ULTIMATE Protein Powder Tier List: 22 Brands Tested

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Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried and reviewed 22 different protein brands.  

If you’re familiar with my reviews, I rank protein across several criteria, such as customer service experience (like ease of ordering and return policies), cost, company reputation, availability,  taste, mixability, and ingredient quality. 

While I have detailed articles summarizing my experience taking each individual protein powder, I have yet to stack them up against each other in an ultimate tiered ranking list. 

That’s what this article aims to accomplish. 

The Tiers

Here’s a quick guide to my five Protein Tiers, going from best to worst:

1. King of Gains – This tier is reserved for the best of the best protein powders that are unmatched in their quality and effectiveness. These products rank highly in every category (e.g. taste, mixability, protein percentage, transparency) and are the products that I always make sure I have stocked up. 

2. Protein Paradise – Protein powders in this tier are excellent in nearly every aspect, from flavor to nutritional content. They mix well, taste great, and support your fitness goals effectively. There could be minor rooms for improvement, but would still be a GREAT purchase and something you can take reliably with no issues. 

3. Middle of The Whey – This is the middle ground of protein powders. These products are reliable and do their job without much fuss. They might not blow every category out of the water, but they are dependable for regular use, offering a good balance of quality and value. 

4. Rough Reps – This tier includes protein powders that are good, but definitely fall short in a few key areas. They require a bit more effort to enjoy or incorporate into your routine, much like a tough set of reps in the gym. I would likely avoid these products unless there is a very specific use for taking it. 

5. Hang Up The Scooper – This bottom tier is reserved for protein powders you’d want to avoid. They have some key drawbacks like poor taste, bad texture/mixability, or ineffective results. These are the kind of products you try only once before deciding to retire the scooper – literally – by hanging it up. 

The Rankings

Below, you will find my official tiered rankings for 22 different protein powders, with an explanation of why they rank where they do.

Ghost Whey Protein

Tier: Middle of the Whey

When I tested Ghost Whey, I distinctly remember NOT wanting it to be good because I thought that the flashy packaging and marketing made for an overhyped product. 

I was pleasantly surprised. The blend of proteins adds versatility making this a great any time of day protein. They have unique flavors and collaborations and added enzymes to help you digest the protein. 

Ghost puts a lot of thought and attention into all of the small details, like an engaging rewards program and designing the tubs to make sure that the scoop is always secured on top with the lid so you never have to go digging. 

The big drawback with Ghost is that you pay a premium price of $1.73 per serving (vs the average cost per serving of $1.34).

Overall, Ghost is a great option for anyone looking to increase their protein intake who also wants unique flavor variety, but this product is for those with a more generous supplement budget. 

Read my full Ghost Whey Protein review here

Muscletech 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein

Tier: Hang Up The Scooper

This protein powder has one of the lowest protein percentages of any product I have tested, with protein making up only 57% of the total calories. (For reference, according to Feastgood.com standards anything below 65% doesn’t even classify as an “acceptable” protein content). 

What really irked me about this protein powder was its misleading label. It says “100% grass-fed whey” on the front, which in my experience leads customers to believe that the product contains 100% protein when in fact it’s only 57% protein. 

Furthermore this product boasts that it doesn’t use any artificial flavors or colors, but it DOES use artificial sweeteners. In my opinion, this negates the “natural” appeal of the product. 

I did find that Muscletech Whey tasted good and it’s very inexpensive at only around $1.00 per serving. For me, the low protein percentage and high carbohydrate content makes this more of a meal replacement powder than a protein powder, so if you’re hunting for a high quality, grass-fed whey then hang up the Muscletech scooper and opt for someone like Transparent Labs instead.

Read my full Muscletech Whey Review here

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Isolate

Tier: King of Gains

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Isolate has become a daily staple in my household. 

This protein has a high protein percentage (around 93%) with a ton of flavor variety (I actually tested all of them) and has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. 

I love that Transparent Labs remains committed to quality by publicly disclosing all of the testing results for their products. They have additional certifications (Informed Choice, Informed Protein) which ensures that there are no impurities or banned substances in their protein, making it safe for use by elite and drug tested athletes. 

Transparent Labs is a bit more expensive, costing between $1.73 and $2.00 per serving. While this is above the average cost per serving of whey protein ($1.34), when we compare the cost of Transparent Labs to other high quality, third party tested whey isolates, Transparent Labs costs the same or less than similar brands. 

Overall, Transparent Labs checks all of the boxes for taste, texture, mixability, quality, and selection. 

Read my full review of Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Isolate here

BulkSupplements.com Whey Isolate

Tier: Middle of the Whey

There’s a lot to love about the BulkSupplements.com whey isolate. BulkSupplements.com is third party tested and their whey isolate features one of the highest protein percentages of any protein powders on the market at 94.5%. 

While many third party tested whey isolates cost upwards of $2.00 per serving, Bulk Supplements whey is competitively priced between $1.15 and $1.45. 

The reason that BulkSupplements.com finds itself in the middle of the pack is because it is only available unflavored. For some people, this might jump BulkSupplements to the top spot because it will be a great option for cooking, baking, and smoothies. Personally, I add this protein powder to a lot of sauces and dressings. 

Unfortunately, unflavored doesn’t mean tasteless and this product tastes awful if you just mix it with water and drink it on the go. 

BulkSupplements.com protein also doesn’t come with a scoop, which adds another level of inconvenience to measuring out your protein powder. 

This protein powder tops our charts for quality and protein percentage, but its drawbacks affecting its convenience and ease of use drop this down a couple of notches. 

Read my complete BulkSupplements.com Isolate review here

Premier Protein Shakes

Tier: Rough Reps

When I tested the Premier Protein shakes, I absolutely loved having some literal grab-and-go options in the fridge that don’t even need the single step of having water added to them to be able to take them on the go.

These protein shakes are high in protein (30g) and have 24 added vitamin and minerals. With a blend of whey and casein proteins, these shakes have a nice thick texture and provided good satiety. 

The biggest knocks against the Premier Protein shakes is that they need to be refrigerated and they cost anywhere from $2.00 to $3.50 per shake, nearly twice the cost of most whey proteins on the market. 

Premier Protein Ready to Drink shakes don’t rank lower because of their taste or quality, but because of the extremely high cost per serving. 

I don’t recommend Premier Protein RTDs as a daily staple product, but I do think they make a nice alternative if you find yourself in a pinch and need something to tie you over until your next meal. 

Read my full review of Premier Protein RTD Shakes here

Naked Whey Protein Powder

Tier: Rough Reps

Naked Whey prides itself on being a high quality product that avoids the use of any artificial or unnecessary ingredients. They do this by using ingredients like organic coconut sugar instead of artificial sweeteners. 

While their protein powder uses only 3 total ingredients, the use of coconut sugar to sweeten it makes some flavors, like chocolate, higher in calories and drops the total protein percentage to only 64% of the total calories. The protein percentage varies from 63 to 83%, which is still below what other natural products like Transparent Labs offers. 

Unfortunately, this protein powder misses the mark on taste. I tried the chocolate flavor and found that it definitely didn’t taste like chocolate, and it didn’t leave me wanting more. I ended up having to mix it into things like oatmeal or yogurt to try to mask its flavor. 

Price wise, Naked Whey costs around $1.60 per serving. While this is technically lower than other natural whey isolates like Transparent Labs, Naked Whey also has a significantly lower protein percentage. 

The only specific use case that I would recommend this product for is if you are trying to avoid all types of non-nutritive sweeteners, like sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and stevia. 

Read my full review of Naked Whey Protein here

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein

Tier: Protein Paradise

Because of their global distribution and decades being in the industry, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey is one of the most widely recognized and used protein powders available. 

There are a lot of factors that contribute to Gold Standard’s success. There are a ton of flavor options  (there are currently 20 listed on the website) and it is Informed Choice certified, making it safe for use by drug-tested athletes. 

Gold Standard uses a blend of three whey proteins (isolate, concentrate, hydrolysate) which makes it a great any time of day protein powder that is good for post-workout recovery while keeping the cost low. You can get Gold Standard Whey for $1.00 to $1.10 per serving, which falls below the average cost per serving of pre-workouts and well-below what a pure whey isolate can cost. 

Despite its popularity, the few flavors that I tried missed the mark for me. I felt like the taste was a bit bland when mixed with just water, and the powder always had clumping and mixability issues. 

Overall it’s a high quality and affordable option, it just may require a bit of extra effort to blend it or make it taste better. 

Read my full Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey review here

Alani Nu Whey Protein Powder

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Alani Nu Whey is made exclusively of fast-digesting whey proteins (isolate and hydrolysate) which makes this a good post-workout option, but not so good if you are looking for satiety and fullness. 

The Alani Nu protein tastes fantastic – something the brand is known for across all of its products) – provided you like sweet tasting things. Even when I just mixed this with water, I found the taste to be strong and sweet. 

This protein has added enzymes to support digestion and its low sugar formula means that this may be a suitable option for people with a lactose sensitivity. If you don’t want artificial sweeteners though, it’s best to find another option like Thorne or Transparent Labs. 

Alani Nu Whey does come at a slightly higher price, costing around $1.50 per serving. Though it does have added digestive enzymes and is a pure whey isolate, which helps to justify the cost, the protein percentage ranges from 73-84% protein per scoop which is lower than some other isolates. 

Overall, Alani Nu offers a great tasting protein with a good protein percentage that would be a good option for anyone looking to satisfy a sweet tooth craving or someone looking for unique flavor options. 

Read my full Alani Nu Whey Protein review here

Legion Whey+ Protein

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Legion Whey+ is another brand that focuses on using high quality ingredients with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes. Legion Whey+ is third party tested in a state of the art facility and demonstrates commitment to the quality of life of the cows and sustainable farming practices.

When I tested the cinnamon flavor specifically, I did notice a weird aftertaste but I appreciated how it mixed really easily and digested well. 

Legion Whey+ is one of the most expensive protein powders on the market. It costs between $1.80 and $2.00 per serving, the same as Transparent Labs Whey, but Legion only has 21-24g of protein per serving (Transparent Labs has 28g) and has an average of 74% protein per scoop. 

This high cost per serving, even compared to other similar products, makes Legion Whey+ a hard sell, but it is a very high quality product and they offer a 100% money-back guarantee for first time buyers, something I haven’t seen from other supplement companies. 

Read my full Legion Whey+ Protein review here

Ascent Whey Protein

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Ascent Whey falls into the same realm as Transparent Labs and Legion Whey. They avoid the use of artificial flavors and sweeteners, are gluten-free, and Informed Choice certified. This makes it likely that the product will be safe and effective for most individuals, including elite or drug-tested athletes. 

The high quality manufacturing process that Ascent ensures that this protein is high in leucine, which is an amino acid that is essential for muscle growth and recovery. For these reasons, Ascent Whey markets itself as an athlete formula good for muscle health and workout recovery. 

I found this protein powder tasted really great (I personally tried the chocolate flavor) and it had a really nice chocolate flavor that wasn’t too sweet and went really well into yogurt, coffee, and oatmeal. 

Unfortunately, Ascent Whey took a lot of extra effort to dissolve entirely, requiring a shaker bottle with a spring ball or a frother for it to properly dissolve.

There was also quite a bit of variability in the protein percentage depending on which flavor you bought, from 71% to 83% protein per serving.

If it weren’t for these two factors (protein percentage and mixability) Ascent Whey would sit comfortably up in Protein Paradise due to its high quality and lower cost per serving.

Read my full Ascent Whey protein review here

PEScience Select Whey

Tier: King of Gains

PEScience offers a unique blend of whey isolate (a fast digesting protein) and casein (a slow digesting protein). This combination makes this a very versatile protein, which will be beneficial for post-workout recovery but will also keep you feeling fuller longer than a pure whey isolate. 

This protein mixes well, tastes great, and has an appealing cost per serving of $1.15-$1.48, depending on which size you buy. 

There is some variability in protein content depending on the flavor. Chocolate Truffle has the lowest percentage, 74%, but all other flavors fall within the “great” or “excellent” categories for protein percentage. 

Because this isn’t a pure whey isolate, this might not be ideal for someone with a lactose sensitivity and PEScience does use artificial sweeteners which some people might choose to limit in their diets. 

Overall, this is a fantastic, versatile, third party tested protein powder that tastes great and comes at an incredibly reasonable price. 

Read my full PEScience Select Protein Review Here

Isopure Protein

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Isopure sounds like a too good to be true product, with a protein percentage between 91% and 100%. 

Isopure is a pure whey isolate (as the name would suggest) that has an added vitamin and mineral blend providing more than 20 additional nutrients. 

I was absolutely blown away by how good the Dutch Chocolate flavor tasted (many products with added vitamins and mineral blends have a less than desirable taste) and Isopure mixed really well in a standard shaker cup with no clumps or residue. 

Isopure is a bit more expensive than other protein powders, coming in at $1.58-$2.28 per serving. This is in line with other quality whey isolates, however, and the extremely high protein percentage and added vitamin and mineral blend definitely helps to justify the cost. 

I do think there are better value products available on the market, but Isopure can be a great option for people who typically skip breakfast or want the added nutrients and struggle to take multivitamins. 

This could be a more cost-effective alternative to the Premier Protein shakes that doesn’t require refrigeration. 

Read my full Isopure Protein review here

Promix Protein

Tier: Rough Reps

I REALLY wanted to love this protein powder. While going through the ordering process, I was really impressed by the Promix quizzes and the transparency on their website. 

And Promix does come really close to checking all of the boxes: High quality product, good mixability, virtually lactose free, and third party tested with publicly available results. 

Unfortunately Promix fell short on two key areas for me. First of all, the taste of the vanilla flavor left a LOT to be desired. I found myself trying to mix it into other things to try to mask the taste, but even when added to milk, cereal, or oatmeal, the unappealing taste shone through. 

My second big critique is that both the cost and protein percentage vary based on flavor. If you go unflavored, you get the highest protein percentage (85%) and the cheapest cost ($1.16-$1.48 per serving) which is a massive win-win. 

On the flipside, however, the chocolate flavor costs the most (up to $1.93 per serving) and has the lowest protein percentage (75%) which makes it a double edged sword tanking the product’s value. 

If you have a more generous supplement budget and you can overlook the negative taste, Promix does offer a high quality product with a full 30g of protein. 

Key note: Promix currently only ships to the US and UK. 

Read my full Promix review here. 

Dymatize Iso 100 Protein Powder

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Dymatize has been a long time fixture on supplement store and supermarket shelves. Unlike some of the supermarket products that have found their home in the bottom tier of this list, Dymatize Iso 100 provides a high quality, Informed Choice certified whey isolate. 

This is an ideal post-workout protein powder, but won’t be great for managing hunger or providing prolonged satiety. Like Alani Nu, Dymatize Iso 100 tastes very sweet but has a strong flavor even when just mixed with water. 

The biggest issue with Dymatize Iso 100 is that the price varies massively online, ranging anywhere from $1.67 to $3.28 per serving. 

If this price discrepancy wasn’t a factor, Dymatize Iso 100 would hold a spot among our higher rankings, but with so many other high quality, third party tested whey isolates on the market, paying twice as much per serving for this brand simply isn’t worth it. 

If you CAN find Iso 100 at the lower price point, it has a high protein percentage (83%-90%) with some delicious and unique flavor varieties like Fruity Pebbles and Dunkin’ Donuts varieties. 

Read my full Dymatize Iso 100 review here

Pure Protein Powder

Tier: Rough Reps

Pure Protein is a blend of whey concentrate and whey isolate, making it a versatile any time of day protein powder. It has high visibility being readily available in supermarkets like Walmart and Target. 

This product is what you might expect from a supermarket branded protein. It has a low protein percentage (62% protein per scoop) and has a lot of additives like thickeners, gums, and several sources of artificial sweeteners and flavors. 

Pure Protein currently retails for between $1.45 and $1.73 per serving, which puts it on par with some of the highest quality, third party tested isolates on this list. 

While I actually didn’t mind the taste and texture of Pure Protein Vanilla, the high cost and low protein percentage make this a miss for me, especially since there are higher quality brands available on storefront shelves and many online retailers have reasonable shipping times. 

If you are in an absolute bind, for example, you’re traveling and Pure Protein is the only option you can find, it can get the job done. 

Read my full Pure Protein Powder review here

GNC Whey Iso Burst

Tier: Hang Up The Scooper

Things were going really well when I started testing GNC Pro Performance Whey Iso Burst. When I tested the chocolate flavor, it performed reasonably well in many areas like taste and texture, lending itself well to shakes, yogurt, and oatmeal.

At 40g of protein per 170 calorie serving, Iso Burst offers up an exceptional 94% protein per scoop and is third party tested with high quality ingredients. 

All that being said, I nearly spat my protein shake out when I saw the cost per serving. The front of the tub advertises 40g of protein per serving, but the back of the tub mentions that one “serving” is actually two scoops. 

As such, the cost per serving tops the charts at $3.10 per serving. Even if we were to put this in relative terms to find out the cost per 30g of protein (which is similar to what other brands offer), the cost per serving would fall around $2.35. This is nearly a dollar more than the average cost per serving of whey protein and well above even the highest quality brands like Transparent Labs. 

Overall, GNC Whey Iso Burst is absolutely not worth the price tag.

(Note that GNC does have several different types of protein, and Iso Burst appears to only be available in certain countries. If you want to support GNC in the US, I think that the best option is the GNC AMP Pure Isolate)

Read my full review of GNC Whey Iso Burst here

Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Powder

Tier: Hang Up the Scooper

Muscle Milk Whey Protein Powder definitely misses the mark as a protein powder. It markets itself as a “genuine protein powder”, but in reality only 45% of the calories come from protein. 

Muscle Milk fits better as a meal replacement product due to its higher carb, fat, and calorie content. For reference, this product has 20g of carbs per scoop compared to the 1-4g of carbs typically found in protein powders. 

Furthermore, our criteria for a “reasonable” protein percentage starts at 65%. Muscle Milk is not even close. 

Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Powder also has very consistent pricing online, ranging from $1.50 to $3.00 per serving. 

The added nutrients and sport certification are not enough to redeem this product. If you’re looking to invest in a protein powder, this one isn’t worth a second glance. 

Read my full Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Powder review here

MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate

Tier: Protein Paradise

MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate has a lot to love. It offers a great protein percentage (around 89% protein per scoop for the flavored options), it mixes easily, tastes great, and comes at a very reasonable cost of $1.32 per serving. 

That being said, a serving of Impact Whey Isolate has 20g of protein where many other brands offer between 25 and 30g per serving. When the cost is adjusted to match other products, the price balances out to be the same value as proteins like Transparent Labs. 

MyProtein has a ton of exciting and unique flavors. I personally tried the mocha flavor and loved it with water, with milk/almond milk, and stirred into coffee. The taste is very sweet and rich, however, and may be too much for people who prefer a less sweet taste. 

The only real drawback is the lower grams of protein when compared to other isolates and the fact that MyProtein uses several different sources of artificial flavors and sweeteners to achieve their rich flavors. 

I can’t think of any real reason why Impact Whey Isolate can’t make its way into your regular routine.

Read my full MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate review here

BodyTech Whey Isolate

Tier: Middle of the Whey

When I first saw the tub of BodyTech Whey Isolate, I expected it to be a garbage product. The label looks outdated and it’s a product that I probably would have walked right past if I saw it in store. 

I was absolutely amazed to discover the high quality standards, great mixability, and low cost that Body Tech provided. This is hands down one of the best mixing protein powders I ever tried and it will be a great option for anyone who is sensitive to texture or hates clumping proteins. 

BodyTech Whey Isolate offers up 91% protein per scoop for as low as $1.19 per serving. This falls below the average cost of all whey proteins, and WELL below the cost per serving of high quality whey isolates. 

Unfortunately, the taste of the Cookies and Cream flavor that I tried was so incredibly awful that I couldn’t bring myself to order this product again. 

BodyTech Isolate is available in 18 different flavors, including some very unique ones like apple cinnamon cereal and Wonder Woman Sherbet, so even though my experience with the Cookies and Cream flavor left a bad taste in my mouth, I wouldn’t write off this product completely! 

Read my full BodyTech Whey Isolate review here

Rule 1 Whey Blend

Tier: Protein Paradise

Rule 1 Whey Protein has been a staple on my cupboards for several years, and I have tried 6 of the 12 flavors that the company offers. 

Rule 1 Whey is a blend of whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate (similar to Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard) which makes it a versatile protein powder suitable for any time of day. This blend adds a satiety factor that a pure isolate doesn’t provide, and keeps the cost per serving lower. 

With 4 different sized tubs available, Rule 1 Whey costs between $1.07 and $1.57 per serving. 

Rule 1 has a slightly lower protein percentage than a pure isolate, with 74% to 80% protein per serving. 

The taste and mixability of Rule 1, for me, is unmatched. I find it provides a nice, rich flavor without being unbearably sweet. My personal favorites are Cafe Mocha and Frozen Banana. 

The big thing keeping this protein out of the King of Gains category for a whey blend is that some of the flavors use food dyes – which have potentially harmful side effects without adding any real quality experience to the protein. 

Many companies now are advertising that they’ve removed artificial food dyes from their products, and I hope Rule 1 follows suit. 

Read my full Rule 1 Whey Blend review here

Ryse Loaded Protein

Tier: Middle of the Whey

Ryse Supplements is a brand that has absolutely exploded on social media over the past few years and I was really excited to get my hands on their protein. They have youthful, fun marketing and some unique flavor collabs like Little Debbie® Cosmic Brownies and Skippy ® Peanut Butter.

Honestly, everything about Ryse fell in the middle of the road for me. Because of their unique flavors, some of the proteins have higher carbohydrate and fat content which means that the protein percentage ranges from 67-77%. This percentage falls between “reasonable” and “good” standards.

(As per Feastgood.com standards, a “good” protein powder is one that provides 75% protein per scoop or higher)

Ryse Loaded pre falls right in line with other popular lifestyle brands like Ghost and Alani Nu who offer similar protein percentages and a similar cost per serving. Ryse comes in around $1.67 per scoop. 

The blend of protein powders in Ryse make it a versatile protein that mixes up with a creamier texture and will provide some extra satiety throughout the day. 

Despite its popularity, I think the cost per serving isn’t justified and unless you want to try one of the unique flavor collabs, this protein powder is far from my first pick.

Read my full review of Ryse Loaded Protein here

Thorne Protein

Tier:  Protein paradise

Thorne is definitely a company that is committed to quality and is a clear standout in the industry in regards to science, innovation, and consumer education. 

Their protein powder did a lot of things really well. It dissolved easily with no clumping and had a nice, creamy texture (which isn’t common with pure whey isolates). The added digestive enzymes help you break down the protein, which makes for better digestion and fewer potential side effects. 

Thorne is third party tested and NSF certified (one of the highest sport standards available) and does not use any artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. 

So what’s keeping Thorne Protein off the King of Gains Throne?

Thorne is the most expensive whey isolate I have tested, costing $2.07 per 21g serving. Other products in a similar realm to Thorne cost between $1.50 and $2.00 per serving, but most of those products offer 27-30g of protein per serving. 

The second drawback to Thorne is that it is currently only available in 2 flavors: chocolate and vanilla, which could get dull with long term use. 

If your budget allows for it, Thorne protein is definitely a high quality product and you can take advantage of their various health quizzes and assessments to build a complete supplement stack and save some money. 

Read my full Thorne Protein review here