---
title: 'ULTIMATE Protein Powder Tier List: 22 Brands Tested'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=0DeXIDZN3fQ'
video_id: '0DeXIDZN3fQ'
date: 2026-07-01
duration_sec: 1706
---

# ULTIMATE Protein Powder Tier List: 22 Brands Tested

> Source: [ULTIMATE Protein Powder Tier List: 22 Brands Tested](https://youtube.com/watch?v=0DeXIDZN3fQ)

## Summary

This video ranks 22 protein powder brands into five tiers based on taste, mixability, protein percentage, and value. The creator shares personal experiences and recommendations, highlighting top performers and products to avoid.

### Key Points

- **Tier System Explained** [00:51] — Five tiers: King of Gains (best), Protein Paradise (excellent), Middle of the Way (reliable), Rough Reps (flawed), Hang Up the Scooper (avoid).
- **Ghost Whey – Middle of the Way** [02:35] — Great taste (collaborations like Chips Ahoy) but high cost ($1.73/serving) and subpar protein percentage (~75%).
- **Transparent Labs – King of Gains** [04:21] — 93% protein per scoop, 8–10 flavors, $1.73–$2/serving. Excellent all-around quality.
- **PE Science Select – King of Gains** [12:03] — Versatile blend of whey isolate and casein, 85–90% protein, $1.15–$1.48/serving, great taste and mixability.
- **GNC Whey ISO Burst – Hang Up the Scooper** [18:49] — Misleading label: 40g protein per serving actually requires 2 scoops (20g each). Cost $3.10/serving, poor value.
- **Muscle Milk – Hang Up the Scooper** [20:07] — Only 45% calories from protein, 20g carbs per scoop, better as meal replacement. Not a true protein powder.

## Transcript

today we are going to go over the
ultimate protein powder tier list we are
going to be ranking and comparing 22
different brands I have 90 to 95% of
them with me here I have tried all of
them there may be a few that I do not
have but you guys can always check out
the full article and blog we will also
put down links in the description box
and in the pin comment where to find all
these products if you guys want to
purchase any of these products we'll
probably have a discount code or just a
way to save some money in general so
make sure you guys check it out at the
end of this video without further Ado
let's get started I love these types of
videos it'll be a little longer but very
very informative and fun that's the most
important thing here guys we are going
to be ranking protein powder so let's
get started we're going to be going over
the five different tiers or categories
the first one as you guys can see is
king of gangs this is the best of the
best unmatched in their quality and
Effectiveness these products rank highly
in every category taste mixability
protein percentage transparency you name
it this is the best of the best protein
Paradise the second tier they're
excellent proteins at the end of the day
they mix well they taste good they
support your fitness goals they could
have some improvements but great
purchases at the end of the day Middle
Ground of protein powders these products
are reliable they do their job without
any fuss they may not blow every
category out of the water but they are
Dependable for regular use fourth place
is rough reps this tier includes protein
powders that are good but definitely
fall short in a few or most categories
they require a bit more effort to enjoy
it may be a little harder to incorporate
in your daily life or your routine I
would likely avoid these products unless
there is a very specific use for taking
it we have hang up the scooper it's the
bottom of the bottom probably some
proteins you want to avoid there's going
to be a lot of drawbacks when it comes
to the hang up the scooper so without
further Ado let's get started now let's
get started with ranking all 22 protein
powders I'm not going to be as
informative as I usually am when it
comes to the specific review videos
you've seen on the channel when I
dedicate one product for one review
YouTube video going over the carbs the
fats the proteins who I recommend taking
it who I recommend not taking it things
I like things I don't this is going to
be personally speaking how I think the
protein is for myself and what I can
recommend for you guys less informative
on specific scientific stuff but more
getting to the point and just giving you
my overall all honest experience so
let's get started first one is ghostway
protein we've given it a middle of the
way ghostway protein it's a little on
the higher end at around .73 per serving
the average when we as a company at fees
good took the average protein cost it
was $134 so this is on the highend $1.74
the macronutrient profile is subpar
you're getting get 25 to about 27 g of
protein per scoop the flavor profile is
really where shines they do awesome
collaborations with different
influencers and companies like chips aoy
Nutter butter cinnamon bun if you are
someone that wants to always rotate
flavors or loves flavors just in general
I think ghost is the best tasting
protein powder on the market flavors are
awesome you're going to pay a little bit
of a premium which is why it's on the
middle of the way the macronutrients
could definitely be a lot better you're
not getting that 85 to 90 to 95% of
protein per scoop you're going to be
somewhere in that 80
75% category which is is why it's at the
middle of the way but specifically guys
for me if I want to take a protein
powder throughout the day I want it to
taste good and I want to be able to
actually take it muscle tech 100%
wheight protein I tried the triple
chocolate one scoop 36 G 2.5 g of fat 9
G of carbs and the protein is only 20 G
the flavor was mediocre it was all right
it's grass-fed way protein I'll give it
a thumbs up for that but anything less
than 60% guys I highly recommend you
don't buy it cuz I just feel like you're
wasting your money you're buying a
protein powder but you're only getting
50% of protein and that's why I believe
that this has got to go hang up the
scooper next up to the plate we have
transparent Labs grassfed way icelet if
you've been watching Feast good.com if
you've been watching our videos you know
that we've done a ton of videos on
transparent Labs all their products but
their protein is one of the best
proteins I've ever taken not due to its
flavors which is awesome about 93%
protein per scoop this is an awesome
allaround great product not only do they
have I think 8 to 10 flavors so you're
definitely going to like one for sure
it's a little bit more expensive costing
about .73 and $2 per serving somewhere
in between there but you're getting your
money's worth and that's the reason why
we have put it up at king of gains next
up to the plate everyone is bulk
supplements.com way protein icelet now
this protein goes and this company goes
straight to the point not only is it not
in a tub it's in a Ziploc kind of baggy
baggy feel if you like to go to and from
the work you're always on the go throw
it in the car this is probably a lot
more convenient and easier for you
you're going to be getting about 95% of
protein per scoop as this one is 30 G
it's got 0 g of carbs less than 1 G of
fat and 26 g of protein goes straight to
the point it doesn't come with a scooper
actually inside and it only comes
unflavored which is this so if you're an
unflavored kind of protein person and
you got a protein scoop lying around
from an empty bottle this is probably
great for you this protein powder tops
our charts for quality and protein
percentage but like I said guys it's
drawbacks affecting its convenience and
ease of use drop this down a couple
notches so we have given it the middle
of the the way let's put that up right
now next on the list is the Premier
protein shakes the rtds the ready to
drink now when I first tested these out
on the channel I absolutely love them
they're easy to take and just go you
don't need to open a tub take the scoop
dump it in put in water milk you
literally just take it and run drink it
right you could bring it to your workout
session and take it while walking to
your car it is that easy to use the
protein is going to be 30 G of protein
per RTD and they have 24 added vitamins
and minerals with a blend of we incing
proteins these shakes have a nice thick
texture and provided good satiety the
biggest knock when it came to the rtds
is against needing to be refrigerated
you don't need to do this but they
highly recommend this and it's going to
be better long term now when it came to
the actual ranking itself everyone we
had to throw it into rough reps and the
reason for that is because of the
pricing now it came in a little bit
higher at about $2 to
$3.50 per Shake If you're not someone
that's worried about the money then this
may be higher on your tier list but for
us while incorporating all the different
categories and characteristics we've had
to give it rough reps the next one
that's up to the plate is naked way I
have the naked mass in front of me but I
just wanted to show you guys the
packaging we're going to be ranking the
naked way which almost looks identical
to this I tried the chocolate version of
The Naked way and I'll be honest it did
not taste the the best it costs around
$160 per serving naked way has a
significantly lower protein percentage
anywhere between 63 to 83% and it's
still below a lot of the other natural
products for these reasons we'd have to
give it the rough reps next one up to
the plate is Optimum Nutrition gold
standard weight I got into this company
because of Steve Cook when he was on the
ow team years and years and years ago
this company has been around for over 20
I think 20 years and it's funny because
they have roughly 20 different flavors
you're going to love this protein if you
love a ton of flavors which you can
always just go in and out with different
flavors all the time here are a few
stats that I thought you'd probably want
to know they're informed Choice
certified making it safe for use by drug
tested athletes which is awesome they
also use a blend of three different
proteins hydrolysate concentrate and
isolate which makes it a great any time
of the day protein powder that is good
for post workout recovery while keeping
the cost low in regards to cost it costs
anywhere between A1 to $110 per serving
in regards to the taste I thought it was
a bit Bland when mixed with just water
or milk and the powder always had
clumping and mixability problems overall
it's a high quality protein product and
it's affordable for many people due to
these reasons we had to give it protein
Paradise let's throw it up there and get
on to the next next up to the plate is
Alan new whey protein powder Alan new is
is made exclusively of fast digesting
whe proteins isolate and hydrolysate
which makes this a good post-workout
option but not so good if you were
looking for satiety and fullness in
regards to the flavor profile and the
tasting I thought it tastes unbelievable
something the brand is known for across
all of its products provided you do like
sweet tasting things so even when I just
mixed it with this water I found the
taste to be strong and sweet it also has
added enzymes which is a benefit if you
want that and it helps support digestion
and it's low sugar formula means that
this may be a suitable option for people
with a lactose sensitivity let's quickly
go over its macros one rounded scoop is
31 g 1 G of fat 2 G of carbs 23 g of
protein you're getting anywhere between
73 to 84% of protein per scoop depending
on the flavor and it costs about $150
given all of these reasons we've given
it the middle of the way let's put up
there right now the next one up to the
plate is Legion whey plus protein powder
if folks is using high quality
ingredients with no artificial flavor
sweeteners or dyes so when I tested the
cinnamon flavor specifically I did
notice a weird aftertaste but I
appreciated how it mixed really well and
digested well Legion Way in regards to
cost comes in between 80 and $2 per
serving the same as actually transparent
Labs weight but Legion only has 21 to 24
g of protein protein putting it at 74%
of protein per scoop now given it's only
74% of protein per scoop it costs a
little bit higher and the weird
aftertaste we're going to have to put it
at the middle of the way so let's go
ahead and throw it up there right now
the next one is the accent whey protein
it falls into the same realm as
transparent labs and Legion wayy they
avoid the use of artificial flavors and
sweeteners they're gluten-free and
informed Choice certified I personally
found this protein powder tasted really
great I tried the chocolate flavor when
I did have it and it had a really nice
chocolate taste it wasn't too sweet and
went really well into yogurt coffee and
oatmeal unfortunately it was hard to
dissolve entirely and it required a
shaker bottle with a spring ball or a
fro for it to properly dissolve and it's
not something that I always want if I'm
going to be taking protein I want it to
be easy in regards to protein percent of
calories depending on the flavor it's
going to be anywhere between 71 to 83%
of protein for scoop so if you're
getting those flavors that are 71 72 73
then it may fall lower on your tier if
you're getting something as high as 83
which I would highly recommend you aim
for it could be a little higher on your
tier if it weren't for those two factors
protein percent ability and mixability
we'd put it a little higher but due to
these reasons everyone we have to put it
at middle of the way which I'll put it
up there right now next one up on the
list is PE science select whey protein p
powder look at the flavor cake pop how
can you not like that everyone how can
you not like that let's quickly go
through the macros here everyone one
rounded scoop 31.5 g 1 G of fat 2 G of
carbs 24 g of protein that is
unbelievable so they use a unique blend
of whe isolate fast digesting protein
and queline which is a slow digesting
protein this combination makes this a
very versatile product if you want to
take it before bed if you want to take
it straight in the morning right after
after a workout right after work it
doesn't matter it's a great protein got
great versatility it mixes well it
tastes great and the cost everyone a15
to $148 per serving now depending
obviously on the size you buy it's a
little lower for a small guy like this
now there is some variability in protein
content depending on the flavor
chocolate Shuffle has the lowest at 74%
but all the other flavors within the
great or excellent categories for
protein percentage which is about 85 to
90% because this isn't a pureway isolate
this might not be ideal for someone with
a lactose sensitivity but P science does
use artificial sweeteners which some
people might choose to limit in their
diets overall this is a fantastic
versatile and third party tested protein
powder with Incredible price and
incredible taste and we got to put it up
at king of gains let's go and put that
up there right now so take a look at the
tier list so far everyone we got king of
gains with two protein one protein
Paradise one five in the middle two
second bottom and one at the very bottom
all right everyone next one up to the
plate is isopure whey protein powder
it's got 25 g of protein 1 G of carb and
0.5 G of fat there's about 41 servings
in this container and one scoop is 33 G
isopure sounds like a too good to be
true product with a protein percentage
between 91 and 100% depending on the
flavor you get it's a whey protein
isolate now I was absolutely Blown Away
by how good the Dutch chocolate flavor
was and isopure mixed really well in a
standard shaker cup it is a bit more
expensive than other proteins on the
market coming in at about $158 to
$228 per serving it is in line with the
other quality way isets however the
extremely high protein percentage and
added vitamins and mineral blend
definitely justifies its cost I do think
there are better value products out
there in the market but isopure can be a
great option for people who typically
skip breakfast or want the added
nutrients this could be a more
costeffective alternative to the premere
that we went over but it actually
doesn't require refrigerating right so
I'm going to have to put this in middle
of the way so let's go ahead and put
that up there right now next one up to
the plate is going to be the promix
grass-fed whey icelet the one I tried
was the French vanilla while going
through the ordering process they have
quizzes and they website was pretty good
it's a high quality product it's good
mixability virtually lactose free third
party tested with all publicly available
results however two key points that I
really didn't like one the taste of the
vanilla flavor left a lot to be desired
I found myself trying to mix it into
other things to mass the taste like
that's not a good sign right there but
even when added to milk and cereal and
yogurt and coffee and everything The
Taste was just still that bad second
thing the cost and the protein per of
calories vary based on Flavor if you go
one flavored you get the highest protein
percentage of 85% and the cheapest cost
at $116 to $148 which is a massive
win-win on the flip side however the
chocolate flavor costs about $1.93 and
has the lowest protein percent of
calories at 75% which makes it the
double-edged sword tanking the product's
value for these reasons here and also it
only ships to the US and the UK so if
you're a Canadian like me you're screwed
we're going to have to give it rough
reps so let's throw that up there next
one is atiz ISO 100 protein powder this
is an ideal protein powder for
post-workout but won't be that great for
managing hunger or providing prolonged
satiety like the Alani new and the datiz
iso 100 taste very sweet but has a
strong flavor even when just mixed with
water the biggest issue with diti ISO
100 is that the price varies massively
online ranging anywhere between .67 and
$328 per serving huge range if it wasn't
due to this I think it would hold its
spot in the higher rankings
unfortunately with so many other
highquality thirdparty tested whe I
slets on the market paying twice as much
for serving for this brand simply isn't
worth it if you can find ISO 100 at the
lower price point it has a higher
protein percentage at about 83 to 90% of
protein with some delicious and unique
flavors like Fruity Pebbles this was
honestly or the Cocoa Pebbles this was
honestly one of the best I think it'll
be really good for you guys however
given these we'll have to put it at
middle of the way next one is pure
protein 100% we protein so in regards to
macros let's go through right now 39 G
per scoop which is actually quite a
bigger scoop than all the other ones you
got 2.5 g of fat 9 G of carbs and 25 g
of protein pure protein is a blend of
wheight concentrate and whey isolate
making it a versatile any time of the
day protein powder it has a high
visibility being readily available in
supermarket like Walmart and Target so
it's very easy to get and get your hands
on this product is what you might expect
from a supermarket branded protein like
I just mentioned through the macros
there it provides about 62% of protein
per scoop and has a lot of additives
like thickeners and gums and several
sources of artificial sweeteners and
flavors the cost is good at $145 to .73
but it's it's not the highest quality it
is third party tested but with all those
other additives and thickeners and gums
I just don't think it deserves a top
spot at all there are definitely higher
quality Brands out there which is the
main reason why we need to put it a
little lower on this tier the only
person I really recommend this protein
to is if you're always on the go and if
you're traveling and you're near a
Walmart and you maybe want to bring it
back to your hotel room or something
like that then I'd highly recommend this
because it's easy to find right the the
cost is good you'll get some sort of you
know protein in your diet but you will
be getting those additives and just due
to those reasons we're going to have to
put it at Rough reps it's definitely not
at the very bottom of the tier list but
we're going to have to put it at Rough
Reps for sure next one is the
GNC whey ISO burst now at the very start
if you're going to be grabbing this off
the counter you're going to notice right
here 40 g of protein holy this has got
to be the best protein out there 170
calories 40 g of protein 1.5 G of carbs
1 G of fat the scoop if you turn to the
back is 47 G this must be a 95% plus
protein % of calories however when I was
taking it I nearly spat out my protein
because I was staring at the tub and it
says one serving size is actually two
scoops so one scoop is only 20 g of
protein that is awful awful the cost per
serving tops the charts at $310 per
serving due to this reason now if you
were to put this in relative terms to
find out the cost per 30 g of protein
the cost per serving would fall around
$2.35 which is still higher than the
average this is nearly a dollar more
than that average of wheight protein and
well above even the highest quality
Brands like transparent laps overall GNC
whey ISO burst is absolutely not worth
the price tag because you're not even
getting 20 G you're getting 20 g of
protein so you're not getting 21 you're
getting 20 it's very expensive um The
Taste was all right but it wasn't even
that good plus you have to go to GNC
only to buy it so due to these reasons
we're we're going to put it at hang up
the scooper next one is the Muscle Milk
genuine protein powder this definitely
misses the mark as a protein powder it
markets itself as the genuine protein
powder but it reality it only provides
45% of calories from protein it fits
better as a meal replacement product due
to its higher carb fat and calorie
content for reference this product has
20 grams of carbs per scoop compared to
the 1 to four grams of carbs typically
found in protein powders furthermore our
criteria for a reasonable protein powder
starts at 65% you got to be at 65% or
more Muscle Milk is not even close to
this number it also has a very
consistent pricing online ranging
anywhere between $150 and $3 per servant
the addon nutrients and Sport
certification are not enough to redeem
this product at the top tiers at all and
because of all these horrible reasons we
have to put it at hang up the scooper
next up to the list is my protein impact
way protein I think this is a phenomenal
product the first thing I like this is
the unflavored version but I was also
trying the mocha flavor and the mocha
flavor is awesome if that product is
awesome there's probably a good chance
that the other flavors are awesome as
well it's very sweet and Rich this might
be uh too sweet for some people but I
really like the sweetness and uh I
thought the flavor was phenomenal I
think the macronutrient profile is
awesome it mix is really good it
dissolves very good and it's very
versatile because it's so thin you can
put it into shakes and coffee and
oatmeal in pancakes which I've done the
cost is somewhere between a132 and $135
per serving so it's definitely very
cheap the only drawback I would say in
regards to the impact way protein by my
protein is the lower grams of protein
when compared to the other ones where
are about 25 to 30 G especially for an
icelet protein they do use several
different sources of artificial flavors
and sweeteners to achieve their rich
flavors as well so that could be another
drawback for you guys I can't really
think of any reason why impact whe IC
slit can't make its way into the regular
routine so for that reason everyone
we're going to give it protein paradise
and we'll put it up there right now all
right next up to the list is the body
Tech whey protein iets let's quickly go
through the macros here everyone 25 g of
protein 2 G of carbs 1 G of fat with 22
serving in this container and one scoop
is 30 G I was absolutely amazed to
discover the high quality standards
great mixability and low cost that body
Tech provided three great check marks so
far this is hands down one of the best
mixing protein powders that I've ever
tried and it'll be a great option for
anyone who is sensitive to texture or
hates clumping proteins body Tech whe
isolate offers 91% of protein per scoop
and as low as a119 you cannot go wrong
however unfortunately the taste of the
cookies and cream flavor and I'm not
sure about others but for this one here
specifically was completely awful now
that is one of the most important things
for me is even though it's got great
protein percent of calories it it's
cheap if I'm not if I can barely take it
and digest it I'm not going to buy it it
is however available in 18 different
flavors including some unique flavor
options like apple cinnamon cereal and
Wonder Woman sherbet so even though my
experience is with the cookies and cream
left a bad taste in my mouth I'm sure
you guys are able to find a product for
you given these reasons I put it at
middle of the way all right everyone we
got three more protein powders remaining
how does it look I think it looks
fantastic so far um if you guys have by
the way before we finish here if you
guys have any comments or questions or
anything you guys want answered please
leave them down in the comment section
let's start a little conversation there
I've tried a whole bunch of proteins I
thought I'd do this tier list for you
guys it is is very fun to do it's very
interactive um let me know what you guys
think so far but let's get into the last
remaining three proteins next one is
Rule one which I had in the cookies and
cream it is the R1 whey blend the 100%
whey protein now this is a big boy that
I tried but you guys can always get him
in smaller versions so it is a blend of
whey concentrate whey isolate and the
Whey hydracy this is a very versatile
protein powder suitable for any time of
the day this blend adds a satiety factor
that a pure ice protein just doesn't
provide and keeps the cost per serving
lower four different size tubs and
anywhere between a17 and $157 per
serving it has a slightly lower protein
percentage than a pure isolate with 74
to 80% of protein for serving The Taste
and mix ability rule one for me is
unmatched I find it provides a nice rich
flavor without being unbearably sweet
and my personal favorites are the cafe
mocha and the frozen banana the big
thing keeping this protein out of the
king gains is that some of the flavors
use food dyes which have potentially
harmful side effects without adding any
real quality experience to the protein
for that reason and like I just said
we're going to have to put rule one into
protein Paradise which is still a great
category to be in it's just not at the
top of the list all right everyone
second last is going to be reviewing the
rise loaded protein vanilla peanut
butter review this is a very difficult
one for me to put in there but let's go
through the macros here 2.5 G of total
fat 4 G of carbs 25 g of protein sitting
at 35.8 G per scoop honestly guys
everything about rise fell right in the
middle of the pack for me here because
of their unique flavors some of their
proteins have higher carb and fat
content which means that their protein
percentage ranges between 67 to 77% at
Feast good this is about the reasonable
and good category it kind of Falls right
in the line with the other popular
lifestyle Brands like ghost and Alan new
who offer similar protein percentages
and similar cost per serving rise comes
in at about $1.67 per serving which is
right in the middle it's mediocre the
blend of protein powders in Rise make it
a versatile option for a lot of people
to use it mixes up with a creamier
texture and will provide some extra
satiety throughout the day now despite
its popularity I think the cost per
serving isn't Justified and unless you
want to try one of their unique flavor
collabs this protein powder is far from
the first pick given all of its reasons
we are going to be putting it at middle
of the way and the last protein to
review is the thorn wayy protein icelet
let's get straight into it one rounded
scoop is 30 G 21 g of protein 4 G of
carbs and 1 G of total fat now their
protein did a lot of really good things
well for me personally with no clumping
dissolved easily had a nice creamy
texture had added digestive enzymes help
you break down the protein which is a
pro and makes for better digestion and
fewer potential side effects it is third
party tested and NSF certified one of
the highest sport standards available
and does not use any artificial colors
sweeteners or flavors so what's keeping
Thorne from being at the king of gains
well Thorn is the most expensive protein
that I have currently tested costing
anywhere between $2 and7 per 21 G of
serving or higher this one comes in at
21 G 6 to 7 G lower than everybody else
the second drawback is that thorn is
only currently available in two flavors
chocolate and vanilla the most basic
flavors out there in the market which
could get dull with long-term use if
you're someone that likes to switch it
up a bit if your budget allows for it
Thorn protein is definitely a high
quality product and you can take
advantage of their various Health
quizzes and assessments to build a
complete supplement stack and save some
money now due to all these reasons that
we've gone through we think Thorn
protein belongs at protein
Paradise take a look at the final
product here everyone what do you guys
think I'd love to know your opinion on
all these products what do you like what
don't you like do you think this was a
fair Judgment of these proteins and if
you guys want to see more of these type
of videos these tier lless videos please
let us know down in the comments section
like always if you guys want a more
in-depth review on all these products
make sure to check out the description
box we'll put all that information down
there thank you so much for watching and
I'll see you guys all in the next one
peace