The best hemp protein powders, compared

The best hemp protein powder depends on what you want from it. If it's protein, compare grams of protein per scoop and per dollar, because hemp powders range from about 43% to 80% protein by weight. If it's fiber, the lower-protein powders give you more. And because hemp takes up metals from soil, check where it's grown and whether the brand publishes heavy-metal results.

Disclosure: I run Cantein, and it's one of the five brands compared below. I've tried to make this the comparison I'd want as a shopper: label facts from each brand's own site, and the places where Cantein isn't the best choice.

Five unflavored hemp protein powders, side by side

Powder Serving Protein Protein by weight Fiber Certification Hemp grown in Price per 20g protein
Cantein Unflavored 35g 28g 80% 2g USDA Organic China (Heilongjiang) $1.79 ($1.61 subscribed)
Manitoba Harvest Max Protein Unsweetened 32g 20g 63% 3g Organic Canada $1.49
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein (Peak Protein) 30g 15g 50% 6g USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Canada and Lithuania $1.87 (1 lb), $1.51 (3 lb)
Anthony's Organic Hemp Seed Protein 30g 15g 50% 6g Organic (CCOF) Canada, Romania, Lithuania $1.34
Navitas Organics Hemp Powder 30g 13g 43% 7g Organic Canada $2.38 (12 oz), $2.05 (32 oz)

All facts come from each brand's product page or label, checked October 2, 2026. Protein by weight is protein divided by serving size. Prices are one-time list prices. On that date, every Nutiva hemp protein size and Manitoba Harvest Max Protein were listed as sold out on the brands' own sites.

Why protein percentage varies so much

Most hemp protein powder is what's left after the oil is pressed out of hemp seeds, milled and sifted into powder. Anthony's describes exactly that process. That press cake keeps a lot of the seed's fiber, so it lands around 50% protein. Navitas describes its powder as 50% protein by weight; its nutrition label works out to 13g in a 30g serving, about 43%.

Higher percentage means more protein per scoop and fewer calories per gram of protein. Lower percentage means more fiber, which is a real plus if fiber is part of why you're buying it.

Picks by what you want

Most protein per scoop: Cantein Unflavored

28g of protein in a 35g scoop, from one ingredient: organic hemp protein, mechanically cold-pressed. That's the most protein per scoop and per gram of powder of the five. It's 110 calories per scoop with 0mg of sodium, and it's USDA Organic.

Where it loses: at $1.79 per 20g of protein, it costs more than Anthony's, Manitoba Harvest, or a 3 lb bag of Nutiva. It has the least fiber, 2g per scoop. And our hemp is grown in Heilongjiang, China, while every other brand here sources from Canada or Europe. If origin matters to you, that's a fair reason to choose one of the others.

Lowest price: Anthony's Organic Hemp Seed Protein

$1.34 per 20g of protein, with one ingredient (organic hemp seed) and 6g of fiber per serving. The product page carries a California Prop 65 warning for lead, cadmium, and arsenic. California's thresholds are very strict, and a warning doesn't tell you how much is in a serving.

Canadian-grown and high-protein: Manitoba Harvest Max Protein

20g of protein in a 32g serving, made from organic hemp seed powder with oregano extract. Manitoba Harvest grows in Canada and says its hemp hearts and flax go through more than 34 tests during production, with every product traceable to the field. It was sold out on Manitoba Harvest's site when I checked. Their Balanced Protein + Fiber (18g protein and 8g fiber per 36g) is in stock and cheaper, but it isn't organic.

More fiber: Navitas or Nutiva

Navitas has the most fiber of the five, 7g per 30g serving, and its hemp is grown in Canada. Nutiva Peak Protein has 6g of fiber and 15g of protein, and Nutiva also sells a Fiber Plus version with 11g of each. Both brands are certified organic. If you want protein and fiber from hemp in one scoop, these do that better than Cantein Unflavored. (Our own Protein + Fiber blend adds organic acacia for 6g of fiber.)

Heavy metals and testing

Hemp is good at pulling metals out of soil; it has even been studied for cleaning up contaminated land. So the most useful thing a hemp brand can do is publish its results. Here's what each brand makes public, as of October 2, 2026:

  • Cantein: one sample of our hemp protein, tested by Eurofins in September 2025. A 35g scoop of unflavored had 0.22µg of lead and 0.49µg of cadmium. It's one sample, not every lot. Our lab-testing page has the details.
  • Nutiva: says recent laboratory analysis found 0.6–0.8µg of lead per serving of its hemp protein powders.
  • Manitoba Harvest: describes its testing and traceability program; I didn't find published heavy-metal results for its protein powders.
  • Anthony's: carries a Prop 65 warning for lead, cadmium, and arsenic; I didn't find published results.
  • Navitas: I didn't find published heavy-metal results.

Those numbers come from different labs, different lots, and different years, so treat them as a reason to ask questions, not as a ranking. Any brand should be able to send you a recent certificate of analysis. Our guide to lead in protein powder explains how to read one.

What all hemp protein shares

  • It's a complete protein, with lysine as the limiting amino acid. It's lower in leucine than whey, so pair it with other proteins through the day. See hemp protein amino acids.
  • It tastes like the seed: nutty, earthy, a little grassy.
  • It doesn't dissolve like whey. Blend it rather than shaking it.
  • It won't get you high. Hemp seeds don't naturally contain THC, and the FDA has said hemp seed foods aren't capable of making people "high." When Eurofins tested the hemp protein in Cantein, no THC or CBD was detected. See does hemp protein contain THC?

New to hemp? Start with what hemp protein is, or compare it with pea and whey.

The short version

For the most protein per scoop, Cantein (80% protein, grown in China). For the lowest price, Anthony's. For Canadian-grown and high-protein, Manitoba Harvest Max Protein, when it's in stock. For more fiber, Navitas or Nutiva. Whichever you choose, ask for the heavy-metal results.

I run Cantein, so weigh my view accordingly. Every product fact above comes from each brand's own product page, label, or published statement, checked October 2, 2026. Formulas, prices, and stock change; check before you buy.

Sources

Buying guides: Dairy-free protein powder · Sensitive stomach · Over 50 · Without stevia · Hemp protein compared · All Learn pages