For home cooks comparing platforms
Looking for a Shef alternative?
If you are weighing where to sell your home-cooked meals, the questions that matter are simple: what does it cost me, who controls my menu and my schedule, how fast do I get paid, and how long until I am actually selling. Here is Chefry's answer to each one, in terms you can check on the site. We will not tell you how any other platform runs its program, because that is for them to say and it can change.
What it costs you
- •Nothing to list. No monthly fee to have a page and a menu.
- •0% commission on your plates, for every chef. What you price a dish at is what the order is worth to you.
- •Instant payouts to your own bank account through Stripe.
Every fee is written out in where Chefry fees actually go, including what customers pay and what it covers.
Who is in charge of your kitchen
You are. On Chefry you decide:
- •What you cook. Your dishes, your sizes, your options, your photos.
- •What it costs. You set every price, and you can change it any time.
- •When you cook. Pick the days and pickup windows you want, and close orders ahead of time so you shop to a count.
- •How much you make. Set a stock count per dish and it shows sold out when it is reached.
How long until you are selling
There is no waitlist and no application. Sign up, add your dishes, set your pickup days, and your page is live and shareable. If your menu already exists as photos, the ones you post on Instagram, upload them at signup and we read the dishes and prices off them to build your first menu for you. Most cooks are done in an evening.
Your page is yours to point people at
Your Chefry page works as the link in your bio: one address where followers see what is cooking this week, order, pay, and get pickup details, without a DM thread. Followers who save your page are told when you add a dish or bring one back in stock. Nothing is exclusive, so you can keep selling anywhere else you already sell.
About permits
You do not need a permit to set up your page and build your menu. What you need in order to sell food where you live is set by your county. Chefry is a marketplace, not a regulator: we do not issue, check, or police anyone's permits, and every cook is responsible for their own licensing and food safety. If you are in California, our MEHKO guide explains the home kitchen permit; everywhere else, start with our state-by-state guide to selling food from home.
Put your menu up tonight
Free to list, 0% commission on your plates, and no one to wait on.
Start your pageQuestions cooks ask first
Is Chefry free for cooks?
Listing is free. Every chef pays 0% commission on plate and menu orders, and there is no monthly fee to have a page and a menu. Card processing is charged by the payment processor, not by us.
Is there a waitlist or an application?
No. You create your account, build your menu, and your page is live. There is no application board and no one to wait on.
Who sets the menu, the prices, and the pickup times?
You do. You decide what you cook, what it costs, which days you cook, and when people pick up. You can close orders ahead of a pickup day so you know the count before you shop.
How and when do I get paid?
Payouts go to your own bank account through Stripe, and they are instant. You do not invoice anyone and you do not chase anyone for the money.
Can I use Chefry alongside another platform?
Yes. Nothing here is exclusive. Many cooks use their Chefry page as the link in their Instagram or TikTok bio and keep selling wherever else they already sell.
Do I need a permit to set up my page?
You do not need a permit to create your page and build your menu. What you need in order to sell food where you live is set by your county, not by Chefry, and every cook is responsible for their own licensing and food safety.