The Honest Comparison · Labels Verified August 2026

Pursuit vs. 28 Leading Protein Bar Brands.Nothing Compares. We Checked.

We lined Pursuit up against 28 leading protein bar brands in America (by our estimated sales rank), flagship bar against flagship bar, using each brand’s own published label. No brand beats Pursuit across the board. Pursuit beats every brand in at least one place. Here is the whole chart, sortable and sourced, including the columns where we lose.

See the Scoreboard Jump to the Full Chart
Data verified August 2026 30 bars compared: 28 leading brands + 1 emerging + ours 9 metrics · 12 ingredient categories Sources on every row

Pursuit vs.

  • CLIF Builders
  • Pure Protein
  • Barebells
  • Quest Nutrition
  • Atkins
  • KIND Protein
  • RXBAR
  • Gatorade
  • David Protein
  • ONE Brands
  • FITCRUNCH
  • MET-Rx
  • Perfect Bar
  • Grenade Carb Killa
  • Power Crunch
  • ALOHA
  • FULFIL
  • GoMacro
  • Kirkland Signature
  • think!
  • No Cow
  • BUILT
  • IQBAR
  • Munk Pack
  • Orgain
  • Rise Bar
  • NuGo Slim
  • Misfits
  • Lineage Provisions
1gNet CarbsLowest of 30 bars compared
3.5gLeucine (est.)Highest est. of 30 bars
0Ingredient FlagsOnly bar of 30 with none
26.5gProteinTop 3 of 30, at 180 cal
59%Calories From Protein1 of only 2 bars over 50%

The Short Version

As of August 2026, across the 30 bars compared, Pursuit Cashew Chocolate Crunch has the lowest net carbs, the highest estimated leucine, and is the only bar with none of the 12 ingredient categories we track. It is one of two bars that get more than half their calories from protein, and top three for protein overall. It is not first in every column: David Protein, FULFIL, BUILT and three more have fewer calories; David Protein and MET-Rx have more protein; Quest Nutrition, Atkins, ALOHA and three more have more fiber; David Protein has a higher protein share of calories; RXBAR, GoMacro, Rise Bar and Lineage Provisions have shorter ingredient lists. All of it is below, with sources.

The Scoreboard

Where Pursuit Wins

Each card shows the number, where it ranks among the 30 bars compared, and the bars closest to it, including the ones that beat us on that metric. Read the fine print; we did.

0FLAGS
Only bar of 30

Nothing to flag

The only bar of the 30 with none of these on its label: added sugar, starches, grains, flours, 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
  1. 1Pursuit Protein0 flags
  2. 2ALOHA1 flag
  3. 3GoMacro1 flag
  4. 4Rise Bar1 flag
  5. 5Lineage Provisions1 flag

Range: 0–9 flags across 30 bars

1G
#1 of 30 bars

Lowest net carbs

The lowest net carbs of the 30 bars compared, a fraction of the typical bar’s 10–12g. Sweetened without sugar, syrups, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners. Labels round to whole grams; net carbs is the mean where labels differ.

Lowest net carbsshorter bar = less
  1. 1Pursuit Protein1g
  2. 2No Cow1.4g
  3. 3IQBAR2g
  4. 4Atkins3g
  5. 5Munk Pack3g

Range: 1–38g across 30 bars

3.5G EST.
#1 of 30 · est.

Highest estimated leucine

Leucine is the amino acid most associated with triggering muscle protein synthesis. Pursuit’s estimated 3.5g is the highest of the 30, about 40% more than the next bar. Estimated from each bar’s protein sources (ours includes added L-leucine); not lab-assayed.

Most leucineestimated
  1. 1Pursuit Protein3.5g
  2. 2MET-Rx2.5g
  3. 3David Protein2.2g
  4. 4Quest Nutrition2.0g
  5. 5Gatorade2.0g

Range: 0.3–3.5g across 30 bars

59%
1 of only 2 bars

Protein is more than half the calories

Only two of the 30 bars get more than half of their calories from protein: Pursuit and David (75%, at 150 calories). Every other bar is under 50%; most sit between 20% and 45%.

Calories from proteinprotein g × 4 ÷ cal
  1. 1David Protein75%
  2. 2Pursuit Protein59%
  3. 3BUILT49%
  4. 4Kirkland Signature47%
  5. 5Quest Nutrition44%

Range: 13–75% across 30 bars

26.5G
Top 3 of 30

Top-3 protein, at 180 calories

Third-highest protein of the 30, behind MET-Rx (32g, but at 410 calories) and David (28g). Among bars with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories (Pursuit, Quest, David, Kirkland), Pursuit is #2.

Most proteinper bar
  1. 1MET-Rx410 cal32g
  2. 2David Protein150 cal28g
  3. 3Pursuit Protein180 cal26.5g
  4. 4Quest Nutrition190 cal21g
  5. 5Kirkland Signature180 cal21g

Range: 5–32g across 30 bars

11INGREDIENTS
Fewest in class

Shortest list in its class

The fewest ingredients of any bar with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories, and fifth-fewest of all 30. 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
  1. 1Pursuit Protein26.5g · 180 cal11
  2. 2Quest Nutrition21g · 190 cal14
  3. 3Kirkland Signature21g · 180 cal16
  4. 4David Protein28g · 150 cal18

Range: 3–45 across 30 bars

7G
1 of only 3 in class

Fiber that clears the bar

One of only three bars with more than 20g protein and under 200 calories that deliver at least 7g of fiber, a quarter of the 28g Daily Value in one bar. Quest (12g) and Kirkland (10g) are the others; David has 1g.

In class>20g protein, <200 cal
  1. 1Quest Nutrition21g · 190 cal12g
  2. 2Kirkland Signature21g · 180 cal10g
  3. 3Pursuit Protein26.5g · 180 cal7g
  4. 4David Protein28g · 150 cal1g

Range: 1–16g across 30 bars

In testing · not scored

Glucose & insulin response

We are running head-to-head glucose- and insulin-response tests of Pursuit against leading bars. Early internal results are encouraging, but they are preliminary and unpublished, so they are not on the scoreboard. The protocol and data will be published here when testing is complete.

Head-to-Head

Pick the Bar You Eat Now

Put Pursuit next to your current bar, metric by metric. Green marks the better value in each row, whichever bar it is.

Choose a competitor bar to compare with Pursuit. The comparison updates below.
Popular:
Pursuit leads on 5 of 9 metrics vs. David Protein; David Protein leads on 3; 1 tied.
Pursuit 5David Protein 3
Pursuit Protein versus David Protein (Fudge Brownie), metric by metric
MetricPursuitCashew Chocolate CrunchDavid ProteinFudge Brownie
Calories180150 (better)
Protein26.5g28g (better)
Net carbsmean, per label1g (better)6.3g
Sugar<1g0g
Fiber7g (better)1g
Calories from proteinprotein g × 4 ÷ calories59%75% (better)
Leucine (est.)estimated from protein sources3.5g (better)2.2g
Ingredients11 (better)18
Ingredient flagsof 12 categories0 of 12
None of the 12 categories
8 of 12
Sugars & starchesSugar alcoholsArtif. sweetenersArtif. flavorsFat replacers“Natural” flavorsSoyEmulsifiers
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.

28 leading protein bar brands plus one emerging brand, flagship bar for each, next to 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 30 of 30 bars
Pursuit Protein compared with 28 leading protein bar brands plus one emerging brand: nutrition, ingredient count and ingredient flags for each brand’s flagship bar.
Details
Pursuit ProteinOursCashew Chocolate Crunch 180 26.5g 1g (best in column) <1g 7g 59% 3.5g (best in column) 11 0 ✓
CLIF BuildersChocolate Mint 280 20g 24g 17g 3g 29% 1.5g 20 5
Pure ProteinChocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar 200 20g 12.5g 2g 1g 40% 1.5g 25 8
BarebellsCookies & Cream Protein Bar 200 20g 11.5g 1g 3g 40% 1.6g 18 8
Quest NutritionChocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar 190 21g 3.5g 1g 12g 44% 2.0g 14 4 +1?
AtkinsChocolate Peanut Butter Meal Bar 250 16g 3g 2g 12g 26% 1.0g 16 7
KIND ProteinDark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt 250 12g 9g 5g 7g 19% 0.9g 14 5
RXBARChocolate Sea Salt 200 12g 18g 14g 5g 24% 1.0g 8 2
GatoradeChocolate Chip Protein Bar 350 20g 37g 28g 1g 23% 2.0g 35 6
David ProteinFudge Brownie 150 28g 6.3g 0g (best in column) 1g 75% (best in column) 2.2g 18 8
ONE BrandsBirthday Cake 220 20g 15.5g 1g 3g 36% 2.0g 30 8
FITCRUNCHChocolate Peanut Butter Baked Bar 190 16g 10g 3g 1g 34% 1.2g 43 9
MET-RxBig 100 Super Cookie Crunch 410 32g (best in column) 38g 25g 2g 31% 2.5g 45 7
Perfect BarDark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter 330 15g 20g 18g 4g 18% 1.2g 29 3
Grenade Carb KillaChocolate Chip Cookie Dough 220 20g 13.5g 2g 7g 36% 1.5g 24 7
Power CrunchFrench Vanilla Creme Wafer Bar 220 13g 10.8g 5g 1g 24% 1.3g 22 6
ALOHAPeanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar 240 14g 11.8g 5g 10g 23% 1.1g 13 1
FULFILChocolate Salted Caramel 160 15g 8.5g 1g 1g 38% 1.2g 32 7
GoMacroPeanut Butter Chocolate Chip MacroBar 290 11g 37g 8g 2g 15% 0.9g 6 1
Kirkland SignatureChocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Protein Bar 180 21g 11g 2g 10g 47% 2.0g 16 3
think!Creamy Peanut Butter High Protein Bar 230 20g 16.5g 1g 1g 35% 1.7g 14 6
No CowChocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar 200 20g 1.4g 1g 16g (best in column) 40% 1.6g 17 4
BUILTBrownie Batter Puff 140 (best in column) 17g 8.5g 6g 1g 49% 1.2g 13 6
IQBARChocolate Sea Salt 170 12g 2g 1g 8g 28% 1.0g 15 3
Munk PackSea Salt Dark Chocolate Keto Nut & Seed Bar 150 5g 3g <1g 5g 13% 0.3g 18 5 +1?
OrgainOrganic Protein Bar - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk 160 10g 15.8g 5g 1g 25% 0.8g 17 3
Rise BarAlmond Honey Protein Bar 280 18g 17g 17g 4g 26% 1.7g 3 (best in column) 1
NuGo SlimBrownie Crunch 180 16g 9g 3g 6g 36% 1.2g 21 5
MisfitsChocolate Caramel Fudge 190 15g 15.5g <1g 4g 32% 1.1g 14 6
Lineage ProvisionsEmergingChocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar 185 20g 11g 10g 1g 43% 1.4g 10 1
No competitor bar matches every filter you picked. Pursuit is the only bar 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 is our estimate of U.S. sales (a proxy, not an official ranking), so we don’t print rank numbers. Pursuit is new; Lineage Provisions is an emerging brand included unranked.
  • 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 is the mean where labels differ. Leucine is estimated from the protein sources on the label.

What’s Not in It

The Only Row With Nothing to Flag

Twelve ingredient categories, checked against each bar’s label. Presence, not quantity. One row comes 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 bar, whether its flagship product contains any of 12 ingredient categories. A check means clear; a cross means the label lists it; a question mark means possible.
Bar Sugars & starches Sugar alcohols Artif. sweeteners Artif. flavors Fat replacers “Natural” flavors Seed / industrial oils Soy Gums Emulsifiers Preservatives Colors Flags
Pursuit Protein Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: 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
ALOHA Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — cane sugar in chocolate chips; tapioca syrup 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 1
GoMacro Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — brown rice syrup; brown rice; coconut sugar in chocolate chips 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 1
Rise Bar Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — honey 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 1
Lineage Provisions Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — raw honey; organic coconut nectar; organic coconut sugar in chocolate chips 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 1
RXBAR Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — dates / high-sugar Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: clear Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 2
Perfect Bar Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — honey; nonfat dry milk; cane sugar in chocolate Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: clear Seed & industrial oils: yes — sesame seed oil; pumpkin seed oil (and flax seed oil; olive oil) some labels also sunflower oil Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower lecithin in dark chocolate on some retail labels Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 3
Kirkland Signature Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — isomalto-oligosaccharides, peanut flour Sugar alcohols: yes — erythritol Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: clear Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 3
IQBAR Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — tapioca starch in pea protein crisps Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: clear Preservatives: yes — Vitamin E listed Added colors & dyes: clear 3
Orgain Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — isomalto-oligosaccharide, tapioca syrup, cane sugar in chocolate chunks, rice flour Sugar alcohols: yes Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: clear Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 3
No Cow Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: clear Sugar alcohols: yes — erythritol Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor(s) Seed & industrial oils: yes — canola-derived vegetable protein in chips; palm oil in some labels Soy: clear Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 4
Quest Nutrition Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: clear Sugar alcohols: yes — erythritol Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose; erythritol Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: possible — lecithin may be sunflower and/or soy Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — lecithin (sunflower and/or soy) Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 4 +1?
CLIF Builders Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — invert cane syrup, cane sugar, brown rice syrup, soy flour, soybeans, rice flour/starch Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel oil; high oleic sunflower and/or soybean oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate, soy flour, soy protein concentrate, roasted soybeans, soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 5
KIND Protein Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — honey, cane sugar, glucose syrup, rice flour Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel oil; peanut oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate, soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 5
NuGo Slim Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — cane sugar, tapioca in soy crisp, rice flour Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: yes — sunflower oil Soy: yes — soy protein; soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 5
Munk Pack Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — rice flour Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel & palm oil; coconut oil; sunflower seeds are whole seeds not oil Soy: possible — lecithin/allergen note includes soy in some sources Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — lecithin Preservatives: yes — mixed tocopherols Added colors & dyes: clear 5 +1?
Gatorade Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar, glucose syrup, invert sugar, corn starch, skim milk, invert sugar Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor(s) Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel oil/palm oil; vegetable oil; soybean oil in some flavors Soy: yes — soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin; mono/diglycerides Preservatives: yes — TBHQ/citric acid/mixed tocopherols to preserve freshness Added colors & dyes: clear 6
Power Crunch Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — enriched flour, wheat flour, malted barley flour, sugar, fructose Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm oil; palm kernel oil; canola oil Soy: yes — soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 6
think! Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — maltitol syrup; peanut flour Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol syrup Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — fractionated palm kernel oil; high oleic sunflower oil / sunflower oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin may be present Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower and/or soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 6
BUILT Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — sugar; cultured dextrose; glycerin; nonfat milk powder Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm and palm kernel oil Soy: yes — soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: yes — cultured dextrose may function as preservative Added colors & dyes: clear 6
Misfits Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — maltitol, rice flour, tapioca starch Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavouring Seed & industrial oils: yes — sunflower oil in McGrocer source; coconut oil listed Soy: yes — soy protein nuggets/isolate Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 6
Atkins Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — milk; bakers sugar; polydextrose (can convert to glucose) Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel and palm oil; peanut oil; olive oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin Gums: yes — guar gum Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 7
MET-Rx Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — corn syrup, sugar, fructose, oligofructose, tapioca starch in soy crisp Sugar alcohols: clear Artificial sweeteners: clear Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — canola oil; fractionated palm kernel/palm oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin Gums: yes — xanthan gum Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: yes — tocopherols Added colors & dyes: clear 7
Grenade Carb Killa Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — polydextrose (can convert to glucose); tapioca starch; glycerol; maltitol/xylitol Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol; xylitol in some labels Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose; xylitol/maltitol are sweeteners but tracked under sugar alcohols Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — flavorings / natural flavoring Seed & industrial oils: yes — sunflower oil; soy oil in some sources Soy: yes — soy protein; soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 7
FULFIL Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — maltitol/maltitol syrup, milk, rice flour, nonfat milk; polydextrose (can convert to glucose) Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol; maltitol syrup Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavors Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 7
Pure Protein Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — peanut flour, maltitol syrup, maltitol, sugar, tapioca starch Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol syrup; maltitol Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — fractionated palm kernel oil; peanut oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: yes — annatto/turmeric color in natural flavor system 8
Barebells Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — maltitol, polydextrose (can convert to glucose), dry whole milk, tapioca starch Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose; acesulfame-K in some sources/regions Artificial flavors: yes — natural and artificial flavors Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural and artificial flavors in US store/Kroger Seed & industrial oils: yes — sunflower oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy may appear in lecithin/crisps Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower/soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 8
David Protein Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — tapioca starch; maltitol / sugar alcohol Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose; acesulfame potassium Artificial flavors: yes — natural and artificial flavor Artificial fat replacers: yes — modified plant fat [EPG] “Natural” flavors: yes — natural and artificial flavor Seed & industrial oils: clear Soy: yes — soy lecithin / contains soy Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: clear 8
ONE Brands Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — isomalto-oligosaccharides, polydextrose (can convert to glucose), maltitol, maltitol syrup, cornstarch, tapioca starch, corn starch, sugar, dextrin Sugar alcohols: yes — maltitol / maltitol syrup Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel oil / palm oil Soy: yes — soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — soy lecithin; monoglycerides in some labels Preservatives: clear Added colors & dyes: yes — fruit/vegetable juice concentrates / spirulina / annatto / turmeric in sprinkles 8
FITCRUNCH Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours: yes — sugar, dextrose, glucose syrup, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, maltodextrin Sugar alcohols: yes — sorbitol; maltitol Artificial sweeteners: yes — sucralose Artificial flavors: clear Artificial fat replacers: clear “Natural” flavors: yes — natural flavor Seed & industrial oils: yes — palm kernel/palm oils; sunflower oil; soybean oil Soy: yes — soy protein isolate; soy lecithin Gums: clear Emulsifiers: yes — sunflower lecithin, soy lecithin, mono/diglycerides 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 (we list organic 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). Where a label note lists a polyol alongside one of these, the polyol is counted under sugar alcohols, not here.
  • Added sugar & sugar equivalents, starches, grains & flours includes cane and other sugars, honey, dates and syrups, sugar-equivalents such as maltodextrin, dextrin and isomalto-oligosaccharides, and starches, grains and flours. (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 (it can convert to 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.

In Fairness

Where Other Bars Lead

“Nothing compares to our total package” is our line. Here is every measure where a competitor beats us, because a comparison you can’t lose isn’t one.

Fewer calories than Pursuit’s 180

  1. BUILT 14017g protein
  2. David Protein 15028g protein
  3. Munk Pack 1505g protein
  4. FULFIL 16015g protein
  5. Orgain 16010g protein
  6. IQBAR 17012g protein

More protein than Pursuit’s 26.5g

  1. MET-Rx 32g410 cal
  2. David Protein 28g150 cal

More fiber than Pursuit’s 7g

  1. No Cow 16g20g protein
  2. Quest Nutrition 12g21g protein
  3. Atkins 12g16g protein
  4. ALOHA 10g14g protein
  5. Kirkland Signature 10g21g protein
  6. IQBAR 8g12g protein

Higher share of calories from protein than Pursuit’s 59%

  1. David Protein 75%

Fewer ingredients than Pursuit’s 11

  1. Rise Bar 318g protein
  2. GoMacro 611g protein
  3. RXBAR 812g protein
  4. Lineage Provisions 1020g protein
Every bar, one line each: who leads on what
  • ALOHA: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; ALOHA has more fiber.
  • Atkins: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; Atkins has more fiber.
  • Barebells: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • BUILT: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; BUILT has fewer calories.
  • CLIF Builders: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • David Protein: Pursuit has lower net carbs, more fiber, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; David Protein has fewer calories, more protein and a higher protein share of calories.
  • FITCRUNCH: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • FULFIL: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; FULFIL has fewer calories.
  • Gatorade: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • GoMacro: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.) and fewer ingredient flags; GoMacro has fewer ingredients.
  • Grenade Carb Killa: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • IQBAR: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; IQBAR has fewer calories and more fiber.
  • KIND Protein: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Kirkland Signature: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; Kirkland Signature has more fiber.
  • Lineage Provisions: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.) and fewer ingredient flags; Lineage Provisions has fewer ingredients.
  • MET-Rx: Pursuit has fewer calories, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; MET-Rx has more protein.
  • Misfits: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Munk Pack: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; Munk Pack has fewer calories.
  • No Cow: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; No Cow has more fiber.
  • NuGo Slim: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • ONE Brands: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Orgain: Pursuit has more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; Orgain has fewer calories.
  • Perfect Bar: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Power Crunch: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Pure Protein: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.
  • Quest Nutrition: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; Quest Nutrition has more fiber.
  • Rise Bar: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.) and fewer ingredient flags; Rise Bar has fewer ingredients.
  • RXBAR: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, less sugar, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.) and fewer ingredient flags; RXBAR has fewer ingredients.
  • think!: Pursuit has fewer calories, more protein, lower net carbs, more fiber, a higher protein share of calories, more leucine (est.), fewer ingredients and fewer ingredient flags; nothing goes the other way.

Not compared: price, taste, protein digestibility scores (DIAAS) or third-party lab assays. No bar in the set beats Pursuit across the board, and Pursuit leads every bar here on at least one measure. Sort the table and check.

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 one: Lineage Provisions, an emerging clean-label brand, included unranked because customers ask about it.
  • Reference bar: each brand’s flagship or top-selling flavor. It’s named in every row so you can check it.
  • Pursuit: Cashew Chocolate Crunch, from our current formulation specification, 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 and any declared sugar alcohols or allulose; where labels differ by retailer or region we show the mean.
  • Calories from protein: protein grams × 4 ÷ total calories.
  • Leucine: estimated 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). 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.

What we flag

  • Twelve categories: added sugar, starches, grains & flours · sugar alcohols · artificial sweeteners · artificial flavors · artificial fat replacers · “natural” flavors · seed & industrial oils · soy · gums · emulsifiers · preservatives · added colors & dyes.
  • Rule: a category is flagged when the reference bar’s ingredient list includes it. Presence, not quantity.
  • 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.
Download the data (CSV) Download the data (JSON)

Data verified August 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. Glucose and insulin testing is in progress; nothing on this page reports its results. Nothing here is medical advice.

Questions

Comparison FAQ

Of the 30 bars compared (the flagship bar of 28 leading protein bar brands, one emerging brand and Pursuit; labels verified August 2026), Pursuit Protein has the lowest net carbs at 1g per bar. No Cow (1.4g) and IQBAR (2g) are the next lowest. See the full chart, sorted by net carbs.

Pursuit Protein, at an estimated 3.5g of leucine per bar, the highest estimate of the 30 bars compared. MET-Rx Big 100 (about 2.5g) and David (about 2.2g) 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. 26.5g), fewer calories (150 vs. 180) and 0g sugar. Pursuit has lower net carbs (1g vs. about 6g), seven times the fiber (7g vs. 1g), more leucine (3.5g vs. 2.2g, estimated), fewer ingredients (11 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) and used each brand’s flagship or top-selling flavor as its reference bar. One emerging brand, Lineage Provisions, is included unranked. 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, starches, grains and flours; 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, and hold Pursuit to the same rules. See the matrix.

Never Compromise

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Lowest net carbs. Highest estimated leucine. Nothing to flag. Cashew Chocolate Crunch, shipped to your door.

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