Best Pea Protein Powder (2026)
The best pea protein for most people is Naked Pea in the 5 lb tub: 27 g of protein a serving, $0.71 per 25 g, on the Informed Choice list, which screens for banned drugs. Yellow pea protein is its only ingredient. We ranked 14 pea-only tubs from 8 brands.
By Erin Rose Updated November 2026 How we score
Our pick for: Most people
- Per 25 g of protein
- $0.71$57.99 for 76 servings
- Protein
- 27 g a serving90% of the 30 g serving (about 2 scoops), 120 calories
- Ingredients
- OneYellow pea protein, no flavor or sweetener
- Testing list
- Informed ChoiceScreens for drugs banned in sport
Why we pick it Of the 8 tubs on a testing list, this one costs the least per 25 g and has the most protein by weight.
What you give up It is plain: gritty in water and earthy on its own, so blend it into a smoothie. NOW Sports’ 7 lb tub costs 3% more per 25 g with 24 g of protein a serving, and its list tests every batch. Micro Ingredients costs 23% less per 25 g and is not on a testing list.
All 14 pea protein tubs, ranked
Tubs on a testing list sit at the top. In both groups, a lower cost per 25 g of protein ranks higher, which lets you compare tubs with different scoop sizes.
| Powder | Protein | Ingredients listed | Organic | Testing list | Cost per 25 g of protein | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Naked PeaOur pickUnflavored, 5 lb | 27 g in 30 g (90%) | 1 | No | Informed Choice | $0.71 | See on Amazon |
 NOW Sports Pea ProteinUnflavored, 7 lb | 24 g in 33 g (73%) | 1 | No | Informed Sport | $0.73 | See NOW Sports Pea Protein on Amazon · $23.99 → |
 NOW Sports Pea ProteinUnflavored, 2 lb | 24 g in 33 g (73%) | 1 | No | Informed Sport | $0.93 | See on Amazon |
 Naked PeaVanilla, 5 lb | 25 g in 37 g (68%) | 3 | No | Informed Choice | $0.95 | See on Amazon |
 Naked PeaChocolate, 5 lb | 25 g in 38 g (66%) | 3 | No | Informed Choice | $0.97 | See Naked Pea Protein on Amazon · $57.99 → |
 Naked PeaUnflavored, 2 lb | 27 g in 30 g (90%) | 1 | No | Informed Choice | $1.08 | See Naked Pea Protein on Amazon · $57.99 → |
 NOW Sports Organic Pea ProteinUnflavored, 1.5 lb | 15 g in 20 g (75%) | 1 | Yes | Informed Sport | $1.26 | See on Amazon |
 NOW Sports Pea ProteinVanilla Toffee, 2 lb | 25 g in 41 g (61%) | 6 | No | Informed Sport | $1.45 | See NOW Sports Pea Protein on Amazon · $23.99 → |
 Micro Ingredients Pea ProteinUnflavored, 5 lb | 27 g in 33 g (82%) | 1 | No | Not on a testing list | $0.54 | See on Amazon |
 Anthony’s Premium Pea ProteinUnflavored, 2 lb | 8 g in 10 g (80%) | 1 | No | Not on a testing list | $0.83 | See on Amazon |
 Nutricost Organic Pea ProteinUnflavored, 2 lb | 20 g in 26 g (77%) | 1 | Yes | Not on a testing list | $1.11 | See on Amazon |
 NorCal Organic Pea ProteinUnflavored, 2 lb | 22 g in 26 g (85%) | 1 | Yes | Not on a testing list | $1.43 | See on Amazon |
 Sprout Living Pea ProteinUnflavored, 2 lb | 20 g in 25 g (80%) | 1 | Yes | Not on a testing list | $1.81 | See NOW Sports Organic Pea Protein on Amazon · $25.73 → |
 BulkSupplements Organic Pea ProteinUnflavored, 500 g | 21 g in 30 g (70%) | 1 | Yes | Not on a testing list | $2.31 | See on Amazon |
Which pea protein fits you?
Naked Pea suits most people. Buy one of these if it matches what you need.
If you get drug-tested: NOW Sports Pea Protein
Informed Sport checks each batch before it ships, so buy NOW Sports if you compete in a tested sport. A serving is one scoop. Start with this 2 lb tub, then move to the 7 lb tub if you like it, since the big tub costs less per 25 g.
NOW Sports Pea Protein, Unflavored, 2 lb
$0.93 per 25 g · 24 g of protein a scoop · Informed Sport
If you want flavor: Naked Pea
The ingredients are pea protein, coconut sugar and vanilla flavor, with 3 g of added sugar a serving. BarBend names Naked Pea its best-tasting pea powder, and says the flavored tubs earn the praise. Chocolate is in the table at nearly the same cost.
Naked Pea, Vanilla, 5 lb
$0.95 per 25 g · 25 g of protein a serving · Informed Choice
Organic with a testing list: NOW Sports Organic Pea Protein
This is the only organic tub here on a testing list. A serving is small, 15 g of protein in two scoops, so use more for a full shake.
NOW Sports Organic Pea Protein, Unflavored, 1.5 lb
$1.26 per 25 g · 15 g of protein a serving · Informed Sport
Lowest cost: Micro Ingredients Pea Protein
Micro Ingredients has the same 27 g of protein a serving as Naked Pea, in a 33 g serving. Its only ingredient is pea protein. The brand says an outside lab tests it. Buy it if price comes first.
Micro Ingredients Pea Protein, Unflavored, 5 lb
$0.54 per 25 g · 27 g of protein a serving · Not on a testing list
For baking and oatmeal: Anthony’s Premium Pea Protein
Anthony’s measures by the spoon: a serving is a 10 g tablespoon with 8 g of protein. That makes it easy to stir into oats, pancakes or muffins.
Anthony’s Premium Pea Protein, Unflavored, 2 lb
$0.83 per 25 g · 8 g of protein a tablespoon · Not on a testing list
Does pea protein have lead?
Plant powders usually carry more lead than whey. Consumer Reports found plant products averaged nine times the lead of dairy ones, and its highest result, 7.7 mcg a serving, came from Naked’s Vegan Mass Gainer, a different product from Naked Pea. Naked says Naked Pea gets independent testing to meet FDA safety standards. Naked Pea, Micro Ingredients and Anthony’s carry California’s lead warning, which starts at 0.5 mcg a day.
To check your tub, ask the brand for the lead result on its lot number. Prefer a blend on a list with a lead limit? The best plant-based protein guide picks Vega.
What do these testing lists check?
Informed Sport and Informed Choice both screen for drugs banned in sport. Informed Sport tests every batch before sale, and Informed Choice spot-checks tubs from stores. Informed Choice lists Naked’s flavored tubs under the name Less Naked Pea. See which protein powders are third-party tested. Naked’s label says its contents are NSF certified. The table counts Informed Choice, the list that names Naked Pea.
Is pea protein as good as whey for muscle?
The trials so far show no clear gap. A 2026 review of 5 studies in untrained adults who started lifting compared whey with plant powders, mostly soy or pea, with one chia study. Soy and pea gave lean mass gains similar to whey (Callegari 2026). In a 12-week trial, 161 young men took 25 g twice a day while lifting, and biceps growth did not differ between pea and whey. Three of its authors worked for the pea protein’s maker (Babault 2015). Work out how much protein you need.
Should you pay more for organic?
Only if how the peas are grown matters to you. The 5 organic tubs here cost a median $1.43 per 25 g, against $0.93 for the 9 others, about 54% more. Organic does not mean less lead: in a 2025 Clean Label Project study of about 160 powders of all kinds, organic ones averaged three times the lead of the rest.
Questions people ask
Is pea protein a complete protein?
Yes. It has all nine essential amino acids, but methionine runs low: Naked Pea’s label shows 294 mg a serving against 2,523 mg of leucine. Grains, seeds and other foods in a normal diet cover the gap.
How does Transparent Labs pea protein compare?
It is on Informed Choice too. Its own store sells vanilla and chocolate, at $49.99 for 30 servings, which is $1.49 per 25 g and 2.1 times Naked Pea. The vanilla label lists 28 g of protein in a 39.6 g scoop, with natural flavors, salt, gum arabic and stevia.
What does the protein percent mean?
It is the grams of protein divided by the grams of powder. A higher number means less of everything else. NOW Sports Vanilla Toffee is at 61%, because flavor, sweetener and salt share the scoop.
Does pea protein cause bloating?
It can at first, mostly with big servings. A BarBend tester suggests starting with half a serving. There is no milk in it, and if that is your reason for buying, see the best lactose-free protein powder.
Who should skip pea protein?
Skip it if you are allergic to peas. Peas and peanuts are both legumes, so ask your doctor first if you have a peanut allergy. If you have kidney disease, ask before adding any protein powder.
How we picked
We searched Amazon on November 6, 2026 and kept tubs in stock where pea is the only protein and we could read the label. NOW Sports’ numbers come from the NIH label database. NorCal’s protein and servings come from its Amazon listing, and its scoop weight from a published review of the label. Sprout Living’s label says servings vary, so we divided its 908 g by its 25 g scoop. Prices are Amazon’s and change daily. We read both testing lists on November 6.
Sources
- Labels: brand label panels and the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, read November 6, 2026.
- Testing lists: Informed Choice, Informed Sport and NSF/ANSI 173, read November 6, 2026.
- Consumer Reports, Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead, 2025.
- Clean Label Project, 2024-25 Protein Powder Category Report, January 9, 2025. cleanlabelproject.org
- Naked Nutrition, Naked Pea product page, and Transparent Labs, Pea Protein Isolate, read November 6, 2026.
- Taste and texture: BarBend and Fit Kitchen.
- Callegari IOM, et al. “Is plant-based protein supplementation as effective as whey protein? A systematic review and meta-analysis in untrained adults undergoing resistance training.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2026. PubMed 42954267
- Babault N, et al. “Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015. PubMed 25628520