One of my first quests when I went vegan was to find the best vegan protein powder. As a life-long weightlifter I was losing my whey and that was an issue.
The good news is that since I’ve gone vegan I’ve seen the market for vegan protein powders explode. Going back only a few years, there simply wasn’t this many options.
Now, I come across entire sections of vegan protein powder in Whole Foods and even Target has sections of vegan protein powder that go from the top shelf down to the floor.
For this mega review, I tested eight of the most popular vegan protein powders currently on the market. I then evaluated each one by taste, available flavors, protein ratio, protein per serving and certain additional factors like Non-GMO, Certified Vegan, etc.
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Orgain
- Taste: A+
- Flavors: Chocolate Vanilla, Unflavored, Matcha
- Protein Source: Pea Protein
- Protein Ratio: 63% (150 calories, 4g fat, 15g carb, 1g sugar, 21g protein
- Price per Serving: $1.89
Orgain Review
So, what made Orgain our overall winner?
First, the taste. Jen and I both agreed that Orgain has the best tasting protein powders out of any that we’ve tried.
Two, the variety of flavors. 8 different flavors to choose from and while we haven’t tried every one, every one that we have tried has been great. In fact, we both picked Orgain as our best tasting but we actually have different favorite flavors. (Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt for me, Peanut Butter for Jen)
Finally, Orgain checks the big three boxes – Certified Vegan, Certified Organic and Non-GMO.
What We Liked
- Hands down the best-tasting protein powder we tried.
- 8 different flavors to choose from.
- USDA Certified Organic
- Certified Vegan
- Non-GMO
- Gluten-Free, Lactose Free, No Added Sugar, No Artificial Sweeteners, Made without Soy Ingredients
What We Didn’t
- 15 grams of carbohydrates is a bit high for a protein powder.
- Because of the high amount of carbs, the protein ratio is only 56%
Vega Sport
- Taste: A
- Flavors: Berry, Chocolate, Mocha, Peanut Butter, Vanilla
- Protein Source: Pea Protein, Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein, Organic Sunflower Seed Protein, Alfalfa Protein
- Protein Ratio: 71% (170 calories, 3g fat, 5g carb, 1g sugar, 30g protein)
- Price per Serving: $2.10
Vega Sport Review
What We Liked
- 2nd best tasting protein powder
- 30g of protein per serving ties with Garden of Life for most per serving
- Non-GMO
- NSF Certified for Sport (Important certification for athletes that certifies that no NCAA banned substances were found in the product)
- Zero artificial colors and sweeteners
- Keto Friendly
What We Didn’t
- Only 1 of 2 proteins that were over $2 per serving (but Vega Sport also has the highest protein per serving so it sort of balances out?)
- Some organic ingredients, but not 100% organic
Ora Organic
- Taste: A
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Vanilla Chai
- Protein Source: Blend (Pea, Rice)
- Protein Ratio: 70% (120 calories, 2.5g fat, 4g carb, 0g sugar, 21g protein)
- Protein per Serving: $2.00
Ora Organic Review
What We Liked
- The Vanilla Chai is one of the best flavors of any protein powder we tasted.
- All Organic Ingredients
- Gluten-Free and Soy Free
- Non-GMO
- No filler ingredients, artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives
- Ora has a subscription model that makes it one of the cheapest options
What We Didn’t
- No real cons stood out for Ora – maybe the price, but that depends on how you purchase it.
Earth Chimp
- Taste: A
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Plain & Unsweetened
- Protein Source: Blend (Pea, Pumpkin, Coconut, Sunflower)
- Protein Ratio: 67% (120 calories, 2g fat, 11g carb, 3g sugar, 20g protein)
- Price per Serving: $1.50 (as of 11/7/22)
Earth Chimp Review
What We Liked
- Very good taste. Personally preferred the Vanilla over the Chocolate.
- Instead of the standard large plastic tub, Earth Chimp protein is packaged in a paper-like bag.
- Includes beneficial ingredients like Baobab, Flax, Turmeric and Cinnamon
- No added sugar including Sugar Alcohols like Erythritol
- Earth Chimp plants a tree for every order they receive.
What We Didn’t
- Nothing we really didn’t like about Earth Chimp.
Garden of Life Sport
- Taste: B+
- Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate
- Protein Source: Blend (Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sprouted Navy Bean, Organic Sprouted Lentil Bean, Organic Sprouted Garbanzo Bean, Organic Cranberry Protein (seed))
- Protein Ratio: 75%
- Price per Serving: $2.03
Garden of Life Sport Review
What We Liked
- Highest protein ratio out of all the powders we tested.
- 30g of protein with only 160 calories per serving.
- Tied with Vega Sport for most protein per serving (30g)
- All Certified Organic Ingredients
- Non-GMO
- NSF Certified for Sport
- Gluten Free and Soy Free
- Certified Vegan
- Garden of Life has a full line of vegan protein powders other than the Sport variety.
What We Didn’t
- 2nd most expensive protein powder (but the high protein grams per serving sort of balances out the cost)
Optimum Nutrition
- Taste: B+
- Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Berry
- Protein Source: Blend (Organic Pea, Bown Rice and Sacha Inchi proteins)
- Protein Ratio: 64% (150 calories, 3.5g fat, 6g carb, 0g sugar, 24g of protein)
- Price per Serving: $1.75 (as of 11/7/22)
Optimum Nutrition Review
What We Liked
- Competitive in every category including taste.
- USDA Certified Organic
- Non-GMO
- No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Sweeteners
- Gluten-Free
What We Didn’t
- No real cons to speak of.
Naked Nutrition
- Taste: C
- Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Unflavored, Matcha
- Protein Source: Pea Protein
- Protein Ratio: 71% (140 calories, 2.5g fat, 8g carb, 5g sugar, 25g of protein)
- Price per Serving: $0.95 (as of 11/7/22)
Naked Nutrition Review
What We Liked
- Minimal Ingredients
- Best price per serving – Only powder under a dollar per serving
- No Artificial Sweeteners, Colors or Flavors
- Non-GMO, Soy Free, Gluten Free
What We Didn’t
- Taste. The Pea Protein comes through strong and needs to be masked by additional ingredients in a shake.
KOS
- Taste: A
- Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Blueberry Muffin, Unsweetened
- Protein Source: Organic Pea Protein
- Protein Ratio: 48% (165 calories, 5g fat, 9g carb, 2g sugar, 20g protein)
- Price per Serving: $2.33 (as of 11/7/22)
KOS Review
What We Liked
- Great Taste
What We Didn’t
- Expensive. One of the most expensive protein powders we tasted.
Review Categories
Taste
I tested each powder two different ways. First, with 12oz of cold water, 1 serving of powder and a blender bottle. Most protein powders can taste great if a bunch of extras (peanut butter, ice, fruit, etc), but I wanted to see what each powder would taste like if you simply throw a serving into a blender bottle, shake it up and drink it.
Second, I added each protein with Oat milk, ice and mixed in a proper blender. This is my preferred way of making my shakes and how I wanted to make my comparisons.
Protein Source
There are now a ton of plant based protein sources. I was actually pretty surprised to learn that almost all vegan protein powders are either straight pea protein or a pea protein combo. I would have thought I would have come across some soy proteins, but that wasn’t the case here.
Flavors
Pretty straightforward here. What flavors are available for each brand.
Protein Ratio
Percentage of calories coming from protein. To calculate, multiply the grams of protein by 4 and then divide that number by the calories per serving. (Ex. 20g of protein x 4 = 80. 80/160 calories = 50%.
This is something I’ve been doing with protein powders for years. When I’m looking for a protein powder, I want one with as little extra “fluff” (fat and carbs) as possible.
This is harder to decipher now than it used to be because of fake sugars that don’t register as calories. I’ll do my best to try to sort this out with each one.
Price per Serving
Because you shouldn’t need to be an economics major to figure out if you’re getting good value. I do all the math for you in regards to serving sizes and container sizes and prices.
The prices I used were the current list prices (date taken listed with each brand) either directly off their site or off of Amazon. Obviously, if you find a different price the price per serving will change.
Overall Pros and Cons
The overall best (and worst) features of each brand.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best vegan protein powders and hope you found it helpful and informative. Depending on exactly what you’re looking for and your personal taste preference, the protein you pick might not be the same as mine or someone else.
It really just depends on what you value most. Do you want a great tasting protein? How important is organic and non-gmo ingredients? How much will cost play a factor?
I believe the good news is, no matter what you’re looking for, I think you can find a vegan protein protein powder that will fit your needs right here.
