Freshly vs Home Bistro (+9 Interesting features)
The following info-rich article will be checking out in depth two very popular meal delivery services which operate in the United States as of today. Freshly and Home Bistro are two amazing meal delivery platforms which offer fully-cooked meals for users across most regions of the US.
In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these two may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.
Freshly vs Home Bistro
In the table below, you will be able to see the different advantageous features which you can expect from Freshly and Home Bistro as meal delivery services. We have also mentioned the delivery areas of these platforms, along with the first-time discounts you can enjoy in Freshly and Home Bistro.
| Feature | Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Delivery areas | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii | United States |
| Price per plate | $8.49 per plate minimum | $17 to $19 per plate minimum |
| Difficulty levels | Easy | Easy |
| Avg. cooking time | 3 minutes of heating | No cooking required |
| Avg. calorie count | 400-500 calories per serving | 4000-700 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Nutritional information | Meal description,Nutritional facts |
| Recipes supported | Gluten-free,Dairy-free,Plant-based,Carb-smart,Calorie-conscious | Meat,Chicken,Turkey,Vegan,Vegetarian |
| No. of choices | 12 per week | Varies |
| Introductory deal | $100 off on first four orders | None |
| Avg. shelf life | 5-7 days,Longer while frozen | 1 year in freezer |
Types of Plans: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Freshly | Home Bistro |
| 4-5 meals per week $11.79 per portion + shipping | 10 Meals – Best Sellers $166.00 |
| 6-7 meals per week $9.99 per portion + shipping | 20 Meals – Table for Two $316.00 |
| 8-9 meals per week $9.49 per portion + shipping | 6 Meals – Body Shred $94.00 |
| 10-11 meals per week $9.29 per portion + shipping | 7 Meals – La Petite Best Sellers $115.00 |
| 12 meals per week $9.99 per portion + shipping | 10 Meals – Balance $162.00 |
| 10 Meals – Heart Healthy $160.00 |
Freshly offers numerous plans for the user to choose from based on how many meals they require in the week. The user is also free to add more meals to their weekly cart if they wish to do so. The meals in Freshly cover all types of common dietary requirements and there several gluten-free options, low-carb options and vegan-options are present here.
In Home Bistro, the user can choose to add meal combos or even individual meals to their cart. The meal combos cover various categories like balanced diets and even heart healthy diets to make it easier for the user to choose. Furthermore, there are also various plans of meals prepared by certain celebrity chefs for the user to choose from.
Winner: Freshly wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Ingredient type | Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Produce | US-based vendors | Locally sourced |
| Meat, eggs, fish | Free from fillers, chemical additives and even preservatives | No info |
| Other ingredients | Seasonings,Spices | No info |
In Freshly, the meals are made with the only best quality of ingredients. Freshly also provides lots of information regarding the sources of its ingredients. The produce and the greens are sourced from only those farms which are guaranteed to use safe practices. The meat and the poultry used in Freshly meals come from grass-fed animals and hormone-free birds.
Unfortunately, Home Bistro does not provide much information about the sourcing of its ingredients. It only generally mentions that the ingredients are locally and sustainably-sourced. This can be a letdown for those customers who are curious about where their food comes from, especially since the meals in Home Bistro fall on the more expensive side.
Winner: Freshly wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Proteins,Sides | All items |
Along with fully-cooked meals, the user can also gain access to a number of add-on items in Freshly. The add-on menu in Freshly covers a selection of healthy sides which can accompany the meals. In addition to these sides, Freshly also offers servings of extra protein like chicken and beef.
In Home Bistro, there is no add-on menu as such. The user can simply add the meals they want to their cart. They can also choose to add the meal combos if they want to save a little money. The menu in Home Bistro covers all types of meals and even offers a large collection of delicious desserts.
Winner: Freshly wins the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal box: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Meal box,Denim insulation,Non-toxic ice packs | Vacuum-skin packaging |
| Fully recyclable | Fully recyclable |
The packaging of the meals in Freshly is definitely quite effective and also easily recyclable at the same time. The meal boxes of Freshly meals are mostly made of recycled cardboard which can be recycled curbside. The meals in Freshly come with ice packs which contain a non-toxic gel.
In Home Bistro, the packaging has been updated pretty recently to bring more freshness to the user. Since this meal delivery service used to flash-freeze its meals before, the meals used to come with ice. As of 2021, Home Bistro uses vacuum-skin packaging for more freshness. The packaging is also easily recyclable.
Winner: Home Bistro wins the Packaging of Meal box segment.
Customer Support: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Feature | Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Chat support | + | – |
| Email support | + | + |
| Phone support | + | – |
| Availability | All days of the week | All days of the week |
In Freshly, customer support can be reached through a number of ways. The easiest way to get in touch with the customer support of Freshly is through the live chat feature. In addition to live chat, Freshly also allows the customer support to be reached by email support and even phone support.
Home Bistro only offers email support for its users to reach out. The emails are guaranteed to receive a response within 24 hours. There is no live chat feature or even phone support offered in Home Bistro which can be pretty disappointing for a number of users who expect a real-time response.
Winner: Freshly wins the Customer Support segment.
Sample Meals: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Sample | Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Sample 1 | Name: Steak Peppercorn with Sauteed Carrots & French Green BeansCalorie count: 500Heating time: 3 minsSpice level: Mild | Name: Mediterranean Chicken Breast with Orange Honey Labneh Sauce, Israeli Couscous and Honey Roasted CarrotsHeating time: 2 minsCalorie count: 570 caloriesAmt. of protein: 56g |
| Sample 2 | Name: Sausage Baked Penne with Sauteed Zucchini & SpinachCalorie count: 470Heating time: 3 minsSpice level: Mild | Name: Fire-Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Caper Piccata Sauce, Lentil Rice and Brussels SproutsHeating time: 2 minsCalorie count: 690 caloriesAmt. of protein: 42g |
| Sample 3 | Name: Protein-Packed Chicken Parm with Mozzarella & Garlicky BroccoliCalorie count: 410Heating time: 3 minsSpice level: Mild | Name: Peri-Peri Pork Tenderloin with Pecorino Romano Orzo and Spicy Chili BroccoliHeating time: 2 minsCalorie count: 560 caloriesAmt. of protein: 58g |
In Freshly, the menu covers a lot of ground when it comes to variety. Those who are following a gluten-free diet, a low-carb diet or even a low-calorie diet can easily find suitable options in Freshly. Furthermore, all types of proteins, from meat, poultry and even plant-based proteins are used here.
In Home Bistro, the menu is definitely very colorful since highly-qualified celebrity chefs like Cat Cora and Ayesha Curry design the meals here. The meals in Home Bistro also use a variety of ingredients and there is also a large collection of vegan and plant-based meals designed by Chef Priyanka Naik here.
Winner: Freshly wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: Freshly vs Home Bistro
| Platform | Freshly | Home Bistro |
| Google Play Store | 4.4 | Unavailable |
| Apple App Store | 4.8 | Unavailable |
| TWP Rating | 4/5 | 3.5/5 |
Final Verdict: Freshly wins this face-off with its affordable menu and large variety of options.
Freshly is definitely one of the most ideal and straightforward meal delivery services in the market today. The best advantage about using Freshly for pre-cooked meals is that there are a lot of options to choose from in the menu. While Freshly’s menu is rich in taste and nutrients, they are certainly very affordable to consume on a daily basis.
Home Bistro aims to bring gourmet dishes especially cooked by top-chefs to various customers. The meals in Home Bistro are therefore delicately balanced with subtle flavors which one can expect from a very high-end restaurant. Home Bistro works with many great chefs who are whipping up some amazing recipes for users to try.
While Home Bistro certainly excels in quality, the meals are pretty expensive. Therefore, not everyone is going to love this meal delivery service. On the other hand., Freshly’s menu is very economical and thus can be enjoyed by each and every one. Freshly easily wins the crown in this face-off.
Methodology
To bring you the best reviews of each and every meal delivery service, we spoke to testers and real life users, reviewed the information provided by each service on their respective websites, carried out primary research on social media platforms and checked out the user reviews of these platforms on various social media sites. We have also used the reviews presented by current users of these services on their respective Google and Apple apps.
We are currently conducting our own internal review and we will update this page with videos and pictures of our experiences. If they differ extensively from what our external reviewers said then we will update this post so you get both points of views and can decide which service provider is more suited to your needs based on the information above.
The main types of criteria which we have used in order to assess and evaluate these meal delivery services is the simplicity of the recipes, the variety of meals in the service, the inclusiveness of diets and cuisines and even the supporting material.
In addition to these, we have also taken into regard the sustainability and recyclability of the packaging of these services. Lastly, we have also considered the delivery services and customer services of these platforms.
Frequently asked questions: “Freshly vs Home Bistro”
How many times can you skip Freshly?
You can skip Freshly any number of times that you want. Freshly does not require you to mandatorily order a fresh cart every week. You can easily skip your week or weeks in the settings of your Freshly account before you leave for your vacation or your trip.
Are Freshly meals microwaveable?
Yes, Freshly meals are microwaveable. You can simply place the Freshly meal trays in the microwave after pulling back the film a bit to let out the steam. As an alternative, the meals from Freshly can be heated up in a conventional oven or even on the stove top with the help of a skillet.
Are Home Bistro meals frozen?
No, Home Bistro meals are not frozen. While the meals from this platform definitely used to be delivered in a frozen state before, they are now delivered fresh in vacuum sealed packaging as of 2021. This is definitely another added advantage of using Home Bistro to get pre-cooked meals delivered to your home.
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