The Short Version
Every powder on this site is scored out of 100 with the same formula: four categories, 25 points each. No vibes, no paid placements, no “trust me, bro.”
| Category | Points | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Protein quality | 25 | How much protein a serving gives you, how much of the calories are protein, and whether the amino acids are covered. |
| Value | 25 | What 20 grams of protein costs at the Amazon price on the scoring date. |
| Purity & testing | 25 | Independent certifications, heavy-metal test results, lead warnings and legal notices. |
| Taste & mixability | 25 | What independent reviewers scored for taste, and how well it mixes. |
We don’t run a lab, and one person’s taste buds aren’t science. Captain Vegan has tried plenty of powders, but the scores come from things anyone can check: nutrition labels, certification databases, Consumer Reports’ lab tests, public legal filings, and the published scores of independent reviewers. Each review page links its sources.
1. Protein Quality (25 Points)
Grams per serving (up to 10): one point for every 3 grams, maxing out at 30 grams.
Calories from protein (up to 10): 10 points if 90% or more of the calories come from protein, minus 1 point for every 5 percentage points below that.
Amino-acid support (up to 5): 5 points for a blend of complementary plant proteins, a published amino-acid profile with at least 2 grams of leucine per serving, or added methionine (pea protein’s weak spot). Otherwise 3 points.
Why count calories? Because a “protein powder” that’s half sugar and fat is a smoothie mix wearing a fake mustache. Naked Pea packs 27 grams into 120 calories, so 90% of its calories are protein: full marks.
“Per serving” means the brand’s serving, and some brands quietly make that two scoops. Every review page says which.
2. Value (25 Points)
We work out what 20 grams of protein costs, using the Amazon price and servings per container on the scoring date. 50¢ or less earns all 25 points; every 15¢ above that costs 1 point.
Comparing price per gram of protein, not price per tub, stops a giant tub of so-so powder from looking like a bargain (and a tiny pouch of fancy powder from hiding its price tag). The prices shown on our pages refresh every few hours, but the scores use the scoring-date price and only change when we re-score, so a flash sale can’t move a powder up the rankings overnight.
3. Purity & Testing (25 Points)
Every powder starts at 15 points, the “no news” score, then moves up or down:
+4 an independent certification of this product: NSF Certified for Sport, NSF Contents Certified, Informed Choice or Informed Sport, or a Clean Label Project certification or Purity Award.
+2 the brand publishes per-batch heavy-metal numbers (actual numbers, not just “we test”).
Lead results, measured against Consumer Reports’ daily level of concern (0.5 micrograms): under 100% +4 · 100–149% −2 · 150–199% −4 · 200% or more −8. We use Consumer Reports’ test of the current formula (any flavor). If CR hasn’t tested it but the brand publishes batch results, we use the average of those.
−2 if Consumer Reports also found cadmium or arsenic above its level of concern.
−2 if the product carries a lead warning on its label, or is named (any flavor) in a lawsuit or an open California Prop 65 notice from the last three years.
−2 if Consumer Reports measured 200% or more in a recent previous formula that hasn’t been independently retested.
About those lead numbers. Consumer Reports’ level of concern is deliberately strict: 0.5 micrograms of lead a day, the same figure California uses for its Prop 65 warnings. Plants pick up lead from soil, and many plant powders CR tested in 2025 went over it. Going over doesn’t make a powder poison; it means CR suggests not having it every day. Each review gives CR’s exact result and its suggested weekly limit. Prop 65 notices and lawsuits are allegations, not findings, and we say so every time.
4. Taste & Mixability (25 Points)
Taste (up to 20): the average taste score from independent reviewers who published one for this product (so far: Garage Gym Reviews, BarBend and VegFAQs).
Mixability (up to 5): the average of the same reviewers’ mixing or solubility scores.
No published scores, or an unflavored powder? It gets a neutral 60% (12 + 3 points): not rewarded, not punished.
We skip reviews of formulas the brand has since replaced, and we don’t count reviews written by competing brands. Taste is personal; that’s exactly why we average several reviewers instead of crowning one tongue.
The Scorecard
| # | Powder | Protein | Value | Purity | Taste | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naked Pea | 24 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 84 |
| 2 | Vega Protein + Recovery | 21 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 72 |
| 3 | Purely Inspired Organic | 16 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 70 |
| 4 | Garden of Life RAW Organic | 18 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 70 |
| 5 | Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Plant | 18 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 69 |
| 6 | PlantFusion Complete | 18 | 18 | 11 | 21 | 68 |
| 7 | Ritual Essential Protein | 17 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 63 |
| 8 | Momentous 100% Plant Protein | 16 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 61 |
| 9 | Orgain Organic Protein | 15 | 19 | 11 | 11 | 56 |
| 10 | KOS Organic Plant Protein | 14 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 56 |
Scored November 3, 2026. Each category is out of 25, rounded to a whole number; the total is the sum of the four. Ties go to the higher unrounded score. Click a powder for its full review and the reasoning behind every point.
What Changes a Score
- A new Consumer Reports test, or a new certification, warning, lawsuit or Prop 65 notice.
- A reformulation (we re-check the label and drop reviews of the old recipe).
- A new independent taste review.
- A price re-check when we re-score, at least every few months.
Who Pays for This
Nobody pays for a ranking. We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, and may earn from some brands’ own affiliate programs. That never touches the score: the formula doesn’t know who pays us, and a brand we earn from can rank last. Spotted an error? Tell us, and we’ll fix it and say so.
Where the Numbers Come From
- Consumer Reports: protein powder and shake lead tests (Oct 2025)
- Consumer Reports: follow-up tests (Jan 2026)
- NSF Certified for Sport product search
- Informed Choice certified products
- Clean Label Project protein powders
- California Attorney General: Prop 65 notice search
- Independent reviews from Garage Gym Reviews, BarBend and VegFAQs, linked on each review page.