Bucked Up vs Don't Quit!: The Two Best Values, Two Different Bets
These are the two protein sodas where the math works, so this is the comparison most buyers actually need. Bucked Up bet on grams. Don't Quit! bet on tasting like soda. The published record says both bets landed, in opposite categories.
Side by Side
| Bucked Up | Don't Quit! | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25g whey isolate | 15g whey isolate |
| Can size | 16 oz | 12 oz |
| Price* | ~$3.33/can (12-pack) | ~$2.50/can |
| Protein per $ | ~7.5 g/$ | ~6 g/$ |
| Sugar / caffeine | 0g / none | 0g / none |
| Flavor style | Candy-shop (Rainbow Candy, Orange Cream...) | Classic soda (Root Beer, Orange, Grape) |
| Best published taste result | #2 of 11 at Tasting Table (Orange Cream) | #1 of 11 at Tasting Table (Root Beer) |
| Worst published taste result | #11 of 11 (Peach Mango) | #10 of 11 (Fruit Punch) |
Where Bucked Up Wins
Volume of protein, and efficiency of protein. 25 grams means one can is a legitimate protein snack on its own; two cans approach a full post-workout dose. At about 13 cents a gram it is the cheapest canned protein on the market. If the can is doing a nutritional job, Bucked Up does more of it for less.
Where Don't Quit! Wins
Consistency of the experience. Its two flagship flavors, Root Beer and Orange, took first and fourth in Tasting Table's eleven-soda field, both praised for passing as real soda. Bucked Up's flavors span the entire ranking, second place and last place in the same test. With Don't Quit! you are far less likely to be stuck with eleven cans you hate. It is also cheaper per can, which matters when you are buying it as a daily soda replacement rather than a supplement.
The Sweetness Variable
Both use zero-sugar sweetening, and the fake-sweet aftertaste is the category's biggest complaint. The published pattern: Don't Quit!'s soda-classic flavors hide it better (the Root Beer showed no fake-sugar taste at all per Tasting Table), while Bucked Up's fruitier flavors expose it. If you are sweetener-sensitive, that pattern should drive your pick more than the gram counts.
The Call
Buy Bucked Up if you are buying protein that happens to fizz. Start with Orange Cream, avoid Peach Mango until you have tried a single can.
Buy Don't Quit! if you are killing a soda habit and 15 grams is a bonus. Root Beer first.
Both together is not crazy either: Don't Quit! for the evening soda slot, Bucked Up for the post-gym slot.
Full write-ups: Bucked Up review · Don't Quit! review