9 Best Low-Carb Protein Powders in 2024

Why should you buy a low-carb protein powder? If a protein powder is low-carb, that means more of its overall calories are going to protein, so you’ll be getting better value for your money. This is doubly important for those on low-carb or keto diets. In this article, we’ll be covering the 9 best low-carb protein powders.

Certified nutritionists and professionals in the field (our team of experts) have invested over 200 hours to test out 17 different low-card protein powders.

Each protein powder has been received in detail and rated based on the following criteria: macronutrient breakdown, taste/flavor, nutrition label transparency, fat content transparency, mixability, and value for money. 

The list below is the result of all that testing, and our team has selected the 9 best low-carb protein powders from the bunch that they deemed worthy. As more products are tested, we’ll update this list with the results in case any of the 9 are dethroned from their current rankings.

Top 9 Best Low-Carb Protein Powders Reviewed

1. Isopure Unflavored Whey Isolate – Top Pick
2. Promix Casein Protein Powder – Runner-Up
3. Jacked Factory Authentic Whey
4. Naked Pea Protein – Best For Vegans
5. Plant Fusion Complete Protein
6. Kaged Whey Protein Isolate
7. Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate
8. Cellucor XTEND Pro Whey Isolate
9. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey

Product	Total	Macronutrient Breakdown	Taste/ Flavor	Nutrition Label Transparency	Fat Content Transparency	Mixability	Value for Money
Isopure	58.5	10	9	10	10	10	9.5
Promix	58	10	9	9	10	10	10
Jacked Factory	57.5	9	10	10	9.5	10	9
Naked	56.5	9.5	8.5	10	10	8.5	10
Plant Fusion	56	8	10	9.5	9.5	10	9
Kaged	55.5	9	9.5	9	9	10	9
Transparent Labs	55	9.5	9	10	9.5	9	8
Cellucor	54	9	9.5	8.5	9	9	9
Optimum Nutrition	53.5	9	10	8.5	8.5	9.5	8

First on our list, and the best overall zero carb protein powder on the market is Isopure’s Unflavored Whey. This is also the lowest calorie protein on our list, making it the best low-carb protein powder for weight loss.

At 25 grams of protein per serving and only 100 calories, this protein has a perfect protein concentration of 100%.

At 0g of carbs per serving, it doesn’t get more low-carb than this! We’ve chosen this as the best protein for cutting as it is the lowest calorie option on our list at only 100 calories. However, it can still absolutely be used for bulking as well.

If you’re concerned about how many carbs are in your protein powder, you’re probably also concerned about unnecessary ingredients and fillers.

In this case, Isopure is perfect as it is a simple 2 ingredient formula made up of whey protein isolate and soy lecithin (lecithin is commonly used in protein powders as an added thickener).

Keep in mind that this is an unflavored shake so it won’t have the most appealing flavor – this is unfortunately the trade off you need to make for a perfect macronutrient breakdown.

Isopure does also have low-carb options available with slightly lower protein concentrations. With flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, these would be good choices for those who prefer flavored protein. Just keep in mind these have around 4 grams of carbs per serving, so they aren’t exactly the best fit for this list.

Next on our list, in the runner-up spot and arguably the best tasting low-carb protein powder, we have Promix’s Casein Protein Powder.

If you’re unfamiliar with casein, similar to whey, it is a protein powder derived from dairy. The main difference from whey is how it’s absorbed. It takes significantly longer for our body’s to fully process casein, leading to it being known as a “slow release” product.

With that being said, there is no real difference between whey and casein in results or performance.

However, there may be a difference, for example, in the sensation of satiety, with either whey or casein being preferred by different consumers. It is therefore worth trying both of these dairy proteins and assessing which one you like better.

While Promix doesn’t have a perfect protein score of 100%, it’s pretty close with a 95% concentration.

It’s worth noting that there aren’t any carbs or fat on the nutrition label, so it appears the company may be calculating each gram of protein at 4.2 calories instead of the more common 4 calories.

It’s certainly not a major flaw in the product, just a little confusing. This protein still has the same protein content per serving as our top choice at 25g per serving.

Also, at only 105 calories, this is the second lowest calorie option on our list, making it nearly just as good for cutting.

Note that once again we are talking about the unflavored variety, as it is the only one with 0g of carbs. If you want chocolate or vanilla, it will come at the price of 5-6g of carbs per serving, and a slightly higher price tag (~$1.23-1.29 per serving, respectively).

Up next, we have Jacked Factory’s Authentic Whey protein supplement, which is our third place choice for the best low-carb whey protein powder on the market.

This is the first product on our list that doesn’t have a near perfect protein concentration at 80%. With 1g of carbs and 2g of fats, it’s certainly not an ideal macro breakdown. However, the reason Jacked Factory still ranks so highly on this list is the fact that it offers solid macros in all its flavors.

At 120 calories, this is a slightly higher calorie option, so like the rest of the proteins on our list, we recommend it more for bulking. However, all of these products are still relatively low carb, and definitely usable for cutting as well.

Offering 4 flavors – the standard chocolate and vanilla, as well as the more interesting salted chocolate caramel and fruity cereal splash – there will be a great choice for everyone. This makes Jacked Factory the perfect option for those who want to enjoy a deliciously flavored low-carb protein shake.

Of course, the low protein concentration is the biggest drawback here. However, at only 1g of carbs per serving, it certainly could be a lot worse. Ultimately, it’s up to you if flavor is worth the slightly worse macro breakdown.

Next, and the first fully dairy-free and vegan option on our list is Naked Pea Protein. On top of being completely vegan, this is also the cheapest high protein low-carb protein powder out there.

The first thing you should notice about this product is its price per serving at ~$0.61 for each scoop.

With a protein concentration of 90% and a super high 27g of protein per serving, this has one of the highest protein contents per serving on our list as well. At 2g of carbs, it is certainly not a no carb protein powder, but it is still very low all things considered.

This makes pea protein the choice for those who are budget and macro conscious without being too concerned about flavor.

Pea protein is noticeably less mixable and enjoyable to drink than dairy products. If you’ve never tried pea protein, consider yourself warned that it won’t be the same as milk protein in consistency and taste.

With that being said, if you’re planning on blending your protein into smoothies, then this may still be a great option – especially considering the price and macro breakdown.

Next, we have the only other completely vegan protein on our list, Plant Fusion’s complete protein blend. If you’re looking for a low-carb vegan protein that tastes great, this would be a great option – just keep in mind you will be sacrificing on the macros.

At 83% protein concentration and only 21g of protein per serving, this is the lowest protein concentration supplement on our list. However, it is still very low-carb at only 2g of carbs per serving. Of course, compared to Naked’s Pea Protein, you are getting a significant drop in protein content.

Where Plant Fusion makes up for this is with its delicious flavor and excellent mixability.

This is fairly uncommon for vegan protein powders, making Plant Fusion stand out amongst the rest. It comes in several unique flavors – including red velvet cake and cookies and cream – making it a great choice for those looking for a low-carb protein powder without sacrificing flavor.

Keep in mind, although Plant Fusion delivers a delicious product, the ingredient list is rather long with 8 extra ingredients on top of their protein and enzyme blend.

If you’re looking for a protein that’s as simple as possible, this may not be the best choice for you. It is also rather pricey for the protein content at $1.53 per serving.

Returning to some more dairy options, the next pick on our list is Kaged’s Whey Protein Isolate. Despite being a dairy based protein, this product actually has many similarities to Plant Fusion’s product we just covered. Here’s why.

First, it has the same amount of calories and it also contains digestive enzymes to help it go down smoother. Just like Plant Fusion, it also has a solid range of unique flavors to choose from – including chocolate peanut butter, and s’mores.

Where these products begin to differ is that Kaged has a significantly higher protein concentration and content at 83% and 25g per serving. However, Kaged also has a slightly higher carb count at 3g. Kaged loses some points by likely not being as tasty as Plant Fusion.

Similar to Plant Fusion as well, Kaged has a rather long ingredient list at 8 ingredients total, including some artificial ingredients like sucralose.

While this is not a major con, it may be a downside for those who prefer more all around simple formulas. Also, at $1.46 per serving, it’s on the higher end of our price range.

Ultimately, it’s still a great overall pick despite not being as solid overall as the options at the top of our list.

Up next we have another high-quality, low-carb whey protein powder, this time from Transparent Labs.

At 93% protein concentration and 28 grams of protein per serving, this product has the highest protein content of any supplement on our list. While it does have 1 gram of carbs in each serving as well, this is very low considering the super high protein content.

With a super simple formula, whey sourced from 100% grass fed dairy cows – which produce healthier milk (or at least it has some health benefits) – and no artificial ingredients, this is also one of the highest quality proteins on our list.

The reason it has ended up this far down the list is its price point. At $2 per serving, this is easily one of the most expensive options on our list. While you can be confident you’re getting one of the best protein powders out there, just be aware it will come at a cost.

Luckily, Transparent Labs does offer a 10% subscription deal, so if you go with this product you can save a bit of money if you buy it regularly.

Next we have Cellucor’s XTEND Pro Whey Isolate. While Cellucor is better known for their iconic C4 protein, they also offer a top-notch protein powder.

One thing to note is that the macros vary slightly for the Vanilla and Chocolate flavors. Vanilla has overall better macros (higher protein concentration and less carbs), so for the purpose of this list we recommend sticking with vanilla.

At 91% protein concentration and 25g of protein, this supplement is right up there with the top choices on our list in terms of macros. Although 3g of carbs is rather high, it’s not too much especially when compared with some ridiculously high carb shakes out there.

This is actually also tied for the cheapest dairy protein powder on our list with Promix, so if you’re looking for a great, cheap low-carb whey supplement, this is a great choice. Cellucor also offers a generous subscription discount of 30%, making it even cheaper!

Although it’s cheap with great macros, it loses some points for its formula. Similar to Kaged and Plant Fusion mentioned earlier on our list, it has a decently long ingredient list including several artificial ingredients.

However, if you’re willing to accept a slightly more complicated formula, this is a cheap and effective protein supplement.

Finally, we’re closing off our list with one of the most iconic protein supplements out there, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard.

Although this might have been the gold standard for protein in 1986 when it launched, there are many more choices out there now, so how does Optimum’s product stack up against the rest of our list, especially considering overall carb content.

Overall, Optimum offers a pretty standard protein powder nowadays. At 24g of protein per serving and 80% protein concentration, it’s right around the average for our list. At 3g of carbs per serving, it’s also not the most macro friendly option.

While it does have an excellent flavor and mixability, its macros are nothing exceptional, especially considering the cost of $1.52 per serving.

On top of this, it also has a rather long ingredients list with several artificial ingredients. While this won’t concern everybody, for those who want a protein as simple as possible, this likely isn’t a great choice.

While Optimum may have been the gold standard for protein powders in the 20th century, in recent years the competition has gotten steeper. While it’s not the best overall protein on our list, it’s still a simple and solid choice, even if you’re paying a premium for the brand recognition.

Why Do Protein Powders Contain Carbohydrates

1. Carbohydrates In The Protein Source

Most proteins are sourced from whey which naturally has around a 70-80% protein density in its concentrate form. Whey concentrate is higher in carbohydrates that are predominately lactose and contains some fat. This is usually where the majority of carbs will come from in a protein powder.

Whey isolate on the other hand is a more filtered form of whey that seeks to remove as much fat and carbs as possible. These will be closer to 90-100% protein. As a tradeoff, isolates are usually more expensive than concentrates.

Overall, the filtering process is what determines how many carbs will be in the actual whey a protein powder is based on. The less filtered it is, the more carbs will come from the protein source.

2. Carbohydrates In Added Ingredients

The other way a protein powder will get its carbohydrates is from added ingredients, which are usually sweeteners. While most protein supplements use zero calorie sweeteners, there are some out there that use real sugar, leading to a significantly higher carb content in total.

There are also recovery drinks and mass gainers that use things like maltodextrin to intentionally boost the overall carbohydrate and calorie content. These can be great options if you’re looking to put on size, but should obviously be avoided if you want a low-carb protein.

What Carbohydrate Content Is Considered Low?

For the purpose of this list, we stuck to protein powders with 3g of carbs per serving or less.

While what is considered “low-carb” might be higher for some people, we wanted to make sure that all these proteins were suitable specifically for those on very carb-restrictive diets. At 3g or less, this makes all these protein powders suitable for even the most carb-restrictive diets, which will usually allow 20-50g of carbs per day.

Also, the quality and price supplements on our list show there’s no real reason for a protein to have more than 3g of carbs per serving. With plenty of affordable, high quality products out there with 3g of carbs or less, be wary of any supplement company selling protein powder with an unnecessarily high carb count.

Benefits Of Low-Carb Protein Powders

✅ Higher Protein Concentration

The main obvious benefit of low-carb protein powders is that you’re likely getting a formula with a higher protein concentration.

If you’re buying a protein powder, you likely want as much protein as possible – not carbs or fats. This is why we recommend looking for a protein with a concentration as close to 100% as possible.

A low-carb protein is also a sign that the formula doesn’t contain any unnecessary sweeteners or filler ingredients that bump up the total carb count.

✅ Better For Dieting And Keto

Especially if you’re dieting, you don’t want to waste any extra calories on unnecessary carbs. The closer you get to the end of a cut, the more every carb begins to count. If you’re in a serious caloric deficit, it’s important you’re not using a protein powder that makes it more difficult to stick to your diet.

Also, if you’re following a keto diet, you obviously don’t want to be using a protein powder with any more than 3g of carbs. Using a high-carb protein powder will make it much more difficult to stay in ketosis, so definitely go with a protein as close to 0g of carbs as possible.

Is It Worth Paying More For A Zero Carb Powder Compared To A Low-Carb Powder?

Probably not. Even in the most extreme carb-restrictive diets, you can have 20-50g of carbs, so having up to 3g of carbs in a protein shake is not bad at all. The difference between a carb-free protein powder and one with a few grams of carbs is not serious enough to justify a significantly higher price.

Even with this being said, as our list shows, you can get a 0 carb protein powder for a great price at just over a dollar per serving.

Even if you’re dead set on getting 0 grams of carbs in your protein powder, there are plenty of affordable options out there. Take a look at Promix Casein Protein Powder as an example of a great, budget-friendly, 0 carb supplement.

FAQ

Which Whey Protein Has The Least Carbs?

The whey protein on our list with the lowest carb count is Isopure Unflavored Whey Isolate. Delivering a perfect macronutrient breakdown, as well as coming at a decent price, Isopure also took the top spot on our list.

The other 0 carb protein shake on our list is Promix Casein Protein Powder, which took our runner-up spot for having a similarly great macro breakdown.

What Is The Best Low-Carb Protein Shake?

Our choice for the best overall low-carb protein shake is Isopure Unflavored Whey Isolate with 0g total carbs. However, all the options on our list have their own advantages, and all have 3g of carbs or less, so there are plenty of options out there!

Conclusion

There are plenty of great low-carb protein drinks out there! In this list, we compiled the 9 best products we could find, with Isopure Unflavored Whey Isolate taking our top spot. We hope these low-carb protein powder reviews help you make an informed choice on which product to buy!

Let us know if you’ve tried any of the products on our list in the comments below!

Also read:

• Best Low Calorie Protein Powder
• Best Gluten Free Protein Powder
• Best Protein Powder With Creatine
• Best Keto Friendly Protein Powder
• Best Natural Protein Powder
• Best Cheap Protein Powder
• Best Clean Protein Powder
• Best Whey Protein for Smoothies
• Best Protein to Gain Weight

References:

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2. Whey Versus Casein Supplementation in Physically Active, 
3. Healthy Individuals // IJAHSP: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2128&context=ijahsp
4. Grass-fed cows produce healthier milk // UMN: https://extension.umn.edu/pasture-based-dairy/grass-fed-cows-produce-healthier-milk
5. Protein Powder: The What, Why, & How To Choose // HealthCentre: https://healthcenter.uga.edu/protein-powder-the-what-why-how-to-choose/
6. Milk Composition // Milk Facts: http://milkfacts.info/Milk%20Composition/Carbohydrate.htm
7. Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss // HSPH: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/