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Protein powder · Guide

Protein powder: the cheaper tub isn’t always the cheaper protein

Scoops hold very different amounts of protein. What that does to the price – with numbers from the powders we checked.

Updated October 21, 2026 · 4 min read · Prices checked November 1, 2026, US

A scoop of protein powder

Stores show the price per tub and sometimes per serving. Both can fool you, because a “serving” of protein powder isn’t a fixed amount of protein. One scoop can be mostly protein – or barely more than a third. What counts is what the same amount of protein costs.

One scoop, very different amounts

In the 803 powders we checked, one serving has between 4 g and 35 g of protein. Protein also makes up a very different share of the powder – from 39% to 96% of the weight. The rest is other things: carbs, fat, flavoring, sweetener.

How much of one scoop is proteinThree of the 759 powders with the serving size in grams

ProteinEverything else

  • Least protein: Bob's Red Mill12 g in a 31 g scoop · 39%

  • Typical: NB Pure25 g in a 35.5 g scoop · 70%

  • Most protein: PERFECT Sports26 g in a 27 g scoop · 96%

4–35 g
protein per serving
39–96%
of the powder is protein
15×
price gap per 30 g of protein, cheapest vs. most expensive

Per serving vs. per 30 g of protein

Sunwarrior Clear Protein Refresher, Peach Mango is the 64th cheapest of our 803 powders per serving – but only 643rd per 30 g of protein, because one serving has 10 g of protein.

That’s why we sort by what 30 g of protein costs. 30 g is a round number inside the 20–40 g per serving that the International Society of Sports Nutrition (opens in a new tab) describes for people who exercise. It makes products comparable – it’s not a recommendation.

Compare within one type

Whey isolate, whey concentrate, casein and plant protein are different products. Isolate is filtered further and has less lactose and fat; plant protein is made without milk. So compare isolate with isolate and plant with plant.

Lowest cost per 30 g protein, by typeThe cheapest product of each type in our list
  • Whey isolateAmazing Nutrition · 163 checked$1.45
  • Whey concentrate & blendsMyprotein · 162 checked$1.19
  • Whey + casein blendsEVLution Nutrition · 78 checked$1.34
  • CaseinNutricost · 27 checked$1.37
  • Plant proteinMicro Ingredients · 309 checked$0.65
  • Egg & beefMuscleMeds · 64 checked$1.57

The surprise in our list: the cheapest whey isolate costs only 23% more per 30 g of protein than the cheapest whey concentrate.

Bigger tubs, lower price?

Big packs usually cost less per dose than small packs of the same powder (how much: our guide to bigger packs). Between brands, size says little: the cheapest powder in our list comes in a 2.27 kg (5 lb) pack – and 29 bigger packs cost more per 30 g of protein. The most expensive costs $9.51 per 30 g, 15 times as much.

Before you buy

  1. Find protein per serving and the number of servings – in the Nutrition Facts or Supplement Facts box.
  2. Compare the cost per 30 g of protein – not per tub, not per scoop.
  3. Compare within one type: isolate with isolate, plant with plant.
  4. Check the date of the price – protein prices change often.

All 803 powders, sorted by cost per 30 g of protein: protein powder prices.

Sources

Not medical advice

We compare prices and label data. Amounts we compare by are not recommendations. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before taking supplements, especially if you are under 18, pregnant or on medication.

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