Reviews

Best Cheap Fresh Dog Food Alternatives 2026

Most Affordable Fresh Dog Food Alternatives

Last Updated on January 28, 2026 by Kieran Beckles

Are you looking to switch your fresh dog food subscription to a more affordable option?

I love feeding my Alaskan Klee Kai dogs fresh dog food, but their subscription plans can be expensive, given the rising living costs.

Some fresh dog food companies quoted me over $250 to feed their custom meals to my mini huskies. I couldn’t justify the cost.

Quick verdict

Sundays For Dogs

Overall, Sundays is my top pick for air-dried dog food if you want the nutrition of fresh food without the mess of a fridge. I had to pay $184 a month or $6.13 a day to feed Sundays to my Klee Kai.

While my Klee Kai tended to prefer fresh frozen meals, I found dog food delivery companies that offer human-grade dog food at affordable prices.

We updated this article in 2026 to ensure the pricing is correct, considering some of the brands mentioned have increased their subscription prices.

In this article, I’m going to share my top picks for the best cheap fresh dog food alternatives if you’re prepared to revert to dry dog food from fresh meals.

Cheap Fresh Dog Food Comparison Table

Sundays

The Farmer’s Dog

UnKibble

The Pets Table

Air Dried

Fresh meals

Freshly dried

Air dried and fresh

3 recipes

6 options

3 options

5 options

$3.07 a day per dog

$3.24 a day per dog

$2.73 a day per dog

$3.79 a day per dog

$184.40 a month

$194.40 a month

$164 a month

$202 a month

90% meat content

40-50% proteins

27% minimum

26% minimum

No custom scooper

Pre-portioned

Custom scooper

No

Picky eater approved

Klee Kai enjoyed

Skye+Copper liked

Mixed reaction

Sundays Food For Dogs

Skye and her Sundays For Dogs food (Photo: lifewithkleekai)
Skye and her Sundays For Dogs food (Photo: lifewithkleekai)

My top pick is Sundays Food For Dogs. My Alaskan Klee Kai dogs love their air-dried food, which contains human-grade ingredients and is gently cooked with a treat-like texture.

Skye is a fussy eater, but Sundays offer a good variety of recipes: beef, chicken, and turkey. Copper and Skye’s favorite recipe was beef!

Their recipes have a high meat content and a treat-like texture, which kept Skye interested in Sundays. We continue to use Sundays in 2026.

I had no problems completing their sign-up questionnaire. It was easy to serve, and once mealtime was over, I resealed the bag and popped it in the cupboard.

I signed up for Sundays and paid $184 a month to feed their air-dried food to Copper and Skye. Sundays still represent good value despite our subscription increasing.


Pros


Cons

  • Skye and Copper approved

  • High meat content

  • “36% cheaper than fresh”

  • No nasties

  • 50% discount

  • Pricier than kibble

  • Only three recipes

  • Not custom scooper

The Farmer’s Dog

Skye waits for The Farmer’s Dog (Photo: Life With Klee Kai)

I know The Farmer’s Dog provides fresh dog food, but they’re significantly cheaper than every other fresh dog food brand I’ve reviewed. So I included them!

They offer four different recipes (beef, chicken, pork and turkey). This is sufficient variation for you’ve got a picky dog like Skye.

We’ve retested The Farmer’s Dog every year, and it remains Copper and Skye’s favorite fresh dog food brand. They’ve stood the test of time.

I love that The Farmer’s Dog follows through on their customization promise, with individually labelled meals and pre-portioned guidelines.

The Farmer’s Dog is the only fresh dog food brand that my Klee Kai would consistently eat.

We paid $194.40 a month for The Farmer’s Dog, a minor increase from $193 when we first reviewed the brand in 2023.


Pros


Cons

  • Human-grade dog food

  • Customized meal pouches

  • Pre-portioned guide

  • 50% discount

  • More expensive than kibble

  • Only 4 recipes

  • Freezer space required

UnKibble

Skye and Copper wait for UnKibble (Photo: Life With Klee Kai)

If you don’t like the sound of Sundays and you’d prefer a brand that offers something more like kibble, you won’t go wrong with UnKibble.

Spot and Tango created UnKibble to cater to pet owners who prefer to feed dry food rather than fresh food.

UnKibble has four recipes to cater to fussy pups like Skye. My Klee Kai’s favorites were the Beef & Barley and Chicken & Brown Rice.

I appreciated UnKibble included a custom scooper to take the brainwork out of getting the portions right at mealtime. I’ve reviewed over 30 dog food brands, but UnKibble is the only one that includes a custom scooper.

Once I completed UnKibble’s sign-up questionnaire, I was charged $164 a month to feed their dry food to my Alaskan Klee Kai dogs.

While UnKibble has increased its price from $140 to $164, it’s the most affordable option that we’ve reviewed on our website.


Pros


Cons

  • Human-grade dog food

  • Recipe range

  • Custom meal plans

  • More affordable than fresh

  • 50% discount for our readers

  • More expensive than regular kibble

  • My dogs preferred air dried

  • No chicken recipe

The Pets Table

The Pets Table dry food
The Pets Table dry food (Photo: Life With Klee Kai)

You may be new to The Pets Table. They’re a dog food company powered by HelloFresh, which most pet owners will likely have heard of.

While The Pets Table offers fresh dog food meals, I’m interested in their air-dried food plan for this guide. The Pets Table only has two recipes: beef and chicken.

Copper and Skye were happy to eat their beef and chicken dishes, although they didn’t show the same mealtime motivation as with the other brands.

I paid $202 to get a month’s supply of The Pets Table for my Klee Kai dogs. This is still cheaper than most fresh dog food subscription plans I’ve previously reviewed.


Pros


Cons

  • Easy ordering process

  • Affordable

  • Available on Amazon

  • Only two recipes

  • No multiple pet option

  • Mixed reviews

Cheap Fresh Dog Food Pros vs Cons Comparison Table

Brand

Pros

Cons

Sundays

High meat content, treat-like texture, fussy eater approved

No custom scooper, only three recipes, pricier than kibble

UnKibble

Transparent labelling, custom scooper, Klee Kai approved

Only three recipes, more expensive than kibble

The Farmer’s Dog

Individually labelled, pre-portioned guidelines, value

Pricer than dry dog food

The Pets Table

Fresh and air-dried options, easy sign-up process

Only two air-dried recipe options, no custom scooper

Wrapping Up

Sundays For Dogs Vs UnKibble: Our Pick
Sundays For Dogs Vs UnKibble (Photo: lifewithkleekai)

So there we have it. We’ve reached the end of our guide to the best cheap, fresh dog food alternatives, if you’re ready to reclaim your freezer space without sacrificing your dog’s diet.

My pick would be Sundays Food For Dogs based on my experience feeding their air-dried food to Copper and Skye over the past year or so.

I’d recommend UnKibble as a good option if you’ve tried Sundays and are interested in a different human-grade dog food brand.

If you’re eager to give fresh dog food a try, The Farmer’s Dog passed my Klee Kai’s taste test and is friendlier on the bank balance than some other brands.

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