Thrive Market Review: Is This Healthy Online Grocer Worth the Cost?

Making the switch to a healthier, more eco-conscious lifestyle can be challenging, especially when it comes to the cost and inconvenience of finding the right products. Thrive Market seeks to solve this problem by providing an online, membership-based marketplace filled with wholesome, sustainable food, home, and beauty products at discounted prices.

But is spending $60 per year or $5 per month on a Thrive Market membership actually worth it? In this in-depth review, I put Thrive Market to the test, exploring everything from the quality and selection of products to the overall shopping experience and membership perks. Find out if this popular healthy online grocer lives up to the hype.

What is Thrive Market?

Founded in 2014, Thrive Market is a membership-based e-commerce platform that offers natural and organic food products at reduced costs. Members can shop for pantry staples, snacks, supplements, home goods, pet supplies, clean wine and more, with prices that are typically 25% to 50% below retail.

Thrive Market aims to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone by thoughtfully curating the highest quality organic, non-GMO, sustainable, and healthy products. The company is driven by a mission to democratize access to healthy food and build a better market that benefits people and the planet.

Some key things that set Thrive Market apart:

• Sells products that are certified organic, non-GMO, sustainable, fair-trade, gluten-free, vegan, etc.
• Carbon-neutral shipping and 100% recyclable packaging
• "Thrive Cash" rewards program
• Thrive Market branded products that are high quality and value-priced
• "Thrive Gives" program that sponsors free memberships for low-income families
• B-Corp certified for rigorous standards of social and environmental transparency and accountability

The company has grown its product selection to over 6,000 items across food, supplements, home, beauty, bath and body, babies and kids, and pets. Members can easily shop by 90+ diets and values like keto, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, fair trade, BPA-free, and more.

How Does Thrive Market Work?

Thrive Market works on a membership model, similar to Costco or Sam‘s Club, but for natural and organic products. Here‘s a quick overview of how it works:

1. Sign up for a membership: To shop at Thrive Market, you need to sign up for a membership, which costs $60 per year or $5 per month. You can try a 30-day free trial to test it out first.

2. Browse and shop: Once you‘re signed in, you can explore Thrive Market‘s curated selection of 6,000+ organic and natural products across food, home, and beauty departments. You can easily filter by category, diet, or values to find exactly what you need.

3. Save on every order: Thrive Market products are typically priced 25% to 50% below retail, so you‘ll save on each item you buy. Orders over $49 get free shipping. You also earn Thrive Cash to redeem on future purchases.

4. Get your order fast: Most orders are delivered within 2-3 business days, with the option for expedited shipping on frozen and perishable items. Everything is packed in recyclable and minimal packaging.

One thing to note is that you can‘t shop at Thrive Market without a membership. However, the company stands behind its savings, offering a refund on your membership fee if your annual savings don‘t exceed the $60 cost.

Thrive Market also gives you the flexibility to order as much or as little as you want each month, with no minimum order amounts or purchase requirements. You can also set up recurring shipments for items you buy regularly with the Subscribe & Save option.

Thrive Market Top Products Review

Thrive Market carries a wide variety of healthy groceries, supplements, home supplies, clean beauty, and more from 600+ of the best-selling natural and organic brands. The company also sells its own line of premium organic products at exceptional values.

I tested out a bunch of Thrive Market‘s top-rated branded and third-party products. Here are my honest reviews:

1. Thrive Market Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Thrive Market‘s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is one of their bestselling pantry staples. Sourced from fresh, sustainably harvested coconuts in the Philippines, this unrefined coconut oil has a rich, pure coconut flavor and aroma. It‘s expeller-pressed without chemicals or solvents and contains 63% MCTs. I love that it comes in a generous 54-ounce tub that lasts a long time. I use it for everything from baking to oil pulling. And the price is unbeatable at just $7.99 per tub.

2. Thrive Market Organic Ghee

Another excellent Thrive Market branded product is their Organic Ghee. Made from pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic-certified clarified butter, this ghee has a clean, lactose-free, nutrient-rich taste. It has a high smoke point, making it perfect for cooking or mixing in coffee. The price is just $11.49 for 14 ounces, about 40% less than other popular organic ghee brands.

3. Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayonnaise

Primal Kitchen makes some of the cleanest and tastiest condiments and dressings out there, using avocado oil as a healthy base. Their mayo is a top seller on Thrive Market for good reason. It has a light, creamy texture and a tangy, satisfying taste, without any of the artificial ingredients, added sugars, or canola oil found in normal mayos. A jar is $7.99 on Thrive Market, about a couple dollars cheaper than Whole Foods or Amazon.

4. Hu Dark Chocolate Bars

Hu is another popular natural foods brand available on Thrive Market. Their dark chocolate bars are a top seller, made with organic house-ground cacao, unrefined organic coconut sugar, and organic fair-trade cocoa butter. With several flavors like Cashew Butter, Salty, Almond Butter and more, these decadent bars are certified USDA organic, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free. A 4-pack is $25.99 on Thrive Market.

5. Thrive Market Non-GMO Almond Flour

For gluten-free and low-carb baking, almond flour is an essential. Thrive Market‘s Non-GMO Almond Flour is a great deal at just $7.99 for a 1-pound bag. Made from 100% skinless almonds that have been blanched and finely ground, this almond flour is certified gluten-free and non-GMO. It works perfectly in everything from cakes to breading.

Thrive Market Membership Review

To really gauge if a Thrive Market membership is worth it, let‘s break down the key membership benefits and how much you can actually save.

How much does Thrive Market cost?

A Thrive Market membership costs $60 per year, or you can choose to pay $5 per month. Compared to similar membership shopping clubs, Thrive Market is priced competitively:

• Costco: $60/year for Gold Star membership
• BJ‘s: $55/year for Inner Circle membership
• Sam‘s Club: $45/year for Club membership

Thrive Market offers a free 30-day trial for all new members. Just keep in mind that after the 30 days, you will be automatically charged the $60 annual fee, so make sure to cancel if you don‘t want to continue the membership.

Students, teachers, veterans, and low-income families can apply for a free Thrive Gives membership, which is a thoughtful program that sets Thrive Market apart.

Thrive Market membership savings

The main benefit of the Thrive Market membership is the savings – typically 25% to 50% off retail prices on natural and organic products. Of course, the amount you‘ll actually save depends on what specific items you buy and how often you shop.

To give a real example, I compared the prices of some popular natural grocery staples on Thrive Market vs. Whole Foods:

• Organic Quinoa: $4.29 (16 oz) on Thrive Market, $6.99 on Whole Foods = 39% savings
• Organic Brown Rice: $2.99 (2 lbs) on Thrive Market, $4.39 on Whole Foods = 32% savings
• Seventh Generation Dish Soap: $2.99 (19 oz) on Thrive Market, $3.69 on Whole Foods = 19% savings
• Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta: $3.49 (16 oz) on Thrive Market, $4.39 on Whole Foods = 20% savings

Based on this small sample, the savings on Thrive Market are significant, especially for pricey natural and organic products. By spending around $200 on Thrive Market over the course of a year, your savings would exceed the $60 membership cost. And the more you use Thrive Market, the more you save.

Thrive Cash rewards program

Another perk of the Thrive Market membership is earning Thrive Cash to spend on future purchases. Members earn a percentage back on every purchase, typically ranging from 5-10% depending on the items. So if you spend $100, you‘ll get $5-$10 in Thrive Cash added to your account to redeem on your next haul.

Thrive Market often runs promotions with the chance to get up to 25% in Thrive Cash, which really adds up. It‘s an easy way to save even more on top of the discounted product prices.

Thrive Market Customer Reviews

To get a sense of what real customers think about Thrive Market, I analyzed reviews and ratings from a few trustworthy sites. Here‘s a summary:

• Trustpilot: 4.2/5 stars from 3,321 reviews
• BBB: 4.5/5 stars from 223 reviews
• SiteJabber: 3.9/5 stars from 212 reviews

The vast majority of reviews are very positive, with customers raving about the competitive pricing, quality of products, and convenience. Many note that Thrive Market has made sticking to specific diets like keto, paleo, and vegan much easier and more affordable.

Some example reviews:

"Thrive Market has been a game changer for me as far as saving money and eating healthy. It‘s so easy to find exactly what I need and I love that I can sort by diet type. The Thrive Market brand products are just as good as name brands and even cheaper!" – Laura S.

"I‘ve been impressed with the selection of allergy-friendly and gluten-free products on Thrive Market. As someone with celiac disease, I rely on Thrive for a lot of my pantry staples and snacks. The prices are always lower than my local grocery store and shipping is fast. Highly recommend if you‘re gluten-free!" – Natalie R.

Of course, no company is perfect, and there were some negative reviews as well. A few customers had issues with delayed shipping, missing items, or cancelled memberships. However, Thrive Market seems to respond promptly to complaints to try to make things right.

Is Thrive Market Worth It?

So, is a Thrive Market membership worth the cost? Based on my experience and research, I believe it is for most people who regularly buy natural and organic groceries. Here‘s why:

Substantial savings on healthy products. If you spend at least $200-$300 per year at Thrive Market, you will likely recoup your membership fee in savings. The company guarantees it.

Unmatched selection. With 6,000+ organic, non-GMO, and sustainable products across categories, Thrive Market is a one-stop shop for healthy living. You can find the best natural brands all in one place.

Quality and value. The Thrive Market branded products are just as high quality as premium brands but priced much lower. By controlling their own supply chain, Thrive Market can keep costs down.

Diet and value-based shopping. The curated collections make it easy to shop your diet, whether you‘re gluten-free, keto, vegan, etc. You can also filter by 60+ certifications like fair trade, recyclable, and paraben-free to shop your values.

Convenience and carbon-neutral shipping. With fast, free shipping on most orders over $49 and 100% carbon-neutral shipping, Thrive Market can‘t be beat for convenience and sustainability. Deliveries come quickly and packaging is minimal.

Social impact. Thrive Market is a mission-driven company that gives back. Your membership sponsors a free one for a low-income family, student, teacher, veteran or first responder. Thrive Market also sources ethically and donates to food banks.

Overall, if you‘re looking to save money on natural and organic products, discover new healthy living items, and get them delivered affordably and sustainably, a Thrive Market membership is absolutely worth trying. The free 30-day trial is an easy way to see how much you can save and how you like the experience before committing to the annual membership.

While Thrive Market isn‘t for everyone, it has a lot to offer health-conscious shoppers who want to keep their grocery bills in check. The thoughtful curation, competitive pricing, and feel-good business model set Thrive Market apart from other online grocers. If you regularly seek out organic, gluten-free, vegan, or non-toxic products, you will likely find Thrive Market‘s membership cost worthwhile for the savings and convenience.