Factor vs. HelloFresh: How Do the Heat-and-Eat Meals Compare to Meal Kits?

Meal delivery services, a la Dinnerly and Home Chef, are peaking in popularity. It’s not surprising when you consider that most families have to contend with work, school and childcare before putting dinner on the table. In fact, dinner prep oftentimes takes more than an hour—and most of us simply don’t have that much time in a day. If you’ve done any research into these time-savers, you’ll quickly realize there are tons of meal delivery services out there. Two of the most popular are Factor and HelloFresh.

While the differences between some meal services like Home Chef and HelloFresh are rather minimal, Factor vs. HelloFresh is a much broader comparison. Sure, both services offer fresh, filling meals in under an hour. However, one focuses on ready-made meals, whereas the other is something more akin to a meal prep kit that requires cooking, cutting and stirring. We tried both services to get the full experience—and we realized that these are two different animals entirely.

Factor and HelloFresh: At a Glance

HelloFresh is one of the most well-known meal delivery services, and for good reason. The meals are creative, come in a variety of dietary options and offer step-by-step instructions that make them easy to prepare and cook. Whether you’re a working professional or looking for a waste-free way to cook for the whole family, HelloFresh is an excellent option.

HelloFresh focuses on filling their customer’s carts with anywhere from two to six meals per week, each with two, four or six servings. You can also add additional meals for an extra charge. Because these meals offer multiple servings, this is a good meal service for families. The price of each week’s box depends on many different factors, including the number of meals, servings, customizations and add-ons chosen.

Curious how HelloFresh compares to other meal prep services? Read our EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh and Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh comparisons.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is an affordable meal delivery service that offers two to six meals per week, each with two, four or six servings.

Shop on HelloFresh

Factor meals are perfect for busy students or singles. These healthful meals are nutrient-rich without taking any more than a few minutes from tray to table. The directions for each meal are very clear: put the oven rack in the middle rung, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove the sleeve and film, place on a baking sheet and bake for seven minutes, adding additional minutes as needed. These directions are pretty inflexible from meal to meal, meaning that prep is quick and routine.

Factor offers as few as four meals per week or as many as 36, which is great if you want to substitute both lunches and dinners. All meals are single-serving and arrive in their own oven- and microwave-safe tray, so there’s no need to dirty any dishes. Factor’s meal kits also cost a bit less per meal than HelloFresh, though keep in mind that servings are smaller.

Similar services include CookUnity and Tovala, which both require minimal prep prior to cooking.

Factor

Factor shops, preps, cooks and delivers fresh meals to your door—just heat and eat!

Shop on Factor

HelloFresh and Factor: What’s Similar?

HelloFresh and Factor both put dinner on the table and they’re both delicious. But that’s where the similarities end.

HelloFresh and Factor: What’s Different?

HelloFresh has a number of cooking kits available that require prep with step-by-step instructions, Factor falls more into the “heat-and-eat” category. While the meals aren’t frozen, they arrive prepped, cooked and chilled ahead of time. This means that making dinner is as simple as popping them in the oven or microwave.

Recipe Variety and Dietary Options

HelloFresh offers around 60 meals each week in its rotating menu, including a few gluten-free meal kits. It also offers the following labels for meals: Calorie Smart, Carb Smart, Protein Smart, Easy Prep, Veggie, Family Friendly, Easy Clean-up, Quick and New. While its dietary menu isn’t expansive, it has a comparable number of options to a service like Gobble. With HelloFresh, customers can also alter most recipes by swapping out or adding proteins and doubling up servings, if desired.

Factor doesn’t offer recipe customizations like HelloFresh since the meals are already prepped. However, its keto meal kits are some of our favorites. Factor sorts its meals into the following categories: Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Keto, Carb Conscious and Vegan & Veggie. While it doesn’t have as many meat-free options as a fully plant-based service like Purple Carrot, there are still plenty of picks to satisfy the vegan palate.

Unique Add-Ons and Product Lines

HelloFresh offers lots of add-ons and upgrades. These include lunch items (e.g., Caesar salad, Cajun wings, soups, mac & cheese, etc.), and proteins including meat boxes. Subscribers also get access to the HelloFresh Market, which is like an online grocery store. Inside, shoppers can add apps or sides, desserts, breakfasts and brunch, lunches, snacks or drinks, pizza or pasta, proteins and even healthy dog food. They also offer Beyond the Box, which provides food to community members in need.

In a similar vein, Factor has its own grocery page. Add-ons include breakfast bundles (e.g., pancakes, scrambles, egg bites), cold-pressed juices, protein shakes, desserts (e.g., cheesecake, macaroons), keto cookies, plain proteins, snacks (e.g., wellness shots, nuts, PB bites), frozen foods (e.g., empanadas, smoothies), protein powder, basic sides and no-heat lunches. These are offered to you after building a box of meals.

Delivery and Packaging

HelloFresh meals come in a sturdy, branded, insulated cardboard box. Each meal is packed in its own bag, except the meat, which arrives separated on the bottom and is laid on top of an ice pack. There’s also a shiny, metallic bubble wrap insulation sleeve on all sides. HelloFresh uses Veho for delivery. Customers can track each week’s box via a confirmation text or the HelloFresh or Veho app. Deliveries take place seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Factor also uses Veho for delivery. However, you cannot track the box through the Factor app, so you need to download the Veho app or use the text confirmations. Factor meals arrive in a pretty compact branded box with a thick layer of fluffy, paper-sided insulation and two large ice packs. Deliveries take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Factor sends an estimated delivery time, which depends on the location.

How We Tested HelloFresh

Over the past two years, we’ve tested HelloFresh multiple times and have been pleased with the brand’s consistency. Overall, we have found the recipes both flavorful and easy to make.

“The protein and produce always meet my standards, and the brown-bag packaging of each meals’ ingredients makes for easy organization and prep,” raves product tester Sheri Kaz. “The chicken in my Pecan Crusted Chicken was juicy and tender with a beautiful crunch from the pecan breading. I liked the simplicity of the flavors. The overall dish felt like clean eating.”

Product testing manager Annamarie Higley also tested a box from HelloFresh and was equally impressed by her Street Cart-Style Turkey Bowls, One-Pan Beef Enchiladas Verdes and Dreamy Mushroom Cavatappi. “I’ll be dreaming of that Creamy Dreamy Mushroom Cavatappi until the next batch arrives,” she writes in her HelloFresh review. According to Sheri, who has tested six meal delivery services, HelloFresh is one of the most user-friendly services out there. She also likes the variety of recipes and the range of flavors and dietary preferences offered by HelloFresh. Her only complaint was that the fresh ingredients weren’t particularly impressive. “The lemon was small and not very juicy, and the cucumber was a bit soft,” she says. “The final result was certainly delicious enough to make me disregard these facts.”

Staff writer Marisa Hillman had a HelloFresh subscription for a year and agrees with Annamarie and Sheri about the service’s convenience and quality. “The meals were always easy to prepare and my family really enjoyed them,” she says. “I did occasionally receive produce that was ‘meh’ but it was always good.” So why did Marisa cancel? After a year, she started to feel as though some of the recipes were repetitive. “HelloFresh Chicken, Sausage and Kale soup is one of my all-time favorites,” raves Marisa. “But their Italian Wedding Soup recipe was almost identical. I came across a few like this and after a while got tired of making the same thing.” Luckily, HelloFresh is constantly adding new recipes to their catalog.

How We Tested Factor

Factor was among the half dozen meal delivery services that Annamarie tested for a series of articles. She tested a week’s worth of Factor meals including Loaded Bacon and Spinach Shredded Chicken, Indian-Style Butter Chicken, Stroganoff-Style Beef Burger, Nonna’s Sunday Beef Bolognese and a Vegetarian Tamale Bowl. Annamarie was impressed by the ease, flavors and overall quality. “There is absolutely no shortage of flavor and could definitely pass as homemade,” she raves.

Unlike HelloFresh, which Annamarie described as user-friendly, Factor’s website left much to be desired. She describes the website as a little duplicitous, intentionally overwhelming and confusing. In her Factor review, Annamarie notes that meals were automatically added to her cart. She would choose one meal, and the cart would show that there were five meals in there. For this reason, Annamarie recommends double-checking your cart prior to checkout. That said, she did find the app to be much more user-friendly.

While Annamarie enjoyed the meals, she did note the lack of menu creativity. The meals remind her of an average “healthy” meal, containing a cut of meat, vegetables and grains. “There is definitely a ‘formula’ for Factor meals that may not be as exciting as other meal kit services,” she writes. “Still, it’s a time-saving option for anyone looking to prioritize healthy eating.”

The Bottom Line

Both services impressed us with their meal variety, ease of ordering and transparency with pricing. No matter which you choose, you’ll enjoy fresh, filling meals in less time than traditional cooking takes. That said, these are definitely geared towards different types of consumers. HelloFresh is an excellent meal kit for families that offers flexible servings, customization and lots of add-ons. In contrast, Factor is geared towards singles who want to eat healthy meals without spending time on prep. If you’re still on the fence, consider trying Marley Spoon. After testing more than 10 options, it was our favorite overall meal kit.

FAQ

Is Factor owned by HelloFresh?

Yes. HelloFresh does own Factor.