You’ve heard the benefits of giving your dog fresh food - or maybe you’ve been making your pet fresh meals yourself. But now it’s time to see if one of the dog food delivery services or fresh dog food brands is right for you. Two of the best known delivery brands are NomNomNow (now known as "Nom Nom") and Ollie, and you’ve probably seen FreshPet fresh dog food in your local grocery - let’s compare these three providers, and review some of the other companies that want to ship fresh food to your doggie door!
But first, let’s review why owners are turning to fresh food options like NomNomNow / Nom Nom, Ollie and FreshPet. If you are already familiar with the reasons fresh might be better for your pet, skip ahead to the Ollie vs NomNomNow vs. FreshPet comparison chart.
Kibbles - dry bits of joy
You’re probably already feeding Fido kibbles. At least, statistically you are since something like 99.6% of Americans feed their furry friends kibbles (we made that statistic up, but it feels about right). And kibbles have some serious advantages over preparing meals yourself - or fresh food options like Ollie or NomNomNow. Kibbles have a loooonnnnnnggggggg shelf life. So you can stock up at Costco and not worry about spoilage. And big pet food companies had done a lot of research to at least get the minimum amount of nutrition that pooches need baked in.
But, kibbles also may have some serious fillers in them: cheap ingredients that your animal may not need. And some of these can be especially troublesome to dogs that have digestive issues, health problems or other sensitivities. Since 55% of American dogs are obese (we didn’t make that stat up - you can learn more here), the “normal” pet diet in the US clearly isn’t making all animals healthy. And most pugs, goldens and spaniels probably dig into their kibbles with gusto, all too many are picky eaters who don’t really enjoy those dehydrated chunks of protein and fillers. So it makes a lot of sense that you’d be interested in trying fresh food instead of dry!
Canned Options
Many owners give their pet wet food from a can - and most Golden Retrievers, Vizsla and Pugs relish it.
But, is canned food that you’d buy at the grocery store any better than traditional kibbles?
Once again, it really depends. Low end canned meals often contain a higher percent of protein, that doesn’t mean that it’s high-quality meat. It could be meat by-products (think Spam, but the leftovers from what didn’t go into the Spam can.) Canned food can also be higher in fat than kibble, so be thoughtful if you are trying to help your animal lose weight.
Side note on pet obesity
Just like being overweight is not good for humans, it can also lead to a lot of issues for your pooch. According to a veterinarian at Tufts University, being overweight can lead to a number of problems for animals:
- Decreased quality and length of life: possibly 2 fewer years of life for some Labradors!
- Joint problems: all that extra weight is hard joints, and can end up decreasing mobility and causing pain
- Back problems: for some breeds like Miniature Dachshunds this is especially possible
- Inflammation: science is starting to realize that fat cells can cause inflammation, which can unleash a whole host of problems (sorry about the leash pun, we had to)
Heart and lung issues
If you’ve got an overweight pet, your vet has probably recommended “less calories and more exercise.” But, that advice really doesn’t work well for people trying to lose weight, so it’s even less helpful for pet owners. Fresh food from NonNomNow or Ollie may be a way to change your dog’s diet enough to help them lose weight.
How are Nom Nom, Ollie, and FreshPet different?
The key differences in Ollie’s, NomNom’s and FreshPet’s dog food from traditional brands is the following:
- Nutrition: Ollie, Nom Nom and FreshPet are specifically focused on low to non-filler recipes with human quality food, not cheap fillers and meat by-products.
- Freshness: unlike kibbles and canned options, NomNomNow, Ollie and FreshPet have fresh food that requires refrigeration. So it’s just as fresh as the produce and meat you’d buy for the humans in your family.
- Price: fresh food is more expensive than cheap kibbles or canned dog food - you pay a premium for the high-quality ingredients and freshness.
What sets apart NomNomNow and Ollie vs FreshPet?
Ollie and NomNom have two other, major differences from traditional dog food, and even from FreshPet. For people who have pets with special needs or digestive problems (or for people who really want the absolute best for their pet, and who can afford it), these are additional advantages that you get from NomNomNow and Ollie:
- Delivery: Ollie and Nom Nom deliver to your door with a subscription plan. So you don’t risk running out of food, and you don’t have to lug huge bags of kibble or heavy cans back from the grocery store. In an age when everything is getting sent right to your house, maybe you can give Fido a reason to bark with joy when the postman comes by.
- Personalized meals: this is a pretty exciting change to the dog food market. Ollie and NomNomNow ask you a series of questions to personalize and customize the meals specifically to your animal. So an eight-year old Labrador will not have the same meal plan as a two year old French Bulldog or a German Shepard with digestive issues.
NomNomNow vs Ollie vs FreshPet Comparison Chart
This chart lays out some of the major differences in price, how you buy them and options between NomNomNow, Ollie and FreshPet.
Fresh Dog Food Subscription Features: NomNom vs Ollie vs FreshPet | NomNom | Ollie | FreshPet |
|---|---|---|---|
Personalized Meals | Yes | Yes | No |
How to Buy | In Grocery Store | ||
Home Delivery | Yes | Yes | |
For Cats Too? | Yes | No | Yes |
Meets AAFCO and USDA Requirements | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cost for 15 Pound Dog | $33 to $39 a week $4.70 to $5.60 a day | $29 to $32 a week | $40 a month $1.30 a day |
Cost for 95 Pound Dog | $64 to $92 a week $9.14 to $13.20 a day | $96 to $106 a week | $195 a month $6.50 a day |
Shipping | free | free | |
Introductory Offer | None | ||
Get Started |
Obviously, it’s less expensive to pick up FreshPet at your local grocery store. And that’s a great way to see if fresh food is something that will work for your dog (we’re willing to be they’ll eat it, but then again, don’t they eat everything?)
But if you are ready to go that extra step and get a customized meal plan for your pet, let’s breakdown how the two leaders in the space, NomNomNow and Ollie, compare.
NomNom or Ollie: Which is best for your dog?
NomNom and Ollie both have fresh food plans for small, medium and large sized dogs. NomNom offers beef, chicken, turkey and pork recipes, while Ollie offers beef, chicken, turkey and lamb recipes. Both claim to use “human grade” ingredients - this means that they use meats and other ingredients that would be considered normal/appropriate for people to eat. Like the stuff you’d buy at the grocery if you were making your dog’s food yourself. NomNom is going to cost you about $4.25 a day for a small dog, and close to $13 a day for a 100 pound pooch. Ollie runs about $4 to $4.50 per day for a small pet and can be up to $15 per day for a 100 pound, big eater. Both offer introductory discounts - check out the chart above to get a discount.
Who are FreshPet’s competitors?
So, FreshPet is the OG fresh dog food company, distributing meals through grocery stores (just like most people get their food!) Of course, like everything else, you can get it it on Amazon, so if you want FreshPet delivered to your home, it’s not really a problem. But, pet owners now have some pretty interesting alternatives. Here are some of the main competitors to FreshPet who will deliver fresh pet food right to your house:
- NomNom (see the chart above for an introductory 20% off)
- Ollie (see the chart above for an introductory 50% off)
- Spot & Tango
- Pet Plate
- Farmer’s Dog
- Jinx
- Darwin
- Grocery Pup
Who is the best: NomNom, Ollie or FreshPet?
So which fresh pet food company do we recommend most, NomNom, Ollie or FreshPet? The right choice is going to come down to a number of factors - and one of these is how much you want to spend. Going fresh isn’t cheap, and even though you can avoid a trip to the grocery store with NomNomNow and Ollie (and get free shipping), you are still going to spend way more than you would on quality kibbles. So if you aren’t sure, and if your pet doesn’t have any health issues, FreshPet might be the easiest way to get going. You can pick FreshPet up at your local grocery, or just buy it on Amazon.
We recommend that you really consider WHY you want to try fresh food before you make a decision. If your dog is having digestive or health issues, consider stepping up to NomNom or Ollie. They’ll ask you about your animals particular situation, including if they have any allergies. A more personalized plan might help them feel better, lose weight and enjoy eating more.
The only way to know is to try either out - so click on either brand below to get started. And get the introductory discount for your first order!
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