Best Vegan Protein Powders (2026): Pea, Soy, Rice and Blends Compared

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I am Fred, a marketer, not a dietitian, and I did not taste-test these powders. This guide ranks vegan protein powders on things you can check yourself: which third-party certifications actually show up in the certifier's own database, what Consumer Reports found when it tested plant proteins for lead, what is on the label, and what 25 grams of protein really costs on iHerb. AI helps me draft; every number below links back to its source. Data checked on 20 October 2026, US prices.

The short answer

• Best value: NOW Foods NOW Sports Pea Protein — $0.91 per 25 g of protein, one ingredient, unsweetened. Its Informed Sport status is claimed by the seller; I could not confirm it in the database.
• Cleanest verified contaminant certification: Ritual Essential Protein Daily Shake 18+ — the only product here with a Clean Label Project certification I could find in their database. It is also the most expensive ($4.08 per 25 g).
• For athletes who get drug-tested: Vega Performance Protein + Recovery or Thorne Plant Protein — both listed in the NSF Certified for Sport database. Read the lead notes for both before you buy.
• Most protein and leucine per scoop: Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein (30 g, 2527 mg leucine) — but it had the highest lead result of any product Consumer Reports tested in this group.

All 12 powders compared

Sorted from cheapest to most expensive per 25 g of protein. "—" means I found no certification for that product in a certifier's own database; brand claims are not counted.

Price per 25 g of protein = price ÷ (servings × grams of protein per serving) × 25. Prices change daily; check the current price before you buy.

What the lead tests actually found

In October 2025 Consumer Reports tested protein powders and shakes for heavy metals and found that plant-based products averaged about nine times more lead than dairy-based ones (Consumer Reports, Oct 2025, updated Jan 2026). Its benchmark is 0.5 micrograms of lead per day — California's Prop 65 level, which is deliberately conservative. Results for products in this guide, as a share of that daily level per serving:

• Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein: 564% — Consumer Reports advises having it no more than once a week.
• Vega (the earlier "Premium Sport" chocolate formula): 185%. Vega says the current Protein + Recovery uses pea protein sourced from North America instead of China; the current formula has not been retested by Consumer Reports.
• Orgain Organic Protein Plant-Based Powder: 143%.
• PlantFusion Complete Protein: 140%.
• KOS Organic Superfood Plant Protein: 112%.

The Clean Label Project's own study of 160 protein products found that 47% exceeded at least one regulatory limit and that organic products averaged about three times more lead than non-organic ones (Clean Label Project protein study). It does not publish results for individual products, so it cannot tell you which brand is safer.

Why an NSF-certified powder can still carry a lead warning. NSF Certified for Sport checks for banned substances and sets its own contaminant limits, which are far higher than Prop 65's 0.5 micrograms a day. That is why Thorne Plant Protein is NSF certified and also shows a Prop 65 lead warning on iHerb. Neither label is wrong; they answer different questions. If heavy metals are your main concern, look for a contaminant-focused certification or published lab results, not a sport certification.

What I would do with this. Lead in plant proteins mostly comes from the soil the plants grow in, so no plant protein will be lead-free. If you use a scoop every day, pick a product with a lower published result or a contaminant certification, and avoid stacking several plant protein products a day. If you are pregnant or buying for a child, talk to your doctor first.

Is plant protein as good as whey for muscle?

For most people training a few times a week, yes — as long as the dose is large enough. A 12-week trial found that pea protein and whey produced similar gains in muscle thickness alongside resistance training (Babault et al., 2015; note that it was funded and co-authored by Roquette, a pea protein manufacturer). A smaller pilot study comparing whey and pea found no meaningful differences in strength or body composition (Banaszek et al., 2019). In a 12-week study of untrained young men, habitual vegans who topped up to about 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight with soy protein gained as much strength and muscle as omnivores who did the same with whey (Hevia-Larraín et al., 2021).

The catch is leucine, the amino acid that most strongly switches on muscle building. Plant protein isolates contain less of it than whey (Gorissen et al., 2018), and the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests 700–3,000 mg of leucine per dose (Jäger et al., 2017). Every powder in this guide that states its leucine content clears the low end of that range in one scoop. Blends of several plant proteins can match the amino-acid profile of animal protein more closely, and in one study a wheat, corn and pea blend stimulated muscle protein synthesis about as well as milk protein (Pinckaers et al., 2023). For a deeper look at a single source, see my guide to pea protein powder.

The picks, one by one

Best value: NOW Foods NOW Sports Pea Protein

24 g protein per 33 g scoop · 120 kcal · leucine 2009 mg · $0.91 per 25 g protein · sweetener: none (unsweetened)

The cheapest protein per gram in this comparison by a wide margin, a single ingredient, and no sweetener, so it works in cooking and smoothies.

What to keep in mind: Unflavored pea protein tastes earthy on its own. The Informed Sport mark is claimed on the iHerb page, but the database was not accessible when I checked. Not tested by Consumer Reports.

See it on iHerb

Cleanest verified certification: Ritual Essential Protein Daily Shake 18+

20 g protein per 30 g scoop · 120 kcal · leucine 1785 mg · $4.08 per 25 g protein · sweetener: Reb M + organic monk fruit

The only powder here with a Clean Label Project certification and Purity Award that I could confirm in the Clean Label Project database. Clean Label Project tests for heavy metals and other contaminants.

What to keep in mind: At $4.08 per 25 g of protein it costs more than four times as much as NOW. It contains coconut (MCT oil). Not tested by Consumer Reports.

See it on iHerb

NSF Certified for Sport, current formula: Vega Performance Protein + Recovery

30 g protein per 41 g scoop · 170 kcal · leucine 2600 mg · $1.87 per 25 g protein · sweetener: stevia leaf extract

Listed in the NSF Certified for Sport database, 30 g of protein and 2,600 mg of leucine per scoop.

What to keep in mind: Consumer Reports tested the earlier chocolate formula at 185% of its lead level; the current formula, made with North American pea protein according to Vega, has not been retested. iHerb lists 12 servings, which appears to be single-sachet data; I calculated price using about 20 servings from the 828 g tub.

See it on iHerb

NSF Certified for Sport, with a lead warning: Thorne Plant Protein

22 g protein per 31.5 g scoop · 130 kcal · leucine 1900 mg · $2.78 per 25 g protein · sweetener: Reb M + monk fruit

Listed in the NSF Certified for Sport database and made by a brand widely used by athletes.

What to keep in mind: iHerb shows a California Prop 65 warning for lead on this product. Not tested by Consumer Reports. $2.78 per 25 g of protein.

See it on iHerb

Most protein per scoop: Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein

30 g protein per 45 g scoop · 170 kcal · leucine 2527 mg · $1.84 per 25 g protein · sweetener: organic stevia

NSF Certified for Sport and Non-GMO Project Verified, both confirmed in the databases, with 30 g of protein and the second-highest leucine here.

What to keep in mind: Consumer Reports measured it at 564% of its daily lead level — the highest in this group — and recommends no more than one serving a week. I would not use it as a daily shake.

See it on iHerb

Organic, mid-price: Garden of Life RAW Organic Protein

22 g protein per 33 g scoop · 130 kcal · leucine 1800 mg · $2.03 per 25 g protein · sweetener: organic erythritol + stevia

Non-GMO Project Verified (confirmed), organic, and $2.03 per 25 g of protein.

What to keep in mind: Contains sesame and erythritol. Not tested by Consumer Reports.

See it on iHerb

How I chose

• Only products sold on iHerb in the US, because that is where I can verify price and label in one place.
• A certification counts only if I found the product in the certifier's own database (NSF Certified for Sport, Non-GMO Project, Clean Label Project). Seals claimed on the packaging alone are listed as claims.
• Lead results come only from published tests. I did not test anything myself, and I do not describe any product as "tested" by me.
• Price per 25 g of protein so that tubs of different sizes and scoop sizes can be compared fairly.
• Taste and mixability are not part of this ranking because I did not try these products.

Frequently asked questions

Do vegan protein powders have more lead than whey?

On average, yes. Consumer Reports found plant-based products averaged about nine times more lead than dairy-based ones, and the Clean Label Project found higher heavy-metal levels in plant-based and organic products. Results vary a lot between brands, which is why product-level data matters.

Is NSF Certified for Sport the same as "low in heavy metals"?

No. It mainly certifies that a product is free of substances banned in sport and that the label is accurate. Its contaminant limits are much looser than Prop 65, so a certified product can still carry a lead warning.

How much leucine do I need from a scoop?

The ISSN suggests 700–3,000 mg per dose. All products in this guide that state their leucine content provide at least 1,385 mg per scoop.

Is organic better?

Organic tells you how the crop was grown, not how much lead the soil contained. In the Clean Label Project study, organic protein products actually averaged more lead.