Wet dog food: Instinct wins
Instinct's Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe scores 63 to 60. The biggest difference is safety and recall record, where Instinct leads by 9.9 points.
| Instinct | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Original Grain-Free Real Chicken Recipe | Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner |
| Grade | D (63/100) | D (60/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 20.1/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 14.5/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.3★ (291) | 4.5★ (2,712) |
| Value | $0.30 per oz | $0.24 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Instinct (Nature’s Variety) | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Dry cat food: a tie
Both score 66. The biggest difference is owner ratings, where Blue Buffalo leads by 5.1 points.
| Instinct | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Original Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free | Tastefuls Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice |
| Grade | C (66/100) | C (66/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 25.5/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 14.5/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.4★ (1,308) | 4.6★ (4,255) |
| Value | $2.10 per 1,000 kcal | $3.01 per 1,000 kcal |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Instinct (Nature’s Variety) | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Wet cat food: Blue Buffalo wins
Blue Buffalo's Tastefuls Pâté Variety Pack scores 58 to 53. The biggest difference is value, where Blue Buffalo leads by 5.1 points.
| Instinct | Blue Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Original Grain-Free Pâté Variety Pack | Tastefuls Pâté Variety Pack |
| Grade | F (53/100) | D (58/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 30/30 | 25.5/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 14.5/25 | 15.8/25 |
| Owner rating | 3.8★ (953) | 4★ (1,364) |
| Value | $0.55 per oz | $0.26 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 0 | 4 |
| Made by | Instinct (Nature’s Variety) | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) |
Questions
Is Instinct better than Blue Buffalo?
It's an even split in our grades. Wet dog foods: Instinct 63, Blue Buffalo 60. Dry cat foods: Instinct 66, Blue Buffalo 66. Wet cat foods: Instinct 53, Blue Buffalo 58. Scores are out of 100.
Which is cheaper, Instinct or Blue Buffalo?
For wet dog foods, Blue Buffalo costs less ($0.30 per oz vs $0.24 per oz). For dry cat foods, Instinct costs less ($2.10 per 1,000 kcal vs $3.01 per 1,000 kcal). For wet cat foods, Blue Buffalo costs less ($0.55 per oz vs $0.26 per oz).
Have Instinct or Blue Buffalo had recalls?
Since 2016 we found 0 recalls for Instinct 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.