15 Best Cheap Whey Protein Powders

In this article, we’ve researched 15 of the best cheap whey protein powders to help those shopping on a budget.

But first, if a career in nutrition is something that interests you, get started by taking a look at our Level 4 Sports Nutrition Course!

15 Best Cheap Whey Protein Powders

1. Pulsin Whey Protein Concentrate

Price: £8 (250g)

As you would expect from a health food brand, Pulsin’s whey protein concentrate is made using hormone-free, non-genetically modified milk from European grass-fed cows, and is one of the most natural offerings on our list.

Alongside being environmentally friendly, this protein powder is great as it provides you with all of the amino acids that the body cannot make itself, and contains no fillers, sugars, or sweeteners.

One 30g serving provides 24g grams of protein and only 120 calories!

Pulsin’s cheap whey protein offering is also rich in calcium, as well as being gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians.

2. BULK Mass Gainer

Price: £11.49 (1kg)

If you’re looking for a cheap whey protein for bodybuilding, this will be your answer!

With just one serving, you can get up to 40g of protein which is a fantastic return considering the price of this protein. 

This is one of Bulk Powder’s most popular protein powders, one serving contains over 500 calories and would be perfect for people who are looking to increase their calorie intake. 

This very cheap whey protein is fortified with additional amino acids such as leucine which is an essential amino acid necessary for the buildup of new muscle.

Bulk Powders have also included an ultra-fine blend of Scottish Oats as a source of high-fibre carbohydrates. 

With a blend of 40% whey protein concentrate, 40% milk protein concentrate and 20% egg white powder, the Complete Mass protein power will deliver energy to your body at different speeds of absorption. 

From just one powder, you will receive a 4-8 hour supplementation clock which is fantastic. It is up for debate whether or not this is the best whey protein, cheap or not!

It is available in six flavours including chocolate mint, chocolate cookies, strawberry, vanilla and banana.

3. USN BlueLab 100% Whey Protein (476g)

Price: £13.98

Next on our list of best cheap whey protein powders is this product from BlueLab. This is a protein powder designed to support muscle growth and recovery. 

Each 34g scoop serving delivers around 24 grams of high-quality whey protein, including whey isolate, concentrate, and hydrolysate. This ensures rapid absorption and sustained amino acid delivery, making it ideal for post-workout recovery or as a simple protein boost throughout the day.

It also contains around 128 calories per serving scoop, making it great for those looking to boost their intake. Catering to a range of different taste preferences, flavours include vanilla, salted caramel, cookies and cream, and strawberry. 

In reviews, customers frequently praise its taste and mixability, with many stating it dissolves easily in water or milk without clumping.

On the official USN website, this product has earned an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from over 50 customer reviews. If you’re after a reliable whey protein with great taste, solid nutritional values, and fast absorption, USN Blue Lab Whey is a strong contender!

4. Bulk Natural Pure Whey Protein

Price: £13.99 (500g)

If you’re wondering, ‘what is the cheapest whey protein in the UK’? This will be your answer. 

Bulk Powders offers the UK’s cheapest whey protein but still has high-quality ingredients in every scoop. 

As Europe’s fastest growing sports nutrition brand, Bulk Powders buy ingredients at high volume without sacrificing on quality, providing the very best, cheap whey protein in the UK. 

Bulk Powders Natural Pure Whey uses whey protein sourced from European grass-fed cows milk which is free from antibiotics, genetic modification and hormones. Bulk Powders are still using the same trusted supplier for their milk since their founding in 2005. 

One serving of this cheap whey protein powder will have 22g of protein.

The Natural Pure Whey Protein is also flavoured by Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni which is the sweetest and purest form of stevia extract available. Whereas, other cheap whey protein products tend to use sucralose to keep costs down.

This powder is also complete with Glutamine and BCAAs. If you haven’t heard of Glutamine before, it’s an important amino acid as it is the building block for protein and vital for your immune system. 

Likewise, BCAAs otherwise known as Branch Chain Amino Acids are amino acids which are not produced within the body. The three main branches of amino acids are: 

• Leucine – The most important out of the 3 as it helps stimulate protein synthesis within the body. 
• Isoleucine – Essential for the production and formation of haemoglobin. It also helps with the production of red blood cells. 
• Valine – This amino acid helps promote muscle growth and repairs tissue within the body. 

Having these BCAA’s will help to boost muscle growth and enhance physical performance. 

Bulk Powders only use 100% natural flavourings and sweeteners with no additives and the powder is available in flavours chocolate and vanilla.

5. MyProtein Impact Whey

Price: £14.49

If you’re looking for a good, cheap whey protein powder, then you can’t go wrong with the MyProtein Impact Whey. 

Using only the finest ingredients, MyProtein’s Impact Whey Protein contains 100% whey protein concentrate in their unflavoured and a minimum of 95% in their flavoured varieties.

Being one of the go-to protein powders on the market, Myprotein’s Impact Whey Protein is also one of the best budget whey protein powders at under £15 for 500 grams. 

Each serving packs 23g of high grade protein with 3.6g of glutamine per serving, 2g of leucine for essential amino acid building blocks and 4.5g of BCAAs.

MyProtein Impact Whey Protein Powder comes in many different flavour varieties which include, ‘Chocolate Peanut Pretzel’, ‘Salted Caramel’, ‘Tiramisu’, ‘Peach Tea’, ‘Cookies and Creme’, ‘Chocolate Orange’, and ‘Blueberry’ plus more refined varieties such as ‘Brown Sugar Milk Tea’ and ‘Mocha’.

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6. Optimum Nutrition – Gold Standard Whey Protein

Price: £14.99

The Cheap Gold Standard Optimum Nutrition is a staple in most bodybuilders’ cupboards. 

This protein has stood the test of time as the Gold Standard Optimum Nutrition is the world’s number one best selling whey protein powder which is widely beloved by pro-athletes. 

Each serving packs 24g of blended whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and hydrolysed whey isolate. It also delivers 5.5g of BCAAs and 4g of glutamine for muscle recovery.

There are 15 available flavours to choose from. This includes ‘Double Rich Chocolate’, ‘Caramel Toffee Fudge’, ‘Cookies & Cream’, and ‘French Vanilla Crème’ – perfect if you have a sweet tooth. 

7. MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate

Price: £15 (244g)

If you want to make cheap whey protein shakes, but aren’t a fan of rich, milky drinks, then this Clear Whey Isolate from MyProtein is the perfect alternative.

Clear Whey is a light, refreshing, juice-like drink that comes in a wide range of fruity flavours, including orange mango, raspberry lemonade, and watermelon.

This unique protein powder is made from hydrolysed whey protein, which is made when protein chains are broken down into smaller segments using enzymes. Consequently, this gives a much purer form of whey protein.

MyProtein’s cheap whey protein isolate contains 85 calories per 24.4g serving, along with just 0.5g of fat, and 0.5g of sugar. However, it still manages to pack in an impressive 20g of protein!

Also containing 4g of BCAAs and 3g Glutamine, essential nutrients which stimulate muscle growth and reduce muscle breakdown, why not give this one a go if you’re looking for a protein powder with a difference?

8. PBN Premium Body Nutrition Diet Whey

Price: £15.60

This PBN Diet Whey is great if you’re looking for whey protein on a budget. 

Available in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, it’s available on Amazon with 4.4 stars from over two thousand ratings.

All products from PBN are blended and packaged in the UK and it follows the highest standards and uses only premium ingredients. 

This diet protein powder contains 16.5g of protein and 101 calories per serving from a blend of whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. If you didn’t know the difference between isolate and concentrate is that whey isolate undergoes more processing.

Whey isolate normally contains a higher protein content with fewer carbohydrates, fat and lactose, whereas whey concentrate contains more carbohydrates and fats and is effectively cheaper than isolate. 

The PBN also includes green tea extract to aid your metabolism and boost weight loss and flaxseed powder for omega 3.

It has a sweet taste as well as a creamy texture, and is overall a cheap and good whey protein powder to have in your cupboard!

9. Premium Body Nutrition Whey Protein

Price: £15.75

Another product from PBN, this time their whey protein formula, at £15.75 for 1 kilo. This is a brilliant budget whey powder packing 30g of protein per serving.

The flavours are available in chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate peanut, cookies, strawberry, and vanilla – each 1 kilogram product contains 33 servings.

Made in the UK using high-quality ingredients, PBN uses a blend of whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate.

10. SCI-MX Nutrition Ultra Whey Protein

Price: £18

Dedicated to offering premium quality supplements at fantastic prices, SCI-MX is one of the best protein companies in the world. 

Working with the world’s leading universities, sports research institutes and their products produced under pharmaceutical conditions, SCI-MX has perfected the craft in creating protein powders. 

Unlike other protein powders, the SCI-MX Nutrition Ultra Whey Protein is cold processed and is made up of a blend of premium whey protein concentrate, hydrolysate and whey isolate. 

The reason why SCI-MX has gone to this cold filtration process is it prevents any damage to the structure of the proteins in the whey. It also preserves nutrients which other forms of processing can damage meaning you will get all the macros that have been listed.

One 45g serving of this whey protein will deliver 179 calories and 35g of protein, which is fantastic for a low cost whey protein. 

SCI-MX Nutrition Whey Protein is the perfect product to help with recovery and help rebuild muscles after working out.

Brilliant as a milk substitute with breakfast cereals, in shakes and even bakes, the SCI-MX Nutrition Ultra Whey Protein is a great quality protein at a brilliant price point.

11. THE PROTEIN WORKS Whey Protein 80

Price: £18.59

If you’re looking to buy some of the best protein then look no further than this product from the Protein Works. 

This specific Whey Protein 80 product has won an award for the ‘Best Protein’ in the FSN Product Awards. Like Bulk Powders, The Protein Works were able to meet the standards and specifications of their higher-priced products.

This is because, as a large, established supplement brand, they’re able to buy premium base ingredients in bulk. 

Their Whey Protein 80 is 100% pure whey protein concentrate with one 25g serving packing up to 82% protein and a macronutrient breakdown of 20.6g of protein in just 101 calories. 

Whey Protein 80 is available in 15 flavour varieties, a selection of a few which includes ‘Cookies & Cream’, ‘Millionaire’s Shortbread’, and ‘Banana’. 

The Protein Works offers premium quality and award-winning protein at a competitive price point. 

12. PhD Nutrition Diet Whey Protein

Price: £19.58

A brilliant choice if you’re looking for a cheap diet whey protein, The PhD Nutrition Diet Whey Protein Powder uses a premium blend of whey protein concentrate, milk protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate.

It includes golden brown flaxseed powder for essential fatty acids and green tea extract to help increase your metabolism. It also includes L-Carnitine essential to encourage the breakdown of stored fat.

If you haven’t heard of L-Carnitine before, it’s a nutrient you need to help transport fatty acids into the cell’s mitochondria. From there, your cells will burn the fats to create usable energy.

Each serving of the PhD Nutrition Diet Whey Protein Powder packs 100 calories and 16g of protein. 

At £19.58 for a 800g bag, this is one of the cheapest whey protein powders available on the market today. 

PhD Nutrition Diet Whey Protein Powder is available in flavours including ‘Banana Split’, ‘Strawberry’ and ‘Chocolate Cookie Sandwich’.

13. Innermost Whey Protein Powder

Price: £29.95

Innermost as a company ahead of the competition in terms of sourcing the ingredients for their powder. Plus, with awards from Men’s Health in the category of ‘The Game Changer Award,’ this company is certainly going places.  

If we break down all the ingredients of this powder into their subcategories, you will begin to realise how good this protein powder is in terms of quality. 

The whey protein per serving is one of the best on this list. At 34g of protein per serving, this product will make sure you will hit your protein goals in no time at all.

The Innermost The Strong Protein also includes casein protein, and if you haven’t heard of casein before, you should know it’s a slower digesting protein that is perfect if you tend to have it in the evening. 

The Montmorency cherries included in the powder have anti-inflammatory properties which help to reduce any major damage from intensive exercise. The bilberries aid cardiovascular health, glucose control and any inflammation within the body.

Magnesium also helps to regulate your blood pressure and keep your bones strong. 

Like with most premium whey protein powders, this protein powder also includes 3g of creatine and this helps your muscles recover quicker during exercise.  

All in all, this is a great product due to the quality of the ingredients that are listed above, and this makes it one of the best cheap protein powders on the market.

14. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass

Price: £32.95

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass packs more than 1260 kcal per serving which is designed to increase calorie intake.  It’s one of the most recognised sports supplements brands and it costs £25.99 for over 2 kilos of protein. 

One serving contains 50g of protein, over 250g of carbohydrate, a nutrient blend of 24 vitamins and minerals with added 3g of Creatine.

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass is not only just a protein supplement, but it can be used also as a meal replacement shake complete with the important vitamin and minerals boost in just two heaped scoops. 

With 4.5 stars on Amazon UK from over 25,366 ratings, you know this brand can be trusted. 

The Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass flavours are available in banana, chocolate, chocolate mint, chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, strawberry, and vanilla.

15. The Bulk Protein Company SERIOUS GAINZ 

Price: £32.19

This probably is the cheapest whey protein powder you can find online, the Bulk Protein Company SERIOUS GAINZ is available in a 5kg tub and comes in at £0.15 per serving.

With 30 grams of protein per serving, SERIOUS GAINZ delivers 468 calories in every protein drink! This is ideal if you’re looking to increase your calorie intake. 

This cheap protein powder uses a blend of soy protein, whey protein isolate and casein protein as we just wanted to make you aware that this isn’t a 100% whey protein product. 

However, if you’re looking to buy cheap whey protein in bulk, this certainly is for you.

The powder is available in flavours chocolate, vanilla, banana and strawberry with a brilliant 4 stars from over three hundred ratings on Amazon, you would be a fool to miss out on it if you’re looking for a cheap 5kg whey protein powder.

What Type of Whey Protein Is Right For Me?

The main difference with types of whey protein is how they have been processed. 

Types of protein include:

• Concentrate – This contains between 70-80% protein, as well as some lactose or milk sugar and fat. This has the best flavour.
• Isolate – Contains 90% protein or higher. There is less lactose and fat present. It also lacks many of the beneficial nutrients present in whey protein concentrate.
• Hydrolysate – This type of whey has been pre-digested so it gets absorbed faster. It causes between a 28-43% higher spike in insulin levels than isolate.

As it retains most of the natural beneficial nutrients and is the cheapest, concentrate whey is the best option. Likely due to the lactose and fat present, many prefer its taste compared to the others.

However, if you’re trying to focus on keeping fat and carbs low while emphasising protein and find concentrated whey hard to tolerate, whey protein isolate may be a better choice.

Where to Find High Quality Whey Protein Powder?

As shown throughout this article, cheap whey protein powder is available from online stores. However, you can also buy from in-person retailers too, with popular UK supermarkets such as ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury’s regularly stocking shelves with high quality products, including some that have appeared on this list.  

A good idea is to search online prior to making a purchase. In doing so, you can not only see what products are available in your local supermarket, but can also conduct your own price comparison to purchase within your allotted budget. 

Buying in store can actually work out cheaper too as you don’t have to pay delivery costs, so it’ definitely worth checking out!

Before You Go!

These cheap protein powders are the best ones you can find online and we’re sure you’re going to find the right one for you!

If this article has inspired you to take the next steps and become a nutritionist, take a look at OriGym’s Level 4 Sports Nutrition Course!

Otherwise, download our prospectus for further information about our range of courses.