Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog: Which Food is Better for Your Pup?

If you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of fresh dog food ads, you’ve probably seen Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog pop up again and again. Both promise human-grade ingredients, customized meal plans, and happier, healthier pups—but which one actually deserves a spot in your freezer?

I put these two subscription heavyweights nose-to-nose to see how they really compare in terms of quality, convenience, price, and (most importantly) dog approval. Spoiler alert: both brands deliver on nutrition, but depending on your priorities, one may edge out the other.

How it Works

Both Ollie and Farmer’s Dog are subscription services offering customized meal plans, so you’ll need to do a little work to get everything set up. Here’s what to expect:

Ollie: After completing a detailed questionnaire about your dog’s age, breed, weight, activity, and health needs, Ollie crafts a personalized meal plan. You can choose from fresh meals and gently baked kibble, plus treats and supplements. You’ll get helpful tools like a scoop and container for messy-free feeding.
The Farmer’s Dog: Same concept—start with a questionnaire and get vet-designed, portion-controlled, gently cooked meals delivered frozen. Everything arrives beautifully packaged and ready to thaw and serve.

Ingredient Quality & Sourcing: It's a Tie

On the surface, there aren’t huge differences between Ollie vs. The Farmer’s Dog when it comes to ingredients. Both brands meet AAFCO standards and use human-grade, minimally processed ingredients to create balanced meals.

Ollie uses real meats, fruits, and vegetables with no fillers, flavors, or preservatives. Their recipes are vet-formulated and designed to support overall health, and they do a nice job keeping things straightforward.

The Farmer’s Dog follows a very similar approach, with human-grade ingredients and vet-developed recipes, but where it starts to pull ahead is in how tightly everything is tailored to your individual dog. Meals are portioned specifically for your dog’s needs, and the recipes are built with whole, recognizable ingredients (think lentils, carrots, kale) plus targeted nutrients like salmon oil for skin and coat health.

When it comes to transparency, Ollie does make it easier to browse full recipe details right on their site without going through the signup process, which is nice if you’re just comparing options.

That said, The Farmer’s Dog leans more into personalization overall, and that level of customization tends to matter more in the long run—especially for larger dogs where portion control and precise nutrition make a bigger difference day to day.

The Farmers Dog Human-Grade Fresh Dog Food Delivery

The Farmer’s Dog is a fresh, human-grade dog food delivery service that customizes meals based on your dog’s age, breed, weight, and activity level. Made with real meat, vegetables, and essential nutrients, their vet-formulated recipes support overall health and digestion. Meals are pre-portioned and delivered straight to your door.

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The Farmers Dog Human-Grade Fresh Dog Food Delivery

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Taste, Texture & Recipe Variety: Ollie Wins for Taste & Variety

Texture-wise, Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog are pretty similar at a glance, but they do feel a little different once you scoop them out. Ollie leans more toward a stew-like consistency, while The Farmer’s Dog has more of a soft, finely chopped texture (somewhere between a pâté and a hearty mash). In my experience, that texture tends to be easier to portion and mix, especially if you’re combining it with other foods or adjusting servings for a larger dog.

As for taste… I still have to rely on Freya for that verdict (I have limits), and she was happy to eat both. While she leaned slightly toward Ollie at first, she had no problem finishing The Farmer’s Dog meals—and from a practical standpoint, consistency matters more than a one-time preference. A food your dog will reliably eat day after day without fuss is a win in my book.

When it comes to recipe variety, both brands offer four core proteins—beef, chicken, and turkey, with Ollie adding lamb and The Farmer’s Dog offering pork. It’s a pretty even lineup, but The Farmer’s Dog focuses more on dialing in those recipes for your specific dog rather than expanding into a lot of extras.

Packaging & Convenience: Almost a Tie

Both brands ship directly to your house in a way that keeps everything cool even in the dead heat of summer. The fresh meals are packaged in BPA-free plastic wrap, making them pretty easy to fit into your freezer even if you’re short on space.

If ongoing shipping and packaging is your only concern, then it’s an even tie. However, I feel like Ollie edges ahead a smidge with the initial delivery. Along with your food and a guide on how to transition, you also get a really cute container and two different types of scoops. I just love that extra attention to detail.

Which is Cheaper? It Depends...

Both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog offer steep intro discounts (usually at least 50% off your first box), so trying either one doesn’t feel like a huge financial leap.

Ollie tends to sweeten the deal with rotating freebies. My first box came with a free Embark DNA test kit, and they’ve been known to offer things like a free Fi collar with a subscription. It’s a nice perk if you catch it at the right time, although the offers change often, so it’s a bit of a “grab it while you can” situation.

The Farmer’s Dog keeps things simpler. You may see a free bag of treats included with your first order, but it’s usually added to your next shipment unless you remove it. Not quite the same level of bonus value, but also less of a moving target.

Where The Farmer’s Dog really pulls ahead is in the ongoing cost. Pricing always depends on your dog, but for my large-breed dog, the difference wasn’t small:

Ollie- $73.33 per week for full fresh plan or $41.30 a week for half-fresh.
The Farmer’s Dog- $52.22 per week

So, while Ollie does have some really cool discounts and freebies, The Farmer’s Dog ends up saving you more money in the long run.

Final Verdict: The Farmer's Dog Wins by a Nose

Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog are both genuinely solid options, so this isn’t one of those “clear winner by a mile” situations. But when you zoom out and look at the full picture, The Farmer’s Dog edges ahead.

Price plays a role here, and for large breed dogs especially, it’s not a small one. The Farmer’s Dog comes in noticeably lower on an ongoing basis, which makes it a lot easier to stick with long term (and consistency matters more than a flashy first box).

Freya did lean slightly toward Ollie at first, but she happily ate both, and that’s really what counts. When a dog will consistently eat a food without hesitation, the difference between “likes” and “really likes” starts to matter a lot less in day-to-day life.

Ollie does bring some nice extras to the table—more add-ons, baked options, and the occasional high-value freebie. But The Farmer’s Dog keeps things focused on what actually matters most: simple, well-balanced meals that are precisely portioned for your dog. For large breeds, that kind of accuracy and consistency goes a long way.

So while Ollie is still an excellent choice (especially if you want more variety), The Farmer’s Dog takes the win here for being the more practical, sustainable option over time.