5 Best Cheap Protein Powders (2023) Read Before Buying!

Everyone knows getting enough protein is essential for improving muscle growth and overall athletic performance.

But unfortunately, it can get expensive!

Fret not. Here are the cheapest protein powders that are still worth buying in 2023.

Our strong recommendation for the best cheap protein powder is Impact Whey Protein from Myprotein.

Packed with 19 grams of protein per serving and clocking in at $0.65 per serving (with MYPLIFTVAULT discount code applied for 35% off + free US shipping), Impact Whey is the least expensive flavored protein powder available.

Plus, it’s available in 16 great flavors, so you’re guaranteed to find the perfect flavor for your taste.

There are technically some cheaper unflavored pea protein powders available, but do you really want to drink unflavored pea protein? We’d rather pay a few extra bucks for a great tasting (and cheap!) protein powder.

Go ahead and try to find a cheaper flavored protein powder, we’ll wait.

Here is the list of the cheapest protein powders we could find, as of September 2023:

If that’s not for you, don’t worry.

We’ve got you covered, whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-line protein supplement or just something cheap to pad out your daily protein intake.

Let’s dive in to our top picks for cheap protein powder!

Related: 

• Best Vegan Protein Powder
• Best Whey Protein Isolate
• Best Protein Powder for Teens
• Best Clear Whey Isolate Protein Powder
• Best Cheap Mass Gainer

The 5 Cheapest Whey Protein Powders

1. Impact Whey Protein – Myprotein
2. Impact Whey Protein Isolate – Myprotein
3. Whey Protein Concentrate – Bulk Supplements
4. 100% Whey Protein – Bodybuilding.com Signature
5. 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein – Optimum Nutrition

We’ll give you the lowdown on the cheapest protein powder options below.

Impact Whey Protein – Myprotein

Key Features:

• Available for $0.65 per serving or less (assumes 35% discount on 5.5 lb bag)
• 21 g of protein per serving
• 1 g of fat per serving
• 3 g of carbohydrates per serving
• Vegetarian
• 16 flavors
• Has stevia-sweetened options
• Available as unflavored
• Contains lactose

When it comes to cheap protein powders, it’s nearly impossible to beat Myprotein. Their prices are reasonable, they have a broad selection of products, and their quality is solid.

If you’re looking to support muscle growth, this is the budget-friendly way to do it.

Most of their whey protein powder supplements come in a large resealable bag to help save money on packaging, demonstrating their commitment to value.

Their Impact Whey Protein is their flagship budget whey protein powder and most popular product. It’s what most people associate with the Myprotein brand.

Myprotein offers a complete protein, which means you’re getting the full spectrum of essential amino acids and blocked chain amino acids. There’s no protein spiking here.

It’s available in sizes as low as 0.55 lb (limited flavors) up to a massive 11 lbs. Of course, the more you buy, the more you save. This is because the price per oz of whey protein powder decreases as you buy a larger size.

The product is vegetarian (not vegan) and available in 16 different flavors, including an unflavored option.

If you prefer to avoid sucralose as a sweetener, they have two options: Chocolate Stevia and Vanilla Stevia flavors. Their unflavored option contains no artificial flavors or artifical sweeteners like sucralose.

I’d recommend buying a smaller size (0.55 lb or 2.2 lb) to make sure you like the flavor, then buy a 5.5 lb or 11 lb bag to maximize your savings.

If you’re unsure which protein powder flavor to start with, you can’t go wrong with chocolate or vanilla. In fact, we included Myprotein on our list of the best vanilla protein powders.

Even though their base prices are reasonable, they are almost always running a sale. Check out their homepage to see what sale is running now, so you don’t miss it!

Impact Whey Protein Isolate – MyProtein

• Available for $0.94 per serving or less (assumes 35% discount on 5.5 lb bag)
• 22 g of protein per serving
• < 0.5 g of fat per serving
• 1 g of carbohydrates per serving
• Available in 9 flavors, including unflavored
• Contains very little lactose
• Vegetarian
• Gluten-free

If you’re looking for a cheap whey protein isolate, Myprotein is once again the go-to source.

Taking the same no-nonsense approach they used with their flagship Whey Concentrate, their Impact Whey Isolate is a bunch of protein in a bag at an affordable price.

The key difference between Impact Whey Isolate and Impact Whey is the Isolate version contains very little lactose. This can make it easier to digest for some people and makes the product less likely to cause adverse digestive issues like bloating, gas, etc.

That’s why I selected Impact Whey Isolate as one of the best lactose-free protein powders.

Personally, I always use whey protein isolate even though I am not necessarily lactose intolerant. Drinking a lot of milk and protein powder can give me digestive issues, so I opt for the whey isolate to help alleviate that.

It’s a little more expensive than the regular Impact Whey, but well worth it.

Other than that, you’re still getting the same high-quality, affordable protein powder!

Whey Protein Concentrate – Bulk Supplements

Key Features:

• Available for $0.91 per serving (assumes 2.2 lb bag)
• One of the cheapest protein powders available
• Only available in unflavored
• No artificial sweeteners
• No artificial flavors

If you want a cheap unflavored protein powder, look no further than Bulk Supplements.

As their name suggests, Bulk Supplements is all about selling cheap supplements in bulk. No frills, just value.

The catch?

They only offer unflavored protein powder.

If you want a flavored protein, your best option is to use Myprotein. If you want an unflavored option, definitely consider Bulk Supplements.

For example, compare the prices of each brand’s 2.2 lb bag:

• Myprotein Impact Whey Protein, flavored: $31.49 (after MYPLIFTVAULT coupon is applied)
• Bulk Supplements Whey Protein Concentrate, unflavored: $30

As you can see, Myprotein is nearly the same price as Bulk Supplements, plus you’re getting flavor options with Myprotein. So I’d really only go with Bulk Supplements if you want an unflavored protein powder.

Bulk Supplements also sells other types of budget protein powder, including whey protein isolate, egg protein powder, grass-fed protein powder, pea protein, casein protein, beef bone broth protein, rice protein, and more.

If you’re curious, you can check out the whey protein isolate from Bulk Supplements below.

Key Features:

• Available for $1.03 per serving (Assumes 2.2 lb)
• One of the cheapest whey protein isolates available
• Only available in unflavored

This is the isolate version of Bulk Supplements’ bulk whey protein powder. If you’re okay with an unflavored protein powder, then this is one of the best cheap protein powders around. It’s especially good for large purchases, as Bulk Supplements has options that go up to 44 lbs (20 kg)!

100% Whey Protein Bodybuilding.com Signature

• Available for about $1.33 per serving (assumes 2 lb tub)
• 25 g of protein per serving
• 2 g of fat per serving
• 2 g of carbohydrates per serving

Bodybuilding.com’s private label brand, Bodybuilding.com Signature, is another solid option for cheap whey protein powder.

Their 100% Whey product is a blend of whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and hydrolyzed whey protein.

It’s available in 9 different flavors, though many of these flavors are only available when purchasing the 5 lb tub.

Honestly, the 5 lb tub is a much better value. Each serving is about $1.16, which is a 21% discount when compared to the 2 lb tub.

They also have a whey protein isolate option available as well. As I’m a fan of whey protien isolate, I’d probably go with this version since it’s a bit easier on the digestive system.

Related: Best Protein Powder for Sensitive Stomachs

100% Gold Standard Whey Protein – Optimum Nutrition

Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein is probably the most popular protein powder on the planet.

For many people it’s the first protein powder they ever buy. This is thanks to its incredible distribution, putting it front and center in many grocery stores, Costcos, and pharmacies.

This does not, however, mean it is the cheapest protein powder you can buy.

On Amazon.com, as of August 22, 2023, a 2 lb tub will cost you about $44.99. At 27 servings per tub, that’s nearly $1.67 per serving.

The 5 lb tub is considerably less expensive, but still clocks in around $1.19 per serving.

So while it may not be the best budget protein powder, you can certainly do a lot worse. If you want to go with a classic brand, then the 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein from Optimum Nutrition is hard to beat.

Best Cheap Protein Brands

Here are some of the best cheap protein powder brands.

1. Myprotein
2. Nutricost
3. Bulk Supplements
4. MuscleTech
5. Optimum Nutrition

If you’re looking for a deal on protein powder, these are the brands we recommend checking out.

We especially recommend Myprotein, as they almost always have great discounts running on their site. Never checkout without a coupon code from them! If you can’t find one, MYPLIFTVAULT gives you 35% off + free US shipping.

How to Buy Cheap Protein Powder

Here are some tips for how to effectively find deals on protein powder.

1. Look for whey concentrate instead of whey isolate
2. Buy protein powder in bulk
3. Use protein powder coupon codes

Look for Whey Concentrate Instead of Whey Isolate

If you’re trying to save money on protein powder, then definitely consider buying whey concentrate instead of whey isolate. Whey protein isolate undergoes additional processing to remove lactose, leaving only whey behind. This also slightly reduces the amount of fat and carbs in the protein supplement. This additional processing costs money, which raises the price of whey protein isolate.

Unless you’re looking to avoid lactose, buying a whey protein concentrate is a good way to save money.

Buy Protein Powder in Bulk

Buying larger bags of protein powder is an effective way of reducing the unit price. Most manufacturers are happy to offer discounts on these larger purchases.

When purchasing protein powder, consider buying the larger size option. It may cost more up front, but you save money on each serving over the long run.

Use Protein Powder Coupon Codes

Finally, using a discount code is a simple way to save money on protein powder. Using a search engine is to look for coupons for a particular retailer can save you significant amounts of money.

LV10 is a discount code that will save you 10% on protein powder at Transparent Labs.

MYPLIFTVAULT is a discount code that will save you 30% and provide free US shipping at Myprotein.

FAQs about Cheap Protein Powder

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.