Best Fresh Dog Food Delivery Services of 2023

Do you feel guilty about feeding your dog dry kibble while you’re eating fresh protein and produce? If so, a fresh dog food delivery service might be for you (no cooking or chopping necessary). Dog food delivery can be pricey, but it's very convenient. Simply order a few weeks-worth of freshly made dog food right to your door, and then thaw what you need (if frozen) in the fridge.

The companies below offer multiple entrees choices that are free of preservatives and fillers. Most ship in eco-friendly packaging, and some even have a veterinary nutritionist on board. Check out our top contenders for the best fresh dog food delivery services. (We can see your dog’s big eyes begging you for it already.)

The Best Fresh Dog Food Delivery Services of 2023

Best Overall: The Farmer’s Dog
Best Runner-Up: Nom Nom
Best Variety: JustFoodForDogs
Best Flexibility: PetPlate
Easiest to Serve: Ollie
Best Farm to Table: Spot & Tango

Best Overall: The Farmer’s Dog

Key Specs

Average price: Around $5 per day for a 25-pound dog
Shipping frequency: One box every six weeks
Made to order? Yes
Fresh or frozen: Fresh

Why We Chose It

The Farmer's Dog is one of the more well-known fresh dog food delivery companies. Food is delivered within days of cooking, and the company's packaging is eco-friendly.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Food is delivered within days of cooking
All packaging is recyclable or biodegradable
Easy to change plan

Cons

Does not offer pre-prepared food
Expensive

Overview

The Farmer’s Dog sends customized refrigerated food packets to your door within days of cooking. Simply cut open the packet, squeeze the food into your dog’s dish, and then fluff it with a fork. There are four recipe options to choose from—turkey, chicken, beef, and pork—and all recipes are personalized to suit your dog's breed, activity level, and weight.

You can easily make changes to your plan, ordering more or less, or trying out different recipes until you decide what works best for your dog. And you can ask advice from team members, too, if you have questions.

Bonus: The Farmer's Dog treats the environment with care. All food is boxed in recyclable packaging with biodegradable insulation (just run it under water and watch it disappear), and the food containers themselves are biodegradable and BPA-free.

Best Runner-up: Nom Nom

Key Specs

Average price: Around $6 a day for a 30-pound dog
Shipping frequency: Adjustable, but defaults to once monthly
Made to order? Yes
Fresh or frozen: Fresh

Why We Chose It

Non Nom has a veterinary nutritionist on staff and sources ingredients from local farms and ranches. In addition to its sustainability practices, Nom Nom is working toward zero food waste in its facilities, as well.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Veterinary nutritionist on staff
All packaging is recyclable
Offers four different recipes, plus food for cats
No additives or preservatives

Cons:

Expensive
Requires monthly fridge or freezer space
Hard to customize orders

Overview

Nom Nom has four flavors to choose from—beef, chicken, pork, and turkey—and all ingredients come from U.S. farmers and ranchers. The company is committed to sustainably sourcing food, when possible, and all the packaging and insulation are recyclable.

Nom Nom provides videos and supplemental information on the website which explains dog nutrition and feeding tips from their veterinary nutritionist. However, it's hard to figure out how to customize an order or change the portion sizes.

Nom Nom also offers beef and chicken jerky treats that are free of preservatives and extra ingredients, and fresh food subscriptions for cats.

Best Variety: JustFoodForDogs

Key Specs

Average price: Around $6 a day for a 40-pound dog
Shipping frequency: Weekly, or up to every eight weeks; you can also choose in-store pickup
Made to order? No
Fresh or frozen: Fresh, plus shelf-stable meals

Why We Chose It

JustFoodForDogs offers seven different recipes made from locally-sourced food ingredients. The company also offers shelf-stable meals and a wide selection of supplements.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Offers seven different recipes, including fish
Offers free local pickup locations
Less expensive than other options
Offers shelf-stable meals

Cons:

Need to calculate food amounts yourself
Not as fresh as made-to-order options

Overview

While most fresh dog food delivery services have four recipes, JustFoodForDogs has seven: fish, venison, chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, and a beef and lamb combo.

The company's ingredients feature restaurant-quality meat, wild-caught cod, and locally-sourced produce. Everything can be shipped frozen to your house, or you can pick up your order for free at several nationwide locations. All meals are made by hand in kitchens that are open to the public.

JustFoodForDogs also offers pantry-fresh (shelf-table) dry food, jerky treats, supplements, and a DIY nutrient blend, if you want to try cooking for your pet at home.

At first, the company's online feeding calculator helps you figure out how much food to feed your furry friend. After that, you can adjust your shipments and portion sizes based on your dog's needs.

Best Flexibility: PetPlate

Key Specs

Average price: Around $6 a day for a 40-pound dog
Shipping frequency: Adjustable
Made to order? No
Fresh or frozen: Frozen

Why We Chose It

PetPlate's “topper plan" allows you to order a smaller amount of food meant to be mixed with your dog’s regular dry kibble. Plus, you can easily change recipes, delivery schedules, and order sizes.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Containers are easy to reseal and save
The company provides detailed info about recipe benefits
“Topper plan" lets you mix fresh food with dry kibble

Cons:

Accessive packaging
Bulky containers take up room in the freezer

Easiest to Serve: Ollie

Key Specs

Average price: Around $5 to $6 a day for a 20- to 40-pound dog
Shipping frequency: Every 4, 6, or 8 weeks
Made to order? No
Fresh or frozen: Fresh

Why We Chose It

The food from Ollie is made in small batches and shipments include a handy scoop and "puptainer" to serve and hold meals.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Recipes created by a veterinary nutritionist
The company provides peel-back, easy-to-serve food trays with portion scoops
Detailed nutritional information is provided

Cons:

Expensive
Requires defrosting

Ollie gives you four recipes to choose from: beef (includes beef, beef liver, and beef kidney), chicken, turkey, and lamb. The beef, turkey, and hormone-free chicken all come from farms in the U.S., while the pasture-raised lamb comes from free-range farms in the U.S. and Australia. Other ingredients include whole blueberries and peas, freshly chopped carrots and spinach, as well as chia seeds and fish oil.

All food is made in small batches in a New Jersey facility and it comes with a scoop to make serving portions easy. Plus, the meals come in convenient peel-and-serve trays.

Ollie containers are small and don’t take up a lot of room in the freezer. And the box, the food tray, and the liner (made from jute) are all recyclable.

Best Farm to Table: Spot & Tango

Use TREEHUG50 to take 50% off your first Spot & Tango order. Afterward, the subscription will revert to full price for the next scheduled delivery.

Key Specs

Average price: Around $6.50 a day for a 25-pound dog
Shipping frequency: Every four weeks
Made to order? No
Fresh or frozen: Frozen

Why We Chose It

Spot & Tango uses only fresh, locally-farmed ingredients formulated into enticing recipes. It also uses only eco-friendly packaging.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Slim packaging
Pre-portioned servings
Also offers preservative-free dry food

Cons:

Only three recipes

Overview

Spot & Tango began in the founder’s kitchen where he and his wife made fresh food for their dogs. The food is still prepared in small batches in New York using locally-farmed ingredients.

The company offers just three recipes: turkey, beef, and lamb, yet has enticing combinations, despite the limited options. The turkey, for example, is combined with red quinoa, spinach, carrots, peas, apples, and eggs. The beef recipe has cranberries, and the lamb recipe includes blueberries. The company even has a “topper plan" if you want to mix some fresh food into your dog’s kibble.

Spot & Tango's meals come in slim, pre-portioned, vacuum-sealed packs that store easily in the freezer. The box is recyclable and the insulation dissolves in water. The company also makes dry dog food called UnKibble made from beef, chicken, vegetables, and fruit, with no preservatives or fillers.

Final Verdict

The Farmer’s Dog won our pick for the best dog food delivery service due to its made-to-order freshness and recyclable packaging. The Farmer's Dog also gives consumers access to nutritional information. And, the meals are easy to serve. Simply squeeze the food out of the package, and then fluff it with a fork.

Unlike some of the other options, The Farmer's Dog takes care to fully customize the recipes and portion size to your pet. And, remarkably, meals are shipped within two days of cooking. All meals come refrigerated from the company's kitchen—not frozen—ensuring the freshest dog food product on the market.

Compare the Best Dog Food Delivery Services

Company	Average Price	Shipping Frequency	Made To Order?	Fresh or Frozen
The Farmer’s Dog: Best Overall	$5 per day for a 25-pound dog	One box every 6 weeks	Yes	Fresh
Nom Nom: Best Runner-Up	$6 a day for a 30-pound dog	Adjustable	Yes	Fresh
JustFoodForDogs: Best Variety	$6 a day for a 40-pound dog	Weekly, or up to every 8 weeks	No	Frozen, plus shelf-stable options
PetPlate: Best Flexibility	$6 a day for a 40-pound dog	Adjustable	No	Frozen
Ollie: Easiest to Serve	$5 to $6 a day for a 20- to a 40-pound dog	Every 4, 6, or 8 weeks	No	Fresh
Spot & Tango: Best Farm to Table	$6.50 a day for a 25-pound dog	Every 4 weeks	No	Frozen

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fresh Food the Same as Raw Food?

Fresh and raw are not identical. These fresh delivery pet foods are cooked at low temperatures in small batches, then packaged and refrigerated or frozen before being shipped to you. Raw diets are not cooked. They can include raw organ or muscle meats (ground beef, chicken livers), eggs, ground bones, and fruits and vegetables that are safe for pets, like broccoli, carrots, and apples.

How Do You Serve Fresh Dog Food?

Most fresh foods come frozen and can be thawed the night before in the refrigerator. Depending on how the food is packaged, you can either scoop or squeeze a serving into your dog’s bowl. In some instances, you may want to heat the meal, with a touch of water, for a few seconds in the microwave.

How Are These Foods Different From Cooking for Your Dog at Home?

As well-intentioned as you might be, it can be hard to get the ingredients and nutrition right for a canine-specific diet. It’s not as simple as feeding your dog whatever you’re eating or just cooking up chicken and rice. The foods we listed here are enhanced with nutrients to make sure your pet is getting a well-rounded meal. If you want to cook for your dog, you can buy a DIY nutrient blend from JustFoodForDogs.

Is Fresh Food Best for Dogs?

While dogs may prefer the taste of fresh food to dry kibble, high-quality dry food can be just as nutritious as freshly prepared meals. That said, most fresh dog food services offer several different recipes (to combat food boredom) and source high-quality, farm-raised ingredients to assure an outstanding product with complete assimilation of nutrients.

Methodology

We compiled our list of fresh dog food delivery services by first looking at the ingredients, making sure all companies included whole sources of animal protein, whole food ingredients, and no preservatives or fillers. They all had to meet the nutritional standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a non-profit that sets standards for pet foods and animal feed in the U.S. And, all companies needed to have formulas created by a veterinary nutritionist.

We also made sure all the websites were intuitive, so you could easily enter your dog’s information and receive recommendations about how much to feed and which formula was best. We also ensured the companies' packaging was minimal and that most, if not all, of the material, was recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.