Price per 100g Protein: The True Value Metric
When comparing protein powders, the sticker price tells you almost nothing about value. A $30 tub might be a better deal than a $50 tub—or it might be much worse. The only way to know is to calculate the price per 100g of actual protein.
What is Price per 100g Protein?
Price per 100g protein is the true cost of protein powder. It calculates how much you pay for every 100 grams of actual protein, accounting for serving size variations. A $40 tub with 750g total protein costs $5.33 per 100g of protein.
When comparing protein powders, the sticker price tells you almost nothing about value. A $30 tub might be a better deal than a $50 tub—or it might be much worse. The only way to know is to calculate the price per 100g of actual protein.
Why Container Price is Misleading
Containers vary in size (1lb to 10lb), protein concentration (15g to 30g per serving), and serving size. A $40 tub might contain 750g of protein while a $35 tub only has 500g—making the $40 option actually cheaper per unit.
Protein powder containers vary wildly in size, protein concentration, and serving sizes. A larger container at a higher price might actually deliver more protein per dollar than a smaller, cheaper option.
How Do I Calculate Price per 100g Protein?
Calculate total servings (Container Weight ÷ Serving Size), then total protein (Servings × Protein per Serving). Finally: Price per 100g = (Container Price ÷ Total Protein) × 100.
Since most products list protein per serving rather than total protein in the container, we first calculate how many servings are in the container, then determine the total protein:
Step 1: Total Servings = Container Weight (g) ÷ Serving Size (g)
Step 2: Total Protein = Total Servings × Protein per Serving
Step 3: Price per 100g = (Container Price ÷ Total Protein) × 100
For example, with a 2lb (907g) container at $40, a 30g serving size, and 25g protein per serving:
Total servings = 907g ÷ 30g = ~30 servings
Total protein = 30 servings × 25g = 750g
Price per 100g = ($40 ÷ 750g) × 100 = $5.33 per 100g protein
What is a Good Price per 100g Protein?
Under $5.50/100g is exceptional value (top 10%). Under $7/100g is good value. Over $9/100g is poor value. We analyze {products.length} products to determine these benchmarks.
We compare each product against our entire database and assign a tier based on percentile ranking. Lower price per 100g means better value:
- Best: Top 10% — exceptional value, hard to beat
- Great: Top 25% — excellent value for the price
- Good: Top 50% — solid value, above average
- Below Average: 50-75% — paying more than most alternatives
- Not Good: Bottom 25% — significantly overpriced relative to protein content
Current Best Values
Here are the top 5 best value protein powders in our database: