Protein Powders

55 products ranked by Scout score

Best protein powders right now

Heart & Soil Grass Fed Whey Protein 96/100
Scout's analysis: Heart & Soil Grass Fed Whey Protein scores 96/100. A clean protein powder featuring grass-fed whey concentrate along with collagen and colostrum, delivering…
Santa Cruz Paleo Whey Protein Powder 95/100
Scout's analysis: This product features grass-fed whey protein formulated with paleo-friendly principles, delivering solid protein macros while avoiding artificial sweeteners, gums, and…
PROMIX One Ingredient Grass Fed Whey 93/100
Scout's analysis: PROMIX One Ingredient Grass Fed Whey scores 93/100. A true single-ingredient grass-fed whey concentrate from pasture-raised cows — no emulsifiers, fillers, or…

What to skip

Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer Vanilla 1/100
Scout's analysis: Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer Vanilla scores 1/100. Consumer Reports lab testing (January 2024) found 7.70 mcg of lead per serving — the highest of all 23 protein…
Muscle Milk Genuine Zero Sugar Protein Shake 5/100
Scout's analysis: Muscle Milk Genuine Zero Sugar Protein Shake scores 5/100. Markets itself as a 'zero sugar' protein shake but replaces sugar with sucralose and acesulfame potassium — a…
RAW CBUM Itholate Protein Birthday Cake 18/100
Scout's analysis: RAW CBUM Itholate Protein Birthday Cake scores 18/100. The whey protein isolate itself is premium — 90% WPI, micro-filtered, delivering 25g protein at just 120 calories…

Independently lab-tested protein powders

29 of the 55 products ranked here have a lab panel on their pages — each measured amount, the level it falls in and the report it comes from. The highest-scoring five:

Heart & Soil Grass Fed Whey Protein 96/100
Santa Cruz Paleo Whey Protein Powder 95/100
PROMIX One Ingredient Grass Fed Whey 93/100
Equip Prime Protein Chocolate 90/100
Nutra Organics Organic Whey Protein 88/100
and 24 more in the ranking above

Ingredients to watch in protein powders

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 55 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Sucralose in 21 of 55
Natural flavors in 20 of 55
Acesulfame Potassium in 13 of 55
Natural and Artificial Flavors in 10 of 55
Carrageenan in 10 of 55
Sunflower lecithin in 8 of 55

What the better protein powders have in common

Monk fruit extract in 11 of 55
Sea Salt in 9 of 55
Whey Protein Isolate in 9 of 55
Whey Protein Concentrate in 8 of 55
Milk Protein Isolate in 6 of 55

Common questions about protein powders

What scores highest in protein powders on Scout?

Heart & Soil Grass Fed Whey Protein leads Scout's protein powders ranking at 96/100, followed by Santa Cruz Paleo Whey Protein Powder (95) and PROMIX One Ingredient Grass Fed Whey (93). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in protein powders?

Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer Vanilla scores 1/100, the lowest of the 55 products Scout has analyzed in protein powders; next lowest are Muscle Milk Genuine Zero Sugar Protein Shake (5) and RAW CBUM Itholate Protein Birthday Cake (18). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in protein powders?

Across these 55 products the most common flagged ingredients are Sucralose, Natural flavors, Acesulfame Potassium, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Carrageenan, Sunflower lecithin. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

Is anything in protein powders independently lab tested?

29 of the 55 products on this page carry independent lab results — Heart & Soil Grass Fed Whey Protein, Santa Cruz Paleo Whey Protein Powder, PROMIX One Ingredient Grass Fed Whey, Equip Prime Protein Chocolate, Nutra Organics Organic Whey Protein and 24 more. Each of their product pages shows the measured amounts, the level each falls in and the report they come from.

How does Scout score protein powders?

Every product in protein powders gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores protein powders

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →