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The prebiotic soda wars are upon us! The feud between Coca-Cola and Pepsi goes back decades to the 1970s, but there’s a fresh battle in the world of fizz. 

Poppi and Olipop are the world’s leading “healthy” soda brands. And the fight is heating up. While still highly lucrative, the soda industry has declined in recent years. Many Americans want to eat healthier, and 150 empty calories and 40g of sugar in a 12-ounce can no longer cuts it. Enter: prebiotic soda. 

Let’s sip on the two top brands and see where the bubbles fall.

Flavors and Fizziness

The conversation surrounding these sodas may be focused on nutrition, but we all know the flavors are still a top priority. When it comes to variety, Olipop’s 18 distinct flavors win by a mile. Poppi offers 15, still an impressive number. Check out the full list of flavors below:

Poppi:

• Cream Soda
• Cranberry Fizz
• Cherry Cola
• Orange Cream
• Wild Berry
• Lemon Lime
• Grape 
• Raspberry Rose
• Cherry Limeade
• Watermelon
• Ginger Lime
• Root Beer
• Root Beer
• Doc Pop
• Orange

Olipop:

• Vintage Cola
• Classic Root Beer
• Classic Grape
• Classic Grape
• Cream Soda
• Doctor Goodwin
• Ginger Ale
• Orange Squeeze
• Ridge Rush
• Watermelon Lime
• Lemon Lime
• Ginger Lemon
• Tropical Punch
• Crisp Apple
• Peaches & Cream
• Strawberry Vanilla
• Cherry Vanilla
• Banana Cream

Banana Cream? Cranberry Fizz? Raspberry Rose? Sign us up. We have to give them a round of applause for innovative, colorful flavors. And classic flavors like Ginger Ale, Vintage Cola, and Doc Pop make these drinks a terrific alternative to traditional soda. 

But which tastes better? People are split pretty evenly. We’ve tried both and find that Olipop has more depth of flavor and balance — the Crisp Apple is my favorite — but Poppi is by no means a loser in this category.

As far as fizziness, Olipop is a bit smoother, while Poppi has more carbonation. That’s a personal preference, but we enjoy Olipop’s subtlety.

Winner: Olipop

Olipop eeks out the win here thanks to consistent taste and three extra flavors.

Prebiotic Power

A major draw is that the beverages are “prebiotic sodas.” Prebiotics are an important dietary fiber that supports gut health by feeding the bacteria that aid digestion. So, we don’t digest prebiotics, but the good bacteria do. 

Note that prebiotics and probiotics are different. Probiotics are the good bacteria found in products like Kefir and yogurt. Prebiotics are what feed them and are commonly found in food like apples.

Now that today’s nutrition lesson is over, let’s compare:

Olipop: 9g of fiber

Poppi: 2g of fiber

For reference, the average apple only has about 4g of fiber.

Winner: Olipop

Well, that’s that, folks. Olipop has more fiber, so the choice is obvious if you’re in it for the prebiotics. 

Other Ingredients and Nutrients

Beyond the prebiotics, both soda companies boost their health benefits with other ingredients and nutrients. 

Poppi:

• Agave inulin — a type of fiber
• Citrus oils — natural flavorings
• Stevia — a calorie-free, plant-based sweetener
• Apple cider vinegar — a popular ingredient in alternative wellness trends

Olipop:

• Chicory root fiber — a prebiotic
• Cassava root fiber and syrup — a prebiotic
• Jerusalem artichoke inulin — a prebiotic fiber
• Marshmallow root — adds texture
• Kudzu root — a prebiotic fiber
• Calendula flower — has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant compounds
• Nopal cactus — potential benefits like antiviral and antioxidant properties
• Stevia — a calorie-free, plant-based sweetener
• Apple juice concentrate — added for sweetness
• Himalayan pink salt — added for flavor

Olipop’s list of ingredients is far longer. But is that a good thing? According to some nutritionists — and many customers — yes! If you’re after loads of fiber and all-natural ingredients that may be beneficial, go with Olipop. If you want a simpler beverage, go with Poppi. 

However, it’s important to note that most ingredients here — namely ACV and kudzu root — lack substantial scientific research supporting their benefits. Did you guys watch the Netflix Apple Cider Vinegar series? I’ll summarize it for you: Go to the doctor; don’t listen to TikTok wellness gurus.

Winner: Olipop

We’re crowning Olipop the winner their “Olismart” recipe, which goes above and beyond to help consumers nourish their bodies.

Sugar and Calorie Content

Poppi’s and Olipop’s sugar and calorie content are pretty similar. Not every flavor has the same content, so it depends on what your taste buds crave. Below are the sugar and calorie ranges for both brands:

Poppi sugar: 2-5g of sugar (or less)

Olipop sugar: 2-5g of sugar (or less)

Poppi calories: 25-30 calories 

Olipop calories: 35-50 calories (or less)

Olipop calories range from as low as 35, with most flavors containing 45 or 50 calories.

Winner: Poppi

Poppi takes this round with fewer calories and roughly the same amount of sugar.

Brand Reputations

In recent weeks, Poppi has caught some heat after gifting numerous social media influencers massive Poppi vending machines for a Super Bowl stunt. Many people were quick to point out the tone-deaf PR move. 

The brand’s socials were flooded with comments suggesting they should have donated the vending machines to schools, hospitals, and other locations that would benefit more from the access to “healthy” soda instead of stocking influencers’ homes.

One TikTokker left a comment saying, “They should’ve gave those to college dorm rooms, or athletic departments, I’m definitely not buying another one.”

Another said, “Like an influencer having a Poppi vending machine isn’t gonna make me want to drink Poppi.”

The Poppi founder took to TikTok to clarify that the vending machines are just on loan. The company plans to eventually move them to more public places. 

Olipop did not hesitate to capitalize on this with the company’s accounts piling on the negative comments on Poppi’s posts. One comment read, “also for the record, those machines cost $25K each lol.” Poppi later refuted this number, implying it was closer to $10k — still a pretty penny if you ask us.

Winner: Olipop

Time will tell if Poppi can save its reputation and if consumers will embrace Olipop’s petty vibes. For now, Poppi’s in the doghouse, and Olipop is invited to dinner.

The Prebiotic Winner Is…

Olipop — obviously. They won almost every category! Although Poppi found its foothold in the market sooner, Olipop quickly caught up and surpassed Poppi! The latest Super Bowl fiasco — fizz-asco, if you’re punny, like us! — seriously hurt Poppi.

It’s worth noting that Coca-Cola — not surprising — has thrown its bottle cap into the ring by recently releasing Simply Pop, a prebiotic soda. But with 60 calories and 10g of sugar per can — and only five flavors — they’re not up to par.

Whether you enlist with Poppi or join the ranks of Olipop, the war is still raging. But the real winners are us consumers, who finally have a fizzy, sweet drink that doesn’t obliterate our healthy diets. Perhaps these aren’t as healthy as the brands claim, but comparing them to Coke is like comparing apples and Oreos.