Most cost effective Protein Powder?

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Share your preferred protein powder and its grams-protein-per-dollar?

Looking to compare my standard protein powder and its costs with any that might be cheaper but still quality.

Disclaimer: Not looking for a debate or dialogue over whether protein supplements are necessary or beneficial. I know that I value them. They help me maintain nutrition when my stress levels are high and my diet is erratic. And when used as a supplement to a full and balanced diet, maybe its a wasteful placebo, but I value it all the same. Makes my brain feel better, for whatever reason.

For my part:

>>>for 15+ years now my go to has been

GNC Wheybolic - usually available for BOGO at 6.8lbs/$110ish

~$1.00 / oz and pretty high quality.

>>> i just took a look at the Safeway Boulder prices for 

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 

$30 for 24 oz (target grocer) - 22 servings at 24g/srv = 528g/$30 = 

$1.25/oz-pow

17.6g-pro/$

not sure how the two compare in terms of detailed ingredients and quality, but i have a hard time believing  Gold Standard is 1.5x to 2x better than the GNC quality, esp since they are similar prices before the GNC bogo deal.

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Any other contenders?

It's pointed out by Micah directly below that grams-protein/$ is the likely the optimal metric.

____________________________

Here's a price summary so far.

I'll try to keep it updated as i review responses, at least for the next couple fews days worth of replies.
Last updated 20251125T1600

Kirkland -- Whey = 32.0g-pro/$ ---lead safety analysis = ?
Body Fortress -- super advanced whey protein = 22.5g-pro/$ --- ?
Dymatize -- ISO100 Hydrolyzed Whey Isolate Protein Powder = 21.59g-pro/$ --- lead safety analysis = 28/week (? unsure if true, that number is for super mass gainer, not explicitly ISO100)
GNC -- Wheybolic = 18.18g-pro/$ (w/bogo - almost always available at gnc) --- lead safety analysis = ? (purportedly safe for standard human levels of daily supplemental use)
BSN -- Syntha 6 = 17.6g-pro/$ (w/bogo - sometimes available at gnc) --- lead safety analysis = 14/wk
Optimum Nutrition -- Gold Standard = 17.6g-pro/$ --- lead safety analysis = 12.25 servings/wk
Orgain -- Organic = 12.18g-pro/$ --- lead safety analysis = 4.75 servings/wk

(Note: aspirationally, it would be good to add: % protein vs filler || confirmed lead safe || special requirements (e.g. costco card)

https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/

Jared M recommends shopping at MyProtein.com and looking for 50% email offers
Jim Titt recommends egg white protein, which has a slower absorption rate, easier to find without fillers, and might be found for cheaper than most whey.

Orgain Organic Protein. ~$1/oz, but I think the important metric is that it's 8.201¢/gram of protein 

solid point that grams protein per dollar is a more potent metric than ounces powder per dollar.

updated the top post.

Looks like 

Orgain Organic = 12.18g protein/$

GNC Wheybolic = 18.18g protein/$

(50Serv * 20g /$55)

While not the most cost effective, I use Isopure unflavored whey isolate protein. Gets you the protein minus the fillers and junk. Great for those of us who need to manage cholesterol as typical whey blends end up with coming with quite a lot for no nutritional benefit. 

Make sure you find ones that don’t contain tons of heavy metals. There’s a whole Consumer Reports article on it. 

I get Kirkland Whey Protein (with a Costco membership), 5.4 lbs for $55. With 70 servings of 25g each, it comes to 32g protein / $.

Mike Cwrote:

While not the most cost effective, I use Isopure unflavored whey isolate protein. Gets you the protein minus the fillers and junk. Great for those of us who need to manage cholesterol as typical whey blends end up with coming with quite a lot for no nutritional benefit. 

Same, this is the only powder that doesn't hurt my stomach

I’ll also add, my wife needs to be dairy free for breastfeeding our baby and has been using Transparent Labs Pea Protein Isolate. Also not cheap but good quality option for those who are vegan or dairy intolerant. Doesn’t taste awful. 

Ted Ravenwrote:

Make sure you find ones that don’t contain tons of heavy metals. There’s a whole Consumer Reports article on it. 

https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/

Make sure protein powder is NSF Certified. I used to drink Vega, but switched to Dymatize because their product are NSF Certified. All kinds of weird stuff ends up in supplements.

I just bought a 5lb tub for ~88 bucks for Walmart.

Here's one I picked up the other day at my local grocer

Body Fortress super advanced whey protein.  24 bucks for 1.74lb.  18 servings of 30g of protein.  22.5g of protein/1 dollar.

Someone check my math...

Optimum Nutritions protein used to be the budget go to like 20 years ago when the 5 lb tub cost around $20.  One day they changed the label to say “gold standard” and more than doubled the price.  iIts been overpriced ever since then because suckers bought into it ibeing a premium product due to the new label (Big W for the ON marketing department).  Since then I switched and stock up basically once a year on BSN Syntha 6 during holiday sales usually around $35-$40 for 5lb containers..

$55 at Costco, which works out to 28.18 grams of protein per dollar. $78 at Amazon.

Also downright palatable, and doesn't make me feel like I'm trying to chalk up my esophagus.

My routine is to fill the blender bottle with two scoops, greens, frozen berries and milk, leave it in the fridge overnight, and then blend it while making espresso the next morning.

Egg white powder, 30g protein per $1. No filler, just egg white.

Jim Tittwrote:

Egg white powder, 30g protein per $1. No filler, just egg white.

Interesting and unfamiliar recommmendation, Jim.

Today I learned: 

Has me eager to pursue egg white powder for my morning protein shake and whey for my post-workout supplementing.

Thanks!

MyProtein.com has NSF certified bulk whey isolate and concentrate. They sell unflavored containing protein + sunflower lecithin only - no fillers or artificial sweeteners.

My 2024 order was >40g protein per dollar for 11lb of unflavored isolate. Their list prices are high, but they regularly have 50% discounts via email.

Amateurs. 

https://www.chewy.com/big-red-high-protein-dog-food-50-lb/dp/1505814?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20642766391&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20633250864&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V1xv1Pp70xKxjfWsdz2ryS06&gclid=CjwKCAiA55rJBhByEiwAFkY1QCsbGtNg63L69kWsWuMjiBiZvuyOb5t8zFeC2Zg1olSY_s6iKSgBORoC4MIQAvD_BwE

175g protein/dollar. 

Adam Wwrote:

Optimum Nutritions protein used to be the budget go to like 20 years ago when the 5 lb tub cost around $20.  One day they changed the label to say “gold standard” and more than doubled the price.  iIts been overpriced ever since then because suckers bought into it ibeing a premium product due to the new label (Big W for the ON marketing department).  Since then I switched and stock up basically once a year on BSN Syntha 6 during holiday sales usually around $35-$40 for 5lb containers..

Honestly, you’re not wrong — ON really shifted from being a solid budget pick to leaning heavily on branding. The ‘Gold Standard’ label definitely helped them position it as premium, even though the formula didn’t change much. Syntha-6 is a solid alternative though, especially when you catch those holiday deals. At the end of the day, protein is protein — no reason to overpay when there are good options at better prices.

Jared Mwrote:

MyProtein.com has NSF certified bulk whey isolate and concentrate. They sell unflavored containing protein + sunflower lecithin only - no fillers or artificial sweeteners.

My 2024 order was >40g protein per dollar for 11lb of unflavored isolate. Their list prices are high, but they regularly have 50% discounts via email.

I think only one of their whey products is NSF certified, which is more expensive (and comes only in blueberry and chocolate peanut butter.) It's a little vague though. This is the only page I could find with any info.

I would switch back to them if they were NSF certified. I do like that you can get unflavored - one thing costco doesn't have. 

Brent Kellywrote:

Interesting and unfamiliar recommmendation, Jim.

Today I learned: 

Has me eager to pursue egg white powder for my morning protein shake and whey for my post-workout supplementing.

Thanks!

The modern world, has it ever crossed your mind to actually just eat an egg? The most succesful advertising slogan for decades was "go to work on an egg".

Jim Tittwrote:

The modern world, has it ever crossed your mind to actually just eat an egg? The most succesful advertising slogan for decades was "go to work on an egg".

Thanks Jim but I don't think it would make sense to eat something that came out of a chicken's butt until it had been properly cleansed and processed by industrial science.

Now that I know about powdered eggs, I'm one step closer to realizing my dream of subsisting solely on a diet of powderized nutrients which are conveniently delivered to my doorstep weekly by an autonomous quadcopter.

(Lighten up, Francis.)