Buying meat online is incredibly convenient, but it’s hard to know if you’re getting a good price. Sure, you can browse a wide selection of cuts and types of meat from the comfort of your own home, but how much more per pound is that going to cost you? We’re breaking down the cost of the best steak delivery services to see the price comparison. Sometimes seeing a per-pound breakdown and comparing it to your local grocery store prices can help you visualize whether you’re getting a good deal or not.
But! We realize that cost per pound is not the only factor when buying meat online. Along with the convenience, you can often get access to a wider range of specialty meats that might not be available in your local area. Another great thing about online meat boxes is that you can often find high-quality, ethically-raised meats from small farms that you might not be able to find in a traditional store. This can be a great way to support sustainable agriculture and ensure that you’re getting meat that was raised in a humane and responsible way.
Overall, buying meat online can be an affordable option, especially if you’re able to buy it in bulk and know where to shop. Many online meat purveyors offer discounts for larger orders, which can be a great way to save money in the long run.
Here’s a look at cost-per-pound comparisons at some of the best steak delivery companies so you can decide which one is best for your family.
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We calculated the price per pound for comparison.
Since many of these online meat boxes offer different subscription options, it was difficult to compare apples to apples. So we curated carts full of meat that were as similar as possible and then calculated the price per pound. It’s also worth noting that the best prices came when buying meat in bulk, so that is reflected in our research. We added around eight pounds of beef to our carts and 12-18 pounds of chicken to get an accurate comparison.
For steak, we added ribeye, NY strip, and top sirloin steaks to our carts. And for chicken, we did about nine pounds of boneless, skinless breasts and nine pounds of boneless, skinless thighs. After adding everything to our cart, it was simple math. Cost ÷ Volume in Pounds = Cost Per Pound. We did have to do some ounce-to-pound conversions, but we’re pretty confident that our cost breakdown will give you a great idea about the prices these meat boxes offer.
These are all base prices, with promotions *not* accounted for.
All the prices you’ll see in our research are base prices that do not include promotions or shipping costs. Oftentimes, promotions are only for your first order or only on select items, so we wanted to give a true side-by-side comparison of the meats offered and what prices you’ll get them for on an average order. If you are looking to stock up on a variety of meats at low costs, it may be worth doing some introductory sale offers at all of these meat sellers.
ButcherBox is the best steak delivery for per-pound prices alone.
We added a total of 16 steaks, equaling eight pounds in volume, to our ButcherBox custom box for $169 and the price worked out to $21.13 per pound. This was the lowest price when compared to all of the online meat boxes. ButcherBox also offers curated boxes where you’ll receive different types of meats (between 9-14 pounds) and that option is $149, which works out to between $10.64 to $16.56 per pound. However, it will include a mix of beef, chicken, pork, or other proteins.
With the free 22-ounce bag of chicken nuggets (a $12 value) and the eight pounds of steak, you’re paying $18.03 per pound of meat with this deal.
ButcherBox’s free-range chicken has also earned a grade 3 GAP (Global Animal Partnership), which is given when chickens have the best living environment possible.
ButcherBox Details
- Custom steak box with 8 pounds of steak for $169; $21.13 per pound
- Custom chicken box with 18 pounds of chicken for $169; $9.39 per pound
- 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, humanely raised and sourced from Australia
- Free-range, USDA-certified organic chicken with grade 3 GAP for excellent living conditions
- Free shipping
- Current Promo: Free ground beef for a year
Good Chop has the best introductory offer with $50 off your first box.
Currently, the biggest money-saving introductory offer is the Good Chop $120 off promotion. You’ll get $50 off your first box, bringing the price from $149 to just $99. You’ll then get $30 off your second box, and $20 off both your third and fourth boxes. With the $50 off promotion, your first box of steaks works out to $9.08 per pound.
Without the current promotion, their steak price per pound comes in second, but not far behind. We were only able to add seven pounds of steak to our cart, but at the $149 price (and the same cuts available), the cost per pound worked out to $21.29, only $0.16 more than Butcher Box. On the other hand, Good Chop had the highest price, by almost $5 per pound, for chicken. We added a little over 12 pounds of chicken to our cart for the $149 price, which worked out to $12.42 per pound for free-roam, antibiotic-free, saline-free, and hormone-free chickens raised in the U.S.
Good Chop Details
- Medium box with 7 pounds of steak for $149; $21.29 per pound
- Medium box with 12 pounds of chicken for $149, $12.42 per pound
- Grass-fed Angus beef born and humanely raised in the U.S.
- Chickens are born and humanely raised in the U.S. and fed a 100% vegetarian diet
- $9.99 shipping
- Current promo: $120 off your first four boxes; dropping our steak prices to $14.14 per pound
Chop Box doesn’t require a monthly subscription, but has high shipping costs.
Rounding out the top three best steak delivery based on price is Chop Box. For eight pounds of steak, you’ll pay $183.89 or $22.99 per pound. Use the 10% off coupon code to get your first box at $19.13 per pound. But where Chop Box is best is their chicken prices. Adding 18 pounds of chicken to our cart totaled $134.83, or $7.49 per pound. This is $1.90 cheaper per pound than the next best pricing at ButcherBox.
Unfortunately, for many people in states outside of the Northeast, shipping fees negate any lower per-pound prices. This meat service supplies many restaurants with their protein, so you know you’re getting the same quality you’d enjoy at a steakhouse. But for the average family, shipping costs may be too high. Chop Box is based out of New Jersey and so shipping to surrounding states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts are lower in price and free with $150 orders. Shipping to states elsewhere in the U.S. will run $29.99 to $39.99.
That being said, if you don’t want to pay a membership or be locked into minimums each month, Chop Box is a great option. You can order what you want when you want it. There is no minimum amount of cuts required, but your order does need to be at least $99.
Chop Box Details
- No monthly subscription
- Custom box with 8 pounds of steak for $184; $22.99 per pound
- Custom box with 18 pounds of chicken for $134.83; $7.49 per pound
- Shipping ranges from $29.99 to $39.99 for much of the U.S. but is free with $150 in select parts of the Northeast.
- 100% vegetarian-fed beef sourced from Arizona
- Sustainably-raised, certified gluten-free chickens raised on farms in Pennsylvania
- Current promo: Take 10% off with code WELCOME10
Crowd Cow gives you options, but with a steeper cost-per-pound price tag.
If you’re looking to basically grocery-shop for high-quality steak online, Crowd Cow lets you do that. This is the best steak delivery service when it comes to shopping options, but it’s also one of the more expensive options. You’ll create your own custom meat box and choose whether you’d like recurring delivery or a one-time shipment. For recurring boxes, you’ll join their free membership program where you’ll get free shipping with $149 and earn points with each shipment.
Along with choosing your shipment options, you also get to choose the meat cuts and even the variety before adding it to your cart. Meaning you can choose a boneless 16-ounce ribeye steak and then select if you’d like it to be 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised, or even a Waygu cross variety. All of these options come at different price points, but for comparison’s sake, we went with the grass-fed option for all of our cuts.
With all of these options, you do get a heftier price tag. Adding the same eight pounds of grass-fed steak to our cart on Crowd Cow totaled $228.37 or $28.55 per pound. Plus, right now you can get four pounds of ground beef for free in your first box. This means you’re getting 12 pounds of meat for the $228.37, which works out to $19.03 per pound for our custom steak box. This is still more per pound than ButcherBox, but you’re not locked into choosing six cuts of meat and can build a box for $149 to get free shipping, rather than the $169 that ButcherBox requires.
Crowd Cow Details
- Custom box with 8 pounds of steak for $228.37; $28.55 per pound
- It’s free to become a member and you’ll get recurring shipments and points for every shipment
- Shipping is free for members at $149 or a flat $24.99 for non-members on orders under $149
- Choose from 100% grass-fed or pasture-raised beef from small farms across the world
- Select chicken that is organic free-range or pasture-raised from farms in the U.S.
- Current promo: Four pounds of free ground beef in your first subscription box over $149
Omaha Steaks has higher per-pound pricing, but often offers deals and promotions.
Omaha Steaks is arguably one of the most recognizable names when we discuss the best steak delivery options. They’re also the highest in price when we compare on a simple cost-per-pound basis. We created a custom box and added the same eight pounds of steak to our carts at Omaha Steaks and our cart totaled $309.97. This works out to nearly $39 per pound, the highest on our list
Let’s also look at their monthly box pricing. Omaha Steaks has a monthly steak box for $139.99. This box features “up to 8 steaks” and by looking at the nutrition information, it looks like the steaks are between five ounces and six ounces in weight. If you were to receive eight six-ounce steaks, that’s three pounds of steak and it works out to $46.66 per pound. Before you scoff at the prices, remember that Omaha Steaks can offer some attractive per-pound pricing, but you’ll need to shop smart. Unlike the other boxes, it’s best to avoid custom orders and stick to their curated boxes that are on sale.
Overall, we’d personally shop other meat delivery services for steaks, but for family dinner packages, it may still be worthwhile to shop Omaha Steaks’ value packs that come with sides and desserts.
Omaha Steaks Details
- Custom box with 8 pounds of steak for $309.97; $38.75 per pound
- No information on meat sourcing or sustainability
- Free shipping at $169, $19.99 flat fee under $169
- Current promo: New customers can sign up for texts to get $30 off $159; this drops our steak box to $34.99 per pound. Existing customers get $15 off.
For savings, know that Walmart will be cheaper than meat delivery boxes.
These meat delivery boxes can be a deal, especially with their intro offers, but know that your local Walmart has the cheapest meat compared to the boxes. And if you’re a Walmart+ member, you can even get meat delivered to your doorstep. At Walmart, we added the same eight pounds of steaks (ribeye, top sirloin, and NY strips) to our cart. We even chose the 100% grass-fed option for a fair comparison. The total worked out to $109.76 or $13.72 per pound. This is $7.41 cheaper per pound than ButcherBox, and still $0.42 cheaper per pound than the Good Chop $120 off offer. Please keep in mind that prices vary by location. Check your local Walmart pricing before making the decision between Walmart and Good Chop or ButcherBox.
Walmart’s grass-fed beef is part of their Marketside Butcher brand. The beef from Marketside Butcher comes from USDA-inspected, free-range cattle that are grass-fed and grass-finished. The cattle are not given any added hormones, antibiotics, or steroids during their lifetime. These cattle can roam freely on pastures and graze to produce tender beef.
Aldi’s grass-fed ribeye steaks are around $13.24 per pound.
Let’s not forget about Aldi! While prices vary by location, we’ve seen grass-fed ribeye steaks for as low as $13.24 per pound, which is similar to Walmart’s pricing. However, grass-fed is a bit harder to find at Aldi and there is less information regarding their USDA organic status and farming regulations.
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You’ll save the most by buying a cow and having it butchered.
For real money-saving meat lovers, buying a cow and having it butchered into cuts you can store in your freezer is the best way to save on beef. Whether you opt for a full cow, half, or quarter, you’ll end up paying an average of $8.01 per pound for finished cuts of beef. This requires a hefty up-front spend, but in the end, you’ll end up with fresh beef at $5.71 less per pound than Walmart’s low price.
When buying high-quality steak online, aim for under $20 per pound.
Looking at the best steak delivery options, it’s going to be higher per pound than grocery store prices. So if you are shopping for steak online, shoot to pay under $20 per pound. While the average ButcherBox will get you right around there, you can easily hit this target using promotions or shopping for different kinds of steak cuts.
If you purchase chicken online, try to get it for less than $8 per pound.
We give the same advice for buying chicken online. You’re not going to see the same low prices online as you would at your grocery store. But you’re getting high-quality chicken delivered right to your doorstep and for that, you’re going to pay a higher price.
Overall, we recommend ButcherBox or Good Chop as the best steak delivery service.
To get the best deals on steak delivery, we recommend that you give the introductory offer at Good Chop a try. They have the second-best prices per pound but their promotion makes them the best introductory deal. Get $120 off your first four boxes with Good Chop and then consider sticking with them or swapping to ButcherBox for even lower per-pound prices. The ButcherBox free chicken nugget deal ends on April 9, 2023, so we’ll keep an eye out around that time for a new promotion.
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