Porter Road vs ButcherBox (2023) Tried & Tested!

Last Updated On: July 4, 2023

ButcherBox and Porter Road are two online meat delivery services that offer high-quality, pasture-raised meat.

While there are quite a few similarities in products, there are also some noticeable differences between subscriptions and prices.

To ensure you get the right subscription for your needs, we have compared Porter Road and ButcherBox.

Over a month, we have tried and tested these meat delivery options and recorded everything you need to know.

ButcherBox vs Porter Road: Key Differences

The main difference between these meat delivery services is the type of food on offer.

While ButcherBox offers a range of sustainably sourced seafood, Porter Road doesn’t stock seafood at all.

Another difference is that while Porter Road has a few in-person butcher shops, ButcherBox does not; only its items are online.

This company also gives customers the option of shopping a la carte on top of the subscription boxes, so unlike ButcherBox, you can order as little as you like without needing a recurring subscription.

Comparing Their Features Head to Head

We have spent hours researching and testing both Porter Road and ButcherBox to get a better idea of the features they offer. Here is how they compare:

1. Meat Selection

These meat deliveries both have a relatively small catalog; however, this helps them produce high-quality meat and focus on sustainability.

ButcherBox

This meat delivery service provides heritage breed pork, free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught fish; however, their biggest focus is humanely raised beef.

When signing up to ButcherBox, you will have the choice between five boxes, and the type of meat available will depend on your chosen plan.

We found ButcherBox to have a smaller inventory than other subscriptions we’ve tried, but this can also be a good thing as it helps the customers focus on specific cuts and the company on quality.

Some of the cuts on offer include:

Boneless pork chops
Whole chicken
Ribeye steaks
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
New York strip steak
Ground beef
Beef burgers
Ground turkey
Sea scallops
Uncured hot dogs

Porter Road

Porter Road meat delivery service has more options than ButcherBox, which is good as you can get your hands on some harder-to-find cuts.

These online butchers don’t sell seafood; they house plenty of grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, chicken, and organic meat.

Some of the cuts include:

Dry-aged ground beef
Boneless pork chop
Dry-aged beef
Ground pork
Italian sausage
Beef wellington
Filet mignon
Country sausage
Chuck roast

2. Meat Quality

When buying meat online or using an online butcher, always check where their meat comes from.

Both of these subscription services pride themselves on quality beef and sustainably sourced food, which is great for the flavor of the meat and the environment.

ButcherBox

This online meat delivery service works with family-owned farms to produce meat without antibiotics, growth hormones, or synthetics.

They are very transparent about their practices, dedicating a page on their website to sourcing, where you can find everything about their humanely raised meats [1].

ButcherBox put a lot of focus on their beef, which has been grass-fed and finished. We find this delicious meat to be of great quality and is actually much healthier than grain-fed meat [2].

All meat is humanely raised, and the beef, pork, chicken, and other meats are free to roam and interact with other animals.

Compared to grocery stores, ButcherBox is more expensive, but the quality is usually much better. You also benefit from knowing how and where the meat is raised.

Porter Road

This meat subscription service is very similar to ButcherBox regarding sourcing and quality.

Their meat is also antibiotics, growth hormones, and synthetic-free, and animals are grass-fed pasture and humanly raised.

These delicious cuts are also fed a special mixed diet of grass and grain, which gives the meat a wonderful marbling which is great for keeping the meat juicy [3].

3. Subscription Options and Prices

While Porter Road does offer a la carte shopping, they have subscription boxes like ButcherBox.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox offers customers the choice of five subscription boxes, each offering different meat types. You can choose to receive your meat subscription box every four, six, or eight weeks.

Custom Box: Offers a free choice of all cuts and meat types. The smaller box costs $159 while the bigger $288.
Mixed Box: You will get all types of meat in this box, but the cuts are selected for you. The small box is $137 and the larger $253.
Two Mixed Meat Boxes: Customers can select beef and chicken cuts or pork and beef. Again, these options are picked for you.
All Beef: This box contains only beef, chosen for you by the company.

CLICK FOR BEST PRICE

Porter Road

Along with gift boxes, this company offers five subscription boxes. The subscription boxes are an ideal choice for someone looking to save up to 10% off the a la carte menu, and you can schedule your box every two, four, or six weeks.

Butchers Choice Box: This includes an assortment of meats chosen by the creators. Every month, the box's contents will change slightly depending on the season and stock. Boxes cost $165.
Weeknight Heros: This contains an assortment of meats at $120.
Best of Porter Road: Contains the best meat Porter Road has to offer at $115.
Beef Box: This is a box dedicated to only beef at $140.
Beef and Pork Basics: This is for classic pork chops, steaks, etc., at $120.

Unlike ButcherBox, this company doesn’t offer a custom box; however, they do let you know what’s included in every package.

CLICK FOR BEST PRICE

4. Delivery

ButcherBox

With ButcherBox, you don’t get the option of selecting specific dates or times to receive your box.

However, you receive an email with all the tracking information, and boxes are expected to arrive three-four days after ordering.

“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart.”
- Wolfgang Puck, Chef

The meat is shipped fresh stored inside a styrofoam box with a bag of dry ice. This is great as it keeps the meat cool or frozen while in transit and 6-8 hours after delivery.

The packaging is 100% environmentally friendly, and therefore it is easy to recycle.

Shipping is free on every order, and ButcherBox delivers to all 48 states, excluding Hawaii, Canada, and Alaska.

Porter Road

Just like ButcherBox, you can’t arrange specific dates for your order. But, the packaging is made to keep your cured meats cool if you aren’t home to collect them immediately.

They rarely freeze their meat, using biodegradable insulation and gel packs to keep the delivery fresh.

Shipping is also free, and they currently deliver everywhere in the contiguous United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

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