The Farmer’s Dog Vs Freshpet: What’s The Difference?

Last Updated on January 20, 2026 by Kieran Beckles

Are you ready to make the switch to fresh dog food, but you can’t decide between The Farmer’s Dog or Freshpet?

If you’re a long-time reader of Life With Klee Kai, you’ll know we believe in feeding our Alaskan Klee Kai fresh food, based on the success we’ve had compared to regular pet foods like traditional kibble and canned food.

Having seen the benefits of personalized meal plans in fresh dog food subscriptions, we’ve largely stuck to feeding fresh or raw dog food to Copper and Skye to ensure they’re eating a balanced, complete, and healthy diet.

However, on a trip to Costco with my wife, I noticed Freshpet dog food for sale, so I was curious to see how it compares to one of our favorite fresh pet food brands, The Farmer’s Dog.

Freshpet has since released the Homestyle range, as we first wrote this comparison article back in 2023. Therefore, we purchased two bags of Homestyle to try on my Klee Kai dogs, seeing as it’s more similar to The Farmer’s Dog.

If you’re stuck between these two brands, we’d recommend The Farmer’s Dog. We prefer the customization, personalization, and my mini huskies consistently ate The Farmer’s Dog, unlike Freshpet’s Homestyle food. 

The Farmer’s Dog Vs Freshpet: Comparison Table

The Farmer’s Dog Vs Freshpet: Our Verdict

Let’s get right to the key part of our Freshpet vs The Farmer’s Dog comparison review. Who do we recommend? Our pick would be The Farmer’s Dog.

We like that The Farmer’s Dog uses human-grade ingredients, uses clear labeling and pre-portion their dog food. 

Having reviewed over 30 pet food brands, these are some of the most important criteria to me as a pet owner with a fussy eater and a pup with a sensitive tummy.

The Farmer’s Dog offers four recipes, which is a good variety for a picky eater. Although Freshpet has more pet food formats, their Homestyle meals only come in two recipes.

If your dog has special dietary needs, The Farmer’s Dog tailors their pet food accordingly. Unfortunately, Freshpet doesn’t offer the same meal customization. 

For instance, I was able to let The Farmer’s Dog know that Skye is a fussy eater and has a sensitive digestive system. It allowed The Farmer’s Dog to recommend the recipes best suited to her.

Copper and Skye enjoyed eating The Farmer’s Dog, which is the most important factor for me. They finished their meals consistently at dinnertime.

From a dog owner’s perspective, I loved that The Farmer’s Dog pre-portioned its dog food and provided a clear graphic showing how much to feed at mealtime. 

While Copper and Skye received individual meals with The Farmer’s Dog, this wasn’t the case with Freshpet, as I purchased a bag to share.

The Farmer’s Dog is reasonably priced when compared to other dog food subscription companies. We paid just over $190 a month. While it costs more than Freshpet, you’re getting an elevated dog food service.

So, with all things considered, I believe The Farmer’s Dog is the way to go if you want to feed fresh.

How We Tested These Dog Foods

Getting started with these two brands involved different processes. 

We had to sign up for The Farmer’s Dog through their online questionnaire. This required me to sit down and share details about my Klee Kai dogs before receiving my custom meal plan.

The Farmer’s Dog took four days to ship Copper and Skye’s food to my door before I could start testing their recipes.  Once we received our box, we fed The Farmer’s Dog for the duration of the recipe supply. 

It involved defrosting some meals and keeping them in the handy meal container provided in the fridge. At mealtime, I’d cut open their individual meal pouches and follow the portion guidelines.

Copper and Skye showed interest in The Farmer’s Dog throughout the month. Their favorite recipe was beef. We didn’t experience any issues, and they seemed happy.

When I first wrote this article, I picked up Freshpet at my local Costco. However, I noticed that Freshpet had launched a Homestyle range when I was at PetCo this year.

I decided to grab a couple of bags to update this article, as it seemed a more natural competitor to The Farmer’s Dog. I picked up Chicken & Turkey and Beef, Chicken & Turkey.

Freshpet recommends keeping the Homestyle meals in the fridge, so I didn’t need freezer space. I followed the feeding guidelines on the back of the bag to get Copper and Skye’s portions right.

You don’t need to reheat to serve. It’s as simple as scoop-and-serve into your dog’s bowl. However, I did notice that the bag needs to be used within five days of opening. 

Copper and Skye liked the Homestyle meals at the start, but Skye became fussy toward the end of the first week. 

She started to leave half the bowl for Copper to eat. Not good for his diet! Skye showed fussiness in the second week, so I stopped feeding Freshpet and transitioned back to their regular dog food.

The Farmer’s Dog

The Farmer’s Dog is one of the most recognisable fresh dog food companies in the USA, with a reputation for creating dog food that’s perfect for picky eaters or pet owners looking to embrace a fresh approach to pet nutrition.

The Farmer’s Dog food only uses human-grade food such as high-quality USDA-approved meat, fresh vegetables and other good stuff. You won’t find any meat meals, fillers, artificial ingredients, or preservatives, natural or artificial, in their recipes. This appealed to me.

We fed a fresh dog food brand in the UK, but we had to find a new pet food company when we got to the USA because Copper and Skye’s favorite fresh food option didn’t operate stateside. The Farmer’s Dog seemed like a good option to us.

Having tested and reviewed many new dog food companies over the past seven years, we’re used to completing sign-up questionnaires. We considered The Farmer’s Dog to be one of the most thorough and easy to use we’ve completed.

Once we provided details about our dogs, The Farmer’s Dog suggested a meal plan comprised of custom recipes to meet Copper and Skye’s specific goals. For instance, Skye is a healthy weight, but Copper needs to lose some pounds.

When we received our first box, I loved that The Farmer’s Dog labelled Copper and Skye’s meals. Each dog’s individual needs were met, so Copper was eating fresh dog food formulated to help him lose weight.

The Farmer’s Dog follows through on the pre-portioned meals, unlike some pet food brands. Not only do they label each dog’s individual meals, but there’s a graphic on the front to show how much of each meal pouch your dog should eat at mealtime.

It’s convenient food with a high nutritional value that doesn’t require pet owners to have to consult with feeding guidelines in a pamphlet or open your email to find the meal plan. I found mealtime to be super simple: check the label, cut open and pour into their dog bowl.

Previously, I criticised the lack of a meal container to store the remaining food. But The Farmer’s Dog has recently introduced a container to prevent mess in your fridge. We were delighted to see this addition in our box.

To feed The Farmer’s Dog to Copper and Skye costs $194.40 a month when I set up deliveries every 40 days. Having reviewed many new pet food brands, it’s competitively priced.

I went back to see whether the price had increased over the years since I first reviewed their food. However, the cost has remained largely the same, with less than two dollars difference!

Freshpet

Freshpet is a dog food brand well-established in the USA, and you can likely find their meals at your local grocery store or local pet store. For example, I’ve purchased Freshpet at Costco and PetCo.

They offer a range of pet food, including wet, dry, and fresh dog food. 

When I first wrote this article, I compared their Deli Fresh range to The Farmer’s Dog. But I’ve updated this review to reflect their Homestyle range, as it seemed to be a more natural fit.

Freshpet uses high-quality ingredients such as beef, chicken, and turkey, along with eggs, fresh fruit, and vegetables. They don’t use preservatives, you won’t find meat meals, meat powders or by-products.

They don’t offer custom meal plans, which isn’t surprising, see as their food can be ordered online from retail stores or picked up at your grocery stores. I understood I wouldn’t get any personalization.

Copper and Skye didn’t receive the same detained meal plan as The Farmer’s Dog. Instead, I had to consult with the feeding guidelines on the back of the Homestyle bag to get their portions correct.  

We were first approached by Freshpet almost seven years ago when we first started Life With Klee Kai, but Copper and Skye weren’t big fans. However, we tried their wet and dry food rather than their Homestyle range.

Knowing now that my Klee Kai doesn’t like dry food or wet food, we were prepared to give Freshpet another try, seeing as we conveniently found their fresh meals at PetCo at a good price.

We got home and fed some Freshpet to Copper and Skye, and they were happy to try it initially. I served Freshpet direct from the bag into their bowl, and they watched intently as they appeared to recognise this was new food.

Copper was happy eating Freshpet throughout the time he was fed Homestyle. But he’s a food-motivated dog, so I wasn’t surprised. Skye was rather more picky. She initially ate Freshpet, but by the end of the week, she was having a few bites and walking away from her bowl.

Every dog is different, so you may find your dogs love Freshpet, but we struggled to get Skye to eat their recipes regularly. Therefore, we decided against feeding their Homestyle meals long-term to our Klee Kai dogs.

Common Concerns & Counterpoints

The Farmer’s Dog and Freshpet offer fresh meals to pet parents, but there are some considerations to keep in mind before you place an order with either of these brands.

I researched these two pet food companies extensively for this comparison article. I saw a few pet owners raise concerns about the suitability for dogs with a sensitive digestive system or a history of pancreatitis.

While I’m not a pet nutritionist or veterinarian, I do have a dog with a sensitive tummy. We always try to find recipes that will be gentle on Skye’s tummy to avoid any upsets. 

I’d recommend speaking to your veterinarian before introducing either of these brands to your pet. I like that you can speak with The Farmer’s Dog customer care team for help with choosing low-fat recipes and the transition process.

Another concern raised on social media forums is the price.

The Farmer’s Dog costs more than traditional kibble. It can be a shock to some pet owners. I’ve been feeding dog food subscriptions for eight years, so the price isn’t a surprise anymore.

I believe The Farmer’s Dog represents good value at $194.40 when compared to other dog food delivery companies that I’ve reviewed. 

However, I recognise that Freshpet is more convenient than The Farmer’s Dog, as I was able to find it at Costco and Petco, purchase it, and bring it home. There’s no waiting around for your delivery to arrive.

Who Should Pick Which Brand

✔ The Farmer’s Dog Best for:

• Dog owners who want a custom meal plan
• Pet parents who value portion guidelines
• Dogs who love fresh food
• Slightly fussy eaters

✔ Freshpet Best for:

• Convenience 
• Pups who like beef, turkey or chicken recipes
• Flexibility price
• Pet owners who don’t want a subscription

The Farmer’s Dog vs Freshpet FAQ

Alternatives You Should Consider

I’ve reviewed over 30 different fresh dog food brands in the USA and the UK since launching Life With Klee Kai. There are alternatives if you’re still not convinced by either brand.

If you’re determined to stick with fresh dog food, you may want to consider Spot and Tango. 

I like their transparent labelling, their use of human-grade ingredients and customization. Copper and Skye liked their recipes, but not as much as The Farmer’s Dog.

Perhaps you’ve decided against fresh meals, but you still want your dog to eat a high-quality diet. I’d recommend Sundays Food For Dogs for their air-dried food.

But Copper and Skye’s favorite brand is We Feed Raw. They’re responsible for turning my picky eater into a food-motivated dog! You can pick from raw food or freeze-dried raw. 

You can discover my Alaskan Klee Kai’s favorite dog dood brands here.

Wrapping Up

We’ve reached the end of our Freshpet and The Farmer’s Dog comparison article.

We recommend The Farmer’s Dog because they offer a truly customized, fresh pet food diet made with human-grade ingredients tailored to your dog and shipped to your door.

One of the big Farmer’s Dog pros is that they pre-portion your dog’s food, making it easy to maintain portion control at mealtime.

The Farmer’s Dog is competitively priced, given that it provides custom fresh dog food.