Which is cheaper, Garden of Life or Orgain?

Orgain is cheaper. Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein 2 lb at $34.99 works out to $0.064 per gram of protein. Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein 1.5 lb at $39.99 works out to $0.091 per gram of protein. Orgain's larger tub size and higher protein-per-scoop ratio combine to give it a meaningful per-gram cost advantage.

Are both brands USDA Organic certified?

Yes. Both Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein and Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein hold USDA Organic certification. Both are also Non-GMO Project Verified. Garden of Life has additional Certified Vegan and Certified Gluten-Free designations through third-party programs. Orgain has matching Vegan and Gluten-Free certifications. Both meet the strictest mainstream organic plant protein standards.

Which has more protein per serving?

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein delivers 22 g of protein per 34 g scoop. Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein delivers 21 g per 46 g scoop. Garden of Life has the slight edge on protein density (more protein in a smaller scoop). Orgain's larger scoop includes more added ingredients (organic flax, chia, oat fiber, brown rice) that give it a more complete macro profile but dilute the pure protein percentage.

Is Garden of Life raw protein actually raw?

Raw in this context refers to the plant ingredients being unheated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit during processing, which preserves enzymes and probiotic content. The protein itself (sprouted brown rice, pea protein) is processed without high heat. This is different from raw food in the culinary sense; the powder is shelf-stable and safe to consume. The 'raw' designation matters for shoppers who follow raw-food principles.

Orgain mixes noticeably smoother in water. The formula includes acacia gum and a slightly higher percentage of pea protein, which helps suspension in liquid. Garden of Life Raw can be chalkier in water and benefits from being blended with a banana, oats or almond milk. If you only shake in a bottle, lean Orgain. If you blend, both work fine.

Where can I buy both brands?

Both brands have wide retail distribution. Orgain is in Costco (a major volume channel), Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Amazon, iHerb and most grocery chains. Garden of Life is at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, iHerb, Amazon and most natural-product retailers. For Costco shoppers, Orgain is the easier pick. For natural-product specialty stores, Garden of Life is more visible.

Garden of Life vs Orgain

Two of the most-shelved USDA Organic plant proteins in America, sitting side by side at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Vitamin Shoppe. Garden of Life Raw Organic vs Orgain Organic Plant: blend composition, certifications, real prices and which one actually deserves your shake budget.

Brand overview: Garden of Life

Garden of Life launched in 2000 in West Palm Beach, Florida and became one of the first mainstream brands to build around USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Certified Vegan claims simultaneously. The flagship Raw Organic Protein uses sprouted brown rice, organic pea protein and 13 other organic ingredients including live probiotics and digestive enzymes. The brand is owned by Nestlé Health Science (acquired 2017) but has maintained its certifications and ingredient standards. Garden of Life also makes Sport Grass Fed Whey, Collagen Peptides and a Plant Mass Gainer.

Brand overview: Orgain

Orgain was founded in 2009 by Dr. Andrew Abraham, a physician who wanted clean nutrition during his cancer treatment. The brand started with USDA Organic plant-based nutrition shakes and expanded into the Organic Plant-Based Protein powder, Clean Whey, Collagen Peptides and the ubiquitous Costco-stocked RTD shakes. Orgain was acquired by Nestlé Health Science in 2022, the same parent company as Garden of Life. Despite the shared corporate parent, the two brands operate as distinct lines targeting slightly different shoppers.

Side-by-side: flagship organic plant proteins

Metric	Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein (1.5 lb)	Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein (2 lb)
Tub size	680 g / 1.5 lb	920 g / 2.03 lb
Servings per tub	20	26
Protein per serving	22 g	21 g
Serving size	34 g	46 g
Total protein in tub	440 g	546 g
USDA Organic	Yes	Yes
Live probiotics	Yes (1.5 billion CFU)	No
Lowest tracked price	$39.99 (iHerb)	$34.99 (Amazon)
Cost per serving	$2.00	$1.35
Cost per gram of protein	$0.091	$0.064
Costco availability	No	Yes

Value Score: Orgain wins meaningful daily-use math

Orgain's per-gram cost advantage adds up over time. A daily-shake user goes through one tub of Orgain about every 26 days at $34.99. A daily-shake user goes through one tub of Garden of Life about every 20 days at $39.99. Across a year, that works out to roughly $670 for Orgain vs $730 for Garden of Life, a $60 difference. Not huge, but real.

Garden of Life's premium is justified by the added live probiotics (1.5 billion CFU per scoop) and the broader sprouted-grain blend. If those features matter to your wellness goals (gut health, raw-food principles, probiotic supplementation built into your protein), the premium is reasonable. If you just want organic plant protein at the lowest price, Orgain wins.

Blend composition

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein uses a 13-grain sprouted protein blend. The base is organic sprouted brown rice and organic pea protein. The blend also includes sprouted amaranth, sprouted quinoa, sprouted millet, sprouted buckwheat, sprouted garbanzo, sprouted lentil, sprouted adzuki bean, sprouted flax, sprouted sunflower, sprouted pumpkin, plus live probiotics and digestive enzymes. It is a complex blend designed for amino acid completeness through diversity.

Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein uses a simpler base: organic pea protein, organic brown rice protein, organic chia seed, plus organic flax. The added ingredients (organic acacia gum, organic erythritol, organic stevia) help with mouthfeel and sweetness. Orgain's amino acid profile is complete but less "kitchen-sink" than Garden of Life.

Flavor and mixability

Orgain Creamy Chocolate Fudge is mainstream-palatable, the closest thing to a dairy-style chocolate shake in the USDA Organic plant category. Vanilla Bean is also reliably good. The acacia gum + erythritol + stevia sweetener system gives Orgain a noticeably smoother mouthfeel than most plant proteins.

Garden of Life Raw is earthier. Chocolate Cacao has a distinct sprouted-grain note that some shoppers love (it tastes "wholesome") and others find off-putting. Vanilla is the safer flavor pick. Mixability is the bigger issue: Garden of Life tends to clump in just-water shakes and benefits from being blended into a smoothie with a frozen banana or oats.

Winner by goal

Best value

Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein 2 lb

$0.064 per gram of organic plant protein. Cheapest USDA Organic powder we currently track in the 2 lb size.

Best blend complexity

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein 1.5 lb

13 sprouted grains plus probiotics and enzymes. The most ingredient-diverse organic plant protein on the mainstream market.

Best for Costco shoppers

Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein

Stocked at Costco warehouses nationwide. Members can grab the cheapest in-store price (typically under $30 for the 2 lb tub).

Best for raw food eaters

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein

Processed below 115°F to preserve enzymes. Fits raw-food principles in a way Orgain does not claim to.

Best mixability

Orgain Creamy Chocolate Fudge 2 lb

The acacia gum suspension gives Orgain a noticeably smoother shaker-bottle mix than Garden of Life.

Best added wellness

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Chocolate Cacao

1.5 billion CFU live probiotics built into the formula. Saves you a separate probiotic purchase.

Which one should you buy?

If your default shake is a daily organic plant protein at the lowest price, and you want a mainstream chocolate-or-vanilla flavor that mixes cleanly in water, buy Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein 2 lb Creamy Chocolate Fudge. The Costco availability makes restocking easy and the per-gram math wins.

If you follow raw-food principles, value built-in probiotics, or want a more ingredient-diverse sprouted-grain blend, buy Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein 1.5 lb Chocolate Cacao. The premium price is reasonable for the added wellness features.

If you cannot decide: most plant-based households end up rotating these. Orgain for daily training shakes (better mixability, lower cost) and Garden of Life for breakfast smoothies blended with frozen fruit (more complex blend, probiotic bonus). Combined cost about $75 covers 45+ days of shake supply.

Common questions about Garden of Life vs Orgain

Are they the same company now?

Both Garden of Life and Orgain are owned by Nestlé Health Science (Garden of Life since 2017, Orgain since 2022). However, the two brands operate as distinct product lines and have not merged formulations. Some clean-label shoppers object to corporate ownership on principle, but the USDA Organic certifications and ingredient standards on both brands remain valid and continuously audited.

What about Garden of Life Sport Whey?

Garden of Life Sport Grass Fed Whey is the brand's separate whey-based product. 24 g protein per 32 g scoop, certified grass-fed, NSF Certified for Sport. If you are not strictly plant-based, Sport Grass Fed Whey is actually a very competitive option at $39.99 for 1.5 lb. It is the cleanest grass-fed whey we track that also carries NSF for Sport certification.

Does Orgain have a sport-positioned variant?

Orgain Sport (Plant-Based Sports Protein Powder) launched in 2022 as the athletic-targeted variant. 30 g protein per scoop (higher than the standard Organic Plant), NSF Certified for Sport, fewer added ingredients. It is positioned to compete with Vega Sport. If you want sport-specific Orgain, that is the SKU to look for, but it is priced about 30% higher than the standard Organic Plant-Based Protein.

Are these safe for kids?

Both brands are technically formulated for adults, but they use no caffeine, no artificial sweeteners and no artificial colors, which makes them generally appropriate for older kids and teens in moderation. Pediatricians typically advise against routine protein supplementation for children under 12 unless medically indicated. For teens who are training and want a USDA Organic option, Orgain is the more palatable choice.

Which one has been around longer?

Garden of Life launched in 2000, Orgain in 2009. Garden of Life is the older brand and was one of the original USDA Organic supplement companies. Orgain entered later but scaled faster through Costco distribution. Both have been continuously refining their plant protein formulas for over a decade.