Here’s something intriguing: two of Australia’s most popular meal kit services are actually run by the same company. After cooking dozens of meals from both Marley Spoon and Dinnerly, part of the ‘big 4’ meal kit providers alongside HelloFresh and EveryPlate, I’ve uncovered exactly what sets these sister services apart.
While they share suppliers and ingredients, each service targets different needs. Marley Spoon delivers a premium experience with recipe cards and pre-sorted ingredients, while Dinnerly takes a simpler approach that makes home cooking more accessible.
Through extensive testing in my own kitchen, I’ve experienced firsthand how these services compare in quality, convenience and value. Whether you’re considering switching between services or trying meal kits for the first time, this detailed comparison will help you understand which option better suits your household’s needs.
I’ll walk you through real experiences with both services, from unboxing to serving, to help you make an informed choice.
For even deeper insights, you can also explore my complete Marley Spoon review and Dinnerly review.
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Comparing Dinnerly and Marley Spoon
We’ve built this handy interactive comparison tool where you can see all the key facts and features of each service to compare them directly. Feel free to review the information here, or read on for our full comparison between Dinnerly and Marley Spoon.
Marley Spoon vs Dinnerly : Offering
Let’s start by summarising the offerings from both Marley Spoon and Dinnerly to understand their similarities and differences.
Marley Spoon Offering
Service Options – Marley Spoon provides box sizes for 2 or 4 people, with flexibility to choose between 2 to 6 meals each week.
Meal Variety – The service stands out with an impressive 70+ unique meals available weekly, including a minimum of 8 vegetarian and 10 gluten-free options. The extensive menu consistently rotates, though this can mean favorite dishes only appear every few months. You can browse upcoming menus for the next 4 weeks on their online menu.
Meal Customisation – Marley Spoon offers customization on approximately 20% of weekly meals. Available modifications include protein changes, portion size adjustments, and dietary accommodations such as switching to gluten-free alternatives. While limited in scope, these customizations effectively help reduce food waste.
Delivery Options – Marley Spoon delivers to metropolitan areas across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Wollongong, Newcastle, Darwin and regional areas. Deliveries run Monday through Friday, with meal selections needing to be confirmed 4 – 7 days before delivery depending on your location.
Additional Extras – The Marley Spoon marketplace extends beyond meal kits with snacks, drinks, side dishes, lunches, and desserts. Premium ready-made meals from ChefGood are also available, offering high-quality convenience options.
Dinnerly Offering
Service Options – Dinnerly offers a 2 or 4 person box across 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 meals per week, unsurprisingly the same as Marley Spoon considering they’re both run by the same company.
Meal Variety – Each week, Dinnerly provides a rotating list of 100+ recipes, with around 20 of these being vegetarian and approximately 20 labeled as “no added gluten.” Each dish has between 6-7 ingredients that arrive with your delivery. Dinnerly makes their menu available 4 weeks ahead, so you can see what meals will be available on their website.
Meal Customisation – Dinnerly offers customisation on selected meals, often limited to switching out a specific ingredient. The most common customisation elements include doubling the quantity of an ingredient, switching between meat and plant-based ingredients, or switching to low-calorie alternatives. During my testing, I found these options available on roughly 20% of weekly meals.
Delivery Options – Dinnerly delivers to all Australian states. Dates and times available will depend on your location, but your delivery slot and meal selections must be finalised at least 7 days before your delivery is due. This longer lead time requires more advance planning compared to some competitors.
Additional Extras – Dinnerly offers a marketplace that includes snacks, drinks, side dishes, lunches, and desserts. The ‘ready meals’ come from ChefGood’s range. Dinnerly’s menu also includes ‘Saver’ meals that reduce the cost of your subscription by $1.00 to $1.50 per portion. There are typically 5 of these budget options each week, though they often require more pantry staples from your kitchen.
Marley Spoon vs Dinnerly Comparison
There are a few key differences to call out between these two services:
These differences reflect each service’s market position. Marley Spoon offering a premium experience with greater variety and convenience features, while Dinnerly strips back these extras to deliver good quality ingredients at a significantly lower price point.
Marley Spoon vs Dinnerly : The Food
Understanding what arrives in your box is just the beginning. What really matters is how those ingredients transform into your dinner. After trying dozens of meals from both services, I can tell you that food quality and taste vary between Dinnerly and Marley Spoon in subtle but important ways.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to flavor, so I’ll walk you through my firsthand experiences to help you decide which meal kit you might prefer.
Marley Spoon Meals
Ingredients and Packaging – Ingredients arrive in separate paper bags for each recipe, labelled to make it clear which bag is for which recipe. Where it makes sense, ingredients have been partially prepared (similar to HelloFresh). This means that you can get cooking immediately once you’ve decided which meal to cook.
Recipe Experience – Marley Spoon’s recipe cards have a professional design with clear photography. The large format makes them easy to read while cooking. However, I’ve found some inconsistencies in the instructions that occasionally require adjustments based on personal cooking experience, such as undercooking vegetables or listing steps in a strange order.
Flavor and Satisfaction – I’ve enjoyed the Marley Spoon dishes I’ve tried, though I’ve sometimes been left a little underwhelmed by the end results. The flavors tend to be comfortable and familiar rather than bold or adventurous. Many dishes feature one-dimensional flavor profiles similar to what I could easily cook myself without a meal kit. Portion sizes have varied across my deliveries, with some meals providing generous leftovers and others being just sufficient for a single serving.
Dinnerly Meals
Ingredients and Packaging – Dinnerly delivers ingredients loose in the box, with meats and dairy products coming in a separate cool bag with ice packs. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the consistent quality of ingredients across dozens of boxes since 2020. The vegetables arrive fresh and crisp, while the meat portions (often free-range chicken) have been consistently good quality. The main drawback is having to sort through all the ingredients to find what you need for each recipe.
Recipe Experience – Since Dinnerly doesn’t provide physical recipe cards, you need to access instructions through their app or website. The digital recipes are generally straightforward with 5-6 steps, aiming to have you cooking for about 30 minutes. However, I’ve encountered some clarity issues with portion scaling (especially confusing when cooking for 2 vs 4 people) and occasionally problematic timing in the step ordering. After cooking so many Dinnerly meals, I’ve found myself relying more on basic cooking intuition rather than following the instructions precisely.
Flavor and Satisfaction – Dinnerly consistently delivers on flavor through clever use of spice blends and sauce combinations. The dishes tend to be simpler and more familiar so think risottos, stir-fries, and pasta dishes. Portion sizes can vary significantly between meals, with some dishes being quite generous while others barely fill you up. Most meals come together in 20-30 minutes, which is perfect for busy weeknights. My overall impression is that Dinnerly creates satisfying, homestyle meals that feel like something you’d cook yourself.
After cooking dozens of meals from both services, I can confirm that ingredient quality remains consistently good across both Dinnerly and Marley Spoon. This isn’t surprising considering they’re owned by the same company and share many suppliers.
Both deliver fresh vegetables, quality proteins, and flavorful spice blends that create satisfying home-cooked meals in about 30 minutes. The fundamental cooking experience feels familiar between the services, with recipes focusing on accessible, crowd-pleasing flavors that work well for families and individuals alike.
Where they noticeably differ is in the overall cooking experience. Marley Spoon offers a more premium approach, with pre-sorted ingredient bags, physical recipe cards, and slightly more complex flavor profiles using 8-12 ingredients per dish. Dinnerly takes a more streamlined approach where ingredients arrive loose in the box requiring sorting, recipes are digital-only, and dishes typically contain just 6-7 ingredients.
This simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean bland food though. I’ve found Dinnerly consistently delivers impressive flavor through clever spice combinations and sauce pairings. What you sacrifice in convenience with Dinnerly, you gain in affordability, making it perfect for budget-conscious households who still value fresh, home-cooked meals.
Marley Spoon regularly offers readers of Food Box Mate exclusive discounts on new subscriptions. These special offers typically provide significant savings spread across your first several deliveries. You can access the current promotion by clicking on our Marley Spoon discount link.
Similarly, Dinnerly offers ongoing promotions for new customers through our website. These discounts make their already budget-friendly meal kits even more affordable, providing exceptional value for any household watching their food budget. Check out the latest offer through our exclusive Dinnerly discount link.
Marley Spoon vs Dinnerly : The Cost
The price difference between Dinnerly and Marley Spoon represents one of the most dramatic contrasts in the Australian meal kit market.
Having used both services extensively, I can confidently say that cost will likely be the deciding factor for many households considering these options. I’ve conducted a comprehensive analysis of costs across the entire industry, but let’s focus specifically on how these sister services compare.
Total price of a weekly meal kit
| People | Meals | Marley Spoon | Dinnerly |
| 2 | 3 | $77.94 | $53.94 |
| 2 | 4 | $99.92 | $67.92 |
| 2 | 5 | $119.90 | $79.90 |
| 4 | 3 | $137.88 | $89.88 |
| 4 | 4 | $164.64 | $111.84 |
| 4 | 5 | $190.79 | $135.80 |
The numbers speak for themselves. Dinnerly meal kits are consistently 29-35% cheaper than Marley Spoon across all box sizes.
For a family of four ordering 5 meals weekly, choosing Dinnerly over Marley Spoon would save almost $55 per week, which translates to over $2,800 in annual savings. That’s equivalent to a modest vacation or a significant contribution to other household expenses.
Cost per portion comparison
Breaking down the cost per serving reveals an even clearer picture of the value proposition:
- Dinnerly ranges from $5.99-$8.99 per portion
- Marley Spoon ranges from $8.99-$13.99 per portion
Dinnerly maintains a consistent price advantage across all box sizes, with the largest savings found in family-sized boxes. The most budget-friendly option (a 6-meal box for 4 people from Dinnerly) brings the per-portion cost down to just $5.99, nearly approaching supermarket prices for comparable ingredients.
Delivery costs
| Marley Spoon | Dinnerly |
| $10.99 per Delivery | $9.99 per Delivery |
Despite being owned by the same parent company and using the same delivery infrastructure, Dinnerly maintains a $1 advantage in delivery fees. While this seems minor compared to the box price differences, it adds another $52 in annual savings for weekly subscribers.
Value assessment
When considering overall value:
- Hidden costs to consider: Dinnerly requires you to supply more pantry staples (oils, sauces, etc.) than Marley Spoon, slightly offsetting some savings. However, this difference is minimal compared to the overall price gap.
- “Saver” meal advantage: Dinnerly’s unique “Saver” meals that reduce your subscription cost by $1.00-$1.50 per portion create opportunities for even greater savings not available with Marley Spoon.
- Convenience trade-offs: The lower price of Dinnerly comes with fewer convenience features (digital-only recipes, un-sorted ingredients), which represents a small time cost rather than a financial one.
For most budget-conscious households, Dinnerly’s dramatic price advantage easily outweighs these minor considerations. Even after accounting for extra pantry ingredients, the 30%+ savings make it one of the most compelling value propositions in the Australian meal kit market.
So which do I buy?! Dinnerly vs Marley Spoon
After extensively testing both Dinnerly and Marley Spoon over several years and cooking dozens of meals from each service, I’ve developed clear insights about which service works best for different household needs.
Choose Dinnerly if you:
- Prioritize budget and value – With savings of up to $55 per week compared to Marley Spoon, Dinnerly offers unbeatable value in the meal kit market. This makes it perfect for families, students, or anyone wanting to stretch their food budget further.
- Cook simple, straightforward meals – If you prefer unfussy recipes with fewer ingredients that still deliver on flavor, Dinnerly’s streamlined approach will satisfy without overwhelming.
- Are comfortable with digital recipes – Since Dinnerly doesn’t provide physical recipe cards, you’ll need to be comfortable using their app or website while cooking.
- Don’t mind some ingredient sorting – The loose ingredients in Dinnerly boxes require a bit more organization before cooking, so this works best for those who don’t mind this extra step.
Choose Marley Spoon if you:
- Value convenience features – Pre-sorted ingredient bags, physical recipe cards, and fewer required pantry staples make Marley Spoon a more premium, hassle-free experience.
- Appreciate culinary variety – With more complex flavor profiles and ingredient combinations, Marley Spoon offers a slightly more sophisticated cooking experience.
- Have dietary restrictions – The extensive weekly menu provides more options for specific dietary needs like gluten-free and vegetarian preferences.
- Enjoy recipe keepsakes – The physical recipe cards from Marley Spoon can be collected to build your own cookbook of favorites.
My personal recommendation
For most households, the decision between these sister services comes down to a simple question: “Is the premium experience of Marley Spoon worth paying 30% more?” After cooking hundreds of meals from both services, my answer is that Dinnerly provides the better overall value for everyday cooking. The quality of ingredients is remarkably similar (they share many suppliers), and while you sacrifice some convenience features, the substantial cost savings make Dinnerly hard to beat for regular use.
That said, I occasionally switch to Marley Spoon when I want a more premium experience or if they have a particularly good discount offer on. Their more complex recipes and pre-sorted ingredients make them perfect for quieter weeks when you want meals with a bit more depth and interest.
If Marley Spoon sounds right for you, preview their upcoming menu to see what catches your eye, or read my full Marley Spoon review for deeper insights. Ready to try? Use our exclusive discount link to save on your first deliveries.
Leaning toward budget-friendly Dinnerly? Check their weekly menu or dive into my detailed Dinnerly review based on years of testing. When you’re ready, our Dinnerly discount link offers exclusive savings that make Australia’s most affordable meal kit even better value.
