We Graded 7 Protein Powders A–F. A Plant Powder Beat the Whey.

Protein powder is the one aisle that should grade well — it’s mostly, well, protein. And it does: the spread here is tighter and higher than most categories. But the order still has a twist for the whey-or-nothing crowd: by our six-dimension Labelgrade, a plant-based all-in-one came out on top, the cult favorite isolate landed mid-pack, and the last-place finisher is a name a lot of people still buy on autopilot. Higher protein quality is real — but our score also weighs ingredients, added sugar and fiber, and that’s where the gaps open up.

The verdict

A plant-based powder (Vega One) topped the list and Ascent whey followed; the bodybuilding-favorite ISO100 sat mid-pack and BSN Syntha-6 came last — separated on ingredients and added sugar, not protein.

Top of the class A Vega One All-in-One Nutritional Shake, Vanilla Chai 94/100

Bottom of the class B- BSN Syntha-6 Edge Protein Powder, Vanilla Milkshake 74/100

The full report card — all 7 protein powders, ranked

#	Protein powder	Grade	Score	Weakest link
1	Vega — One All-in-One Nutritional Shake, Vanilla Chai	A	94	ingredients (78/100)
2	Ascent — Native Fuel Whey Protein, Cappuccino	A-	89	fiber (52/100)
3	Garden of Life — Organic Plant Protein	B+	83	sodium (32/100)
4	Muscle Milk — Lean Muscle Protein Powder, Vanilla Crème	B+	80	ingredients (65/100)
5	Muscle Milk — Pro Series Protein Powder, Knockout Chocolate	B+	80	fiber (43/100)
6	Dymatize — ISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Protein Isolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter	B	79	fiber (30/100)
7	BSN — Syntha-6 Edge Protein Powder, Vanilla Milkshake	B-	74	fiber (30/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Vega One All-in-One Nutritional Shake, Vanilla Chai tops the class at 94/100 (A); BSN Syntha-6 Edge Protein Powder, Vanilla Milkshake anchors the bottom at 74/100 (B-). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

A plant powder beat whey — is that right?

By our score, yes — but read what the score measures. The Labelgrade weighs ingredient quality, added sugar and fiber alongside protein. Whey wins on raw protein quality (a different question); the all-in-one won the composite. Both facts are true.

Which protein powder scored best overall?

See the ranked table above for the exact order and each powder’s weakest dimension. The top of the list combined strong protein with clean ingredients and little or no added sugar.

Is a B- protein powder bad?

No — this is the highest-scoring category we’ve graded, so even the bottom here is a respectable powder. The report card is about the relative order and what separates them: usually added sugar, fillers, or ingredient quality, not the protein itself.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combine into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s label, verified against USDA data. Full method on our methodology page.