Walmart+ Vs. Amazon Fresh: Which Is Cheaper For Groceries?

Every savvy shopper knows that the clearest path to grocery savings is through a dense thicket of clipped coupons, comparison shopping, and paid membership services. Even the most casual budget shopper may know the major differences in membership perks between Sam's Club and Costco, if Trader Joe's or Whole Foods offer up more savings, and if Aldi or Walmart is the cheaper grocery shopping option. However, a true frugal warrior may want to get down to brass grocery savings tacks by putting two giant retail overlords head to head in the ring: Walmart and Amazon.

In one corner is Walmart+, the paid membership savings service from global mega-retailer, Walmart. For a monthly fee or annual subscription purchase, Walmart+ offers savings on groceries, as well as free grocery pickup, delivery, shipping, and a number of other perks and savings opportunities. In the other corner is Amazon Fresh, the paid grocery savings service from global mega e-retailer, Amazon. For an additional monthly fee, Amazon Prime members in nine U.S. states can take advantage of grocery savings, pickup, and delivery services through an Amazon Fresh membership. Amazon also has plans to expand the offering nationwide, as well as to non-Prime members.

Both Walmart+ and Amazon Fresh can provide deep grocery savings due to the fight for omnichannel dominance between both superstore superpowers. However, deciding which membership is your savings champion comes down to matters of personal preference and geographic location, not to mention fringe perk potential.

Walmart+ membership costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year, plus tax. Walmart+ trial periods and seasonal membership sales are sometimes available, as is  discounted membership for those who qualify for government assistance, via Walmart+ Assist. Walmart+ members get free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more, and pay a $6.99 delivery fee for orders less than that minimum. Meanwhile, non-Walmart+ members can order delivery from their chosen store, but at higher delivery fee rates regardless of order amount. Rush delivery incurs an additional $10 charge for Walmart+ members and non-members alike.

Compare this to Amazon Fresh, which has a slightly more complicated fee structure. While Prime and non-Prime members can shop Amazon Fresh, only those who also pay for Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 per year, plus tax) get free grocery delivery on orders of $100 or more. Rush delivery incurs additional fees for Prime members that varies upon order size, and these rates are higher for non-Prime members.

Amazon also offers a paid grocery delivery subscription service for Prime members, as well as a lower-cost option for EBT-qualifying Prime Access members. The subscription costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, and allows for free grocery deliveries of orders of $35 or more for Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and select other local grocers and retailers. For those willing to eat the extra subscription cost and commit to making at least one grocery order a month, more savings opportunities are possible.

After balancing out how membership fees affect your budget, prices at Amazon Fresh and Walmart+ are neck-and-neck. A dozen cage-free large white eggs are $3.79 through Amazon Fresh, and $3.74 through Walmart+. A gallon of 2% milk is $4.29 through Amazon Fresh, and $3.77 through Walmart+. A 20-ounce loaf of Amazon Fresh brand honey wheat bread is $2.19, versus Great Value's $1.87 option. A five-pound tray of chicken drumsticks sells for $1.89 per pound through Amazon Fresh, and $1.44 per pound (on sale) through Walmart+. Price points are similar, but availability and variety differ. 

Walmart and Amazon are clearly in competition to be a one-stop super-shop. Taking that view, Walmart+ might be more convenient than Amazon Fresh grocery subscription, simply because the service is available practically anywhere in the country where Walmart has one of its 4,606 local stores, versus Amazon Fresh's reach to 3,500 domestic towns and cities. However, Amazon's offering is poised to learn from Walmart's decades of experience, with the boon of innovative technology and the massively popular Prime membership base. Improvements, convenience, and more Amazon Fresh physical stores will likely only continue to grow. 

Those who can afford both memberships will be able to maximize tailoring their grocery orders across these competitors. However, those who can only select one service may do best to choose their fighter for grocery savings based on how much they already shop through Prime or Walmart.