Ocado is the cleanest grocery delivery in the UK by a clear margin: tight delivery windows, low substitution rates, the full Marks & Spencer Food range, and an app that handles last-minute Quick Add edits without a hitch. The catch is the cost of admission. The £40 minimum spend pushes baskets past their natural size, slot fees climb to £6.99 at peak times, and the new Ocado Price Promise only matches Tesco on a subset of the catalogue. For households running tighter weekly budgets or for anyone in a coverage gap, the question is what else can deliver.
This guide compares seven Ocado alternatives across the UK grocery delivery landscape: the cheaper big-four supermarkets (Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons), the premium pairing (Waitrose), the M&S Food angle when Ocado is unavailable, the SmartShop self-scan option (Sainsbury’s), and one budget-frozen swap (Iceland).
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco | Largest UK coverage | Free | Clubcard Prices, lowest delivery minimum |
| ASDA Groceries | Cheapest weekly shop | Free | Smart Price range, ASDA Rewards cashpot |
| Waitrose | Premium quality | Free | Free delivery over £40 for members |
| Morrisons Groceries | Mid-market value | Free | Morrisons Now in 60 minutes |
| Sainsbury’s SmartShop | Scan-as-you-shop | Free | Nectar prices, in-store skip-the-queue |
| Marks & Spencer | M&S Food only | Free | Direct M&S Food via M&S Foodhall |
| Iceland | Frozen specialism | Free | Free delivery over £35, Bonus Card cashback |
Why people leave Ocado
The complaints stack in three predictable places.
£40 minimum spends inflate baskets
Ocado’s £40 minimum order forces add-ons. A natural £32 basket grows to £45 to hit the threshold, then the slot fee adds £3 to £7 on top. Smaller households end up paying for groceries they didn’t need.
Coverage is patchy outside the South-East
Ocado serves most of England, but rural Wales, the Scottish Highlands, and Northern Ireland are out of range or limited to a fortnightly slot. Even within range, popular weekend slots book out 10 days ahead.
The Price Promise only matches part of the catalogue
The Ocado Price Promise covers more than 10,000 branded items against Tesco. Own-brand lines, M&S Food, and most fresh produce sit outside the promise, which is where the basket actually feels expensive.
The alternatives
Tesco — Best for the largest UK coverage
Tesco Grocery & Clubcard runs the densest UK delivery network: more than 800 stores act as picking sites, slots open earlier, and the £25 minimum spend undercuts Ocado. Clubcard Prices drop hundreds of items each week to roughly 20 percent below the standard price, often beating Ocado’s catalogue on like-for-like brands.
Where it falls short: Substitution rates run higher than Ocado, especially on bread and fresh produce. The app’s checkout sometimes adds Quick Add items unexpectedly. M&S Food isn’t part of the range.
Pricing:
- Free
- £25 minimum spend, delivery £1 to £6
- vs Ocado: cheaper basket with Clubcard, more substitutions, no M&S Food
Migrating from Ocado: Bring the Clubcard to the new account and the savings start immediately. Use Tesco for the weekly shop and keep Ocado for occasions when M&S Food matters.
Bottom line: Pick Tesco when coverage and the Clubcard discount weigh more than the Ocado-clean substitution rate.
ASDA Groceries — Best for the cheapest weekly shop
ASDA Groceries consistently posts the lowest weekly-shop totals of the big four on like-for-like baskets. The Smart Price range is the deepest value tier on the high street, and ASDA Rewards now drops cashpot pounds onto qualifying purchases (worth around 10p in the £1 over a month). Delivery starts at £25 minimum spend with slots from £1.
Where it falls short: The app’s slot booking can lag at peak times. Fresh produce quality is the most variable of the big four; reviewers regularly flag short use-by dates on arrival.
Pricing:
- Free
- £25 minimum spend, slots £1 to £4
- vs Ocado: substantially cheaper basket, lower delivery costs, more produce variance
Migrating from Ocado: Run the same shopping list through ASDA Groceries for one week and compare the totals. The own-brand replacements often save 15 to 25 percent.
Bottom line: Pick ASDA when the weekly total is the metric.
Waitrose — Best for premium quality
Waitrose & Partners sits in the same premium bracket as Ocado but with a different positioning: own-brand depth, the No.1 range, and own-store fresh produce that grades the cleanest in independent testing most years. myWaitrose members get free delivery over £40, plus a free hot drink in store for the occasional pickup.
Where it falls short: Smaller delivery footprint than Tesco or Ocado, especially north of Manchester. Standard prices run above the big four on most lines, even with myWaitrose offers.
Pricing:
- Free; myWaitrose free
- £40 minimum, free delivery for members over £40
- vs Ocado: comparable pricing, narrower coverage, deeper Waitrose own-brand
Migrating from Ocado: Where the Ocado basket is mostly M&S Food, swap to Waitrose for the own-brand fresh and protein, and pick up M&S Food separately at a store visit. The myWaitrose card pays for itself in a single delivery.
Bottom line: Pick Waitrose when the basket is mostly fresh and own-brand quality matters.
Morrisons Groceries — Best for mid-market value
Morrisons Groceries lands between ASDA’s value pricing and Sainsbury’s mid-market positioning. The Morrisons Now service offers delivery in 60 minutes for small top-up shops, which Ocado doesn’t try to match. The More Card knocks 10p off fuel per litre and drops weekly money-off coupons into the app.
Where it falls short: Standard prices on common branded items often run a touch above ASDA. Delivery slot availability is thinner in city centres.
Pricing:
- Free
- £25 to £40 minimum spend by area, slots £1 to £5
- vs Ocado: cheaper basket, faster top-up via Morrisons Now, narrower premium range
Migrating from Ocado: Open a free Morrisons More account first to capture the offers, then run the weekly shop through Morrisons Groceries. Use Morrisons Now for the midweek top-up that doesn’t justify a full slot.
Bottom line: Pick Morrisons for mid-market value and the 60-minute top-up.
Sainsbury’s SmartShop — Best for scan-as-you-shop
Sainsbury’s SmartShop runs a different model: scan items on the phone as you walk the aisles, pay at a SmartShop pay point, walk out. The app links to the Nectar card for personalised pricing, which often beats Ocado on like-for-like lines. Useful when the Ocado slot for the day has booked out and a quick in-store run is the answer.
Where it falls short: It’s a self-scan tool, not a delivery service. The pure delivery app sits separately on the website rather than in this app. The SmartShop discount only triggers in stores running the scheme.
Pricing:
- Free
- No delivery (in-store only)
- vs Ocado: not a direct delivery swap, complements with faster in-store visits and Nectar pricing
Migrating from Ocado: Use SmartShop on the in-store visits Ocado deliveries don’t cover (last-minute dinner, the bottle of wine for the dinner party). Link the Nectar card so the savings show up at the till.
Bottom line: Pick Sainsbury’s SmartShop for in-store fill-ins between Ocado deliveries.
Marks & Spencer — Best for M&S Food only
M&S runs its own Foodhall pick-up and Click & Collect services across most stores. For shoppers whose Ocado basket is overwhelmingly M&S Food, the M&S app cuts out the middleman: order from the local Foodhall, collect within the window, no Ocado slot fee. Sparks offers drop into the app weekly.
Where it falls short: The M&S app doesn’t run a national delivery service for groceries; collection only. The wider grocery basket (own-brand basics, branded items) isn’t covered.
Pricing:
- Free
- Click & Collect free over £40
- vs Ocado: cheaper for an M&S Food-only basket, no full grocery delivery, requires a store visit
Migrating from Ocado: Where the M&S Food portion of the basket is more than half, switch the M&S items to Click & Collect at the local Foodhall and run the rest through Tesco or ASDA.
Bottom line: Pick M&S when the Ocado basket was mostly M&S Food anyway.
Iceland — Best for frozen specialism
Iceland is the UK specialist for frozen, ready meals, and budget basics. The £35 free-delivery threshold beats Ocado, and the Bonus Card drops 5 percent cashback on every top-up onto the card. The Iceland Now service hits some postcodes in 60 minutes.
Where it falls short: Fresh produce, premium meat, and prestige brands are thin or absent. The catalogue is shallower than the big four overall. The app’s user interface is the least polished of this list.
Pricing:
- Free
- £35 minimum for free delivery
- vs Ocado: substantially cheaper on frozen and ready meals, no premium range overlap
Migrating from Ocado: Switch the freezer items (chips, peas, pizzas, ready meals) to Iceland and run the fresh half of the shop through Tesco or ASDA. Top up the Bonus Card monthly to bank the cashback.
Bottom line: Pick Iceland when the freezer is the half of the shop you want to budget down.
How to choose
- Pick Tesco for the densest coverage and Clubcard Prices
- Pick ASDA Groceries when the weekly total is the priority
- Pick Waitrose for premium fresh and the myWaitrose perks
- Pick Morrisons Groceries for the mid-market and the 60-minute top-up
- Pick Sainsbury’s SmartShop for in-store fill-ins with Nectar pricing
- Pick M&S when the basket is mostly M&S Food
- Pick Iceland for frozen, ready meals, and the Bonus Card cashback
- Stay on Ocado when the clean substitution rate and the full M&S Food delivery service matter more than the cheaper basket elsewhere
FAQ
Is Tesco cheaper than Ocado? On like-for-like branded baskets, Tesco with Clubcard Prices typically runs 10 to 20 percent cheaper. Ocado’s M&S Food prices are usually higher than equivalent Tesco Finest lines.
Can I get M&S Food without Ocado? Yes. The M&S app handles Click & Collect at most Foodhall stores. There is no national M&S Food delivery outside of the Ocado partnership.
What is the cheapest grocery delivery service in the UK? ASDA Groceries posts the lowest weekly totals on like-for-like baskets most months. Iceland undercuts everyone on frozen and ready meals specifically.
Does Waitrose deliver everywhere? No. Waitrose’s grocery delivery footprint is smaller than Tesco’s, with thin coverage north of Manchester and in rural Wales. Check postcode availability before committing.
Is there a free version of myWaitrose? Yes. myWaitrose membership is free and unlocks free delivery over £40, plus a free hot drink in store.
What do UK shoppers use instead of Ocado? The most-cited stack on r/UKPersonalFinance is Tesco for the main shop with Clubcard, M&S for the M&S Food portion via Click & Collect, ASDA for the cheapest weekly total, and Iceland for the freezer.
