Quest bar vs David bar
The classic protein bar against the newcomer, on label numbers.
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Quest has been a default protein bar for years; David bars are the newer challenger built around a low calorie count. We compared every classic Quest Protein Bar flavor we track with David's Gold and Bronze bars, on grams of protein per 100 calories.
Verdict: David wins. Every David Gold flavor (18.7) and every David Bronze flavor (13.3) beats every classic Quest Protein Bar we track (10.5–11.8).
Side by side
| Per serving | Quest Protein Bar (classic) | David Gold Protein Bar | David Bronze Protein Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 bar (60 g) | 1 bar (62 g) | 1 bar (58 g) |
| Protein | 20 g–21 g | 28 g | 20 g |
| Calories | 170–190 | 150 | 150 |
| Protein / 100 cal | 10.5–11.8 | 18.7 | 13.3 |
| Calories per 10 g protein | 85–95 | 54 | 75 |
| Leaderboard rank | #71–#91 of 143 | #22–#29 of 143 | #57–#60 of 143 |
| Price / serving | $2.96 1 of 9 flavors priced | $3.25 | $3.25 |
| $ / 10 g protein | $1.48 1 of 9 flavors priced | $1.16 | $1.63 |
| Flavors tracked | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| Source | label 1 label 2 label 3 label 4 label 5 label 6 label 7 label 8 label 9 | label 1 label 2 label 3 label 4 label 5 label 6 label 7 label 8 | label 1 label 2 label 3 label 4 |
Flavors included (same label numbers unless the table shows a range):
- Quest Protein Bar (classic): Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream, Birthday Cake, Double Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Blueberry Muffin, Mint Chocolate Chunk, Lemon Cake, Pumpkin Pie (seasonal)
- David Gold Protein Bar: Red Velvet, Cinnamon Roll, Cake Batter, Salted Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk, Pumpkin Spice, Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- David Bronze Protein Bar: Peanut Butter Chocolate, S'mores Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Cookie Dough Caramel Chocolate
Where the prices come from (one-time snapshots, per serving at that pack size, not store shelf prices): Quest Protein Bar – Pumpkin Pie (seasonal): $35.49 for 12-ct carton on brand site; David Gold Protein Bar – Red Velvet: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Cinnamon Roll: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Cake Batter: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Salted Peanut Butter: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Pumpkin Spice: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Fudge Brownie: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Gold Protein Bar – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site, seen 2026-10-30; David Bronze Protein Bar – Peanut Butter Chocolate: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site; David Bronze Protein Bar – S'mores Chocolate: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site; David Bronze Protein Bar – Double Chocolate: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site; David Bronze Protein Bar – Cookie Dough Caramel Chocolate: $39.00 for 12-bar carton on brand site.
What the numbers say
Calories are the story. Every David bar we track is 150 calories; classic Quest bars run 170–190. David Gold also has 28 g of protein against Quest's 20–21 g, so it wins on both ends at once.
David Bronze is the fairer fight. It has 20 g, the same as most Quest bars, but 20–40 fewer calories. That's enough to lift it above Quest's range, to 13.3.
Price splits the result. The one Quest bar we have a price for, the seasonal Pumpkin Pie, was $2.96 a bar on Quest's site ($1.48 per 10 g of protein). David bars were $3.25 on David's site, which is $1.16 per 10 g for Gold and $1.63 for Bronze. So Quest was cheaper per bar, David Gold cheaper per gram of protein, and Bronze the priciest per gram.
Which one should you pick?
- Calories are your budget: David Gold Protein Bar (18.7 g protein per 100 calories).
- Most protein in one serving: David Gold Protein Bar (28 g).
- Price: at the prices we recorded, David Gold Protein Bar is the cheapest per 10 g of protein ($1.16, vs $1.48 for Quest Protein Bar (classic)).
- Taste: check the shared 👍/👎 votes next to each product on The Hoard Board. They never change the rank, but they make a good tiebreaker.
Caveats
This compares classic Quest Protein Bars only; Quest Crispy Hero and Stacks are covered in every Quest product ranked. Bar weights differ (1 bar (60 g) for Quest, 1 bar (62 g) for David Gold, 1 bar (58 g) for Bronze). Serving sizes differ between products, so compare the protein and calories, not the package. All nutrition numbers come from the published sources linked in the table, checked between 2026-10-26 and 2026-10-29. We rank by grams of protein per 100 calories only; we don't track sugar, fat, sodium, ingredients or allergens. This is general information, not dietary advice.
See every product side by side on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.