Freshpet vs. The Farmer’s Dog 2025: How Similar?

Freshpet and The Farmer’s Dog both offer high-quality, fresh dog food and use questionnaires to narrow down the best meals for your pup. In the past, they were quite different offerings, with Freshpet only selling via stores and The Farmer’s Dog as an online subscription. Now that Freshpet has launched its own fresh subscription service, Freshpet Delivery, they’re a lot more similar.

Overall, I found The Farmer’s Dog the more convenient choice. Unlike Freshpet Delivery, it offers a trial, and the food is also human-grade, so you really are getting the best for your pet. Freshpet Delivery is also not available to all zip codes yet, so TFD may be the better choice for more locations.  

Freshpet Delivery might be better for some, though. While it doesn’t have a trial, it’s a long-standing brand that people may already be familiar with, as you can buy it easily from online stores like Amazon. It also has really flexible plans, including a Make Your Own plan option.

Continue reading for a side-by-side comparison of both services to see how they compare in pricing, delivery, ease of ordering, and more.

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category?

Ingredient Quality: The Farmer’s Dog Uses Human-Grade Ingredients

Both companies use veterinary nutritionists to develop meals and meal plans. Each company takes into account factors like breed, age, and activity level, and both gently cook the food to retain nutrients.

But The Farmer’s Dog uses human-grade meats and veggies in its dog food. The standards that regulate human food production are much higher than those applied to pet food production.

The Farmer’s Dog food is made in USDA kitchens and exceeds normal industry standards required for dog food. You also won’t find any preservatives or meals in the food (meals are made from parts of animals not allowed to be sold for human consumption, like offal). The Farmer's Dog ingredients include several superfoods such as lentils, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips.

Freshpet’s ingredients are still very good quality, even if they’re not human-grade. Around 96% come from either the USA or Canada. The food is also free of gluten, soy, fillers, added preservatives, meat meals, or by-product meals. The focus is on visible, whole ingredients – such as recognizable pieces of chicken, beef, or vegetables.

Meals and Customization: Both Offer Customizable Plans

As a brand, Freshpet has an enormous variety of products, with about 50 different types of meals, plus a selection of a few treats. However, its Freshpet Delivery line offers 4 main recipes. This is similar to TFD, which offers 4 main proteins in its recipes. These are:

• Chicken
• Beef
• Turkey
• Pork

The main difference is that TFD focuses on single proteins, while Freshpet Delivery has recipes that mix proteins, such as the Beef, Turkey, and Lamb Recipe.

The Farmer’s Dog also offers an innovative DIY plan for those who prefer a hands-on approach to their dog’s nutrition. This plan provides pet owners with The Farmer’s Dog nutrient blend, which can be added to home-cooked meals prepared from store-bought ingredients.

Freshpet Delivery has a quiz to fill out as part of the sign-up process, which informs how your plan will be customized. Unlike TFD, this mainly happens on one page, and you just keep scrolling down and filling in info.

After you complete the sign-up quiz, you’ll get a Recommended Plan, which personalizes delivery frequency and quantity based on your dog’s details. Freshpet Delivery offers Full and Half plans. The Full Plan covers 100% of your dog’s daily feeding requirements, while the Half Plan covers 50%. There’s also a Topper option for dogs over a certain size. If you want to go completely custom, you can opt for the Make Your Own option.

The Farmer’s Dog has an even more thorough questionnaire than Freshpet Delivery. The screen around health issues is particularly detailed. It also has partial plans, including a topper option.

After signing up for TFD, customers gain access to treats available exclusively to members. Freshpet also has treats available. You can’t browse these until you get to the recommended plan stage of signing up.

Ordering and Delivery: The Farmer’s Dog Has Fewer Limitations

Both Freshpet and The Farmer’s Dog make the ordering and delivery process convenient, but they differ in how much control you have and how widely available each service is. 

Freshpet offers a flexible delivery schedule. You can choose to have your dog’s meals arrive every 1 to 6 weeks based on the feeding plan Freshpet recommends. Or, for those who prefer full control, you can select your own plan and have food delivered at intervals up to every 8 weeks.

The Farmer’s Dog takes a more streamlined approach – shipping begins automatically when you place your first order and will recur based on your dog’s individual needs. The initial box is considered a trial shipment, giving you about two weeks’ worth of food to gauge how your dog adjusts to the new meals. 

The Farmer’s Dog sends updates as the box moves through the shipping process and includes clear details for safe delivery. Most customers receive their orders within just a couple of days of purchase, and shipping is always free across the 48 contiguous states. Freshpet also sends a tracking link once your order ships, so you’ll know exactly when to expect it.

Freshpet’s delivery timing can vary a bit more. Orders placed by late morning on a weekday are processed and shipped within 6 business days, and the company ships only Sunday through Thursday to reduce time in transit. Most boxes arrive within 1-2 days after they leave the warehouse, but Freshpet strongly encourages someone to be home to unpack and refrigerate everything quickly. 

The main reason TFD wins this section is that Freshpet Delivery isn’t available everywhere yet, so you’ll need to enter your zip code on the site to confirm coverage.

How Do the Meals Arrive? Both Offer Practical & Sustainable Packaging

Meals from The Farmer’s Dog come in plastic bags stored in a cooled box. The bags are labeled to differentiate between recipes. Check out our tested The Farmer's Dog review to see our unboxing experience.

The Farmer’s Dog meals should be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer. They come with a feeding guide that’ll help you sort through the details. As a general rule, thawed meals last 4 days in the fridge and can be frozen for 6 months in the freezer.

Freshpet Delivery meals are fully cooked and ready to serve straight from the refrigerator. Simply measure using your personalized feeding guidelines, then pour the meal directly into your pet’s bowl. Bags are resealable. Don’t leave food unrefrigerated for more than an hour, and after opening, you should use the contents within 7 days.

The food is shipped frozen on dry ice to keep its freshness during transport. The company also recommends that you unpack the box and refrigerate the products as soon as possible.

Both companies have clearly thought about recycling and have eco-friendly packaging. The Farmer’s Dog cardboard box is recyclable. The insulation is biodegradable and will even dissolve under running water. The food-storage containers are also biodegradable, and the packs are all made from non-toxic, BPA-free materials.

Freshpet Delivery customers can recycle both the cardboard box and the ClimaCell insulation that protects the food during transit. Freshpet Delivery is also certified Plastic Neutral, and the company supports larger environmental initiatives connected to the pet food supply chain.

Pricing: The Farmer’s Dog Offers Better Value

Both services offer quality dog food for good value and with free shipping. They also both offer partial and topper plans, which can help make the service more accessible to those with smaller budgets (or larger breeds).

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of each service’s prices. While the questionnaires ask for slightly different info, I used the same details where possible for comparison (female, active, ideal weight, no sensitivities/health issues). I’ve included standard pricing here; you’ll save more on your first order if you use a discount code. 

Freshpet Delivery:

Dog weighing 20 lbs – From $4.03 per day
Dog weighing 30 lbs – From $5.46 per day
Dog weighing 70 lbs – From $10.32 per day

The Farmer’s Dog:

Dog weighing 20 lbs – From $4.15 per day
Dog weighing 30 lbs – From $4.69 per day
Dog weighing 70 lbs – From $8.45 per day
 
As you can see, prices are relatively comparable, with The Farmer’s Dog working out better value for larger breeds, despite being the more premium brand. 

Freshpet Delivery vs. The Farmer’s Dog — Quick Overview

Since Freshpet launched its delivery service, both brands now have quite similar offers. Either could be a good choice if you’re looking for subscription dog food.

The Farmer’s Dog is my top choice, though. It’s great value, the food is human-grade quality, it has a handy 2-week trial, and there’s a money-back guarantee, too. I also like how in-depth its questionnaire is. This may make it more suitable for dogs with any health concerns. The single-protein recipes also make handling sensitivities more straightforward.

Freshpet's subscription offer may suit some better, though. For example, if you prefer multi-protein recipes or if you want a completely customizable plan (like the Make Your Own option). The scoop is also really easy to use, and some may find this easier than portioning TFD’s fresh packs.

Pricing is quite similar, so I’d also recommend checking out current new customer offers, as these can make a big difference to your first order. (And also make it more affordable if you want to test both and see which one your pup prefers to the taste of). 

In my opinion, The Farmer’s Dog is worth checking out if you want easy, fresh dog food delivered to you. It’s also the only service that made it onto our list of the top fresh dog food delivery services of the year.

FAQ

Do vets recommend Freshpet dog food?

Each recipe is approved by Freshpet’s resident veterinarian and Head of R&D, who holds a PhD in Applied Biochemistry and Food Science. Freshpet Delivery has also established the Freshpet Nutrition Council, a group of board-certified veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists, and PhDs who guide and validate the company’s research.

Is The Farmer’s Dog expensive?

The Farmer's Dog costs more than regular dog food. But, I think it's worth it for fresh, high-quality meals.

Is The Farmer’s Dog a raw diet?

No, The Farmer’s Dog isn’t a raw diet. It’s a fresh diet made from human-grade food, but it’s gently cooked to seal in nutrients and therefore doesn’t constitute a raw diet.