Here’s my Honest Thrive Market Review with everything you need to know so you can decide whether or not it’s a good fit for your lifestyle. Is Thrive Market worth it? It is cheaper than Whole Foods? Can you really save money shopping at Thrive Market? I talk about all of this and more.
If you’re ready to try Thrive Market and don’t want to read my entire Thrive Market review, you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $24 value) when you purchase a membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
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Thrive Market Review
Thrive Market is an online grocery store that offers natural and organic foods, household items, hygiene products, make-up, along with other items at comparable prices you’d find at your local grocery store. It’s like an online Whole Foods.
Even though I have access to numerous grocery stores I still utilize Thrive Market on a regular basis to get the organic items I need.
Whether we agree with it or not our schedules leave little time to fit in meal planning, the grocery store, and cooking meals. That’s not to say we shouldn’t do all these things, I think it’s important to keep a healthy lifestyle a priority. However, not many people want to work 40+ hours a week, drive around for activities, and then spend 2 hours at the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. This is one of the reasons fast food and convenience items are so popular, because people just don’t want to spend their extra time grocery shopping, and companies are taking notice.
Over the last few years, businesses have popped up everywhere working hard to make it more convenient for busy families to eat healthier. Up until then “convenience” or “fast” equaled processed and unhealthy. Well, fortunately, the tides are changing on this.
Today, it’s much easier to fit a healthy lifestyle into your busy schedule.
One option for people who want to eat healthier without spending hours at the grocery store is Thrive Market.
Anyway, I’ve been a Thrive Market member since 2015 and regularly order groceries from this online company.
I want to share my honest thoughts so you can decide whether or not Thrive Market would be a good fit for you and your family.
If you’re ready to try Thrive Market and don’t want to read my entire Thrive Market review, you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $22 value) when you purchase a Thrive Market Membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
Is Thrive Market Worth The Membership Cost?
Let’s start with the money part because that’s the biggest concern of most people.
Recently, Thrive Market changed up their membership structure. It used to be you can only purchase a yearly membership but now they offer a 1-month and 1-year membership.
The 1-month membership is $9.95 a month and the 1-year is $59.95. Obviously, the 1-year is a better value but if you don’t want to commit to a year then the monthly membership is a good option. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Does Thrive Market offer a free trial?
No. Recently Thrive Market did away with their free trial. However, if you purchase a yearly membership then you do have a 30-day risk-free guarantee. Meaning, if you cancel within 30-days you’ll get your money back.
Thrive Market Coupon
Currently, you can choose up a $24 dollar gift when signing up for a new Thrive Market membership. Get your gift here.
Is Thrive Market Cheaper than Whole Foods?
Alright, let’s talk about prices. Thrive Market is most comparable to Whole Foods in the products they offer. I also shop quite frequently at Whole Foods so I want to do a quick comparison.
Simply Organic Pure Vanilla extract (4 ounce) bottle Whole Foods $19.99 | Thrive Market $14.99
Simple Organic Spices are cheaper at Thrive Market by $1 – $2 a bottle.
KIND Bars Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt Whole Foods $20.28 | Thrive Market $15.49
Garden of Life Women’s Multi-vitamin Whole Foods $34.99 | Thrive Market $25.19
Kettle Chips Sea Salt 13 ounce bag Whole Foods $4.99 | Thrive Market $4.49
Dececco Pasta Whole Foods $3.29 a box | Thrive Market does not have this brand
Rao’s Marinara Sauce Whole Foods (32-ounce jar) $9.49 | Thrive Market (24-ounce jar) $7.49
Navitas Organics Organic Cacao Nibs (8-ounce bag) Whole Foods $9.99 | Thrive Market $6.99
Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese Shells and Real Aged Cheese (1-box) Whole Foods $2.99 | Thrive Market $1.99
Lakewood Aloe Juice (32-ounce bottle) Whole Foods $8.99 | Thrive Market $6.79
Overall, I think the brands I purchase most are cheaper at Thrive Market than Whole Foods. For some items, there’s a $5 difference which I think is pretty significant.
Thrive Market and Whole Foods have their own store brand, both are very comparable in prices. For example, a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce is $1.49 for both the Thrive Market brand and 365 Brand (Whole Foods store brand).
The Thrive Market brand is super affordable and they have a huge selection of items available. In my opinion, the Thrive Market brand along with the prices on the other items I purchase make Thrive Market well worth the price of membership.
I also want to note that Thrive Market offers numerous Keto, Paleo, Gluten-free, and other specialty items under their brand. These items are priced much more affordable than what you’ll find with name-brands in the stores. So, if you follow any of those eating styles then I highly recommend checking out Thrive Market.
Something to consider is that Thrive Market is a smaller online store compared to Whole Foods. So, there are times that Thrive Market will be out of items that can be easily purchased at Whole Foods.
Also, you can’t purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. So, you’ll still need to go to the grocery store to grab fresh produce. Thrive Market does sell meats but I find it easier to grab fresh meats at Whole Foods or I order meat from Butcher Box.
Another thing to consider is Thrive Market items need to be shipped which usually takes about 3-5 days and sometimes a little longer depending on where you are in the country. So, I find it helpful to order once a month or so the pantry items I’m going to need. Anything I need right away I’ll just go to the store to get.
Deals and discounts
Another way Thrive Market keeps items affordable is they offer membership deals and discounts all the time. Once a month or so I’ll receive a coupon for 10 – 15% off my total bill. Hint hint…that’s usually when I stock up. They also offer sales on certain brands and offer lots of freebies to try.
If you’re ready to try Thrive Market and don’t want to read my entire Thrive Market review, you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $24 value) when you purchase a membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
Is Thrive Market Comparable to Cosco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale?
Overall, I think Thrive Market prices are very comparable (if not cheaper than) to Whole Foods and other grocery stores. However, in my opinion, I wouldn’t compare Thrive Market prices to wholesale prices. I belong to BJ’s Wholesale and I can say that the prices there are always cheaper.
Of course, they don’t carry the same brands but wholesale stores have grown leaps and bounds with their organic offerings. I can find organic meats, peanut butter, olive oil, pasta, rice, sauce, bread, and many other products.
Yes, I need to purchase a larger size but the price is often much cheaper than any grocery store, including Thrive Market. So, in my opinion, I think Thrive Market can definitely compete with grocery chains but prices are not necessarily “wholesale pricing”.
Alright, I think I’ve established that Thrive Market’s prices are reasonable and you’re not going to get ripped off.
In fact, I’ll even say I think the $59.95 annual membership is worth it. Oh, and did I mention you get free shipping with orders over $49? You do. So, let’s move beyond prices.
If you’re ready to try Thrive Market and don’t want to read my entire Thrive Market review, you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $24 value) when you purchase a membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
Who would benefit most from a membership?
In my opinion, there are 2 types of people that can benefit from shopping at Thrive Market.
First, is the person looking for convenience ← that’s me. Whether you agree or disagree, like it or not, we live in a very busy world and companies have taken notice and capitalized off this. There’s no denying that ordering groceries online and having them delivered to our door, is nothing short of amazing.
The second type of person that I think could really benefit from Thrive Market is someone who doesn’t have access to larger grocery chains. I live in an area where I’m within driving distance of Wegmans, BJ’s Wholesale, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods. If I need almond butter, coconut oil, or organic avocado oil it’s very likely I can find it. Of course, that means I have to get in my car, drive there, and hope the store has it in stock – but I can still get there. However, many people don’t have access to 4-5 major grocery stores.
Thrive Market provides access to quality organic food and products to people who quite possibly didn’t have it before.
I think this is a big deal!
As a healthy lifestyle blogger, I can’t tell you the number of times people tell me they don’t have access to natural and organic foods. That is no longer the case. Anyone with internet and a credit card can go onto Thrive Market and easily purchase brands they never had access to.
Plus like I said earlier, the prices are comparable to grocery stores making it affordable to most people. In my opinion, this is a game-changer.
If you’re ready to try Thrive Market and don’t want to read my entire Thrive Market review, you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $24 value) when you purchase a membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
Who wouldn’t benefit from a membership?
If you have access to grocery stores, don’t mind driving around and spending time at the grocery store, enjoy price comparison, and live for couponing and finding the best deals then I don’t think Thrive Market is something you will benefit from. Thrive Market does offer coupons but you’re not going to get $1 toothpaste deals or .50 boxes of mac n cheese.
Also, if you’re not concerned with organic and natural products then you probably don’t need to shop at Thrive Market. Their entire business is about offering organic and natural brands – they don’t carry Fruit Loops and Doritos.
Pros and Cons
I wanted to add some pros and cons to my Thrive Market review just in case you’re still on the fence.
Pros:
- You can shop for organic and natural brands from the comfort of your home.
- Thrive Market carries all the popular organic and natural brands like Annie’s, Spectrum, Simply Organic, KIND, Newman’s Own, Bob’s Red Mill, Lara Bar, Eden Organic, and many others.
- Thrive Market also carries hard to find organic and natural brands. For me, a big perk is knowing whether or not an item is in stock simply by checking their website. I hate when I drive to a store only to find the item I want is sold out or they don’t carry it. I don’t waste any time with Thrive Market and that’s a huge bonus.
- Prices are very comparable, if not cheaper, than in-store prices.
- Free delivery if you spend $49 or more and groceries get delivered in about 3 -5 days.
- Thrive Market sends regular coupons and deals to your email. For example, I receive a 15% of the total order about once a month or so. I stock up when I get it.
- Thrive Market offers more than food. You can get toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, baby food and supplies, make-up and other beauty supplies, vitamins and supplements, and many other items.
- Thrive Market is a good company that gives back to the community. For every membership purchased they give one to a family in need.
- They offer a Thrive Market brand to help you save more money on organic and natural items.
- Thrive Market has an app, making it very easy to add items to your list, along with ordering them. The app is also a great way to stay updated with sales and coupons.
- All your orders are saved on the website. I find this helpful with keeping track of my grocery budget and when I need to reorder an item.
Cons
- There is a $59.95 annual membership cost. However, if you don’t make your membership up in savings Thrive Market will give you back the difference. So I guess that can be a pro.
- You need to plan ahead. It takes 3 -5 days (and sometimes longer) to get your items. This is an issue if you ordered an item you need right away. I recommend planning a few weeks at a time. For example, if you eat KIND granola bars every week you’re better off ordering for the month instead of trying to order by the week and then not getting the box in time.
- You need to pay shipping for orders under $49. Therefore, if you need something small you either need to pay shipping or wait until you order more. However, Thrive Market does offer free shipping on all purchases sometimes. Although this doesn’t help if I need garlic powder now.
- They don’t offer fruits, vegetables, and other perishables. They now offer meats but it would be nice to have the option to order other perishables from Thrive Market someday. Meal Kit delivery services send perishables so maybe they’ll consider it someday. I’m all about a one-stop-shop.
Helpful Shopping Tips
As a Thrive Market customer since 2015, I feel like I can offer some shopping advice.
- Plan in advance. I know I said this already but I want to mention it again. Personally, I think Thrive Market works best when you shop for the month or at least 2 weeks at a time. Don’t expect to get an order the next day – this isn’t Amazon Prime. Put together a 2-week meal plan, look in your pantry, and then place a Thrive Market order. Give yourself 3-4 days for groceries to get there.
- Stay organized. If you’re just looking to stock your pantry then it doesn’t matter when you place your order. However, I recommend staying organized. Keep track of the items in your pantry and make a list of the things that need to be reordered.
- Create a shopping list inside Thrive Market. This is super helpful. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the items Thrive Market offers. I recommend, after you join, to search out all your favorite products and save them to your favorites. Then create them into lists. For example, you can create a pasta list, canned good list, cleaning list, etc. When you’re ready to shop head into your lists and add what you need to the cart.
- Watch (or wait) for coupons. Like I said earlier I receive a 10 – 15% off total order coupon from Thrive Market on a regular basis. I add items to my favorites and then when my coupon arrives I stock up.
I hope you found my Thrive Market review helpful.
If you’re ready to subscribe you can use my link to get a free gift (up to a $24 value) when you purchase a membership! (1 month and 1-year memberships available).
If you have any other questions please ask in the comments below and I’d be happy to answer them. Also, I’d love to hear about your experience. What are your shopping tips?
Check out these other posts for more Thrive Market information:
My Favorite Things to Purchase at Thrive Market
If you like online grocery shopping then check out my other reviews:
