Soylent Alternatives: 5 Meal Replacement Brands Worth Trying in 2026

Lisa BenzNutrition editorUpdated Jul 2026

Soylent built its name on being the cheapest way to hit a full 400-calorie meal replacement. That budget-first pitch still works for a lot of people. It is not automatically the right fit for everyone reading this page, especially if a soy allergy, a lower protein count or occasional stock issues on the flagship bottle are the reason you searched for an alternative in the first place.

This guide walks through five credible Soylent alternatives sold in the United States right now: Huel Black Edition, Ka’Chava, Rootana, Saturo and OWYN Pro Elite. Every brand gets the same treatment below. Price per serving, calories, protein, format and flavors, side by side, so you can compare them on equal terms instead of guessing from marketing copy.

Why Look for a Soylent Alternative?

Most people searching for a Soylent alternative are not unhappy with the idea of a meal replacement. One specific thing about Soylent itself pushes them to look elsewhere.

• Soy allergy or sensitivity: Soylent’s protein comes from soy protein isolate. That rules it out for anyone with a soy allergy
• Protein per serving: at 20g of protein per 400-calorie serving, Soylent trails several higher-protein alternatives on this list by a wide margin
• Availability: Soylent’s ready-to-drink bottles have shown up out of stock on the brand’s own site at times. Frustrating if you rely on a regular subscription
• Subscription friction: some customers report their subscription reactivating after they believed they had canceled it

None of this makes Soylent a bad product. A different protein source, format or price point can simply suit your routine better. Already using Soylent and want the full picture on that product line first? Our Soylent review covers the full Complete Meal, Complete Protein, Complete Coffee and Complete Energy lineup in detail.

Soylent Alternatives Compared at a Glance

Here is how the five alternatives stack up against Soylent Complete Meal on the numbers that change your daily cost and nutrition. Read this table first, then the full breakdown below.

Prices shift with promotions and subscription discounts. Treat this table as a starting comparison. Check each brand’s own site for the current offer before you buy.

Huel Black Edition: Best for Highest Protein, Still Affordable

Huel Black Edition doubles Soylent’s protein count at a modest premium. A serving runs $2.65 subscribed to about $2.74 one-time, working out to $46.50 for a 17-serving bag, still close to Soylent’s own price range.

• Price per serving: $2.65 subscribed, $2.74 one-time
• Calories: 400 per serving
• Protein: 40g, pea and oat-based, not soy
• Format: Powder, mixed with water
• Servings per bag: 17
• Diet: Vegan, soy-free

At 400 calories and 40g of protein, Huel Black Edition matches Soylent’s meal size while doubling the protein, for only a small price increase. It also skips soy protein. That matters if a soy allergy is why you are looking away from Soylent. The trade: a lab-formulated protein-and-fiber blend rather than Soylent’s simpler recipe, and mixing powder instead of grabbing a ready-to-drink bottle.

Ka’Chava: Best Whole-Food, Adaptogen-Forward Alternative

Ka’Chava costs $59.95 a bag on subscription, or $69.95 one time, for 15 servings. It leans on whole-food ingredients like superfoods and adaptogens instead of Soylent’s lab-formulated nutrient blend. That whole-food angle, not raw protein grams, is why people choose it over Soylent.

• Price per serving: $4.00 subscribed, $4.67 one-time
• Calories: 240 per serving
• Protein: 25g plant-based, from five sources
• Format: Powder, mixed with water or plant milk
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut Acai, Matcha, Chai
• Diet: Vegan, soy-free

At 240 calories a serving, Ka’Chava reads more like a nutrient-dense snack shake than a full meal swap. It also costs more per serving than Soylent. The trade: a much longer, whole-food ingredient list built around superfoods and adaptogens rather than Soylent’s leaner formulated blend, plus no soy in the recipe.

Rootana: Best Soy-Free, Shortest Ingredient List

Rootana matches Soylent’s own 400-calorie serving size almost exactly, but replaces the soy-based protein with oats, pea protein and flaxseed. Where Soylent’s label lists a longer fortified-nutrient blend, Rootana’s Real Food Shake sticks to 11 ingredients total.

• Price per serving: $3.95 subscribed, $4.64 one-time
• Calories: 400 per standard serving
• Protein: 20g at a standard 4-scoop serving, 30g at a large 6-scoop serving
• Format: Powder, mixed with water
• Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Original
• Servings per pouch: 14
• Diet: Vegan, soy-free

Rootana’s standard serving carries the same 20g of protein as Soylent, so the real difference is the ingredient list and the soy-free formula, not the macros. Bump up to the large 6-scoop serving and protein jumps to 30g, at a higher cost per meal. It costs more per serving than Soylent either way, the trade for a shorter label and no soy.

Saturo: Best Ready-to-Drink, No Mixing Required

Saturo is an Austrian complete-food brand that only recently opened direct US shipping through its own site. Most older buying guides will not mention it. A 6-pack of 400ml bottles runs $30.99, about $5.17 a bottle, the most expensive option on this list.

• Price per serving: ~$5.17 per 400ml bottle
• Calories: 400 per bottle
• Protein: 36g per bottle
• Format: Ready-to-drink bottle, no mixing required
• Flavors: Cocoa, Vanilla, Strawberry, Banana, Cappuccino (contains caffeine), Natural
• Diet: Vegan and lactose-free options available

Saturo’s 36g of protein per 400 calories is the closest match to Huel Black Edition’s protein density, and it keeps Soylent’s ready-to-drink convenience without the soy. The trade-off is price. It costs close to double what Soylent charges per serving, and it is a newer name in the US market than the others on this list.

OWYN Pro Elite: Best Soy-Free, Zero-Sugar Alternative

OWYN stands for “Only What You Need.” It is built to avoid all nine major food allergens, the pick for readers who cannot use Soylent’s soy-based formula. A 12-pack of Pro Elite bottles runs $49.99, about $4.17 a bottle.

• Price per serving: ~$4.17 per 11.15oz bottle
• Calories: ~200-210 per bottle, depending on flavor
• Protein: 32g, from pea and pumpkin seed protein
• Format: Ready-to-drink bottle
• Flavors: Chocolate, Smooth Vanilla, Sea Salted Caramel, No Nut Buttercup
• Diet: Vegan, soy-free, zero sugar and zero net carbs

OWYN Pro Elite packs more protein into fewer calories than Soylent, at roughly half the calorie count but well over half the protein. It is lighter than a full 400-calorie meal, so treat it as a high-protein top-up rather than a straight meal swap. For soy-allergic readers who still want a ready-to-drink bottle, this is the closest match to Soylent’s convenience without the allergen risk.

Which Soylent Alternative Should You Choose?

Match the brand to the reason you are switching. Do not just pick whichever one ranks first.

• Want to avoid soy entirely while keeping ready-to-drink convenience: Saturo or OWYN Pro Elite
• Want the highest protein for the smallest price jump over Soylent: Huel Black Edition
• Want a whole-food, adaptogen-forward ingredient list: Ka’Chava
• Want the same 400-calorie serving size as Soylent with a shorter, soy-free label: Rootana
• Want the lowest calorie count for a protein top-up instead of a full meal: OWYN Pro Elite

None of these fit? If you came here from the other direction and are comparing Huel’s or Ka’Chava’s own lineup against their alternatives instead, our Huel alternatives guide and Ka’Chava alternatives guide cover those comparisons in the same format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Soylent or its alternatives healthier?

Neither side is automatically healthier. Soylent and brands like Huel, Ka’Chava, Rootana, Saturo and OWYN Pro Elite all supply a full or partial meal’s worth of calories, protein and micronutrients. The better fit depends on your own allergens, protein target and taste preferences, not on one brand being objectively superior.

What is the cheapest Soylent alternative?

Huel Black Edition comes closest to Soylent’s own price range, at $2.65 to $2.74 per serving against Soylent’s $1.82-$3.25. It also more than doubles Soylent’s protein per serving for that small premium.

Which Soylent alternative has the most protein?

Huel Black Edition leads with 40g of protein per 400-calorie serving. Saturo is close behind at 36g per bottle, and OWYN Pro Elite delivers 32g in a lighter, roughly 200-calorie bottle. All three beat Soylent’s 20g by a wide margin.

Is there a soy-free Soylent alternative?

Yes. Huel, Ka’Chava, Rootana, Saturo and OWYN Pro Elite are all built without soy protein, unlike Soylent’s soy-based formula. That makes any of the five a safer pick if a soy allergy or sensitivity is the reason you are looking to switch.

About the author

Lisa Benz

Nutrition editor

Lisa Benz tests and compares food products and services for RemoteCanteen, from meal kits to protein. She focuses on what actually matters: taste, price and everyday value.