The reference plan
What The Farmer’s Dog costs and includes
The Farmer’s Dog cooks dog food in human-food facilities, portions it for your dog, freezes it, and ships it to your door on a schedule set by how fast you go through it. You answer questions about your dog’s age, weight, breed, and activity, and the company builds a plan around that. Most people shopping for companies like The Farmer’s Dog want one of three things: the same fresh food for less, a smaller freezer footprint, or no subscription at all.
- What arrives
- Pre-portioned packs of beef, chicken, turkey, or pork recipes, grain-free or with grains. Recipes are formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists to AAFCO standards.
- Price and billing
- Priced per dog. Plans start at about $2 a day and rise with your dog’s size and recipe. Pause or cancel anytime.
- Delivery
- Frozen boxes holding 1 week to 2 months of food, shipped free to the 48 contiguous states.
- Storage
- Freezer and fridge. A frozen pack takes about 12 hours to thaw in the fridge. A shelf-stable line, Instant Fresh, mixes with water and suits adult and senior dogs.
- On Cratejoy
- No. The Farmer’s Dog sells direct.
Compare the options
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Farmer’s Dog Reference plan |
A full fresh diet, portioned for one dog | From about $2 a day. Subscription you can pause or cancel. | Frozen, 1 week to 2 months of food per box. Free shipping. |
| Ollie | A like-for-like swap, or a half portion of fresh | Under $4 a day for a small dog on a full plan. Subscription only. | Frozen. Free shipping to the continental U.S. |
| Spot & Tango UnKibble | Fresh-style food that lives in the pantry | From about $1 a day. Subscription only. | Every 1, 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Free shipping to the 48 contiguous states. |
| Freshpet | Fresh food bought like groceries | Store prices vary. Freshpet’s delivery plan starts at $2 a day. | Store fridges nationwide, or delivery every 1 to 8 weeks in parts of the U.S. |
| JustFoodForDogs | Vet-prescribed diets, fish, venison, or a one-time order | $154 for 14 packs of Chicken & Rice, bought once. Subscribing is optional. | Frozen, every 1 to 12 weeks. Free over $49. Also in stores. |
| PAWsitively Organic Dog Bakery | Treats alongside any fresh diet | $38 a box month to month, $33 on a 12-month plan. | Monthly, baked after billing. Free U.S. shipping. |
| PupJoy Power Chewers Box | Chews and toys for a dog who needs a job | $40 a box month to month, $37 on a 12-month plan. | Monthly. Free U.S. shipping, $5 to Canada. |
Each food brand’s delivery plan takes 50% to 70% off the first order. The prices above are what you pay after that first box.
The alternatives
Closest match
Ollie vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: The owner who likes fresh food but wants a lamb recipe or a smaller fresh bill.
Ollie cooks five fresh recipes (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb) and ships them frozen in portioned packs. It also sells two baked recipes with the convenience of kibble, and it will mix the two in one plan. The Half Fresh plan covers half your dog’s daily calories, a way to add fresh food to a bowl you already buy.
What feels familiar
A short quiz about your dog, frozen packs portioned to match, and recipes made to AAFCO standards for every life stage.
What changes
Lamb joins the menu, and so do half and mixed plans. Ollie puts its average at $8 a day, so get a quote for your own dog before you switch. Packs need a full day to thaw in the fridge, and you cancel by phone or on the website, not in the app.
No freezer space
Spot & Tango UnKibble vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: A small freezer, or a dog who does better on fish.
Spot & Tango makes UnKibble by gently cooking and freeze-drying fresh ingredients, so the food keeps in a cool, dry pantry. The three recipes are beef and barley, turkey and sweet potato, and cod and salmon, which the brand labels grain-free. Spot & Tango also sells a frozen fresh line if you want both.
What feels familiar
Ingredients from human-food suppliers, a plan priced to your dog’s calorie needs, and deliveries you can pause or cancel from your account.
What changes
It starts at about $1 a day, half The Farmer’s Dog’s starting price. You scoop it straight from the bag, a drier bite than a thawed fresh pack. Mixing UnKibble and frozen meals on one plan takes a call to the company.
No subscription
Freshpet vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: Buying fresh dog food with the weekly groceries.
Freshpet sells refrigerated rolls and bags from its own fridges in grocery, pet, and big-box stores. Its latest quarterly filing counts about 30,700 stores with a Freshpet fridge. There’s nothing to schedule and nothing to cancel.
What feels familiar
Steam-cooked food with no preservatives, kept cold from kitchen to fridge and made to AAFCO standards, plus a delivery plan if you want one. Freshpet Delivery starts at $2 a day for a full plan or $1 for a half plan.
What changes
Store rolls and bags aren’t portioned for your dog, so you work out how much to feed, and an opened roll lasts 7 days in the fridge. Some delivery recipes are for adult dogs only, and delivery doesn’t reach every ZIP code yet.
Vet diets and more proteins
JustFoodForDogs vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: A dog with a health condition your vet is managing, or one who can’t eat the usual proteins.
JustFoodForDogs cooks fresh frozen recipes in fish, lamb, venison, beef, chicken, turkey, and tofu, plus a prescription line for conditions such as kidney, liver, and digestive care. You can order once without subscribing, buy at its own kitchens, or pick it up at Petco and Pet Food Express.
What feels familiar
Gently cooked food frozen in portioned packs, formulated by veterinary nutritionists.
What changes
Pricing goes by the box: $154 for 14 packs of Chicken & Rice ordered once, and the site helps you pick a box size that fits your freezer. Orders under $49 pay $19.99 shipping. It doesn’t ship to Alaska or Hawaii.
Alongside any fresh plan
PAWsitively Organic Dog Bakery vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: Treats held to the same ingredient standard as your dog’s dinner.
PAWsitively Organic Dog Bakery bakes three or four kinds of treats in small batches in New Jersey each month, with organic, human-grade ingredients and no corn, soy, or artificial preservatives. Think pumpkin muffins, peanut butter donuts, and decorated cookies.
What feels familiar
Human-grade ingredients, food made fresh for each order, and a monthly delivery you don’t have to remember.
What changes
These are treats. The Farmer’s Dog portions each pack to your dog’s daily calories, so anything from this box comes on top of that count. Boxes are baked after billing and ship around the 15th.
Something to chew
PupJoy Power Chewers Box vs The Farmer’s Dog
Best for: A dog who finishes a soft fresh meal in seconds and still wants something to work on.
PupJoy sends a monthly mix of treats and sturdier toys, sized from Tea Cup to Huuuge. The seller calls the treats all natural and lets you change what comes in the box.
What feels familiar
A monthly delivery set to your dog’s size, and no contract to sign.
What changes
No food at all. This box covers chewing and play, the part of the day a bowl of fresh food finishes quickly. It ships within a business day of your order.
The honest part
When The Farmer’s Dog is still the better fit
Stay if your dog eats The Farmer’s Dog happily and the price works for you. Any new food means another gradual switch, mixing old food with new over several days, and Ollie, the closest match, cooks the same four proteins plus lamb. If freezer space is your only complaint, try The Farmer’s Dog’s own Instant Fresh before you leave. It’s shelf-stable, mixes with water, and keeps your dog on a food it already likes.
How we chose these options
We started from the reasons people look past The Farmer’s Dog: the price, the freezer, the subscription, and a dog who needs a protein or a diet it doesn’t cook. We kept four fresh-food brands that each answer one of those and sell complete, balanced meals. Cratejoy doesn’t carry a fresh meal plan, so we looked for treat and chew boxes that are taking orders and fit a dog on fresh food. The photo at the top is The Farmer’s Dog’s own image of its delivery box.
Questions before switching
Which brand is closest to The Farmer’s Dog?
Ollie. Both cook fresh recipes, portion them to your dog, ship them frozen, and meet AAFCO standards for all life stages. Ollie adds a lamb recipe and half or mixed plans.
Which fresh dog food costs less than The Farmer’s Dog?
Spot & Tango’s UnKibble starts at about $1 a day, against about $2 a day for The Farmer’s Dog. Half plans from Ollie and Freshpet also cut the bill by feeding fresh food as half the bowl.
Can I buy fresh dog food without a subscription?
Yes. Freshpet sells in store fridges, and JustFoodForDogs lets you order once or buy in stores. Nom Nom, another fresh brand, sells through Chewy, PetSmart, and Amazon without a subscription.
Can a treat box replace The Farmer’s Dog?
No. Treat and chew boxes are extras, and none of the Cratejoy boxes here is a complete diet. Pair one with a fresh plan, and count the treats into your dog’s daily food.
Can I send one of these as a gift?
The two Cratejoy boxes can be sent as a gift from the listing page, and a gift order doesn’t renew. The food brands sell plans built around one dog’s details, so they fit an owner better than a gift.
Is there a monthly box with dog toys too?
BarkBox is the best-known one. Our guide to BarkBox alternatives compares six dog boxes, from tough chewers to new puppies.
