I have been trying out meat delivery services for months now and I think I have found two of the best out there. Crowd Cow and Butcher Box are the ones I decided to compare.
These two companies are great if you want to order meat without going to the supermarket yourself. They sell high-quality cuts of meat that you will surely love.
Crowd Cow is a company that started out as a crowdfunding platform that allows people to chip in to buy a whole cow and have the share of the people delivered to them.
It has now grown into a large company that sources out cuts of meat from different farms and sells it online for both convenience and transparency.
The same goes with Butcher Box where they source out cuts of high-quality meat and then sell it online through subscription boxes.
So which of these two is better? Find out which meat delivery company is for you as we compare Butcher Box and Crowd Cow in detail with this post.
Table of Contents
Main Differences Between The Two
- Butcher Box offers 6 subscription boxes while Crowd Cow only has 4.
- Butcher Box does not allow one-time purchases while Crowd Cow offers a la carte orders.
- Butcher Box sources meat from Australia but Crowd Cow takes it a step further by sourcing meat from other countries like Iceland, Norway, Uruguay, Japan, and more.
- Crowd Cow provides more details on each product while Butcher Box highlights the transparency of their subscription boxes.
- Crowd Cow offers exchanges for non-food products and refunds while Butcher Box only offers refunds.
- There are wagyu cuts from Crowd Cow while Butcher Box stays with basic beef cuts.
- Crowd Cow offers a service where you can shop by farm while Butcher Box only allows you to order by cuts.
Unique Features Of The Two
Butcher Box
- Wild-caught seafood that is sourced sustainably.
- 100% grass-fed beef, crate-free chickens, and gestation-free pork cuts.
- Offers six different subscription options.
- Flexible subscriptions that can be edited every month.
- FREE shipping on all boxes.
- Sources beef from Australia which introduces different but really good flavors.
- Free from antibiotics and hormones.
Crowd Cow
- Offers a la carte orders or one-time purchases.
- Has 4 flexible subscription boxes.
- Gives 5% off on every recurring order once you are a member.
- All orders over $125 are delivered FREE.
- You have the option to shop through each farm they partner with.
- Transparent sourcing.
- More seafood option
- Free from antibiotics and hormones.
- Has Japanese wagyu and American wagyu options.
- Offers cooked products along with raw ones.
- Has sides and desserts as well.
Crowd Cow Vs Butcher Box
1. Meat Sourcing And Quality
Aside from the obvious that I look for the best quality of meat that I can find, I also care for the animal so knowing where it is sourced and how it was raised is important to me.
Butcher Box
There are a lot of cuts of meat to choose from when you go with Butcher Box. For instance, you can order beautiful cuts of beef that are sourced from farms in Australia.
The cattle are pasture-raised and are given 100% grass as a diet. This is noticeable in the meat they produce because of the robust flavor as well as a really tender texture.
I just know that Australia has high standards and a great climate for raising cattle so you can be confident that the beef options from Butcher Box are top-notch!
The pork option from Butcher Box is all raised crate-free and gestation-free. The meat is also perfectly marbled with great meaty tastes that really go well with mild seasonings.
The hogs are fed an all-vegetarian diet which means that they slowly grow which allows them to develop more flavor and tender cuts from the even marbling in the meat.
The chickens from Butcher Box are grown in a crate-free environment and are not crowded. The free-range chickens are also organic and are not placed in a stressful environment.
Perhaps what I love most about Butcher Box is that they also sell seafood that is wild-caught. They are sustainable and they have the best flavors with a little bit of sweet umami.
Note: All animals from Butcher Box are never given antibiotics or hormones in their lifetime.
Crowd Cow
While Crowd Cow sources most of the cuts of meat from nearby farms in the Midwest, Texas, Arkansas, and other states, they also pride themselves in sourcing from other countries.
They make their menu even more diverse by sourcing cuts of meat from countries like Japan, Uruguay, Norway, Iceland, Ecuador, and more. Check out the full list of farms they partner with.
The beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and other cuts from Crowd Cow are all free of hormones and antibiotics throughout their lives.
Now, here is my main concern. Since Crowd Cow sources meat from different farms in different countries, is the meat quality consistent?
Does the texture and flavor of the beef or pork cuts from the U.S. equal or at least slightly match the ones from other countries?
Well, yes, actually. While it is surprising, Crowd Cow inspects and tastes-tests every batch of meat they source to ensure that they all have good qualities.
So far, after ordering meat from Crowd Cow for months, I have not noticed any major differences between the quality of the cuts of meat from different farms.
That goes with all the cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. As for the seafood, it is not the best for my taste since it has this slight sweet umami and I prefer a more savory flavor on my seafood.
There are also other options from Crowd Cow like bison, and lamb, and you can also order sides and desserts to cook with the cuts of meat that you order.
2. Types Of Meat Available
Butcher Box
1.Beef
Among the 100% grass-fed beef cuts from Butcher Box, my favorite is probably the ribeye steaks. They are juicy and tender even when cooked directly over high heat.
You can choose between Choice and Prime-graded cuts like New York strip steaks, steak tips, filet mignon, and more.
2. Pork
There are a lot of pork cuts to choose from in Butcher Box. The boneless pork chops, St. Louis pork ribs, and bacon are just a few of their best-selling pork cuts.
If you want something a little more different, you can also order pre-made pork cuts like the breakfast sausages or go with the amazing baby back ribs, pork butt, and pork loin roast.
3. Chicken
The relatively common cuts from chicken like chicken wings, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and drumsticks are available from Butcher Box.
I highly recommend buying chicken tenders as they are really good. They blend well with any rub that I have and you can also use any barbecue sauce that you want with them.
4. Seafood
While Butcher Box does not have as many seafood options as other meat delivery services, you can guarantee that they have one of the best seafood options out there.
I love ordering the sockeye salmon along with the scallops for a simple yet full-of-umami flavor dinner with my family.
5. Others
If you are up to the challenge and you want to discover other cuts of meat aside from the common beef, pork, and chicken, Butcher Box has got you covered.
You can order bison cuts from Butcher Box. These cuts are really tasty but they can be a little tough so I recommend cooking them with slow and low cooking methods like smoking.
There are also lamb legs as well as free-range turkey options for when you need to cook for some special occasions.
Crowd Cow.
1. Beef
Crowd Cow does not back down when it comes to providing cuts of beef at the highest possible quality. You can choose from 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised, and organic beef cuts.
The best-selles are the New York strip steak, filet mignon, top sirloin steak, and ribeye. People also love buying delicious ground beef and dry-aged steaks.
2. Pork
Crowd Cow sells Kurobuta pork, the wagyu of pork cuts. You can also get all-natural and pasture-raised cuts of pork from Crowd Cow.
My favorites are the St. Louis spareribs, boneless pork butt roast, and boneless pork chops. There are also other items like the fully-cooked Heritage pulled pork.
3. Chicken
The chickens from Crowd Cow are also pasture-raised and are also organic. I love buying the drumsticks from Crowd Cow along with wings, breasts, and thighs.
You can also buy a whole chicken if you need to roast one or something for a whole family meal.
4. Seafood
Crowd Cow takes the win regarding seafood options over Butcher Box. You get to choose from options that are sourced from other popular fisheries.
The Atlantic salmon, for example, has a deep red color, indicating its freshness and rich flavor. There are also a lot of other options like jumbo Mexican blue shrimps, as well as scallops.
5. Japanese Wagyu
If you have the budget and you want to truly spend it on the best beef option there is, you can choose the Japanese wagyu cuts from Crowd Cow.
Kobe beef, which is considered the best cut of meat there is, is available and you can also order other wagyu breeds like Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Hokkaido wagyu cuts.
6. American Wagyu
If you love wagyu but think the Japanese lack a little familiarity, then you can get the American wagyu cuts from Crowd Cow.
These are cuts from Japanese wagyu cows that are crossed with American cows to have that perfect marbling while also offering that robust beefy flavor.
7. Sides And Desserts
Crowd Cow gets the whole course for you as you can also order sides and desserts from the website.
From biscuits to apple pocket pies, you have many options for your sides and desserts. A gluten-free mac & cheese is available to start your meal.
8. Bison And Lamb
Crowd Cow also makes sure that they give you options if you want to start cooking something that is a little more on the discovery side rather than the familiar cuts of beef and pork.
You can choose between the bison burger patties, boneless leg of lamb, bison tenderloin steak, and many more.
3. Price
Regarding the boxes offered by Butcher Box and Crowd Cow, there is not much difference in the prices.
One thing you should know is that Butcher Box does not provide the prices for specific items. Instead, choose a box that costs $99 to $169.
Within that box, you can get up to 14 pounds of meat, and you can select which cut of meat you want to be included in the box if you choose the Custom Box.
Crowd Cow, on the other hand, has fewer box options but the good thing is that you get to look at the prices of each cut that you want to include in the box in case you want to order.
The prices for the boxes from Crowd Cow are somewhere between $100 and $150. You get less meat than the ones from Butcher Box but it makes sense for the lower price tag.
I say Crowd Cow is cheaper from the price alone, but when it comes to value, Butcher Box takes the win as they offer a lot of meat for a price that is not that far off from Crowd Cow.
4. Subscriptions Between The Two
Butcher Box
1. Custom Box – $169 a month
This monthly subscription box from Butcher Box is an all-time favorite of mine. It is where you get up to 20% more meat than the other curated boxes.
With this option, you can select from 25 different cuts of meat that you like. Beef, pork, chicken, you get to choose any cut of meat that you like.
The Custom Box lets you select anywhere from 9 to 14 pounds of meat that you like.
2. Mixed Box – $146 a month
The Mixed Box option from Butcher Box is somewhat similar to the Custom Box where you get to select from any beef, pork, or chicken cut that you want.
You might have noticed that it has a slightly lower price than the other box and the reason for that is because you only get to choose up to 8-11 pounds of meat. It is a great deal still.
An excellent example of what you can get from the Mixed Box subscription is 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 NY strip steaks, 4 top sirloin steaks, 1 pound of whole pork tenderloin, and 3 pounds of chicken breasts.
3. Beef And Chicken Box – $146 a month
With this subscription box, you also get 8-11 pounds of meat for each order. The only difference is that you can only choose from the beef and chicken cuts, as the name suggests.
I love this box because I have a butcher shop near me that I trust and I get my pork cuts fresh. So I do not need to order the box with pork since I have my supply.
4. Beef And Pork Box – $146 a month
Now this one is pretty much the previous box. The difference is that you can only choose beef and pork cuts.
Here is an example of what you can get if you choose the beef and pork box. 2 lbs of ground beef, 2 NY strip steaks, 4 top sirloin steaks, 1 lb of whole pork tenderloin, and 4 boneless pork chops.
5. All Beef Box – $146 a month
With up to 11 pounds of meat a month, you can get your favorite beef cuts from Butcher box with this subscription.
This is what I received when I ordered this box. 2 lbs of ground beef, 2 NY strip steaks, 1lb premium steak tip, 2 lbs of chuck roast, and 4 top sirloin steaks.
6. Basic Box – $99 a month
If you are not sure about Butcher Box and you not willing to spend more than $100 just to try if they are worth it, they have a box for you.
The basic box lets you choose from any of the cuts you like and fill up a box with 7 to 7.5 pounds of meat you want to try.
Note: All subscription boxes from Butcher Box are shipped FREE and you can cancel any time you want.
The only disadvantage is that there is a limited supply, so specific cuts like New York strip steaks, flat iron steaks, boneless pork chops, and others might not be available depending on the region.
Crowd Cow
You do not need to subscribe to a membership in Crowd Cow to place an order. You can select a box you want, edit the content, and then have it shipped to your doorstep.
However, I highly recommend getting a membership with the benefits they offer when you order like the 5% off bonus on every recurring order.
1.Custom Box
The custom box from Crowd Cow is perfect for people who want to try different cuts of meat. You can choose from any of the cuts of meat available.
If the total price of the meat in your custom box exceeds $125, you get FREE shipping.
2. Best Of Crowd Cow
This box is the perfect gift if you want to surprise someone. It contains mixed proteins from a selection of the top-selling cuts from Crowd Cow.
It can cost up to $200 which means that you get FREE shipping and the freedom to change any of the items you want by choosing the selection on top of the order.
3. Best Of Beef
This beef box contains an assortment of premium steaks, wagyu beef, and ground burger patties. It is a perfect choice if you are having a barbecue in the near future.
Here is an example of what you can get with the Best Of Beef Box. 2 ribeyes, 2 tenderloin steaks, 2 top sirloins, and 2 ground beef including a FREE protein.
4. Best Of Japanese Wagyu
I recommend getting this box if you want to splurge a little bit. You get the best of the best as this box includes A5 wagyu steaks and ground beef in just one box.
It is a bit expensive and you do not get a lot of meat but trust me, the quality of the cuts of meat you receive is top-of-the-line.
Note: If your orders exceed $149, you get FREE protein from Crowd Cow where you can select from either 2 lbs of Mishima ground wagyu, Panorama organic ground beef, or 12 ounces of thick-cut bacon.
All orders exceeding $125 are shipped for FREE.
5. Packaging And Delivery
Butcher Box
Butcher Box makes sure that your package arrives in perfect condition every time. They use lab tests to make sure that their packaging keeps your orders frozen.
With the help of a zip code tool, Butcher Box determines whether your area needs your package to have dry ice, and if so, how much to make as little damage to the environment as possible.
The packaging is recyclable and the foam insulation is water-soluble. I love using the bag when I go out to shop for some groceries.
The insulation is also really great as even when I do not get to pick up my order immediately, the meat stays frozen for 6 to 8 hours.
All the boxes from Butcher Box are delivered FREE and they usually arrive within 7 days. You also get notified through e-mail once your package has arrived.
One thing I liked about the delivery service with recurring boxes is that you can schedule between 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 2 months for your boxes to be delivered.
You cannot, however, specify the exact day that your package will be delivered.
Crowd Cow
The same goes with Crowd Cow as they ensure that the orders stay frozen for hours in case you do not get to pick them up immediately.
The box is insulated with foam that can be used as a firestarter or dissolved in water. The box contains dry ice to keep the meat frozen.
Each cut of meat is also individually wrapped in vacuum-sealed packaging to avoid cross-contamination in case you order anything cooked with raw meat.
If your orders exceed $125, you get FREE shipping. My package arrived within two days after it was shipped, but this depends on your area.
Minimum Order
Crowd Cow needs a minimum order of $75, excluding tax and shipping, to confirm your order. This ensures that their shipping quality is provided with the best one.
You can cancel any recurring orders that you have at least 2 days before the set date where the boxes are delivered or you can edit the content of your box.
Note: Butcher Box and Crowd Cow do not deliver to Hawaii and Alaska.
Crowd Cow Vs Butcher Box
This is a general comparison between the two. Both are great meat delivery services, but I cannot help but choose one over the other.
Crowd Cow has more options, and I can order almost any cut of meat that I want. From the common ones like beef, pork, and chicken to bison, lamb, and desserts.
However, the best thing about Crowd Cow and what I think separates it from Butcher Box and other meat delivery services is that they have wagyu available.
Both Japanese and American wagyu are available from Crowd Cow. I do not order them a lot, but whenever I want my meal to have luxury written in it, I do not hesitate to order the wagyu.
While Butcher Box has more subscription boxes available, I love that you have full control over the boxes available from Crowd Cow.
You can change the orders on your recurring boxes on both Butcher Box and Crowd Cow. canceling your orders is also great, so you do not have to commit to your orders.
The advantage and one of the main differences between the two are that Crowd Cow offers a la carte or one-time purchases while Butcher Box only allows you to order through subscription boxes.
Crowd Cow is also more transparent when it comes to letting their customers know where and how their products are sourced so Crowd Cow certainly takes the win here.
Customer Service
One of the things I liked about Butcher Box is how responsive they were to the questions that I have. There is a helpful chatbox on the bottom right that answers almost all of your questions.
This is also available on the Help Center page of Crowd Cow so they really are pretty much the same when it comes to the FAQs and common questions.
But what about the more specific questions? You can also easily contact both companies through e-mail and have your questions answered quickly.
Perhaps what differentiates these two companies’ customer service is that Crowd Cow has a more readable FAQ page where each question is categorized so you can easily find what you are looking for.
I don’t think one is better than the other regarding customer service since I like how responsive they are and how most of my questions are answered from their FAQ pages alone.
What Do Other Customers Think Of Butcher Box Vs Crowd Cow?
Butcher Box
This is a great company, just looking at the customer reviews. Most customers praise how great the quality of the meat from Butcher Box is.
Other customers also love the customer service, just like I did, because they try and resolve the problems right away.
“I have used Butcher box since 2018 and have had a wonderful experience. The 2 or 3 issues were handled with replacements ASAP. Great quality and customer service. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants quality meat delivered to your door. I have a carnivore way of eating and all I eat is meat. Very satisfied with this service. THANK YOU Butcher Box…”
– Roxanne Lambert
In the middle of these rave reviews for Butcher Box, however, other customers were not as satisfied with the service and meat as me.
There are also complaints about the packaging of the orders where other people got thawed meat and with no insulation included in some boxes.
“Out of 5 orders, the last three have come completely thawed, no ice and no insulation. They gave me a hard time every time. When they did replace the boxes, they all came the same way!” – DMONICUS
“When the meat arrives frozen, it’s fine. But too many times meat arrives thawed.”- Sarah Hopkins
Crowd Cow
There are also a lot of great reviews from other customers about Crowd Cow. This is no surprise for me as they have a lot of great cuts and all orders are well-packaged.
Some customers even said they did not expect their orders to be that many and will need a bigger freezer to store the amazing cuts they received from Crowd Cow.
“We’re gonna need a bigger freezer…. just got our Steakhouse Classics pack, and New York Steak mix today from Crowd Cow.” –Mark H.
While I was impressed with the steaks from Crowd Cow, there were also burgers with amazing flavors. The juices and flavors oozing from each patty I cooked were perfect.
“These hamburgers are so incredibly good! Eat bite tastes like steak. I cooked a couple of patties last night, then braised them with kale in the pan drippings…amazing. I can’t say enough about this beef!” -Jan P.
The main complaints about Crowd Cow are miscommunication and cancellation of orders. Some people have their orders delivered despite canceling them before the delivery date.
“They cancelled an order I was expecting back in August, then without telling me, sent it today.” -pwnk.
Overall, Crowd Cow has been amazing, and I have not experienced any wrong orders or low-quality cuts from them.
What About Refunds Or Exchanges?
Butcher Box
With Butcher Box, you can get refunds, credits, and replacements if products if you are not satisfied with your orders. You can choose full or partial refunds of the products you ordered.
Refunds are eligible for orders that contain damaged goods unrelated to the courier, late and improper delivery, as well as missing items.
You can do that or request credits on your next orders. Butcher Box, however, does not accept returns because of the perishable nature of its products.
Crowd Cow
The main difference between Crowd Cow and Butcher Box regarding the return and exchange policies is that Crowd Cow is more specific with the prices.
I mean that they can give you a partial or full refund of the item that is not up to their standards and guarantee.
Since most items from Crowd Cow have specific prices, they can pay for one item, not the whole box, if only one item is damaged.
They also accept returns of non-food products as long as you follow the shipping instructions provided and if you have shipped to return the product within 30 days of receiving the item.
The product should still be in the original packaging and unused. They can then inspect the product and then provide refunds if eligible.
Crowd Cow does not accept exchanges and returns for damaged foods.
Does Butcher Box Or Crowd Cow Have A Better Company Reputation?
Crowd Cow has a better company reputation than Butcher Box despite Butcher Box receiving high grades from Better Business Bureau.
Most customer reviews are positive regarding Crowd Cow while Butcher Box has relatively mixed reviews with both good quality meat and bad customer service.
More people trust Crowd Cow also because they offer exchanges with non-food products that are not satisfactory, while Butcher Box only offers refunds.
Final Verdict
The winner between the two is pretty obvious to me. It was easy to decide, but here are my takeaways on how I decided between Crowd Cow and Butcher Box.
Crowd Cow has a much larger variety of cuts to choose from. It also can order one-time purchases while Butcher Box only offers subscriptions.
There are also wagyu cuts from Crowd Cow that made it much more luxurious, and to be honest, it added a bit of trust from my side to order from them.
They source from many countries and managed to keep the quality at par with those sourced from the local farmers in the U.S.
Butcher Box has more subscription boxes to choose from and offers more flexibility with the orders, but they do not have as many cuts to choose from as Crowd Cow.
So Crowd Cow wins for me, but Butcher Box is a good alternative if you do not like Crowd Cow.
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