Ollie vs The Farmer’s Dog: How Do You Choose?

If you’ve tried both Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog, you’ll likely be like me – you’ll see the similarities in the two services much more than their differences. You’ll answer some questions, then you’ll receive your plan; you’ll browse through a few recipes, and you’re basically done!

Therefore, this post will not be “who came out on top” as to which service I’d recommend, but rather “how do I decide between them without giving it too much thought?” It was based upon what I could see when signing up for each of them, what we ate for one month, and the little things that make a difference once you are into the routine.

The 60-second takeaways

Both brands sell a quiz-based system: you answer questions, get a plan, pick recipes, and the subscription takes it from there.
The difference isn’t “quality” as much as how the routine is presented: Ollie feels more browse-and-toggle; The Farmer’s Dog feels more guided and routine-forward.
On my signup screen, Ollie showed $18.54/week for Full Fresh and $12.13/week for Half Fresh (intro pricing).
Recipe selection felt similar in practice, but the controls feel different: Ollie makes switching plan levels feel more obvious, while The Farmer’s Dog takes a bit more clicking if you want to override recommendations.
Day-to-day, The Farmer’s Dog packaging felt more “built for routine” – clear portions and that personalized, made-for-your-dog vibe.

The shared DNA: why they feel identical and where the difference is

You are likely to confuse these two in your head because they each offer a food system for dogs rather than simply a product of pet food. In this case, what you’re really purchasing is a diet, which includes portion sizes, meal plans or recipes, and a recurring purchase schedule. Both systems also attempt to alleviate the two most common problems with feeding a dog – How Much Do I Feed My Dog?, and What Am I Going To Buy Next Time?

The primary difference here is experience based on how easily you can understand and make changes to the plan as you’re using the system. Ollie feels like you can “flip” through different types of plans (Fresh vs. Half Fresh) in a more fluid way on their website and understand the level of commitment you’re making when you select one. The Farmer’s Dog is also clean and simple to use, but it feels more guided: once you’ve completed the initial quiz, it walks you through selecting a plan and recipes; however, if you want to override the recommendations, you may need to click around a bit more to find where to do so.

One thing I will add: The Farmer’s Dog quiz feels more detailed and more thoughtfully built. The health and diet options list seems longer than Ollie’s, so if your dog has multiple issues – or more serious health concerns – The Farmer’s Dog may feel more flexible simply because you’re more likely to find a relevant condition or diet choice in the list during signup.

So the clean way to choose between them isn’t “which is better,” but which experience matches how you make decisions. Ollie tends to feel more transparent while you’re comparing plan levels, and The Farmer’s Dog tends to feel more guided once you’re inside the flow. Neither is a “winner” – they just feel different while you’re choosing.

Ollie vs The Farmer’s Dog: plans, pricing, and delivery

1) Pricing (what it looks like at checkout vs. after the promo)

Ollie
On the signup flow, Ollie presents pricing in weekly terms, and the intro offer is very obvious:

Full Fresh: $18.54/week
Half Fresh: $12.13/week

What made the discount feel especially “real” is that Ollie also shows the original weekly prices right next to the discounted ones. On my screen, Full Fresh was $61.80/week before the intro offer, and Half Fresh was $40.42/week before the intro offer.

So yes – the first order is heavily discounted. If you do the math, that intro pricing works out to roughly a 70% discount on both plans.

The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog frames pricing differently – it shows a daily rate first, and you feel the “routine” pricing immediately:

Full fresh: $4.23/day → ~$29.61/week
After the promo: $8.45/day → ~$59.15/week
Mix with other food: $2.35/day → ~$16.45/week
After the promo: $4.69/day → ~$32.83/week

So the story here is simple: the first-order numbers are the intro version, but once the promo drops off, the day-rate basically doubles – and that “after promo” number is what matters if you’re deciding whether this is a sustainable long-term routine.

2) Okay – so what about delivery?

Pricing is only half the reality with fresh food. The other half is whether the shipping experience is something you can live with week after week.

Ollie delivery

Ollie has a strong overall presence on Trustpilot with a lot of reviews. What you’ll see is a mix: people who love how easy the routine feels, and recurring complaints that are less about the food and more about subscription timing – billing cutoffs, cancellations, and “I forgot to adjust my plan before it processed.” (Trustpilot)
What’s worth noting is that Ollie’s own FAQ highlights the exact account controls that prevent most of those headaches: adjusting your plan, turning off auto-renew, and canceling. In other words, many “delivery problems” in this category are really subscription management + cutoff dates problems. (Ollie)

The Farmer’s Dog delivery

The Farmer’s Dog is very straightforward in its own FAQ about what delivery is supposed to look like: insulated packaging, coolant, and food arriving frozen or very cold. That’s basically the brand saying, “this is temperature-sensitive shipping, and timing matters.”
In real-world reviews, you’ll see mixed notes about boxes arriving early or late – which can be annoying if you’re planning freezer space tightly or counting on a specific day. (ca.trustpilot.com)
And if you look at BBB complaint pages, you’ll also see complaints centered around running low due to delivery timing, or frustration with resolution when something goes wrong. (bbb.org)

Practical takeaway: with any frozen subscription, I treat delivery timing as part of the routine – I keep freezer space ready, I watch the billing cutoff, and I avoid “last two portions” panic. Most frustration comes from timing mismatches, not from the idea of fresh food itself.

Who this is for

If you’re deciding between these two and you’re not seeing a huge quality gap – that’s normal. Here’s the cleanest way to choose based on your routine.

Ollie is a great fit if…
You like seeing the plan options immediately and comparing commitment levels fast (Full vs Half). If you want variety without friction – pick recipes, set the cadence, and move on – Ollie’s browsing style feels straightforward.

The Farmer’s Dog is a great fit if…
You want the most guided experience and you care about day-to-day clarity more than browsing. The packaging and portion guidance feels built for routine, and that personalized “made for your dog” presentation is genuinely helpful when you’re trying to stay consistent – especially for dogs like Mia who do better with smaller, easier-to-eat pieces than big homemade chunks.

Final note

If you’re trying this type of food for the first time ever, it usually makes sense to start with Ollie, simply because the first order is cheaper. Fresh food isn’t just “will my dog eat it?” – it’s also freezer space, portion routines, delivery timing, and whether you personally can stick with it. There’s no reason to overpay for that first experiment.

Then, once you’ve proven to yourself that the routine is doable, you can try The Farmer’s Dog as a second step – and in a longer-term, “we’re actually committing to this” scenario, it can make more sense price-wise.

That approach also has a hidden benefit: you end up testing both delivery experiences and both routines. By the time you choose, you’re not guessing – you’ll know what your dog prefers, what fits your household, and which subscription you’d actually keep.

FAQ

1) Are Ollie and The Farmer’s Dog basically the same thing?
Conceptually, yes: quiz → plan → fresh food → subscription. The differences are mostly in UX and daily-life packaging.

2) Which one is easier to customize?
Ollie felt easier to customize quickly on-screen. The Farmer’s Dog allows customization too, but it can take a bit more clicking to find it.

3) Which is better for dogs who don’t like big chunks?
Based on Mia’s experience, The Farmer’s Dog’s texture helped because she tends to skip larger pieces in homemade meals.

4) Do both require freezer space?
Yes. Both are fresh subscription foods that change your storage routine.

5) Do I have to go “all in” with either brand?
No. Ollie’s Half Fresh option is designed for mixing with other food, and that’s a clean way to try fresh food without a full switch.