Barebells vs Waay: Same 10 Grams, Very Different Cans
These two occupy the "actually pleasant to drink" end of the protein soda shelf, and both top out at 10 grams, so protein won't decide this one. Sweeteners, caffeine, and flavor philosophy will.
Side by Side
| Barebells | Waay | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10g clear whey isolate | 10g, whey isolate + collagen peptides |
| Price* | ~$35.99/12-pack | ~$39.99/12-pack Amazon, $2.99 singles in stores |
| Sweetener | Sucralose-based | Stevia + monk fruit, no sucralose |
| Caffeine | 200mg in every flavor (brand product pages, and the front of the can) | None |
| Flavor style | Dessert-leaning: Cola, Wild Strawberry, Sweet Cherry, Pineapple Sunrise | Citrus-bitter: Grapefruit, Lemon Raspberry, Orange |
| Sporked scores (May 2026) | 7.5 (Wild Strawberry), 7 (Pineapple Sunrise) | 8 (Grapefruit, best of 18), 6.5 (Lemon Raspberry), 6 (Orange) |
| Where to buy | Brand shop, GNC, grocery, Amazon | Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon |
The Sweetener Split
This is the cleanest dividing line in the matchup. Barebells runs the industry-standard sucralose route, which most palates read as sweeter and more dessert-like. Waay refuses sucralose and uses stevia plus monk fruit, then picks bitter citrus flavors so the stevia tail has somewhere to hide. Sporked, no fan of stevia, still handed Waay Grapefruit its top score of all 18 sodas tested, precisely because the grapefruit bitterness cut through. Know your own tongue: sucralose-averse buyers go Waay, stevia-averse buyers go Barebells.
The Caffeine Trap, and It Is Every Can
Worth repeating anywhere Barebells comes up: every Barebells Protein Soda flavor carries 200mg of caffeine. Not some of them, all four, and the can says so in small type under the wordmark. That is a pre-workout dose wearing a strawberry milk costume. Waay is uniformly caffeine free. If you want an evening can, or you are buying for someone caffeine-sensitive, this alone decides it, and there is no Barebells flavor that gets you out of it.
The Call
Buy Waay for a clean, caffeine-free, no-sucralose soda swap, especially if grapefruit sounds good rather than punishing. It holds the best single taste score on record in this category.
Buy Barebells if you want dessert-style flavors and you actively want 200mg of caffeine with them, because there is no version of this line without it.
And if 10 grams feels thin for the price either way, you are right. Worth knowing: SkyPop is now 10 grams too, since its 2026 rebrand cut it from 15, so all three of these deliver the same size protein hit and SkyPop is the cheapest of the three at about $2.25 a can. If you want the can to do a real protein job instead, that is the Bucked Up vs SkyPop conversation.
Full write-ups: Barebells review · Waay review