This shootout between Primal Greens and Athletic Greens really comes down to one thing, is AG1 worth the price difference? Because, yes, it is quite definitely a better product, and there are a few things aside from their marketing spend that do make them a more expensive option.
And the reality is yes AG1 is probably worth the price difference, but if you genuinely can't afford the difference, you will still get some milage out of Primal Greens. But, there is a relatively largely elephant in the room and that is, that if you're looking for the best quality greens powder with the most health benefits at the same price point as AG1, then there's better. And if you're looking for a good budget super green powder, there's better options than Primal.
Neither of these options made the top 3 of our best greens powder list, meaning that they didn't score best on taste, value or overall ingredient content.
That said if you want to pick between these two or any of the better options aren't available in your country (we generally recommend super green tonik, in case you don't want to read our best list) then let's get down to the details of what sets the two appart besides price point.
Primal Greens Overview
Primal Greens, produced by Primal Harvest, is a powdered super greens blend that aims to support energy levels, immune health, and digestion. This product combines a variety of fruits, vegetables, superfoods, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. It also incorporates an adaptogenic mushroom blend to promote hormonal balance. Primal Harvest, a company founded in 2018, focuses on providing supplements as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, targeting health-conscious individuals seeking natural solutions for their well-being.
Athletic Greens Overview
Athletic Greens, also known as AG1 Drink, has been a popular choice in the greens powder market for over a decade. This supplement boasts an extensive list of 75 ingredients, including a wide range of vegetables, fruits, adaptogens, herbs, spices, probiotics, and prebiotics. It is NSF-certified for sports, ensuring it is free from any banned substances. Manufactured in the US and undergoing third-party testing for quality and safety, Athletic Greens aims to provide a comprehensive mix of essential nutrients to support overall wellness.
Whilst 75 ingredients may sound like a good thing, it actually means that most of the ingredients are in far too small doses to have any of the beneficial effects that AG1 claims and they don't actually work together in many cases.
You can read more about that here in our full AG1 Review.
Ingredients AG1 vs Primal Greens
First we need to talk about proprietary blends, the ingredients have to be listed from largest to smallest, which allows us to do some math of the efficacy of the doses. We have broken down both Primal and AG1 in full reviews as mentioned earlier if you'd like more specific detail.
When it comes to comparing the ingredients of Primal Greens and Athletic Greens, it is important to note that both brands use proprietary blends, making it difficult to determine the exact amounts of each ingredient. However, a closer look at the formulations reveals some key similarities and differences.
Athletic Greens offers an alkaline, nutrient-dense superfood complex, a blend of nutrient-dense extracts, herbs, and antioxidants, a digestive enzyme and super mushroom complex, and dairy-free probiotics. These ingredients work together to provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and digestive support.
AG1 also standardizes much more vitamin content. This is actually quite an expensive process and is a large part of what makes up the price difference. It does however mean you know what you're getting.
The mushroom complex, and the herbs and extracts blend are basically useless, there are some good ingredients in there for things like inflammation, mood etc, but almost all of them need to be present in doses that are 10 times larger than in AG1 to have any effect.
That means we're ultimately looking at the top of the list greens which for AG1 is spirulina, apple and wheatgrass, if we assume that just spirulina and wheatgrass are properly dosed, that takes up 95% of the blend.
And spirulina is a top tier greens ingredient, wheatgrass is middling and apple means that AG1 tastes nice, but adds very little value in a powdered form.
That's why we prefer Super Green Tonik that we mentioned earlier as it doesn't hide behind a proprietory blend, has spirulina, chlorella, spinach and some other more expensive leaves (which are normally better nutritionally and more costly than grasses, as you'd probably guess from a trip to the supermarket) as well as including some of the herbs AG1 claims the benefits from in their correct doses, as well as coming in at $10 a month less.
Primal Greens, on the other hand, combines a superfood, antioxidant, and mushroom blend, digestive enzymes and probiotics, and energy-boosting and immune-supportive compounds. This blend of ingredients aims to support optimal digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall energy levels. And again suffers from the same string of issues as AG1.
The probiotics and digestive blends are fine. But the greens are pretty poor and very grass heavy. Alfalfa as the main ingredient is one of the bottom tier greens ingredients and wheatgrass as the 3rd doesn't improve much. Carrot in second is similarly ineffectual as apple.
While both products offer a range of beneficial ingredients, it is worth noting that the exact amounts of each ingredient are not disclosed in either formulation. This lack of transparency may raise concerns for individuals looking for specific dosages of certain nutrients.
Ultimately all you'll get from Primal is some anti oxidant benefits, some digestive improvements from the fiber and a couple of vitamins that are standardized.
Health Benefits: Fact or Fiction?
Both Primal Greens and Athletic Greens claim to offer a multitude of health benefits due to their nutrient-rich formulations. However, it is important to approach these claims with a critical mindset, as the proprietary blends used by both brands make it difficult to determine the effectiveness of each ingredient.
Primal Greens claims to support increased energy levels, enhanced digestion, immune support, improved gut health, reduced inflammation, and hormonal balance. Athletic Greens, on the other hand, promotes benefits such as increased energy, enhanced digestion, immune support, improved gut health, reduced inflammation, and improved sleep.
But, even with the proprietary blends in mind.
Digestion, immune and gut health claims are reasonable for both. AG1's increased energy and immune support claims are reasonable valid based on anti oxidants and the vitamins blends. But, the sleep claims are a bit shakey, you'd need a lot more magnesium or ashwagandha than is in AG1.
And any claims about hormone regulation are practically garbage. Yes, some of the ingredients can do this, but as mentioned in substantially higher dosages.
Which Tastes Better Primal Greens or AG1?
In our eyes it's Athletic Greens, hands down, and we don't even rate Ag1 as one of the better tasting greens powders. It's more of the good base line standard.
The taste of a greens powder supplement can significantly impact the overall experience for consumers. While taste preferences can vary, it is valuable to consider the general consensus regarding the flavors of Primal Greens and Athletic Greens.
Primal Greens is generally well-tolerated by most consumers, with many praising its taste. Some individuals describe it as having a pleasant green juice or matcha-like flavor with a hint of sweetness. The smooth texture of the supplement makes it easy to dissolve in liquid.
Athletic Greens is known for its good taste, with many users reporting that it is enjoyable to consume. Some people describe it as having a pleasant green juice flavor with a hint of vanilla. The supplement mixes well and has a smooth texture, making it easy to incorporate into daily routines.
While taste is subjective, both Primal Greens and Athletic Greens offer palatable options for individuals looking to enhance their nutritional intake.
Pricing: The Big Difference
When it comes to pricing, it is important to consider the value and affordability of each product. Primal Greens is priced at approximately $1.66 per serving, making it a more budget-friendly option. It is available for purchase directly from the Primal Harvest website and Amazon.
Athletic Greens, on the other hand, is priced at approximately $3.23 per serving. While it may be more expensive than Primal Greens, it offers a comprehensive mix of 75 ingredients and is NSF-certified for sports. Athletic Greens can be purchased through the official Athletic Greens website, and bulk and subscription discounts are available to lower the overall cost.
Ultimately, the choice between Primal Greens and Athletic Greens will depend on your budget and the specific benefits and features you are looking for in a greens powder supplement.
Customer Reviews
Honestly, both of these are a little sketchy, they're littered with fake reviews and complete zealots who seem to love the product before even trying it because their favorite influencer mentioned it.
Once we normalize for fake reviews Primal Greens has a rating of about 3.8* stars on Amazon (rather than the 4.3*) listed, with many users praising its taste and digestive benefits. However, it is important to note that some customers did not enjoy the taste of Primal Greens.
Athletic Greens has a rating of 4.4 out of five stars, with many users reporting positive experiences and praising the overall quality and effectiveness of the product. It looks more like 3.9*.
These are both still respectable scores.
Both products have positive reddit reviews, and they do seem to be from legitimate aged accounts.
We achieve normalization by removing 5* reviews that are clearly negative or talking about a different product, these are typically bought and paid for, or a negative review that was threatened.
Pros and Cons: AG1 vs Primal Greens
To summarize the key features and considerations of Primal Greens and Athletic Greens, let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of each product.
Primal Greens Pros:
- More affordable option
- Digestive health support
- Pleasant taste
- 90-day money-back guarantee
Primal Greens Cons:
- Proprietary blend with undisclosed ingredient amounts
- Smaller serving size
- Limited flavor options
Athletic Greens Pros:
- Comprehensive mix of 75 ingredients
- NSF-certified for sports
- Backed by notable health experts
- 90-day money-back guarantee
Athletic Greens Cons:
- Proprietary blend with undisclosed ingredient amounts
- Underdosed ingredients
- Higher price point
- Limited flavor options
Which is Best AG1 or Primal Greens?
Ultimately AG1 is the better greens powder, Primal Greens is cheap with very little benefit if any at all for someone who's already getting a remotely healthy diet unless they specifically have some regularity or bowel issues.
If you are looking for a budget greens powder in this price range we generally recommend Live it Up (formerly Enso), which isn't much more expensive $5 a month, but leads with higher quality greens like spirulina over alfalfa (which we predominantly use to feed cattle, because humans don't particularly benefit from it).
That said, AG1 is far from the best greens powder in it's price bracket, and with 75 ingredients it's impossible for it to properly dose the ingredients that give AG1 it's various health claims. So if you do have the budget for AG1 we generally recommend super green tonik which doesn't have to hide behind proprietary blends because you're actually getting what you pay for.
