Protein powder can be an amazing supplement to your diet and to your fitness journey — a convenient, relatively cheap source of protein which can be used in all sorts of delicious foods like shakes, cookies, pancakes, and ice cream. Recently we made a detailed list of The Best Tasting Whey Protein Powders in 2023. But today a high-quality whey isolate protein that tastes good can run you close to $2/scoop, which can start to make you question whether you really need protein powder or not. So today we’re going to present the best budget whey protein powders available today, with options ranging from good taste and decent price to passable taste and great price.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve tried most of the top protein powder brands in many different flavors. Coupled with public opinion from online reviews and social, I’ll give each of the powders a score from 0 to 10 based on how good they taste, along with their price per scoop, standardized to a serving containing 25g of protein.
The 6 Best Budget Whey Protein Powders, Ranked
6.
Body Fortress
Taste: 7/10
Per scoop: $1.27
Per 25g protein: $1.06
Best flavors: Chocolate, Chocolate peanut butter, Cookies and Cream
Body Fortress is a very popular and widespread supplement brand, and you may have seen their protein powder in retail stores like Walmart, Costco, etc. It is relatively affordable at around $1.06 per 25g of protein, and the taste and mixability are good enough for most people, so it’s not a bad choice by any means. In fact, you may find a better deal at a physical store that makes it an even better option. Still, there are better options at the end of the day.
Try it out on Amazon today.
5.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey
Taste: 8-9/10 (depending on flavor)
Best deal at this moment:
Per scoop: $0.98
Per 25g protein: $1.02
Best flavors: Extreme Chocolate, Mocha Cappuccino, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream
Optimum Nutrition is possibly the most recognizable brand in health and fitness when it comes to protein powder, and while their prices have gone up recently, it is still has some of the best-tasting options at a fairly affordable price. You can often find a good flavor hovering around $1/scoop, and if you are lucky enough to catch a good deal, you can save 10% or 20% more. Optimum Nutrition is still my go-to whey protein, and if you are looking for a mid-range price option that still tastes great, this would be my recommendation.
Try it out on Amazon today (it is usually more expensive on the ON website, just saying).
4.
Muscle Milk Whey Protein
Taste: 6.3/10
Per scoop: $0.61
Per 25g protein: $0.61
Most people know Muscle Milk for their pre-made protein shakes, but they also have one of the cheapest protein powders on the market. While it might not taste great and can be a little harder to mix at times, the low cost makes it a great option for those with a lower budget for protein powder. Personally, I would at least try it out, as there are a lot of people that find the taste decent.
You can try it out on Amazon today.
3.
Bulk Supplements (Unflavored Only)
Taste: 8.5/10 compared to other unflavored powders
Per scoop: $0.88
Per 25g protein: $0.95
This is my personal favorite for unflavored whey protein at $0.95 per 25g protein. It’s hard to really compare an unflavored powder to flavored powders, but for an unflavored powder, it mixes very well and is smooth and creamy without any off flavor. If you prefer unflavored whey protein to mix into shakes or baked goods that you flavor yourself, then this is not only a great budget option, but a great option in general.
Try it out on Amazon today.
2.
MyProtein Impact Whey Protein
Taste: 7.5-8.5/10 (depending on flavor)
Price on Amazon:
Per scoop: $0.75
Per 25g protein: $1.04
Price on MyProtein website (30% discount):
Per scoop: $0.70
Per 25g protein: $0.97
Price on MyProtein website (50% discount):
Per scoop: $0.50
Per 25g protein: $0.69
Best flavors: Chocolate Smooth, Salted Caramel
MyProtein is another very big name in the supplement industry, mainly for their cheap protein and wide variety of flavors. That being said, the price has gone up quite a bit in the last few years. You can find a decent price on Amazon at ~$1 per 25g of protein, but your best bet is buying from the MyProtein website on sale. They frequently have sales on their website ranging from 20% to 50% off, which makes for a very affordable price for some great tasting protein.
Try it out on the MyProtein website or on Amazon, whichever is more convenient or has the lowest price at the moment.
1.
Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate
Taste: 7.7/10
Per scoop: $0.78
Per 25g protein: $0.78
Best Flavors: Milk chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Vanilla
Nutricost puts a lot of emphasis on keeping their supplements affordable, and their whey protein is no exception. Of all the whey protein powders that I’ve tried, Nutricost has the best balance between affordability and taste. I would highly recommend it for anyone who eats a lot of protein powder and is conscious about their food/supplement budget.
Try it out on Amazon today.
So, those are the top 6 budget-friendly whey protein powders based on my experience plus the hundreds of polls and online reviews I read through. Please leave a comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections, and let me know of any amazing protein powders that I missed!
— Mr. Bro