Dry dog food: Iams wins
Iams's Proactive Health Adult MiniChunks Chicken & Whole Grains scores 89 to 70. The biggest difference is nutrition standards, where Iams leads by 9.2 points.
| Iams | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Proactive Health Adult MiniChunks Chicken & Whole Grains | Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice |
| Grade | A (89/100) | C (70/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 23/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 25/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.7★ (8,896) | 4.7★ (29,400) |
| Value | $0.90 per 1,000 kcal | $1.37 per 1,000 kcal |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Mars Petcare | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Wet dog food: Iams wins
Iams's ProActive Health Classic Ground with Chicken & Whole Grain Rice scores 84 to 60. The biggest difference is safety and recall record, where Iams leads by 9.9 points.
| Iams | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ProActive Health Classic Ground with Chicken & Whole Grain Rice | Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner |
| Grade | B (84/100) | D (60/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 20.1/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 25/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.6★ (1,743) | 4.5★ (2,712) |
| Value | $0.18 per oz | $0.24 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Mars Petcare | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Dry cat food: Iams wins
Iams's ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Chicken & Turkey scores 88 to 66. The biggest difference is nutrition standards, where Iams leads by 9.2 points.
| Iams | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Chicken & Turkey | Tastefuls Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice |
| Grade | A (88/100) | C (66/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 25.5/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 25/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.7★ (11,376) | 4.6★ (4,255) |
| Value | $1.41 per 1,000 kcal | $3.01 per 1,000 kcal |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Mars Petcare | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Wet cat food: Iams wins
Iams's Perfect Portions Healthy Adult Pâté Variety Pack scores 79 to 58. The biggest difference is nutrition standards, where Iams leads by 9.2 points.
| Iams | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Perfect Portions Healthy Adult Pâté Variety Pack | Tastefuls Pâté Variety Pack |
| Grade | B (79/100) | D (58/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 25.5/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 25/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.3★ (506) | 4★ (1,364) |
| Value | $0.25 per oz | $0.26 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Mars Petcare | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Questions
Is Iams better than Blue Buffalo?
Iams comes out ahead, winning 4 of 4 categories in our grades. Dry dog foods: Iams 89, Blue Buffalo 70. Wet dog foods: Iams 84, Blue Buffalo 60. Dry cat foods: Iams 88, Blue Buffalo 66. Wet cat foods: Iams 79, Blue Buffalo 58. Scores are out of 100.
Which is cheaper, Iams or Blue Buffalo?
For dry dog foods, Iams costs less ($0.90 per 1,000 kcal vs $1.37 per 1,000 kcal). For wet dog foods, Iams costs less ($0.18 per oz vs $0.24 per oz). For dry cat foods, Iams costs less ($1.41 per 1,000 kcal vs $3.01 per 1,000 kcal). For wet cat foods, Iams costs less ($0.25 per oz vs $0.26 per oz).
Have Iams or Blue Buffalo had recalls?
Since 2016 we found 0 recalls for Iams brand lines and 4 for Blue Buffalo. Each brand page lists them with sources.
Prices, ratings and recalls checked October 2026. We compare each brand's top-selling product in each category. How we grade.