Which Whey Protein Isolate Should I Buy? Our Four Isolates Compared
All four of our isolates give you 27 to 30 g of protein a scoop. The real differences are the protein source, the sweetener and the price per serving, and here they are side by side.
Which whey protein isolate should you buy? If you've already settled on isolate, here's the short version: our four isolates all give you 27 to 30 g of protein a scoop. In Vanilla and Unflavoured & Unsweetened, that's a 30 to 34 g scoop for 120 to 126 calories (some flavours, like Chocolate Milkshake and Chocolate Peanut Butter, run a little higher). What separates them is the protein source (whey alone, grass-fed New Zealand whey, or whey blended with collagen), the sweetener, and the price, which runs from $1.83 to $3.00 a serving at regular prices depending on the product, flavour and bag size. Below: a side-by-side table, the differences you ask about most, and who each suits.
Which whey protein isolate should I buy? The short answer
- Whey Protein Isolate: 27 g a scoop, 16 flavour options (two with stevia), lowest price of our whey-only isolates.
- Premium Whey Protein Isolate: 29 g a scoop, the most protein from whey alone, $5 more per 1 kg bag.
- Grass-Fed New Zealand Whey Protein Isolate: 28 g a scoop, stevia options, the highest price.
- Iso90: 30 g a scoop of whey isolate and collagen, lowest regular (one-time) price per serving, 2 kg only. A 2 kg Whey Protein Isolate on subscription works out lower.
A 2 g gap per scoop matters less than your daily total: the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. Our guide to how much protein you need per day turns that into scoops.
Our four isolates side by side
Figures are for each product's Vanilla flavour, from its label (the 0.1 g carbohydrate figures are from the 1 kg labels). Price per serving is the bag price divided by its scoops: about 32 in 1 kg and 64 in 2 kg at 31 g, or 58 in Iso90's 2 kg bag at 34 g.
| Whey Protein Isolate | Premium Whey Protein Isolate | Grass-Fed New Zealand | Iso90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoop | 31 g | 31 g | 31 g | 34 g |
| Calories | 121 | 122 | 120 | 126 |
| Protein | 27 g | 29 g | 28 g | 30 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 1 g | Not on label | 0 g | 1 g |
| Leucine | 3.3 g | 3.8 g | 3.7 g | Not listed |
| Protein source | Whey isolate | Whey isolate | Whey isolate | Whey isolate and hydrolyzed collagen (bovine) |
| Sweetener choices | Sucralose, stevia or none | Sucralose or none | Sucralose, stevia or none | Sucralose or none |
| 1 kg bag | $79.99 ($2.50 a serving) | $84.99 ($2.66) | $89.99 ($2.81) | 2 kg only |
| 2 kg bag | $149.99 ($2.34 a serving) | $159.99 ($2.50) | $169.99 ($2.66) | $109.99 ($1.90) |
| 2 kg on subscription | $104.99 | $111.99 | $118.99 | One-time purchase |
Unflavoured & Unsweetened has a 30 g scoop (33 g for Iso90) with the same protein as each Vanilla. A 2 kg bag holds about 66 servings (60 for Iso90): $2.27, $2.42, $2.58 and $1.83 a serving, in the table's order.
How Premium differs from our standard Whey Protein Isolate
Same 31 g Vanilla scoop, two more grams of protein: 29 g and 122 calories in Premium, 27 g and 121 in the standard isolate. Premium's Vanilla label also shows 0.1 g of carbohydrates and 13 mg of sodium, against 1 g and 58 mg.
Premium lists 3.8 g of leucine a serving, the standard 3.3 g. The ISSN suggests each serving carry roughly 700 to 3,000 mg of leucine, and both already clear that, so the gain is the extra protein, not a leucine edge.
The part most people miss: per gram of protein, they cost almost the same, about 8.6 to 8.7 cents on 2 kg Vanilla bags. What you give up with Premium is choice: six flavour options against 16, and no stevia flavour.
Which is the most natural? Ingredient lists and sweeteners compared
If "natural" means the shortest ingredient list, Unflavoured & Unsweetened wins in every range: whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin, nothing else (Iso90's adds hydrolyzed collagen). No sweetener, no flavouring.
For flavour without artificial sweeteners, Whey Protein Isolate and Grass-Fed New Zealand both come in Natural Vanilla (Stevia) and Natural Chocolate Milkshake (Stevia), sweetened with Reb A (steviol glycosides) and natural flavour. See our naturally sweetened range.
Every other flavoured isolate, including all of Premium's and Iso90's flavours, uses sucralose. Most also list natural and artificial flavour; Chocolate Peanut Butter lists no added flavouring, and its taste comes from peanut flour and cocoa powder. Both sucralose and steviol glycosides are on Health Canada's list of permitted sweeteners, so the choice comes down to taste.
Also on the labels: the strawberry flavours of Whey Protein Isolate and Premium contain Allura red, and every Chocolate Peanut Butter contains peanuts.
Grass-Fed New Zealand: what the name tells you and what it costs
The name tells you where the whey comes from: grass-fed New Zealand dairy. Our label makes no further claims about it, and neither will we.
Nutritionally it sits between our other whey-only isolates: 28 g of protein in a 31 g Vanilla scoop, 120 calories, 0 g of fat, 3.7 g of leucine. It's also the priciest, at $2.66 a Vanilla serving on the 2 kg bag. You're paying for the sourcing, not more protein.
Iso90: why it's the lowest regular price per serving
Iso90 is whey protein isolate blended with hydrolyzed collagen (bovine). A 34 g Vanilla scoop gives 30 g of protein and 126 calories, about $1.90 a serving from a $109.99 2 kg bag. It comes in Vanilla, Chocolate Milkshake and Unflavoured & Unsweetened, with no subscription price listed.
Part of Iso90's protein comes from collagen. Whey isolate is listed first, but the label doesn't split the 30 g between the two, and we don't list Iso90's amino acids, so we can't give its leucine. Treat Iso90 as a lower-cost whey and collagen blend, not 30 g of whey isolate.
Price per serving and how long a bag lasts
Take one scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate a day. A 1 kg bag lasts about 32 days at $2.50 a scoop; a 2 kg bag about 64 days at $2.34. On subscription the 2 kg bag is $104.99, about $1.64 a scoop (about $1.59 in Unflavoured & Unsweetened), less than Iso90's regular price. The same maths gives about $1.75 for Premium and $1.86 for Grass-Fed New Zealand. You can skip, pause or cancel a subscription from your account.
One catch: Chocolate Milkshake is a 33 g scoop in the whey-only isolates, so a 2 kg bag gives about 60 servings, not 64.
Who each one suits
You want the most flavours, a stevia option, or the lowest-priced whey-only isolate. On a 2 kg subscription, it's our lowest price per serving of all four.
You want the most protein per scoop from whey alone and are happy with sucralose or unflavoured.
You want whey from grass-fed New Zealand dairy and accept paying the most for it.
You want the lowest regular (one-time) price per serving, buy 2 kg at a time, and are fine with collagen in the mix.
Whey isolate questions we hear most
Is Premium Whey Protein Isolate worth the extra?
It gives 2 g more protein per Vanilla scoop for $5 more per 1 kg bag, so per gram of protein the two cost about the same. If you want more flavours or stevia, the standard isolate fits better.
Which whey isolate has no artificial sweeteners?
Unflavoured & Unsweetened, in all four, has no sweetener. The two stevia flavours of Whey Protein Isolate and Grass-Fed New Zealand use Reb A (steviol glycosides). Every other flavour uses sucralose.
Is Iso90 a real whey isolate?
Whey protein isolate is its main ingredient, blended with hydrolyzed collagen (bovine). It's a blend, and the label doesn't say how much of the 30 g comes from each.
Are these isolates lactose-free?
All four contain milk, and our labels make no lactose-free claim. Is Whey Protein Isolate Lactose-Free? explains what the label tells you; if you have an intolerance, ask your doctor.
Which isolate is best for baking?
Any Unflavoured & Unsweetened version, with no sweetener or flavour to work around. Our guide to baking with protein powder covers what holds up to heat.
Pick the difference you care about
All four give you 27 to 30 g of protein a scoop, so choose by what matters to you: flavour range and stevia, the most whey per scoop, grass-fed New Zealand sourcing, or the lowest price per serving. If you'll use it daily, a 2 kg bag on subscription brings the price down, and orders earn C-Points.
Explore all our productsReferences & further reading
Health Canada: permitted sweetening agents
Canadian Protein: naturally sweetened proteins
Canadian Protein: How Much Protein Do I Need Per Day?
Disclaimer: General information, not medical advice. Figures are from our labels at the time of writing; check product pages for current details. If you have a health condition or take medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
