These Are the Best Whey Protein Powders, as Tested by Personal Trainers and Dietitians (2025)

We love Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate as our best overall pick. It has the largest protein content of any whey protein powder in our roundup with 28 grams, but that’s not the only reason this is our favorite protein powder overall. It also tastes great and mixes well.

The limited edition Peppermint Hot Chocolate Flavor gets a 5 out of 5 from me for its taste. This tastes like something you’d leave out for Santa, really. I love heating up my milk before mixing this with it for a nice winter treat. The solubility also earns top marks, earning another 5 out of 5.

Another big factor is Transparent Labs’ commitment to using simple, proven ingredients. Case in point, the first ingredient in this protein powder is grass-fed whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolate is one of the most bioavailable forms of protein¹ meaning your body can use more of it.

RELATED: What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein isolate has also had most of its lactose removed by a special filtration process, so people with lactose sensitivities can consume it with little to no discomfort² (most of the fat is also removed from the whey during this filtration, resulting in a “leaner” protein powder). Whey protein is also found in high-quality products like protein bars and meal replacement products.

Transparent Labs is popular with consumers and dietary professionals like registered dietitian Laila Ouldibbat. They live up to their name by having a transparent nutrition label and ingredients list, and provide certificates of analysis and composition on their website. Laila also likes that the ingredient list is very short—only five ingredients. 

RELATED: Best Protein Powder for Women

It scores a 3.5 out of 5 for its mid-range price per serving of $1.99, but for many people, the price is worth it. We deep dive into this supplement in our Transparent Labs protein review, so be sure to take a look for more.

Unlike other whey proteins that often contain artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or fillers, Legion Athletics Whey+ Whey Isolate Protein Powder uses all-natural, high-quality ingredients in many ways. For one, Whey+ has a Truly Grass Fed certification. This mark proves the cows that produce the dairy from which the whey protein isolate is extracted only eat grass (some companies add corn or soy to the cattle’s diet) and spend a high percentage of the year outside on Irish pastures.

Now, I’m a fan of anyone who uses Irish cows, but the 5 out of 5 taste is another reason I’m such a fan of Legion Whey+.

The cereal cinnamon flavor tastes like a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but specifically when you get to the bottom of the bowl. There weren’t any issues with the solubility either.

Even non-Irish people will love this protein powder. Each scoop comes with 22 to 24 grams of protein (depending on the flavor) and low amounts of carbs and fat. 

It also bears a Labdoor Tested for Purity certification, which shows that researchers have checked it for harmful substances such as heavy metals, banned substances, and THC (yes, it can be present in very small amounts in some protein supplements). 

Legion’s protein powder gets a 3.5 out of 5 for pricing. It’s a bit expensive, at $1.99 per serving, but you can save 10 percent by placing it on a subscription order to receive a new one every month (you can pick different flavors and quantities).

Check out our full Legion whey protein review, or the video below, for all of our thoughts on this supplement.

As we mentioned earlier in this list, increased protein intake can cause some rumblings down under, and we’re not talking about Australia. This is especially true if you have dairy sensitivities or are lactose intolerant (and yes, that’s two separate things).

RELATED: Jacked Factory Authentic Whey Review

Jacked Factory ISO is also great for digestion because it’s a whey protein isolate, meaning the whey protein has been filtered to be a more pure protein powder, containing at least 90% protein. This also means that most of the lactose has been removed. People with dairy sensitivities, such as lactose intolerance, should still consult their physician and use caution before taking this protein powder, but it’s less likely to cause any digestive issues⁴.

Our product tester, who has tried many a protein powder in his day, enjoyed the vanilla flavor of Authentic ISO, saying the texture was nice as well. We gave Authentic Iso a 5 out of 5 for formulation in our scoring, with 25 grams of protein and minimal carbs and fats. This means it’s also a great pick for anyone who needs a protein supplement to keep them full while cutting.

Read more about this whey protein isolate in our Jacked Factory Authentic ISO whey protein review.

If you’re wanting a clean whey that lacks fillers and artificial ingredients, Gainful has you covered. With no artificial flavoring, no sweeteners, no fillers and no dyes, Gainful provides a protein blend with simple, high-quality ingredients and nothing else. 

Gainful takes a lot of the guesswork out of finding the right protein for you by personalizing your protein powder to suit your specific needs. After filling out a short questionnaire on dietary preferences, nutrition goals, and your fitness level, Gainful provides a customized protein blend with the calories and macronutrients at portions tailored to you and your goals.

GGR Head of Content Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, received a whey-casein blend when she tested Gainful, with 24 grams of protein per serving (the protein can range from 19 to 27 grams). Because of the clean, personalized ingredients backed by research and registered dietitians, Nicole rates the formulation a 5 out of 5.

Speaking of registered dietitians, using Gainful’s subscription-based service will get you access to a registered dietitian. “I love that consumers can get expert guidance personalized to meet their unique goals and needs,” Nicole adds.

Gainful’s protein blend is unflavored by default, but you can purchase low-calorie flavor packs to add to your shake. Having tried out their variety pack, Nicole rates the taste a 5 out of 5; she says, “I like that you can control how much flavor you want in each shake or even mix flavors together.” She adds, “I’ve liked all the flavors, including Sea Salt Caramel—which is something I don’t typically choose or like.” 

Nicole does note that the protein clumps some, too, when she mixes it with milk in a shaker cup. She rates the solubility a 3.5 out of 5. “Because I like the taste, I dealt with it,” she says, “but the texture wasn’t great by any means.”

The main drawback is that this level of customization and personalization comes with a hefty price tag. Nicole’s protein costs about $2.86 per serving; it’ll be around $3 depending on your customization. Still, for a pure, natural protein suited for your own goals, this may well be worth the extra cost for you.

There are a few things that make Sports Research Whey Isolate ideal for weight loss, firstly that it has an ideal ratio of proteins to carbs and fats. One serving offers 25 grams of protein isolate, 2 to 4 grams of carbs, and 3.5 or 4 grams of fats depending on flavor. Because of this, it earns 4.5 out of 5 stars in the formulation category. At under 150 calories per serving and no added sugars, Sports Research Whey Isolate keeps the calories low to help those on a weight loss program maintain their caloric intake.

The formulation also contains a healthy dose of BCAAs, namely the formulation of 6.96 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and an additional 1,000 milligrams of leucine. It’s worth noting that BCAAs have been linked to improved muscle recovery⁴ and muscle endurance whereas there are several opposing studies on leucine effectiveness for muscle recovery.  

RELATED: Best Muscle Recovery Tools

And speaking of flavor, you’ll only have two options (Creamy Vanilla or Dutch Chocolate). I personally tested the Dutch Chocolate and wanted to curl up by a fire with roasted marshmallows on top of this protein drink. Sports Research earns a 5 out of 5 stars when it comes to flavor. 

Another reason you may be interested in supplementing with Sports Research protein is because it’s third-party tested by Informed Sport. This third-party lab guarantees that products are free from banned substances that are commonly screened for on athlete’s drug tests. It’s also non-GMO tested and gluten-free.

For more information, you can read our Sports Research Whey Protein review.

We chose Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate as the best whey protein on Amazon because it’s super affordable and tastes delicious. It starts at just $0.73 per scoop for the 5-pound unflavored container, and only $0.99 or less if you purchase a 5-pound flavored container. This earns Nutricost a 5 out of 5 in the pricing category, as the most affordable protein powders are around $1 per serving. Plus, Prime members can enjoy free shipping.

Each serving of Nutricost Whey Concentrate contains 25 grams of protein, which, according to registered dietitian Perry Nix, is plenty to stimulate protein synthesis for building and repairing muscle mass. This makes it easier for your body to adapt to increases in intensity and volume of lifts or other exercises and allows you to make gains quicker and more effectively, which we’re all about. 

One thing to keep in mind with this protein powder is that whey protein concentrate tends to contain more fat and lactose than whey protein isolate. Perry noted that because of this, it may not be the best fit for people who are lactose intolerant, or for those with weight loss as a goal. We still give Nutricost Whey Concentrate a 5 out of 5 for formulation, though. 

GGR’s Senior Director of Content Kate Meier used this protein powder almost daily for two weeks. She used it with water, milk, and also in a smoothie. Kate said it tasted great when mixed with a milk product and was super creamy whether it was mixed up in a blender bottle or an actual blender. She gave it a 5 out of 5 for solubility because there were no big clumps and it “mixes extremely well.”

Nutricost keeps it pretty straightforward with the flavors, offering Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry Milkshake, and Unflavored. We love fun flavors, but honestly, straightforward flavors like this allow for a lot of versatility when it comes to things like making smoothies and baking. Kate tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor and rated it a 5 out of 5 for taste even though she isn’t a huge peanut butter fan. “The peanut-y flavor is just right. It’s not too powerful and doesn’t overpower the chocolate flavor. I really, really liked it.” 

Another notable aspect about this protein powder is that it’s third-party tested—for a budget option, you can’t beat it.

Check out our Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate review for a more in-depth look at this protein option.

Momentous Grass-Fed Whey is sourced from cows in Europe, which has some of the strictest rules on what cows can eat and prohibits many of the hormones and artificial feeders used on American cows. In other words, you’re getting a higher quality product that results in a clean, easily digestible whey protein isolate.

“With milk, the flavor reminded me of vanilla bean ice cream,” says GGR Senior Editor and certified nutrition coach Nicole Davis, who rated the protein’s vanilla flavor a 4 out of 5. Anthony O’Reilly, GGR performance editor and a certified personal trainer, scores the solubility a 5 out of 5 and often only uses a straw to mix it into milk or his morning iced coffee.

Whey protein isolate has also had much of its lactose removed, making this a great option for those with dairy sensitivities. While the powder is digestible, some people may not be able to stomach the price—more than $60 for 24 servings. We think it’s worth it only if you’re looking for the highest quality protein powder money can buy, otherwise there are more affordable options on this list.

Before we get too many questions, yes using grass-fed dairy makes a difference. One study⁵ found that grass-fed dairy had a better ratio of omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids than grain-fed cows, which can help with joint and heart health and even reduce the frequency of certain headaches.

RELATED: Best Organic Protein Powder

Grass-fed dairy also has a higher antioxidant content than grain-fed dairy, which can be beneficial to your overall health⁶.

For those who have never gone on a bulking journey before, you should know that increased protein intake can cause some digestive issues (like the kind you really don’t want to happen on a date, if you catch my drift). Momentous fixes that problem by including a digestive enzyme blend to assist with digestion, which include protease enzymes. An October 2022 study⁷on mice concluded that protease was beneficial in improving gut health. 

Read more in our Momentous Essential grass-fed whey protein review.

Need to save on your whey? Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey is super affordable, with some options coming out to just over $1 per scoop—which gives it a perfect 5 out of 5 rating on cost. That’s a much more budget-friendly protein source than eggs, though we recommend going for a larger container to get the best deal (psst, did you know that protein powder can last a surprisingly long time if properly sealed).

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard has 25 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of BCAAs per serving. All whey protein contains some BCAAs, but what makes this product unique is that it combines all three whey protein sources which means a larger variety of BCAAs. In each scoop, you’ll find a mix of whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and hydrolyzed whey protein. That’s quite the trifecta.

Plus, because whey isolate is the main ingredient, the fat and carbs remain low in this protein powder, making it great for people looking to lose fat and maintain muscle.

Our team of certified personal trainers and nutrition coaches have tried more than 10 Optimum Nutrition flavors, but two 5 out of 5 ones are Delicious Strawberry and Mocha Cappuccino. “It’s chocolatey and a bit coffee-flavored and just delicious,” nutrition coach and GGR head of content Nicole Davis says.

There are tons of other fun flavors: our pick for the best Optimum Nutrition flavor goes to Double-Rich Chocolate, but Mocha Cappuccino, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Chocolate Mint are also near the top of our list.

Optimum Nutrition contains whey protein concentrate, which may be harder for some people to digest, along with some additives and artificial sweeteners, but it’s still high quality and one of the best protein shakes. 

Read our full Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Review for more.

Kaged Whey Protein Isolate was our choice for best whey protein for muscle gain for a couple of reasons: It contains only whey protein (no protein blends or fillers), has great taste, and has 25 grams of protein as well as key ingredients that may help with protein absorption.

Certified personal trainer Nicole Davis scored this chocolate whey protein powder a perfect 5 out of 5 on taste, saying it reminded her of a Carnation Instant Breakfast mix. Still, the solubility came in at 3.5 out of 5 because it was “lumpy” even after vigorous mixing, Nicole says.

In addition to a great taste and lack of fillers, Kaged Whey Protein Isolate contains a digestive enzyme called ProHydrolase that may enhance protein synthesis and help with muscle recovery. A January 2020 double-blind study⁸, the lone publicly available research on the enzyme, actually shows ProHydrolase has a minimal effect on protein absorption but did cause elevated amino acid concentration in well-trained athletes.  

Amino acids, for those who don’t know, are the building blocks of protein molecules and there are two types: essential amino acids (EAAs) and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are ones that must be obtained through diet because they’re not created in sufficient amounts by our body (we naturally make enough of the non-essential amino acids).

A December 2020 review⁹ of studies conducted on EAAs proved these compounds improved overall protein absorption. Proteins that have all EAAs are called complete proteins, whereas plant-based proteins (with the exception of soy) are incomplete proteins because they’re deficient in some EAAs. This is why most vegan protein powders are a blend of different plant-based protein sources (such as pea protein or pumpkin seed protein).

One of the reasons we love this particular whey protein was because it came with more than 40 servings per container (anywhere from 41 to 44, depending on the flavor). Sure, the container might be a bit expensive at around $60 (before shipping), but it’ll last you longer. 

If that’s too big, you can get containers with 25 servings. Most protein powders tend to come with 25 to 30 scoops per container so this is typical but we definitely prefer the larger containers when they are available.

Read our in-depth Kaged whey protein isolate review for more information.

Hydrolyzed whey proteins are pre-digested compounds that, according to some researchers (more on that in a bit), allows the protein molecules to be absorbed more rapidly than standard whey protein. On top of using those hydrolyzed proteins, Dymatize ISO 100 also utilizes whey protein isolate—which as a reminder has had much of the lactose removed for easier digestion. For those reasons, and because you get 25 grams of protein per serving with minimal carbs and fats, we rated it a 5 out of 5 on formulation.

Dymatize is a popular protein brand because they partner with well-known companies like Dunkin Donuts and Fruity Pebbles, and while many customers seem to love these nostalgic flavors our testers felt they were just alright. Certified sports nutrition coach and former GGR writer Amanda Capritto gave the Cocoa Pebbles flavor a 3.5 out of 5.

“I like it, but I wouldn’t say it’s largely better than other chocolate protein powders,” she says in our Dymatize ISO 100 review. “It’s rich enough when mixed with milk (regular or plant-based; I like it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk), but mixed with water, the flavor isn’t very strong.”

The price per serving fluctuates based on the total servings and sales, and while this isn’t the most expensive protein powder there are more affordable options. We rated the price a 3.5 out of 5 because it tends to hover around $1.50 per scoop.

On the bright side, it earned a 4 out of 5 on solubility and there were no side effects. Because it’s Informed Choice-certified, meaning it’s been third-party tested for label purity and banned/unsafe ingredients, it earns a 5 out of 5 on transparency.

RELATED: Whey Protein Vs Hydrolyzed

Unflavored protein powders should be easy to find, but in our experience Isopure Whey is one of the few options that’s actually tasteless and works well in protein shakes, smoothies, or even baking recipes (protein waffles, anyone?). “I have added this to several different foods, and while the texture may have been altered slightly, I never really notice a change in flavor which is great,” says Brittany Combs, home gym owner and GGR’s social media manager. She gave it a 5 out of 5 on taste.

“I add this to our soups and you can’t even tell,” she explains in our Isopure Protein review. “My other favorite thing to put this in is my kids pancakes. They cannot tell there is any difference, and I feel better feeding them something that isn’t just straight carbs/sugar.”

Part of the reason Brittany is able to sneak extra protein into her kids’ diet is the powder dissolves easily into just about any liquid and received a 5 out of 5 on solubility.

As long as you stick with the unflavored version there are only two ingredients: whey protein isolate (which has had most of its lactose removed) and soy lecithin, which is used to maintain texture. There are 25 grams of protein per scoop with zero grams of carbs and fat, so it gets a 5 out of 5 on the formulation front.

The one downside is that you’ll be paying more per scoop if you get a smaller bag, so you’ll have to buy a larger container if you want to get the most value.

Orgain Grass-Fed Whey uses mostly organic ingredients, meaning they contain fewer pesticides than non-organic compounds found in other protein powders. There is some research that claims organic ingredients may contain more nutrients, while others claim there’s just as much evidence that shows there’s very little difference (from a nutrition standpoint) between the two.

We rated the overall formulation a 4 out of 5 because while they use organic ingredients and source their dairy from New Zealand cows — which eat more grass than most American cows and are not allowed to be treated with growth hormones — it contains more carbs and fat than we typically like to see in a protein powder.

The taste as well was a bit average for our tastebuds, though the customer reviews seem to disagree (they liked it more than us). “Tasted like vanilla,” says Anthony O’Reilly, certified nutrition coach and GGR performance editor. “Nothing special but nothing offensive either.” He gave it a 3.5 out of 5.

On solubility, it earned a 4 out of 5 with one point being docked for a few floaters. “Nothing significant,” Anthony adds. He notes that it’s one of the few proteins that caused a little gassiness, so he gave the effects category a 4 out of 5.

While this protein powder should do well for the average person, athletes should proceed with caution. Orgain’s facilities are monitored for best practices, but the powder is not third-party tested so it’s unclear if there are any banned substances that might show up on a drug test.