How do you decide what counts as an alternative?

An alternative must (1) match the same animal species, (2) match the same food type (kibble, wet, raw, treats, etc.) as a product in the original brand's catalog, and (3) have a strictly higher PetFoodRate composite score than that product. We then pick the top better-rated candidate per matched pair and de-duplicate, capping at 10 alternatives per brand hub.

Why only the top 30 brands?

Alternatives hubs are built for brands with enough products in our database to produce a meaningful comparison set. The top 30 brands by graded-product count cover roughly 80% of search demand. For brands outside the top 30, per-product alternatives are available at /alternatives/[product-id]/.

Are alternatives ranked by price or by score?

By score, always. We never rank alternatives by affiliate payout or merchant exclusivity. The composite score is computed identically for every product in the database. Price is shown alongside the score so you can pick the right tradeoff, but it never moves a food up the list.

Do you flag alternatives that are cheaper than the original?

Yes when the data allows it. Each alternatives card shows the daily ration cost (price per kilo times typical daily ration) so you can immediately tell whether the better-rated food is also cheaper, on par, or a premium upgrade. Roughly 30% of alternatives we surface are both better-rated and cheaper than the original.

Pet food alternatives

Already feeding a specific brand and curious what scores better? Every brand-level hub below picks up to 10 higher-graded foods from our database, matched to the same species and food type so the swap actually makes sense for your pet.

30 top brands coveredIndependent A–E grading

How brand-level alternatives are built

For each top-30 brand, we walk every product in that brand's catalog and look for a better-rated food in our database that matches the same species (dog, cat, rabbit, etc.) and the same food type (kibble, wet, raw, treats). We rank candidates by composite score and pick the top one per matched pair, deduplicating across the brand so you never see the same alternative twice. The result: up to 10 distinct foods that all score higher than the brand's average and slot into the same feeding context. Score breakdowns and daily ration cost let you decide whether the upgrade is worth it for your situation.

Dog food alternatives

Cat food alternatives

Ferret food alternatives

Alternatives to Versele-Laga 17 Versele-Laga foods in our database · avg score 70/100

Frequently asked questions

How do you decide what counts as an alternative?: An alternative must (1) match the same animal species, (2) match the same food type (kibble, wet, raw, treats, etc.) as a product in the original brand's catalog, and (3) have a strictly higher PetFoodRate composite score than that product. We then pick the top better-rated candidate per matched pair and de-duplicate, capping at 10 alternatives per brand hub.
Why only the top 30 brands?: Alternatives hubs are built for brands with enough products in our database to produce a meaningful comparison set. The top 30 brands by graded-product count cover roughly 80% of search demand. For brands outside the top 30, per-product alternatives are available at /alternatives/[product-id]/.
Are alternatives ranked by price or by score?: By score, always. We never rank alternatives by affiliate payout or merchant exclusivity. The composite score is computed identically for every product in the database. Price is shown alongside the score so you can pick the right tradeoff, but it never moves a food up the list.
Do you flag alternatives that are cheaper than the original?: Yes when the data allows it. Each alternatives card shows the daily ration cost (price per kilo times typical daily ration) so you can immediately tell whether the better-rated food is also cheaper, on par, or a premium upgrade. Roughly 30% of alternatives we surface are both better-rated and cheaper than the original.