fees are waived. (Shoppers can also pay $98 annually for membership.) A 15-day free trial of the program is available.
  • You can schedule your delivery and receive your groceries whenever it’s convenient for you.

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: Grocery delivery is available in over 200 U.S. metro areas, from over 1,500 Walmart locations. To check if your specific location delivers, start at grocery.walmart.com.
  • Average Delivery Time: Same day, or at the time you schedule.
    Type of Delivery: Person-to-person. (Delivery driver hands order to you directly.)

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • Membership Costs: For the Groceries Unlimited plan, fee is $12.98 month-to-month or $98 per year.
  • Shipping & Delivery Costs: Delivery fee is between $7 and $10 on average. Delivery fee is waived with Groceries Unlimited membership.

4. Instacart

instacart online grocery delivery

Get your groceries delivered from any store! Start at Instacart.com, type in your zip code, browse the stores in your area, and go shopping.

Savings Tips

Why Choose Instacart

✅Local Food ✅Same-Day Delivery ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Pharmacy Delivery ✅No Membership Required ✅Contactless Delivery
  • You’re not limited to a specific retailer. Instacart employees go to any store you select, pull products, and deliver them to your door.
  • 1-hour delivery is available in many regions, depending on demand.
  • Instacart Express membership waves all delivery and service fees on orders above $30, and there’s a 14-day free trial.

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: Available in most of the U.S. and Canada, but some communities may not have it yet. Find out by entering your zip code here.
  • Average Delivery Time: Depending on demand, as little as 1 hour. Same-Day delivery is almost always available. Note: Be aware that as of 3/30/2020, Instacart may be experiencing serious delays in some parts of the country.
    Type of Delivery: Person-to-person (an Instacart employee will bring your order to your door while you’re home), but at check out, you can request the products be left on your doorstep in the delivery instructions section, making the delivery contactless.

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • Membership in the Instacart Express program is optional, at $149 for the year.
  • Members get free delivery.
  • Free delivery on first order. Afterwards, delivery fees (for non-Instacart Express Shoppers) are around $7.99 for 1-hour delivery and $5.99 for 2+ hour delivery, but may increase during “busy times”.
  • $2 minimum service charge applies. Tipping your Instacart delivery associated is preferred!

5. Boxed

boxed online grocery delivery

Boxed offers you the opportunity to buy in bulk online. With Boxed, you can take advantage of big sizes—and big savings—to ensure you have everything you need.

Savings Tips

Why Choose Boxed

✅Bulk Shopping ✅No Membership Fee ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Contactless Delivery
  • Like an online Costco or Sam’s Club, Boxed saves shoppers money by letting them shop for their favorite products in bulk.
  • Boxed offers free delivery on your first purchase and on orders $49+.
  • Massive selection of brands; There’s nothing we couldn’t find.

Delivery

Where They Deliver: 48 contiguous U.S. states. (Not Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.)

  • Average Delivery Time: 2 business days on average, but may experience delays up to 4+ days as of March 2020 due to supply shortages.
  • Type of Delivery: Contactless (delivered by UPS to your doorstep), unless delivery requires a signature, as in the case of some purchases with alcohol.

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • No membership, unless you choose to join the BoxedUp program for extra rewards
  • Free shipping at $49 per year
  • Free delivery on your first purchase
  • Free delivery after that on orders over $49

6. FreshDirect

freshdirect grocery delivery

Fresh Direct is in the business of delivering fresh, high-quality food directly to your door and in just a few days. The mission of Fresh Direct is to combine quality, convenience, and value; shorten the supply chain; and ensure food has a longer shelf life.

Savings Tips

  • Earn 6% cash back on your first Fresh Direct order when you use Giving Assistant.
  • Save $5 by scheduling deliveries midweek (Tuesday through Thursday).
  • Receive a referral bonus when your friends or family use Fresh Direct.

Why Choose FreshDirect

✅Local Food Options ✅Eco-Friendly ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Fast Delivery ✅Contactless Delivery ✅Accepts EBT in Bronx, NY
  • Fresh Direct has a team of butchers and fishmongers that marinate, chop, and whip up great meals for you.
  • Fresh Direct makes it easy to find nutritional information—calories, ingredients, and allergens—so you know exactly what you’re getting.
  • Store your shopping list for quick reorder and reserve your favorite delivery time to suit your schedule.

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: The Northeastern U.S., including New York City, the Washington D.C. metro area, and some New England states like Connecticut. Go here to search for your specific zip code.
  • Average Delivery Time: 3 days on average. Use this tool to check delivery time estimations in your area, and view available delivery time slots.
    Type of Delivery: Contactless or person-to-person. “Touchless delivery” is available as of March 2020: Delivery personnel will bring your order to your door, but will not enter your residence.

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • You don’t need to be a member to receive delivery, however with a Delivery Pass membership, delivery fees are waived.
  • The membership costs $79 for 6 months or $129 for the year. If you sign up for Tuesday-through-Thursday delivery only (compared to the previous options, which allow for anytime-delivery), the fee is $39 for 6 months.
  • Without a Delivery Pass membership, delivery fees range from $5.99 to $9.99. ($15.99 in the Hamptons, New York.) See what the delivery fee would be for your area here.

7. Shipt

shipt online grocery delivery

Shipt provides same-day shopping delivery via their website or app, at dozens of national retailers like Costco, Petco, Target, and more.

Savings Tips

  • Get $10 cash back on your first order when you use Giving Assistant. 
  • Members with the Shipt app receive exclusive deals in email and within the app. 
  • With your student ID, save $50 on an annual membership. 
  • When Shipt launches in a new city, they offer a promotional grocery credit for annual memberships. Sign up before the launch and get $25 in free groceries.

Why Choose Shipt

✅Fast Delivery ✅Gives Back to Charities ✅Alcohol Delivery
✅Pharmacy Delivery ✅Student Discounts ✅Contactless Delivery
  • Get basically anything delivered: Groceries, kitchenware, school supplies, electronics…
  • No surprise fees; To account for their services and keep you from paying extra in delivery and service fees, Shipt increases the price of products by a few cents. The price of your cart is the price you pay.
  • Get up-to-the-minute updates with every order.
  • Depending on demand, get your items delivered within 2 hours.
  • Shipt partners with nonprofits like Feeding America, the Cam Newton Foundation, and local food banks to help fight food insecurity in the U.S.

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: Available in nearly 300 major U.S. cities. Check availability in your area here.
  • Average Delivery Time: Same-day.
  • Type of Delivery: Both person-to-person and contactless. Specify your preference at checkout.

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • $14 per month, or $99 per year.
  • No fees on orders $35.
  • $7 delivery fee under that.
  • No minimum order requirements.

8. Peapod 

peapod online grocery delivery

Peapod is associated with Eastern U.S. groceries chains like Stop & Shop and Food Lion, making it easy to get fresh, local food delivered to your door within a day.

Savings Tips

Why Choose Peapod

✅Local Food ✅Next-Day Delivery ✅Meal Kits
✅Alcohol Delivery ✅Organic Food ✅Contactless Delivery
  • Shoppers can enjoy fresh meats, seafood, and produce; thousands of natural and organic options; and meal solutions including meal kits and fully prepared dishes.
  • Household and beauty products, pet care, paper goods, and local specialty items are also available.
  • Groceries are packed and shipped at the last possible moment to ensure freshness. 

Delivery

  • Where They Deliver: Currently, Peapod delivers in 24 metro areas in the following 11 states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Enter your zipcode on their homepage to see if your area is available.
  • Average Delivery Time: Orders placed before 8 P.M. will be delivered the following day. Shoppers can also pick specific delivery dates and times within 2 weeks from order date.
  • Type of Delivery: Person-to-person (delivery driver hands order to you directly) OR  Contactless (left by Peapod driver at your doorstep)

Fees & Shipping Costs

  • No membership required, but a PodPass waives all delivery fees. It’s $119 for 1 year, and $69 for 6 months.
  • For $55, you can get a 6-month PodPass, but delivery dates are restricted to Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.) 
  • For non-PodPass members: $6.95 to $9.95.
  • Larger orders pay less in delivery fees.

What is Contactless Delivery?

Contactless delivery means you won’t have to interact with delivery personnel, and deliveries will be left at your doorstep.

This can be helpful for those looking to stay healthy by practicing social distancing during the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, or for anytime when social distancing is necessary for someone’s health. 

In many cases where contactless delivery is available, this also means you don’t have to be home to receive the delivery. (In other words, you can stay on your couch!)

How to Shop to Give

Did you know that if you shop brands that offer cash back you can earn free money? Shoppers can use this this money to donate to any nonprofit, including COVID-19 Relief organizations. Here’s how:

  1. Sign up for Giving Assistant today  – it’s free!
  2. Select your Nonprofit and choose how much you want to donate
  3. Download our browser extension, so that your future online orders can contribute much-needed funds to nonprofits like the CDC Foundation, American Red Cross, and more.

Giving Assistant Recommendations for Nonprofits Accepting Donations directly aiding COVID-19:

  • CDC Foundation – Prevent and detect COVID-19, fund food and medicine, and deploy medical staffing
  • Project HOPE – Global health and humanitarian relief organization empowering health workers around the world
  • No Kid Hungry – Helping to feed kids during school COVID-19 school closures
  • International Medical Corps – Working in more than 30 countries to provide expertise, equipment, training, and triage, and treatment services
  • American Red Cross – ARC is facing a severe blood shortage because of blood drive cancellations, currently looking for healthy donors

Tip: Be sure to check for your local community organization when searching for your nonprofit to support. Community organizations can have the fastest, most direct impact for fighting hunger and providing supplies for members of your community.