Is Thrive Market Worth It?

December 13, 2021

You want to be healthy but can’t seem to afford organic groceries. You aren’t alone. Organic groceries cost as much as 20% more than non-organic options, making most people opt for cheaper alternatives.

If you believe in the healthiness of organic foods and wish you could afford more, you may want to check out Thrive Market – the online grocery store selling organic groceries and other personal goods for a fraction of the price of your local grocery stores.

What is Thrive Market?

Thrive Market is a subscription service for organic goods. They stock 6,000+ products across hundreds of categories. Their website is aesthetically pleasing and easy to browse. You can shop by diet (they categorize over 70 diets) or food category to find just what you need.

You may find some tried-and-true favorites along with new to you options that are delicious alternatives to the non-organic products you may be eating now.

Here’s where they shine – Thrive promises to save you over 30% on organic groceries. If you find a cheaper price elsewhere they will beat it.

How Does it Work?

Thrive Market is an online wholesale organic grocery store selling grocery and personal items at wholesale prices. They skip the middleman and give consumers the savings directly, avoiding the standard upcharges.

You must be a member to buy at Thrive. Memberships cost $5 a month if you pay annually ($59.95 per year) or $9.95/month if you pay monthly. Think of it like Sam’s Club or Costco – you pay a membership to get the cheaper prices.

You can order as often or as little as you want. There aren’t any minimum order requirements as long as you pay your monthly fee. You can also set up an auto-ship for your favorite products. You choose the amount you purchase and the frequency. You can pause or skip upcoming shipments that haven’t been processed with no penalty.

Does Thrive Market Offer a Free Trial?

Thrive Market used to have a 30-day free trial that anyone could use to try Thrive Market. If you liked it, you could then sign up for a paid membership.

They’ve since done away with that but still offer it differently. Everyone must pay for a membership to shop at Thrive Market, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, you can cancel it before the 30 days are up and get your money back.

This only applies if you buy the annual membership at $59.95. If you sign up for the monthly membership, there isn’t a money-back guarantee.

What Products do they Sell?

Thrive Market sells just about any products you need to run your household. Here is a simple rundown of their most popular categories.

Food

Thrive Market sells all the food categories you’d find at your brick-and-mortar grocery store, but with many more organic options at lower prices.

Snacks – Grab your favorite snacks for you or the kids including popcorn, healthy chips, applesauce, meat sticks, nuts, dried fruit and so much more.

Condiments – Get healthier versions of your favorite condiments such as pasta sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salsa, olives, and more.

Soups and meals – Make delicious and healthy versions of rice, quinoa, soups, stews, chilis, and even quick yet healthy convenience meals

Candy and chocolate – Who said candy and chocolate can’t be healthy? Get a wide selection of new favorites including chocolate, gum and mints

Meat and seafood – Get a wide selection of organic and healthy meat and seafood in bulk sizes at a fraction of the price of the grocery store

Cereal and granola – Find healthy, grain-free and even keto-friendly cereals for the adults in your family and kid-friendly cereals too

Bath and Body

Get everything you need to take care of and even pamper your body with Thrive’s large selection of bath and body products including:

Soap and bath – Thrive Market offers a nice selection of organic hand soaps and sanitizer sprays

Body care – Shop their selection of organic body wash to keep your skin healthy and smooth

Sun and bug care – Don’t put chemicals on your body, instead use the natural options sold by Thrive

Superfoods

Thrive Market offers a wide selection of superfoods including collagen, MCT oil, whey protein, bone broth, and beef gelatin.

Babies and Kids

Thrive Market also has a large selection of supplies for babies and kids including diapers, wipes, and various balms to keep your baby or child comfortable.

Thrive Market Pros and Cons

Pros:

You can get a large selection of organic goods for a fraction of the price of your local brick-and-mortar stores
You may find new brands or even foods you like that you wouldn’t have tried before
It’s easy to find foods that meet your diet including keto, paleo, gluten free, and Whole30
You can get all your food and household paper needs in one place
The prices are close or sometimes cheaper than other organic stores, such as Whole Foods

Cons:

You must pay the membership fee to shop at Thrive Market
It can take up to a week to get your items
Thrive Market doesn’t sell most perishable items

Who Should Use Thrive Market?

If you’re invested in using organic and natural products, you should use Thrive Market. You’ll find a larger selection than you’ll find at Whole Foods and other organic stores at lower prices.

Other people that should use Thrive Market include:

Anyone who doesn’t have time to shop around to find whole, organic foods and wants everything delivered directly to them
People who don’t mind shopping online, even though the website is easy to use, it’s not the same as shopping in-store and holding the items
Shoppers who don’t have access to whole food or organic stores near them

Who Shouldn’t Use Thrive Market?

Some people aren’t good candidates for Thrive Market. They include:

People who like to shop and look at the products in person
Anyone who shops at the last minute but needs the food right away
Anyone who looks for the cheapest deals, while Thrive Market has good prices for organic food, there are other deals out there

How does Thrive Market Compare to Whole Foods?

Thrive Market isn’t the only whole foods or organic store you can shop. If you’re lucky enough to have a Whole Foods in your area, you may wonder if Thrive Market is cheaper than Whole Foods?

On average, Thrive Market products are cheaper than Whole Foods products for the same brands and items. There are some outliers where you may find the product cheaper at Whole Foods than Thrive, but overall, the prices are lower but you have to consider the $60 annual membership too.

Comparing Thrive Market to Wholesale Stores

Thrive Market is like the Costco or Sam’s Club equivalent of organic foods. While you can get some organic foods at wholesale stores, you’ll find a much larger selection at Thrive Market, even if their prices are slightly higher than you’d find at a traditional wholesale store.

Thrive Market FAQs

Is Thrive Market easy to cancel?

Thrive Market makes it simple to cancel your membership by contacting customer support in a live chat on their website. You won’t get your money back, so it pays to wait until your membership is almost up before canceling.

Do you pay for shipping with Thrive Market?

You might pay shipping costs when you shop at Thrive Market. It depends on the size of your order. Grocery orders over $49 ship free, otherwise they ship for $5.95 per order. Frozen foods ship free on orders over $99 or it costs $19.95 per order and wine ships free on orders over $79 or costs $13.95 per order.

Can you shop at Thrive Market without a membership?

You need a membership to shop at Thrive Market, even if you’re just trying it out. They no longer offer the free membership option. Everyone must pay $5/month on an annual membership or choose the month-to-month option at $9.95 per month.