The Honest Comparison · Labels Verified October 2026
Pursuit vs. 31 Protein Bar Brands.Nothing Compares. We Checked.
We lined both Pursuit bars up against 31 protein bar brands in America (28 leading brands by our estimated sales rank, plus Promix and two emerging brands), flagship bar against flagship bar, using each brand’s own published label. No brand beats Pursuit across the board. Here is the whole chart, sortable and sourced.
Data verified October 2026 33 bars compared: 31 brands + both Pursuit flavors 9 metrics · 12 ingredient categories Sources on every row
Pursuit vs.
David Protein
Quest Nutrition
RXBAR
ONE Brands
CLIF Builders
KIND Protein
think!
Pure Protein
Barebells
No Cow
Perfect Bar
GoMacro
ALOHA
Grenade Carb Killa
BUILT
Power Crunch
FITCRUNCH
IQBAR
Atkins
Kirkland Signature
FULFIL
Misfits
MET-Rx
NuGo Slim
Orgain
Munk Pack
Rise Bar
Gatorade
Lineage Provisions
Main Event (UFC)
PROMIX Nutrition
<1gNet CarbsLowest of 33 bars, both flavors
>3gLeucine (est.)Highest est. of 33, both flavors
0Ingredient FlagsOnly 2 bars of 33 with none
26gProteinTop 3 of 33, at 180 cal
58%Calories From Protein2 of only 3 bars over 50%
The Short Version
As of October 2026, across the 33 bars compared, both Pursuit flavors, Chocolate Cashew Crunch and Peanut Butter Fudge, have the lowest net carbs (under 1g), the highest estimated leucine (more than 3g), and are the only two bars with none of the 12 ingredient categories we track. They are two of the three bars that get more than half their calories from protein, and Chocolate Cashew Crunch is top three for protein overall. All of it is below, with sources.
The Scoreboard
Where Pursuit Wins
Each card shows the number, where it ranks among the 33 bars compared, and the bars closest to it. Read the fine print; we did.
0FLAGS
Only 2 bars of 33
Nothing to flag. Twice.
The only two bars of the 33 with none of these on their labels: added sugar & sugar equivalents (>1g), sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial fat replacers, “natural” flavors, seed or industrial oils, soy, gums, emulsifiers, preservatives, or added colors. Next closest: four bars with one category each (added sugar). See the full matrix ↓
Fewest flagsof 12 · shorter bar = fewer
1Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch0 flags
2Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge0 flags
3GoMacro1 flag
4ALOHA1 flag
5Rise Bar1 flag
6Lineage Provisions1 flag
Range: 0–9 flags across 33 bars
<1G
#1 & #2 of 33
Lowest net carbs
Both Pursuit flavors come in under 1g of net carbs, the lowest of the 33 bars compared and a fraction of the typical bar’s 10–12g (est.). Sweetened with monk fruit and allulose, without sugar, syrups, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners. Competitor net carbs are estimated from their labels; see the methodology.
Lowest net carbsshorter bar = less (est.)
1Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch<1g
2Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge<1g
3No Cow1.4g
4IQBAR2g
5Atkins3g
Range: <1–38g across 33 bars
>3G EST.
#1 & #2 of 33 · est.
Highest estimated leucine
Leucine is the amino acid most associated with triggering muscle protein synthesis. Both Pursuit flavors are estimated at more than 3g, the highest of the 33 and clear of the next bar (MET-Rx, 2.4–2.7g est.). Estimated from each bar’s protein sources (ours includes added L-leucine); not lab-assayed.
Most leucineestimated
1Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch>3g
2Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge>3g
3MET-Rx2.4–2.7g
4David Protein2.1–2.3g
5Quest Nutrition1.9–2.1g
Range: 0.3–2.7g (est.) across the 31 other bars; Pursuit >3g
58%
2 of only 3 bars
Protein is more than half the calories
Only three of the 33 bars get more than half of their calories from protein: Chocolate Cashew Crunch (58%), Peanut Butter Fudge (59%) and David (75%, at 150 calories). Every other bar is under 50%; most sit between 20% and 45%.
Calories from proteinprotein g × 4 ÷ cal
1David Protein75%
2Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge59%
3Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch58%
4BUILT49%
5Kirkland Signature47%
Range: 13–75% across 33 bars
26G
Top 3 of 33
Top-3 protein, at 180 calories
Chocolate Cashew Crunch has the third-highest protein of the 33 (Peanut Butter Fudge is fourth, at 25g), behind MET-Rx (32g, but at 410 calories) and David (28g). Among bars with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories (David, both Pursuit flavors, Kirkland, Quest), Pursuit is #2 and #3.
Most proteinper bar
1MET-Rx410 cal32g
2David Protein150 cal28g
3Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch180 cal26g
4Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge170 cal25g
5Quest Nutrition190 cal21g
Range: 5–32g across 33 bars
11INGREDIENTS
Fewest in class
Shortest lists in their class
Peanut Butter Fudge (11) and Chocolate Cashew Crunch (12) have the fewest ingredients of any bar with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories, and the fifth- and sixth-fewest of all 33. The four shorter lists (Rise, GoMacro, RXBAR, Lineage) all sweeten with honey, syrup or dates. Counted as listed on each label, sub-ingredients included where a label breaks them out.
In class · shorter bar = fewer>20g protein, <200 cal
Two of only four bars with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories that deliver at least 7g of fiber; both Pursuit flavors have 8g, more than a quarter of the 28g Daily Value. Quest (12g) and Kirkland (10g) are the others; David has 1g.
Green = better value in that row. Lower is better for calories, net carbs, sugar, ingredients and flags. “<1g” on a label is a range, so it scores as a tie against 0g and 1g.See David Protein’s ingredient list & sources ↓
The Full Chart
Every Brand. Every Number.
31 protein bar brands, flagship bar for each, next to both of ours. Sort any column (Pursuit sorts like everyone else). Open a row for its ingredient list, what got flagged, and the sources.
Show only bars without:
Showing 33 of 33 bars
Both Pursuit Protein flavors compared with 31 protein bar brands (28 leading brands, Promix and two emerging brands): nutrition, ingredient count and ingredient flags for each brand’s flagship bar.
No competitor bar matches every filter you picked. Only the two Pursuit bars are left, which is sort of the point.
Swipe sideways to see every column →
Best value in the column, whichever bar has it 0 flags: nothing on the label in any of the 12 categories+1? a possible flag (label ambiguous)
Default order follows our comparison sheet, not a sales ranking, so we don’t print rank numbers. Lineage Provisions and Main Event (UFC) are emerging brands; Promix was added in October 2026.
Competitor values come from each brand’s published label or major-retailer listing for the reference bar named in the row (sources inside each row). They can change when a brand reformulates; other flavors may differ. Sugar is total sugars. Net carbs for other brands are estimates (see methodology); leucine is estimated from the protein sources on the label.
What’s Not in It
The Only Rows With Nothing to Flag
Twelve ingredient categories, checked against each bar’s label. Presence, not quantity (added sugar & sugar equivalents counts above an estimated 1g). Two rows come back clear on all of them.
Clear On the label? Possible (label ambiguous, e.g. “sunflower and/or soy lecithin”)Hover a cell, or open the bar’s row in the full chart above, for the specific ingredient. Rows sorted by fewest flags.
Ingredient flag matrix: for each of the 33 bars (the flagship bar of 31 brands and both Pursuit flavors), whether it contains any of 12 ingredient categories. A check means clear; a cross means the label lists it; a question mark means possible.
Bar
Sugar & sugar equivalents >1g
Sugar alcohols
Artif. sweeteners
Artif. flavors
Fat replacers
“Natural” flavors
Seed / industrial oils
Soy
Gums
Emulsifiers
Preservatives
Colors
Flags
Pursuit ProteinChocolate Cashew Crunch
Added sugar & sugar equivalents (>1g): clear
Sugar alcohols: clear
Artificial sweeteners: clear
Artificial flavors: clear
Artificial fat replacers: clear
“Natural” flavors: clear
Seed & industrial oils: clear
Soy: clear
Gums: clear
Emulsifiers: clear
Preservatives: clear
Added colors & dyes: clear
0
Pursuit ProteinPeanut Butter Fudge
Added sugar & sugar equivalents (>1g): clear
Sugar alcohols: clear
Artificial sweeteners: clear
Artificial flavors: clear
Artificial fat replacers: clear
“Natural” flavors: clear
Seed & industrial oils: clear
Soy: clear
Gums: clear
Emulsifiers: clear
Preservatives: clear
Added colors & dyes: clear
0
GoMacro
Added sugar & sugar equivalents (>1g): yes — brown rice syrup; brown rice; coconut sugar in chocolate chips
Preservatives: yes — potassium sorbate; tocopherols/TBHQ may be in some formulas
Added colors & dyes: yes — beta-carotene color in some labels
9
Swipe sideways to see every category →
Definitions & judgment calls (the same rules for every bar, ours included)
Sugar alcohols means sweetening polyols: maltitol, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, isomalt and their syrups. Glycerin is treated as a humectant, not a sugar alcohol, for every brand, including ours (both Pursuit bars list glycerin); where a brand’s label note mentions glycerol alongside sugars we show the note as recorded, but glycerin alone never triggers a flag.
Artificial sweeteners means high-intensity synthetic sweeteners: sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame and saccharin. Allulose, monk fruit and stevia are not counted as artificial (we use monk fruit and allulose). Where a label note lists a polyol alongside one of these, the polyol is counted under sugar alcohols, not here.
Added sugar & sugar equivalents includes cane and other sugars, honey, dates and syrups, sugar-equivalents such as maltodextrin, dextrin and isomalto-oligosaccharides, and starches, grains and flours that are estimated at >1g in quantity. (RXBAR’s dates are counted here as a sugar equivalent, not as “added sugar” in the FDA label sense.) Polydextrose is noted where a label lists it (some forms of polydextrose have been reported to raise glucose) but is not counted on its own.
“Natural” flavors are flagged for opacity, not toxicity: the term can cover many undisclosed compounds.
Emulsifiers includes lecithins and mono/diglycerides. Preservatives includes TBHQ, potassium sorbate, mixed tocopherols / vitamin E and cultured dextrose where a label lists them (tocopherols and vitamin E are commonly used as antioxidant preservatives).
Possible is used when a label is ambiguous (for example “sunflower and/or soy lecithin”). It counts separately from a flag.
How We Built the Chart
Methodology & Sources
A comparison is only worth as much as its rules. These are ours, and Pursuit is held to every one of them.
Which bars
Brands: 28 leading protein bar brands in the U.S. by our estimated sales rank, a proxy built from retail and marketplace signals, not an official ranking (which is why we don’t print rank numbers), plus Promix, added in October 2026.
Plus two: Lineage Provisions and Main Event (UFC), emerging brands, included because customers ask about them.
Reference bar: each brand’s flagship or top-selling flavor. It’s named in every row so you can check it.
Pursuit: Chocolate Cashew Crunch and Peanut Butter Fudge, from our current formulation specifications, held to every rule below.
Which numbers
Source: each brand’s published nutrition facts and ingredient statement, from the brand’s site or retailer listings and, where those weren’t available, third-party label databases; a few rows rely on non-U.S. labels and their notes say so. Every row links its sources.
Net carbs: total carbohydrate minus fiber, allulose, stevia or monk fruit and glycerin; sugar alcohols are not subtracted. Most labels don’t give grams for allulose, monk fruit or glycerin, so for other brands net carbs are estimated as a range from the label and the mean is shown, marked (est.). Pursuit’s values come from our specification.
Calories from protein: protein grams × 4 ÷ total calories.
Leucine: estimated as a range from the amount and type of protein on the label, plus any added L-leucine (Pursuit adds L-leucine; collagen, part of our protein, is low in leucine). Shown as a range for other brands and as “more than 3g” for Pursuit. An estimate, not a lab assay, and labelled as one everywhere it appears.
Ingredient count: counted as listed on the reference bar’s label, sub-ingredients included where a label breaks them out. Where other flavors or formulations differ, the row says so.
Rule: a category is flagged when the reference bar’s ingredient list includes it. Presence, not quantity, with one exception: added sugar & sugar equivalents counts only above an estimated 1g.
Possible: when a label is ambiguous (for example “sunflower and/or soy lecithin”), we mark it possible rather than flagged.
Same rules for us: Pursuit’s ingredient statement is screened identically.
Not compared: price, taste, protein digestibility (DIAAS) or third-party lab assays.
Data verified October 2026. Labels change; if you spot something out of date, email us and we’ll correct it. Competitor names are used only to identify their products; all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Nothing here is medical advice.
Questions
Comparison FAQ
Of the 33 bars compared (the flagship bar of 31 protein bar brands and both Pursuit flavors; labels verified October 2026), Pursuit Protein has the lowest net carbs: under 1g per bar for both Chocolate Cashew Crunch and Peanut Butter Fudge. No Cow (1.4g, est.) and IQBAR (2g, est.) are the next lowest. See the full chart, sorted by net carbs.
Pursuit Protein, at an estimated more than 3g of leucine per bar for both flavors, the highest estimate of the 33 bars compared. MET-Rx Big 100 (2.4–2.7g, est.) and David (2.1–2.3g, est.) follow. Leucine is estimated from the amount and type of protein on each label plus any added L-leucine; it isn’t printed on nutrition panels and isn’t lab-assayed here.
It depends on what you value. David has more protein (28g vs. 26g), fewer calories (150 vs. 180) and 0g sugar. Pursuit has lower net carbs (under 1g vs. about 6g, est.), eight times the fiber (8g vs. 1g), more leucine (more than 3g vs. 2.1–2.3g, estimated), fewer ingredients (12 vs. 18) and none of the 12 ingredient categories we flag, while David’s flagship lists maltitol, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, natural and artificial flavor, a modified plant fat (EPG) and soy lecithin. Run the head-to-head and decide for yourself.
We took 28 leading protein bar brands in the U.S. by our estimated sales rank (a proxy built from retail and marketplace signals, not an official ranking), added Promix, and included two emerging brands, Lineage Provisions and Main Event (UFC). Each brand’s flagship or top-selling flavor is its reference bar; both Pursuit flavors are in the chart. Every reference bar is named in the table and every row links its sources. Full details in the methodology.
We screen each reference bar’s ingredient list for 12 categories: added sugar & sugar equivalents (>1g); sugar alcohols; artificial sweeteners; artificial flavors; artificial fat replacers; “natural” flavors; seed and industrial oils; soy; gums; emulsifiers; preservatives; and added colors or dyes. A category is flagged if the label lists it, and marked possible if the label is ambiguous. We record presence, not quantity (added sugar & sugar equivalents counts above an estimated 1g), and hold Pursuit to the same rules. See the matrix.
Never Compromise
Try the Bar That Beat the Chart
Lowest net carbs. Highest estimated leucine. Nothing to flag. Chocolate Cashew Crunch and Peanut Butter Fudge, shipped to your door.