The Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie: Which Fresh Dog Food Is Actually Worth It? (2026)
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If you’ve been thinking about switching your dog to fresh food, you’ve almost certainly landed on two names: The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie. They’re the two biggest players in the fresh dog food space, they’re both subscription-based, and they both cost more than kibble.
So which one is actually worth it?
We broke down both services across every category that matters — ingredients, price, customization, delivery, and real-world results — so you can make the right call for your dog.
Quick Verdict
- Best overall: The Farmer’s Dog
- Best for picky eaters: Ollie
- Best value: Ollie, mainly because its half-portion plans let you mix fresh food with kibble
- Best for health-focused owners: The Farmer’s Dog
- Not sold on either? See 3 alternatives worth a look
Both are excellent — but they’re not identical. The right choice depends on your dog’s size, preferences, and your budget.
What Is Fresh Dog Food — and Why Does It Matter?
Traditional kibble is cooked at extremely high temperatures, which destroys a significant portion of its natural nutrients. Manufacturers then add synthetic vitamins back in. Fresh dog food skips that process entirely — it’s made with real, whole ingredients, cooked gently, and delivered refrigerated or frozen.
The result? More bioavailable nutrients, better digestion, healthier coat, more energy — and for many dogs, notably firmer stools (unglamorous but a genuine health indicator).
Both The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie deliver pre-portioned fresh meals tailored to your dog’s specific profile. Here’s how they compare.
The Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie: Side-by-Side Comparison
| The Farmer’s Dog | Ollie | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 | 2016 |
| Recipes | 4 (beef, chicken, pork, turkey) | 5 (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish) |
| Ingredients | Human-grade, USDA-certified | Human-grade |
| Vet formulation | Yes — board-certified nutritionists | Yes — in-house nutrition team |
| Customization | By dog profile | By dog profile |
| Portion control | Pre-portioned packs | Pre-portioned packs |
| Delivery | Every 1–8 weeks | Every 1–8 weeks |
| Packaging | BPA-free pouches | Cardboard meal cups |
| Price range | ~$2–12/day depending on dog size | ~$3–10/day depending on dog size |
| Trial discount | Yes (discounted first box) | Yes (discounted first box) |
Ingredients: What’s Actually in the Food?
The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog uses USDA-certified human-grade ingredients — the same standard applied to food made for humans. Their recipes are simple and transparent:
- Beef recipe: beef, sweet potato, lentils, sunflower oil, fish oil, and a vitamin/mineral blend
- Turkey recipe: turkey, broccoli, beets, spinach, carrots, chia seeds
- Pork recipe: pork, butternut squash, potato, broccoli, cauliflower
- Chicken recipe: chicken, rice, sweet potato, broccoli, parsley, fish oil
No fillers, no artificial preservatives, no rendered meals. Every ingredient is listed and identifiable.
Ollie
Ollie also uses human-grade ingredients, though they are not USDA-certified to the same standard as The Farmer’s Dog. Their recipes tend to be slightly more varied:
- Beef recipe: beef, sweet potato, carrots, peas, beef liver, fish oil
- Chicken recipe: chicken, chicken liver, carrots, peas, blueberries, fish oil
- Lamb recipe: lamb, lamb liver, butternut squash, peas, spinach
- Turkey & salmon recipe: turkey, salmon, sweet potato, cranberries
Ollie’s ingredient quality is genuinely excellent — the distinction with USDA certification is a fine one, but worth noting if it matters to you.
Winner: The Farmer’s Dog — USDA-certified human-grade is the gold standard, and their ingredient lists are among the most transparent in the industry.
Price: How Much Does Each Cost?
Fresh dog food is more expensive than kibble. That’s the honest truth. But the price difference between The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie is smaller than you might expect.
The Farmer’s Dog Pricing
Pricing is calculated based on your dog’s weight, age, breed, and activity level. Rough estimates:
- Small dog (10–20 lbs): $2–4/day
- Medium dog (30–50 lbs): $5–8/day
- Large dog (60–90 lbs): $8–12/day
Your first box is typically offered at a significant discount (often 50% off) to let you trial the service.
Ollie Pricing
Ollie’s pricing is similar, with slightly lower per-day costs for medium and large dogs in many cases:
- Small dog (10–20 lbs): $3–5/day
- Medium dog (30–50 lbs): $5–7/day
- Large dog (60–90 lbs): $7–10/day
Ollie also offers a discounted first box for new customers.
A real-world data point: In Ollie’s own published comparison (updated June 2026), a 55-lb, 2-year-old Labrador cost exactly the same on both services: $62.02 a week for full fresh meals, or about $8.86 a day. For a 5-lb Yorkie, The Farmer’s Dog came in slightly cheaper ($18.97/week vs. $21.00). Where Ollie pulls ahead is flexibility: its half-portion plan brought the same Lab down to $43.37 a week.
Winner: Essentially a tie on full meals. Ollie wins if you want to mix fresh food with kibble to cut the cost.
Customization: How Well Do They Match Your Dog?
Both services start with a questionnaire about your dog — breed, age, weight, activity level, health goals, and any allergies or sensitivities. The algorithm then recommends recipes and portion sizes.
The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog keeps customization focused and practical. You choose from their 4 recipes, and they calculate exact portion sizes for your dog’s caloric needs. You can mix and match recipes. The system is clean, simple, and easy to update as your dog’s needs change.
Ollie
Ollie goes a little deeper on the quiz — they ask about your dog’s body condition score and specific health goals (weight loss, joint health, digestion, etc.). Their 5 recipes give slightly more flexibility, which is particularly useful for dogs with known ingredient sensitivities.
Winner: Tie — both do this well. Ollie gets a slight edge for picky dogs or those with sensitivities due to the extra recipe option.
Delivery and Packaging
Both services ship nationwide and use insulated boxes with ice packs to keep food fresh during transit.
The Farmer’s Dog
Food arrives in flat, sealed BPA-free pouches — easy to stack in the fridge or freezer. The packaging is compact and the food thaws quickly if frozen. Delivery cadence is flexible.
Ollie
Food arrives in cardboard meal cups that are pre-portioned by meal. Some owners love the convenience; others find the cups less efficient to store than flat pouches. The cardboard is more eco-friendly, which matters to some pet parents.
Winner: The Farmer’s Dog for storage efficiency; Ollie for eco-conscious packaging.
Which Dogs Do Best on Each?
The Farmer’s Dog is ideal for:
- Dogs with digestive issues or sensitive stomachs
- Owners who prioritize the strictest ingredient standards
- Dogs transitioning from kibble for the first time
- Multi-dog households (bulk pricing available)
Ollie is ideal for:
- Picky eaters who benefit from more recipe variety
- Dogs with specific dietary goals (weight loss, joint support)
- Owners who prefer eco-friendly packaging
- Medium to large dogs where Ollie’s pricing is slightly more competitive
Real Results: What Do Dog Owners Report?
Both services have thousands of verified reviews and strong reputations. Common themes from real owners:
The Farmer’s Dog owners report:
- Noticeably firmer, smaller stools within the first 2 weeks
- Improved coat shine and reduced shedding
- Increased energy in older dogs
- Easier weight management with pre-portioned meals
Ollie owners report:
- Dogs who rejected other foods eating Ollie enthusiastically
- Improved digestion and reduced gas
- Visible coat improvements within 4–6 weeks
- High palatability — most dogs love the taste
The Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
If you want the strictest ingredient standards and the most transparent food in the fresh dog food space, choose The Farmer’s Dog. Their USDA-certified human-grade standard, simple ingredient lists, and strong track record make them the top pick for health-focused dog owners.
If your dog is a picky eater, or if you have a medium to large dog and want slightly more recipe variety at a marginally lower price point, Ollie is an excellent choice that won’t disappoint.
The honest truth: you can’t make a bad decision here. Both services are genuinely superior to kibble and most canned foods. The bigger question isn’t Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie — it’s whether fresh dog food is right for your dog at all. If you’re on the fence, the discounted first box from either service is a low-risk way to find out.
Not Sold on Either? 3 Alternatives Worth a Look
The most common reason people stall on this decision isn’t ingredients; it’s the price. If The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie both feel like a stretch, or you want something they don’t offer, these three are worth comparing.
Open Farm Freshly Crafted: Best No-Subscription Fresh Food
Open Farm’s fresh line (formerly called Gently Cooked) is the closest like-for-like alternative: human-grade, gently cooked, and pre-portioned. The big difference is that you can buy it like regular dog food, with no quiz and no required subscription. Open Farm is also unusually transparent about sourcing, with ingredient traceability for every batch. At the time of writing, 16-lb packs run $9.37–$11.00 per pound, and new customers get 20% off their first order.
Skip it if: you want portions calculated for you. You’ll do the feeding math yourself from the bag’s guide. More detail in our Open Farm review. View Open Farm Freshly Crafted →
We Feed Raw: Best If You’re Open to Raw
If you’re considering fresh food for digestion, coat, or a picky eater, raw is the other road. We Feed Raw is pre-portioned, complete-and-balanced raw that’s high-pressure processed (HPP) to reduce bacteria. It runs $8.89–$9.89 per pound, which is competitive with the fresh-cooked services for small and medium dogs. At the time of writing, the first box is 40% off with free shipping.
Skip it if: you have a large dog on a budget, or limited freezer space. Full pricing by dog size is in our We Feed Raw review. Get 40% off your first We Feed Raw box →
PawCo: Best Plant-Based Option
PawCo makes fresh, vet-formulated plant-based meals. It’s a niche choice, but it’s the one to look at if you prefer to keep meat out of your dog’s bowl or your dog has multiple protein sensitivities. Its 11-lb variety box costs $68.99 (about $6.27 per pound), the lowest per-pound price here, and new subscribers get 50% off their first order.
Skip it if: you want a meat-based diet. Talk to your vet before moving any dog to a plant-based food. View PawCo fresh meals →
Cost Comparison at a Glance
| Type | Price (at time of writing) | First-order offer | Subscription? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Farmer’s Dog | Fresh cooked | ~$62/week for a 55-lb dog* | Discounted first box | Required |
| Ollie | Fresh cooked | ~$62/week for a 55-lb dog* ($43 half-portion) | Discounted first box | Required |
| Open Farm Freshly Crafted | Fresh cooked | $9.37–$11.00/lb (16-lb packs) | 20% off first order | Optional |
| We Feed Raw | Raw (HPP) | $8.89–$9.89/lb | 40% off first box | Required |
| PawCo | Plant-based fresh | ~$6.27/lb (11-lb variety box) | 50% off first subscription | Optional |
Joe’s Take: The Budget Move Nobody Talks About
After a lifetime of dogs, here’s what I’d tell a friend who loves the idea of fresh food but not the bill: you don’t have to go all in. Use fresh or raw as a topper on a good kibble like Brothers Complete. A quarter of the bowl in fresh food is usually enough to win over a picky eater, at roughly a quarter of the cost. Ollie’s half-portion plan is built for exactly this, and Open Farm and We Feed Raw work the same way. Just cut back the kibble to match.
If you’re considering raw feeding rather than fresh-cooked, our full We Feed Raw review covers how it compares on price, safety, and which dogs benefit most. And if your dog has food sensitivities or allergies driving the switch, our guide to best dog food for allergies explains how to identify the actual trigger and choose a food accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Farmer’s Dog or Ollie better for small dogs? Pricing is similar for small dogs. The Farmer’s Dog edges ahead on ingredient certification, so it’s our pick for small breeds.
Can I feed my dog 50% fresh food and 50% kibble? Yes — both services support “topper” portions if you’re not ready to go fully fresh. It’s a great way to get the benefits of fresh food at lower cost.
How long does the food last in the fridge? Both The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie stay fresh for 4–5 days refrigerated, and several months frozen.
Is fresh dog food worth the cost? For most dogs, yes — particularly those with digestive issues, skin problems, or low appetite. The health improvements many owners see within the first month make it worthwhile.
Do vets recommend fresh dog food? Most vets are supportive of high-quality fresh food, particularly from services like The Farmer’s Dog that are formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and meet AAFCO standards.
