Which is more expensive, BPN or Ryse?

They are nearly identical on price. BPN Whey Protein 2 lb runs $44.99 on bpn.com ($0.064 per gram of protein). Ryse Loaded Protein 2 lb runs $44.99 on ryse.com ($0.066 per gram of protein). Both brands sit in the premium-lifestyle tier alongside Ghost and Cellucor C4 protein. The price difference is essentially noise; choose on flavor and brand fit.

Why is Ryse so popular?

Ryse is famous for its licensed flavor collaborations: Kool-Aid Tropical Punch, Kool-Aid Grape, SunnyD, Cinnabon, Smarties and Sour Patch Kids. These limited-edition flavors generate massive social media traction and drive new-customer trial. The Loaded Protein formula itself (25 g of cold-filtered whey, no proprietary blends, full disclosure) is competitive, but the licensed flavors are the brand's marketing engine.

BPN (Bare Performance Nutrition) was founded in 2012 by Nick Bare, a former US Army Ranger who built the brand around the 'Go One More' military-discipline ethos. BPN has grown into one of the most recognized lifestyle premium brands, with a heavy focus on hybrid athletes (running plus lifting). The brand is privately owned and based in Austin, Texas.

Are these brands at GNC or Walmart?

Both brands sell primarily direct. BPN is on bpn.com and Amazon (limited SKUs). Ryse is on ryse.com, Amazon, and select GNC locations carry the licensed flavor collabs as drop-in features. Neither brand is mass-retail (no Walmart or Target presence). If you want to walk into a store and grab a tub, Ryse has slightly better in-store options through GNC partner shops.

Which one mixes better?

BPN mixes cleaner in water with less foam. The formula uses lower lecithin and a smoother whey concentrate base. Ryse Loaded Protein mixes well in milk but can foam if shaken hard in just water. The licensed-flavor variants (Cinnamon Toast, Kool-Aid) are slightly thicker due to flavor binders. Both work fine in a wire-ball shaker.

Are these formulas clean-label?

Both brands disclose all ingredients with no proprietary blends. Both use sucralose for sweetness (not stevia). BPN Whey is third-party tested and has Informed-Sport status on select batches. Ryse Loaded Protein is third-party tested but not Informed-Sport certified. If you want NSF Certified for Sport, neither qualifies; step up to Klean Athlete or Ascent.

BPN vs Ryse

Two of the most-followed lifestyle premium protein brands on social media, both built on Instagram-friendly flavors and full-disclosure labels. BPN's military-discipline Go One More aesthetic vs Ryse's licensed candy-and-cereal flavor empire. We tracked the prices to see which one actually deserves the spend.

Brand overview: Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN)

BPN launched in 2012, founded by US Army Ranger Nick Bare while still serving. The brand grew organically through YouTube training content and the "Go One More" tagline that pairs hybrid-athlete training (Bare himself is a sub-3-hour marathoner who can also squat 405) with premium supplement formulation. The protein flagship is Whey Protein (a cold-microfiltered blend) and Go One More Whey (a 5 lb bulk option). BPN also makes EndoPump pre-workout, In The Zone pre-workout and Strong Greens. The brand is based in Austin, Texas and remains privately owned.

Brand overview: Ryse Supplements

Ryse Supplements was founded in 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas and built its meteoric rise through licensed flavor collaborations. Loaded Protein launched with Kool-Aid Tropical Punch, Kool-Aid Grape, Sour Patch Kids, SunnyD, Cinnabon, Smarties and dozens of limited drops. The base formula is solid (25 g of cold-filtered whey per scoop, no prop blends) but the licensed flavors are the marketing engine that built the brand. Ryse also makes Loaded Pre, Element Pre and SmartCarbs. The brand is sold direct and through Amazon, with a small GNC presence for limited drops.

Side-by-side: 2 lb flagship tubs

Metric	BPN Whey Protein (2 lb)	Ryse Loaded Protein (2 lb)
Tub size	952 g / 2.1 lb	945 g / 2.08 lb
Servings per tub	28	27
Protein per serving	25 g	25 g
Serving size	34 g	35 g
Total protein in tub	700 g	675 g
Lowest tracked price	$44.99 (BPN direct)	$44.99 (Ryse direct)
Cost per serving	$1.61	$1.67
Cost per gram of protein	$0.064	$0.066
Whey source	Cold-microfiltered whey isolate + concentrate	Cold-filtered whey isolate + concentrate
Licensed flavors	No	Kool-Aid, SunnyD, Cinnabon, Smarties, Sour Patch
Bulk option	5 lb Go One More tub at $79.99	No 5 lb option currently

Value Score: a near tie, BPN edges on bulk pricing

On the 2 lb size, the two brands are essentially priced identically at $0.064-0.066 per gram of protein. Both sit in the premium-lifestyle tier and are about 50 percent more expensive than mainstream brands like Optimum Nutrition. The premium is real and is paying for licensed flavors, brand aesthetic, marketing budgets and Instagram-style packaging.

BPN pulls ahead when you look at bulk. The 5 lb Go One More Whey tub at $79.99 drops the per-gram cost to roughly $0.047, which makes BPN meaningfully cheaper for daily-use lifters. Ryse currently does not stock a bulk size in our tracker; the 2 lb is the largest available, which makes ongoing daily use about 30 percent more expensive.

Flavor: this is the whole game

BPN flavor philosophy: do a small number of mainstream flavors very well. Chocolate Milkshake is the strongest tasting in the lineup and sits among the best chocolate whey flavors on the market. Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberry Milkshake round out the core. The flavor profile is clean, lightly sweetened with sucralose, no extra weirdness.

Ryse flavor philosophy: become the brand you cannot put down because of nostalgia. Kool-Aid Tropical Punch tastes uncannily like the actual Kool-Aid drink. Cinnamon Toast tastes like the milk at the bottom of the cereal bowl. SunnyD tastes like SunnyD. Smarties tastes like a melted Smarties roll. These are real licensed flavor partnerships and they deliver on the nostalgia hook. The standard Vanilla Peanut Butter and Cookies & Cream are also solid but the licensed flavors are why people buy Ryse.

Winner by goal

Best mainstream flavor

BPN Chocolate Milkshake 2 lb

One of the best chocolate whey flavors in the premium tier. Drinks like a milkshake, not like a supplement.

Best nostalgic flavor

Ryse Kool-Aid Tropical Punch 2 lb

Licensed Kool-Aid flavor that tastes uncannily like the actual drink. Limited drop, always sells out.

Best value for daily use

BPN Go One More Whey 5 lb

$79.99 for 5 lb drops the per-gram cost to under $0.05. Best bulk option in the lifestyle premium category.

Best for picky eaters

Ryse Cinnamon Toast 2 lb

Tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk. Best for shoppers who get bored of chocolate-and-vanilla after one tub.

Best for hybrid athletes

BPN Whey Protein Vanilla Ice Cream

Fits the BPN ecosystem of endurance + lifting supplements. Mixes cleanly post-run or post-lift.

Best for new drinkers

Ryse Loaded Protein Cookies & Cream

Easier intro to Ryse than the licensed flavors. The Cookies & Cream is mainstream-palatable for first-timers.

Which one should you buy?

If you drink protein daily, want a clean, no-prop-blend whey formula, and prefer mainstream flavors that you will not get tired of, buy BPN Whey Protein Chocolate Milkshake. If you go through a tub fast, step up to the Go One More 5 lb at $79.99 for meaningfully better per-gram pricing.

If flavor experimentation is the whole point and you want to try Kool-Aid Tropical Punch or Cinnamon Toast in protein form, buy Ryse Loaded Protein 2 lb in whichever licensed flavor is currently in stock. The brand is best used as a rotation pick: one Ryse tub per season for novelty, supplemented with a mainstream daily-drinker.

If you cannot decide: keep BPN Chocolate Milkshake 5 lb as your daily-drinker and pick up a 2 lb Ryse Loaded Protein in a licensed flavor for variety. Combined cost about $125 covers 100+ servings across both formulation and flavor goals.

Common questions about BPN vs Ryse

Are the licensed flavors actually Kool-Aid?

Yes. Ryse has signed licensing agreements with Kraft Heinz for the Kool-Aid line, with Kellogg's for cereal-themed flavors, and with various candy brands. The flavor systems use the actual licensed flavor profiles, not generic "tropical punch" stand-ins. This is part of why the per-gram cost runs higher than budget whey: licensing fees roll into the product cost.

Does BPN have any limited flavor drops?

BPN has occasionally done seasonal flavors (Pumpkin Spice in fall, Peppermint Mocha in winter) but stays away from licensed pop-culture flavors. The brand identity is built around discipline and clean formulation, not pop-culture marketing. If you want limited-drop hype, Ryse is the brand for it.

Are these brands third-party tested?

Both brands publish third-party Certificates of Analysis on request and manufacture in cGMP-registered facilities. BPN carries Informed-Sport certification on select batches; Ryse currently does not. If you compete in a tested federation, BPN is the safer pick. For general fitness use, both are reputable.

Which one ships faster?

BPN ships from Austin, Texas within 1-2 business days, typically delivered in 3-5 days. Ryse ships from Fort Worth, Texas with similar speed. Both brands run free shipping over $99 thresholds. For Amazon Prime same-day, Ryse has slightly more Prime-eligible SKUs but BPN has been expanding Amazon presence.

What is Ryse Element Pre vs Loaded Pre?

Loaded Pre is the high-stim pre-workout (385 mg caffeine, beta-alanine, L-citrulline). Element Pre is the stim-free training option for evening lifters or stim-sensitive shoppers. Both pair well with Loaded Protein for a Ryse stack. BPN's pre-workout equivalent is In The Zone (high stim) and Endopump (stim-free pump enhancer).