How Do Online Grocery Shopping Sites Work?

Online grocery shopping sites make it easy for you to order groceries and have them delivered to your home, with most companies having a similar process for ordering their products online. Just visit their website or download their mobile app to your phone or tablet, then select the items you wish to purchase. Remember that some companies require you to join as a member before using their services. When you check out, you will be asked for your delivery address. Some companies, like Instacart, Shipt, or Walmart offer same-day delivery, while others take a few days to ship.

Are Online Grocery Shopping Sites Worth It?

All online grocery shopping sites provide the convenience of having groceries delivered to your home with a few clicks of a button, with some companies offering same-day delivery. Some sites charge service and/or delivery fees or higher prices, while others offer house brands or sell their products cheaper. Check the site you are interested in to compare prices and determine if their services are worth it.

Is It Cheaper to Buy Groceries Online?

Some online grocery shopping sites sell produce and products cheaper than grocery stores because the sites work directly with farms and food companies, cutting out the distributors and selling the products directly. But other online grocery services are not as cheap and charge a service and/or delivery and shipping fee along with high prices. However, all of them offer the convenience of having the groceries delivered directly to your doorstep. Check the site you are interested in to compare the prices.

Do Online Grocery Shopping Sites Accept EBT?

Electronic Benefit Transfers (EBT) are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Some online grocery shopping sites, like Instacart and Walmart, accept EBT. Other companies, like Shipt and Misfits Market, do not. It’s always a good idea to check the site you want to use to see if they accept EBT before making a purchase.

The 11 Best Online Grocery Shopping Sites in 2023

Female hands confirming the arrival of a box of home delivery filled with multi-coloured fresh and healthy organic groceries ordered online — d3sign / Getty Images

Today’s life can be insanely busy, and it can be challenging to get to the grocery store. Thankfully, there are numerous options available that make online grocery shopping easy and convenient. But the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. We’ve searched all over to find the best online grocery shopping sites for your lifestyle.

Best All-Around: Thrive Market

Key Specs

Starting Price: Membership starts at $12 a month
Delivery Area: 48 states, not including Hawaii or Alaska
Free Shipping: Yes, on orders over $49 for grocery purchases

Why You Should Try It

Thrive Market has a large selection of organic products with multiple filters to find the exact product for your diet and lifestyle, all with a low-price guarantee.

Pros and Cons

Pros

All products are organic
Prices are typically 30% cheaper than grocery store
Low price guarantee

Cons

Must join as a member to purchase or see what’s available

Overview

Thrive Market offers tons of amazing organic products, all up to 30% off of what you would get at a conventional grocery store. The company can do this because it cuts out the middleman and sells its products directly to you. With over 90 different filters, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, paleo, low sugar, and more, you’ll find old favorites and discover new products when you shop. Grocery shopping is easy on the Thrive Market website, though you do have to join as a member. Once you join, you can shop and even set up auto-ship on products, ensuring you get deliveries of your favorite items automatically without worrying about running out of them.

Best On-Demand: Instacart

Key Specs

Starting Price: $3.99 delivery fee, minimum $35 order
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: No

Why You Should Try It

Instacart allows you to shop at local stores and have groceries delivered to your home quickly and conveniently using its app or online shop.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Same-day delivery
Variety of grocery stores it will deliver from
Supports local stores

Cons

Fees can add up and get expensive
Only available in metropolitan areas

Overview

Instacart partners with major grocery and retail stores as well as smaller local stores, allowing you to shop and get products delivered on the same day, making grocery shopping quick and convenient. You can order using the mobile app or on the website. Instacart’s contracted shoppers communicate with you so you know their shopping progress, allowing you to add more items as they shop or substitute items if the one you requested isn’t available. Delivery fees do apply, but you can join the annual Instacart+ membership if you use their services often, which gets you free deliveries for the duration of your membership.

Best for Produce: Misfits Market

Key Specs

Starting Price: $6.99 for delivery
Delivery Area: 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii
Free Shipping: No

Why You Should Try It

Misfits Market reduces food waste by selling imperfect or surplus produce at a discount to the consumer.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Saving imperfect produce from going to waste
Often cheaper than typical grocery store
Free membership

Cons

No free shipping

Overview

Misfits Market works directly with farmers to save imperfect or surplus produce from going to waste by selling it directly to the consumer. As a result, customers can save up to 40% on groceries, with the added convenience of having items delivered directly to their doorstep. A free membership gives you weekly deliveries that you can customize, skip, or pause anytime.

Best for Gourmet Foods: FreshDirect

Key Specs

Starting Price: $5.99 per delivery, minimum $30
Delivery Area: Greater New York region: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey
Free Shipping: No

Why You Should Try It

FreshDirect offers high-quality gourmet food and ready-to-eat meals and dishes to the greater New York region.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Works directly with farmers and food producers
100% customer satisfaction guarantee
Offers ready-to-eat meals and dishes

Cons

Only delivers in the greater New York region

Overview

FreshDirect delivers high-quality, gourmet foods along with chef-prepared meals (including ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook items) to the greater New York region. It works directly with farmers and other food producers to find the best quality produce and products. All food comes directly from its facilities (not third-party stores), where experts taste and rate products to ensure they meet FreshDirect’s high standards. All deliveries come with a 100% happiness guarantee, so if you are dissatisfied with anything you receive, the company will make it right.

Best for Cooking: Hungryroot

Key Specs

Starting Price: $65 per delivery
Delivery Area: 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii
Free Shipping: Yes, if over $70; $6.99 for under $70 orders

Why You Should Try It

If you love to cook but don’t have time to find recipes and you want a little more control over your meals than a typical delivery meal kit, Hungryroot is an excellent option.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Offers menu plan and recipes along with groceries
Accommodates specialty diets
Easily customizable delivery box

Cons

Recipes a little basic for seasoned cooks

Overview

Hungryroot functions a bit as a hybrid between the more typical grocery delivery service and meal kit delivery companies. Instead of ordering ingredients for a recipe or ordering a meal kit, you take a quiz to tell Hungryroot what you like to eat, how many folks are in your household, and if you have any special dietary needs. Then, Hungryroot generates a menu plan with recipes that often take 10 minutes or less and populates your cart with all the ingredients necessary for the meals. You can always edit your delivery before it is finalized, giving you control over what you get for each meal and the chance to add more groceries to the cart for your household.

Best for Families: Shipt

Key Specs

Starting Price: $10 per delivery
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: Yes, with a Visa credit card

Why You Should Try It

Shipt partners with major grocery stores, as well as retail stores so that you can shop from the convenience of your home.

Pros and Cons

Pros

$10 delivery fee with no order minimum
Free delivery if you have a Visa credit card
Can order groceries as well as other items from various retail stores

Cons

Only partners with big brand stores, no local independent shops
Not available in some rural areas

Overview

Shipt delivers groceries from major retailers as well as other products from large retail stores like Target, Walgreens, and CVS. This means you can shop for your whole family, saving money and time by purchasing groceries and other items from retail stores, all with the convenience of same-day delivery. If you have a Visa card, you can get a free Shipt membership, which gives you free delivery on orders of $35 or more. But even without the Visa card, one-time deliveries are $10 with no minimum order, making Shipt a super convenient option when you are short on time.

Best for Local Products: LocalHarvest

Key Specs

Starting Price: Varies per company
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: Varies

Why You Should Try It

LocalHarvest isn’t a typical grocery delivery service but rather a directory where you can find local farms that have community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs that will deliver ingredients right to your doorstep.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Connects you with local farms and CSA boxes
Directory of restaurants that use local produce
Provides map of local farmers markets and independent grocery stores

Cons

Website is a little tricky to navigate
Requires you to buy from a lot of different farms, so less convenient

Overview

Unlike a typical grocery delivery service, LocalHarvest is a directory of local farms, farmers markets, and restaurants that use local produce, as well as small independent grocery stores that sell local products. Beyond the directory of farms, it also offers a catalog of products that can be sold directly to you from the farm or food producer. Select a category under the shop tab on the website and peruse businesses that sell meat, fruit, dairy, and eggs or grocery and produce directly to the consumer. You can also discover farms that offer CSA produce boxes, local food-orientated events, and small local farm stands.

Best Subscription: Amazon Fresh

Key Specs

Starting Price: Free for orders over $150 with an Amazon Prime membership
Delivery Area: California, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington state, and Washington, D.C.,
Free Shipping: Yes, with an Amazon Prime membership

Why You Should Try It

Amazon Prime offers grocery delivery wherever there is an Amazon Fresh grocery store, with the option to “repeat this item” on almost every product it sells, making it convenient for you to restock your kitchen with just a click of a button.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Repeat this item button makes recurring orders easy
Free delivery for orders over $150 if you have an Amazon Prime membership
Reasonably priced products

Cons

Only available in certain locations
Free delivery requires high minimum order

Overview

If you are an Amazon Prime member and live in one of the locations where there is an Amazon Fresh store, ordering groceries is easy and convenient on Amazon. Amazon offers a wide range of produce and shelf-stable pantry goods, all at a reasonable price. Almost all items also have a “Repeat This Item” button, which automatically populates your cart on a schedule you set, creating a custom subscription of items that you use frequently. Delivery is free for all orders over $150 with an Amazon Prime membership.

Best for Hard-to-Find Items: ShopFoodEx

Key Specs

Starting Price: $9.99 per delivery
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: No

Why You Should Try It

ShopFoodEx offers a huge range of over 15,000 items, including hard-to-find groceries.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Wide range of over 15,000 items
Hand packs all groceries to ship, including glass jar items
Ships to all 50 states plus military APO/FPO

Cons

Shipping can be expensive
Large selection can be overwhelming

Overview

ShopFoodEx is a pioneer in the food delivery service industry, delivering food to all 50 states as well as military APOs/FPOs and DPOs (diplomatic pouches). It offers over 15,000 groceries for deliveries and can even try to source and provide products that aren’t listed on its website. All groceries are hand packed into every delivery box, with glass jars wrapped in bubble wrap and double-walled, and box-within-a-box packaging for fragile items to ensure they arrive intact and undamaged.

Best Variety: Walmart

Walmart

Key Specs

Starting Price: $7.95 per delivery
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: No

Why You Should Try It

Walmart offers a broad range of grocery items and other products for your home with easy and convenient delivery.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Reasonable prices
Delivery from local stores
Option to order non-grocery products

Cons

No free shipping or delivery
Requires minimum $35 order for delivery

Overview

Walmart has a huge selection of groceries, as well as non-grocery items like laundry detergent, clothes, and home goods that you can purchase and have delivered. You can browse its website and order online or on the mobile app. It offers same-day pickup at Walmart locations, or you can opt for home delivery, which requires a $35 minimum order. There is also a Walmart+ membership for more frequent shoppers, which gives you free delivery on orders of $35 and over and other perks.

Best for Sustainability: Hive

Key Specs

Starting Price: $7.95 delivery or free delivery on orders over $65
Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping: Yes, on orders over $65

Why You Should Try It

Hive strives to set the standard in sustainable groceries by working with environmentally friendly brands and aspiring to a zero-waste recycling plan.

Pros

Offers environmentally friendly and diverse products
Uses recycled packaging for zero-waste
Shipping is 100% carbon neutral

Cons

Only offers shelf-stable products, no produce
Has a more limited selection of products

Overview

Hive’s mission is to provide sustainable shopping for groceries with environmentally friendly brands, as well as companies that practice inclusion and diversity. Shipping is 100% carbon neutral with 100% recycling shipping materials. Ninety-eight percent of the products featured have recyclable, compostable, or TerraCycle-able (which allows you to ship back to them plastics that can’t be curbside recycled) packaging. Hive curates its offerings by selecting only the products testers have tried and love, and each product page clearly features the company’s sustainability and information. Products range from snacks to beverages, personal care, and wellness supplements, and there’s no minimum order requirement, though any orders over $65 qualify for free shipping.

Company	Starting Price	Delivery Area	Free Shipping?	Customers Can Choose Delivery Date?	Subscription Option?
Best All-Around: Thrive Market	Membership starts at $12 a month	48 states, not including Hawaii or Alaska	Yes, on orders over $49 for grocery purchases	No	Yes
Best On-Demand: Instacart	$3.99 delivery fee, minimum $35 order	50 states	No	Same-day delivery	No
Best for Produce: Misfits Market	$6.99 for delivery	48 states, except Alaska and Hawaii	No	Yes	Yes
Best for Gourmet Foods: FreshDirect	$5.99 per delivery, minimum $30	Greater New York region: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey	No	Yes	No
Best for Cooking: Hungryroot	$65 per delivery	48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii	Yes, if over $70, $6.99 for under $70 orders	Yes	Yes
Best for Families: Shipt	$10 per delivery	50 states	Yes, with a Visa card	Same-day delivery	No
Best for Local Produce: LocalHarvest	Varies per company	50 states	Varies	Varies	Yes
Best for Subscription: Amazon Fresh	Free for orders over $150 with an Amazon Prime membership	California, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington state, and Washington, D.C.	Yes, over $150 with an Amazon Prime membership	Same-day delivery	Yes
Best for Hard-to-Find Items: ShopFoodEx	$9.99 per delivery	50 states	No	No	No
Best for Variety: Walmart	$7.95 per delivery	50 states	No	Same-day delivery	No
Best for Sustainability: Hive	$7.95 delivery or free delivery on orders over $65	50 states	Yes, on orders over $65	No	Yes

FAQ

How Do Online Grocery Shopping Sites Work?

Online grocery shopping sites make it easy for you to order groceries and have them delivered to your home, with most companies having a similar process for ordering their products online. Just visit their website or download their mobile app to your phone or tablet, then select the items you wish to purchase. Remember that some companies require you to join as a member before using their services. When you check out, you will be asked for your delivery address. Some companies, like Instacart, Shipt, or Walmart offer same-day delivery, while others take a few days to ship.
Are Online Grocery Shopping Sites Worth It?

All online grocery shopping sites provide the convenience of having groceries delivered to your home with a few clicks of a button, with some companies offering same-day delivery. Some sites charge service and/or delivery fees or higher prices, while others offer house brands or sell their products cheaper. Check the site you are interested in to compare prices and determine if their services are worth it.
Is It Cheaper to Buy Groceries Online?

Some online grocery shopping sites sell produce and products cheaper than grocery stores because the sites work directly with farms and food companies, cutting out the distributors and selling the products directly. But other online grocery services are not as cheap and charge a service and/or delivery and shipping fee along with high prices. However, all of them offer the convenience of having the groceries delivered directly to your doorstep. Check the site you are interested in to compare the prices.
Do Online Grocery Shopping Sites Accept EBT?

Electronic Benefit Transfers (EBT) are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Some online grocery shopping sites, like Instacart and Walmart, accept EBT. Other companies, like Shipt and Misfits Market, do not. It’s always a good idea to check the site you want to use to see if they accept EBT before making a purchase.

Methodology

We looked at multiple online grocery delivery services to find the best ones for this article. When selecting companies for this list, we considered the broad range of products, how easy it was to use the website, if the service has a mobile app, and the convenience factor of subscribing or communicating with the shopper or company. We also factored in the company’s mission statements and any special services they offer, like the focus on local produce or sustainability or its ability to ship to military APO/FPO addresses. Finally, we considered the price of the groceries themselves and how much it costs to deliver the groceries to you.