How do I compare protein powders without trusting the tub claims?
Use the WheyIndex Quality Index (60% formulation, 30% sugar, 10% value), cost per 25g protein, and sugar per 25g to compare US whey powders with live numbers.
How do I compare protein powders without trusting the tub claims?
Tub labels sell a story. Serving sizes differ, “low sugar” is vague, and sticker price ranks the container more than the protein. Reviews tell you who liked the flavor. None of that puts two powders on one comparable scale.
WheyIndex does. Read the Quality Index first, then cost per 25g of protein, then sugar per 25g on the product page. Same method on every US listing.
The Index in plain English
Every scored product gets an Index from 0 to 100:
- 60% formulation: six equally weighted ingredient checks (artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, fillers/thickeners, high-fructose corn syrup)
- 30% sugar: scored from sugar grams per 25g of protein
- 10% value: lower cost per 25g inside the same sales market scores higher
Full detail sits on How the Index works. Scores are a comparison model, not a lab safety assay, and they are not for sale.
Two supporting checks
Cost per 25g protein turns tub price into a protein unit:
Cost per 25g = (cost per serving ÷ protein grams per serving) × 25
A $40 tub and a $70 tub only become comparable after that math. The guide walks it through: Tub price is a lie: cost per 25g of protein.
Sugar per 25g protein is the number on the product card, not a front-of-tub slogan. It feeds the sugar third of the Index and is worth reading on its own if sweetness matters to you.
Three live US examples
Same yardstick, three different outcomes. Figures locked from product pages on 20 Sep 2026 (CEST):
| Product | Index | $/25g | Sugar /25g |
|---|---|---|---|
| NutraBio Whey Protein Isolate | 96/100 | $1.87 | 0.0g |
| Muscle Feast Grass-Fed Isolate Chocolate, 5 lb | 94/100 | $0.91 | 0.1g |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey, Double Rich Chocolate, 1 lb | 93/100 | $2.68 | 1.0g |
NutraBio leads this trio on Index (96) with zero sugar per 25g. Muscle Feast sits close on Index (94) and is the clear value pick at $0.91 per 25g. This ON Gold Standard pack clears Excellent at 93 and costs $2.68 per 25g with 1.0g sugar per 25g. Other Gold Standard packs can land differently; cite the pack URL you actually mean.
Index answers the blended quality question. $/25g answers the money question. Sugar per 25g answers the sweetness question. Read them in that order when the tub claims disagree.
Tools on WheyIndex
- Compare: put two or three finalists on one screen
- Find: sort by Index or by cost per 25g
- How the Index works: weights, sugar thresholds, value benchmark
- Cost per 25g guide: formula and shopping checklist
For market context on whether “cheap today” is cheap versus recent history, the US inflation tracker shows +17.0% for Sep 2026 (average change from each product’s first recorded price; Aug 2026 was +17.5%). That is trend context. It does not replace Index or today’s $/25g on the powder you want.
Before you buy
Open the powders you already buy, or the two you are deciding between, on wheyindex.com. Check today’s Index, $/25g, and sugar per 25g on the product page before you checkout. Refresh if the listing has moved.