Top 8 Best Mass Gainer for Muscle Gain (2026)
8 picks — ranked by our 50/50 methodology
- #1Best overall
Mass Gainer, Chocolate Glaze
Transparent Labs · 770 kcal · 53g grass-fed whey · 110g whole-food carbs · 3g creatine · 15 servings9.2/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%9.7
- Calorie & protein density25%9.0
- Ingredient quality20%9.0
- Value per calorie15%8.9
- Mixability & taste10%9.0
The cleanest gainer in the category: 770 calories built from whole-food carbs — oat flour, organic tapioca and sweet potato — with 53 g of grass-fed whey, 3 g creatine, zero artificial sweeteners and no added sugar. Proof a mass gainer doesn't have to be a sugar-bomb.
- Calories
- 770 kcal per serving (2 scoops, no milk needed)
- Protein
- 53 g grass-fed whey concentrate
- Carbs / Sugar
- 110 g total / 0 g added sugar (~15 g naturally occurring), 8 g fiber
- Carb source
- Whole-food: oat flour, organic tapioca, sweet potato
- Extras
- 3 g creatine monohydrate, MCTs; stevia + monk fruit only
Pros- Whole-food carbs (oat flour + sweet potato + tapioca) with no added sugar — the cleanest carb profile here
- 53 g grass-fed whey plus 3 g creatine built in
- No artificial sweeteners, dyes or fillers — stevia and monk fruit only
Cons- Most expensive per calorie on the list — you pay a real premium for the clean formula
- 770 calories is moderate for a 'mass' gainer; a true hardgainer may need two servings
Our take — If you've genuinely decided you need a gainer, this is the one to buy: Transparent Labs proves the whole category's sugar habit is a choice, not a necessity. Its 770 calories come from real food — oat flour, sweet potato and tapioca — alongside 53 g of grass-fed whey and 3 g of creatine, with no added sugar and not a single artificial sweetener or dye. It's the formula closest to the clean DIY shake we keep recommending, just in a convenient tub. The honest catches: it's the priciest per calorie here, and at 770 calories a serious hardgainer may need two scoops a day. But for a transparency-and-quality-first ranking, the cleanest gainer in the category is the right number one.
- #2Best whole-food (clean)
Real Carbs + Protein, Banana Nut Bread
5% Nutrition (Rich Piana) · ~260 kcal · 21g whole-food protein · 30g real-food carbs · 2-3g sugar · 20 servings8.8/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%8.9
- Calorie & protein density25%8.1
- Ingredient quality20%9.4
- Value per calorie15%8.9
- Mixability & taste10%8.9
The anti-sugar-bomb: a real-food meal in a tub. Whole-grain oats, sweet potato and rice for the carbs, a beef-egg-chicken-chickpea protein blend, 6 g of fiber and just 2-3 g of sugar — no maltodextrin, no dextrin derivatives, dairy-free.
- Calories
- ~260 kcal per serving (1 scoop) — scale up servings to hit a surplus
- Protein
- 21 g whole-food blend (beef, egg, chicken, chickpea)
- Carbs / Sugar
- 30 g total / 2-3 g sugar, 6 g fiber
- Carb source
- Whole-food: whole-grain oats, sweet potato, brown rice
- Extras
- Dairy-free / lactose-free / whey-free; iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A
Pros- Genuine whole-food carbs (oats + sweet potato + rice) and only 2-3 g sugar — no maltodextrin at all
- Dairy-free, lactose-free, whey-free animal+plant protein blend with 6 g real fiber
- Closest thing on the list to eating a clean meal; ideal for stacking servings to taste
Cons- Only ~260 calories per scoop — you must take multiple servings to create a real surplus (not a one-shake bomb)
- 20-serving tub is smaller; per-meal cost adds up when you scale the dose
Our take — Real Carbs + Protein is the honest hardgainer's pick: instead of chasing a giant calorie headline with maltodextrin and sugar, it's a clean whole-food meal you control the size of. The carbs are actual oats, sweet potato and rice; the protein is a dairy-free beef-egg-chicken-chickpea blend; there's 6 g of fiber and only 2-3 g of sugar. At ~260 calories a scoop it isn't a one-shake bomb — you stack servings through the day to build your surplus, which is exactly how a thoughtful bulk should work. It loses the top spot only because hitting a big surplus takes several scoops and the cost mounts. For anyone who refuses to drink a sugar-bomb, it's the best clean gainer here.
- #3Best low-sugar bulk calories
Naked Mass, Unflavored
Naked Nutrition · 1,250 kcal · 50g grass-fed protein · 252g carbs · only 5g sugar · 3 ingredients · 11 servings8.4/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%8.3
- Calorie & protein density25%8.3
- Ingredient quality20%9.0
- Value per calorie15%8.3
- Mixability & taste10%7.7
The cleanest way to get a full 1,250-calorie bulk shake: just three ingredients — grass-fed whey, micellar casein and organic tapioca maltodextrin — with 50 g protein and only 5 g of sugar. No artificial anything, NSF Certified.
- Calories
- 1,250 kcal per serving (~7 scoops)
- Protein
- 50 g (grass-fed whey + micellar casein blend)
- Carbs / Sugar
- 252 g total / only 5 g sugar, 11.5 g naturally occurring BCAAs
- Carb source
- Organic tapioca maltodextrin (gluten-free) — refined, but no added sugar
- Extras
- Just 3 ingredients; NSF Certified, GMO-free, gluten-free, soy-free; no creatine
Pros- Full 1,250-calorie bulk shake with only 5 g sugar — by far the lowest sugar in the high-calorie tier
- Three ingredients only; grass-fed whey + micellar casein blend, NSF Certified for purity
- No artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
Cons- Carbs are tapioca maltodextrin — clean and unsweetened, but still a refined starch, not whole food
- Very large ~7-scoop serving is thick; unflavored is bland; no creatine included
Our take — If you want a true 1,250-calorie bulk shake but refuse the sugar that usually comes with it, Naked Mass is the answer: three ingredients — grass-fed whey, micellar casein and organic tapioca maltodextrin — 50 g of protein, and just 5 g of sugar, with NSF certification and zero artificial additives. It's the cleanest of the genuine high-calorie tubs. The honest qualifier that keeps it at #3: the carbs are still maltodextrin — unsweetened and clean, but a refined starch rather than the whole-food oats and sweet potato the two picks above it use — and the unflavored, seven-scoop serving is thick and plain, with no creatine. For low-sugar bulk calories from a trustworthy label, it's excellent.
- #4Best value (cheapest calories)
Serious Mass, Chocolate
Optimum Nutrition · 1,250 kcal · 50g protein · 252g carbs · ~31g sugar · 25 vitamins/minerals · 16 servings7.8/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%7.1
- Calorie & protein density25%8.4
- Ingredient quality20%7.9
- Value per calorie15%7.9
- Mixability & taste10%7.9
The default best-seller and the cheapest serious calories on the list: 1,250 calories, 50 g protein, 25 vitamins and minerals and 3 g of creatine for roughly $0.06 per 100 calories. The trade-off is honest — maltodextrin carbs and around 31 g of sugar.
- Calories
- 1,250 kcal per serving (2 heaping scoops)
- Protein
- 50 g protein blend (whey concentrate, casein, egg albumen)
- Carbs / Sugar
- 252 g total / ~31 g sugar
- Carb source
- Maltodextrin (refined starch) — primary carbohydrate
- Extras
- 25 vitamins & minerals, ~3 g creatine (formula version varies)
Pros- Cheapest calories on the list at roughly $0.38 per 100 kcal — the value benchmark
- Trusted best-selling brand; 25 vitamins and minerals plus ~3 g creatine included
- Reliable mixability and a flavor people actually finish
Cons- Around 31 g of added sugar per serving — a genuine sugar load
- Carbs are maltodextrin, not whole food; minor formula drift on vitamin/creatine counts across versions
Our take — Serious Mass is the category's default for a reason — it's the cheapest way to add real calories, at roughly six cents per 100, from a brand you can trust, with 50 g of protein, 25 vitamins and minerals and 3 g of creatine in the tub. If your only goal is maximum calories for minimum money, nothing here beats it. But it's also the picture of the category's compromise: the carbs are maltodextrin and there's about 31 g of sugar in every serving, which is exactly the sugar-bomb profile our framing warns about. Buy it if value per calorie is your top priority and you'll manage the sugar elsewhere in your diet — but know the three picks above it are cleaner fuel for the same job.
- #5Most calories per scoop (whey blend)
Super Mass Gainer, Gourmet Vanilla
Dymatize · 1,280 kcal · 52g protein · 245g carbs · ~26g sugar · 10.7g BCAAs · 16 servings7.6/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%6.9
- Calorie & protein density25%8.2
- Ingredient quality20%7.7
- Value per calorie15%7.7
- Mixability & taste10%7.7
A slightly higher-calorie, higher-protein maltodextrin tub: 1,280 calories and 52 g of a whey-isolate-and-casein blend with 10.7 g of BCAAs and 1 g of creatine. Mixes well and tastes good — but it's the same maltodextrin-and-sugar template.
- Calories
- 1,280 kcal per serving (2 scoops)
- Protein
- 52 g (whey concentrate + whey isolate + casein blend)
- Carbs / Sugar
- 245 g total / ~26 g sugar, 10.7 g BCAAs
- Carb source
- Maltodextrin (refined starch) — primary carbohydrate
- Extras
- 1 g creatine, 14 essential vitamins & minerals
Pros- Highest per-scoop calories (1,280) and protein (52 g) of the mainstream tubs
- Quality protein blend — whey concentrate, isolate and casein — with 10.7 g BCAAs
- Strong mixability and well-liked flavors; often the cheapest per calorie here
Cons- Maltodextrin-based carbs with ~26 g sugar — same sugar-bomb category as ON
- Only 1 g creatine (a token dose versus the effective 3-5 g)
Our take — Super Mass Gainer is essentially ON Serious Mass's closest rival, and on raw numbers it edges ahead — 1,280 calories and 52 g of a genuinely good whey-isolate-and-casein blend with 10.7 g of BCAAs, and it's frequently the cheapest tub per calorie on the whole list. Mixability and flavor are strong. It sits one rung below ON only on the extras: the creatine is a token 1 g rather than an effective dose, and ON's broader vitamin panel and best-seller value edge it out. The core caveat is identical, though — the carbs are maltodextrin and there's about 26 g of sugar a serving. A fine high-calorie, high-protein tub for someone who wants maximum macros per scoop and isn't bothered by the sugar.
- #6Best protein blend
TRUE-MASS 1200, Chocolate Milkshake
BSN · 1,230 kcal · 50g 6-source protein · ~215g carbs · 16g sugar · 24g EAAs · 15 servings7.5/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%7.6
- Calorie & protein density25%7.6
- Ingredient quality20%7.6
- Value per calorie15%6.8
- Mixability & taste10%8.1
The sustained-release protein pick: a six-source blend (whey, casein, milk and egg proteins) for 50 g protein and 24 g EAAs, with whole oat flour cut into the carbs and a lower 16 g of sugar than the pure-maltodextrin tubs.
- Calories
- 1,230 kcal per serving (2 scoops)
- Protein
- 50 g, 6-source blend (whey, casein, milk & egg proteins) — 24 g EAAs
- Carbs / Sugar
- 215 g total / 16 g sugar, 16 g fiber
- Carb source
- Maltodextrin + whole oat flour (partial whole-food)
- Extras
- 11 g naturally occurring BCAAs, MCT powder; no added creatine
Pros- Six-source sustained-release protein blend (24 g EAAs) — the best protein quality among the bulk tubs
- Whole oat flour blended into the carbs and 16 g fiber; lower 16 g sugar than the maltodextrin-only tubs
- MCT powder included; well-regarded milkshake flavors
Cons- Carbs are still maltodextrin-led despite the added oats; no creatine
- Lower calories (1,230) at a higher per-calorie price than ON or Dymatize
Our take — TRUE-MASS 1200 is the connoisseur's bulk tub: instead of bargain concentrate, it uses a six-source protein blend — whey, casein, milk and egg proteins — for 50 g of sustained-release protein and 24 g of EAAs, the best protein quality in the high-calorie tier. It also nudges toward the clean side, cutting whole oat flour into the carbs, carrying 16 g of fiber and holding sugar to 16 g, noticeably below the pure-maltodextrin tubs. The reasons it lands mid-pack: the carbs are still maltodextrin-led despite the oats, there's no creatine, and at 1,230 calories it costs more per calorie than ON or Dymatize. For someone who cares most about protein quality in a gainer, it's the standout.
- #7Best lean gainer (lower calorie)
Mass Gainer, Chocolate
Crazy Nutrition · ~488 kcal · 40g protein · 55g oat-led carbs · ~8g sugar · DigeZyme enzymes · ~20 servings7.2/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%7.3
- Calorie & protein density25%7.3
- Ingredient quality20%6.5
- Value per calorie15%7.8
- Mixability & taste10%7.3
A moderate 'lean gainer' for adding controlled calories without a 1,200-calorie bomb: ~488 calories, 40 g protein, oat-flour-led carbs with only ~8 g sugar, plus a DigeZyme enzyme complex for easier digestion.
- Calories
- ~488 kcal per serving (~125 g)
- Protein
- 40 g (whey concentrate + milk protein concentrate)
- Carbs / Sugar
- 55 g total / ~8 g sugar, ~6 g fiber
- Carb source
- Gluten-free oat flour (lead) + maltodextrin
- Extras
- DigeZyme digestive enzymes, MCT oil, B6/B12/zinc/magnesium; sucralose-sweetened
Pros- Oat-flour-led carbs with only ~8 g sugar — cleaner carb base than the maltodextrin bombs
- Moderate ~488 calories suits a controlled 'lean bulk' rather than rapid mass
- DigeZyme enzyme complex and MCTs for easier digestion; added B-vitamins, zinc, magnesium
Cons- Most expensive per calorie of any tub here, and a premium sticker price
- Sweetened with sucralose (artificial); no creatine; dairy-based (not vegan)
Our take — Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer is the 'lean gainer' of the group: at ~488 calories it's built for adding a controlled surplus rather than dumping 1,200 calories at once, and its carbs lead with gluten-free oat flour for a cleaner base and only ~8 g of sugar. The DigeZyme enzyme blend and MCTs make it sit easier than the heavy tubs. The honest reasons it ranks low: it's the priciest per calorie on the entire list, it's sweetened with artificial sucralose, and there's no creatine. If you specifically want a lighter, easier-digesting gainer for a slow lean bulk and don't mind paying for it, it has a real niche — but it's poor value as pure calories.
- #8Most calories (with milk)
Mass-Tech Extreme 2000, Triple Chocolate Brownie
MuscleTech · up to ~2,000 kcal WITH 20oz milk · 60-80g protein · ~441g carbs · 5g creatine · ~5 servings6.9/10SAC Product Score™SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down- Carb ratio & carb quality30%6.9
- Calorie & protein density25%7.5
- Ingredient quality20%6.2
- Value per calorie15%6.9
- Mixability & taste10%6.9
The maximum-calorie bomb with the one genuinely useful edge: a full 5 g of creatine. But read the fine print — the headline '2,000 calories' only happens when you blend it with 20 oz of skim milk; the powder itself is ~2,060 with water and built on maltodextrin.
- Calories
- ~2,060 kcal (powder, 6 scoops) / ~2,270 with 20 oz skim milk
- Protein
- 60 g (powder) → 80 g when mixed with 20 oz skim milk
- Carbs / Sugar
- ~441 g total (multi-phase carb complex); low intrinsic sugar
- Carb source
- Maltodextrin + oat bran + isomaltulose (maltodextrin-led)
- Extras
- 5 g creatine monohydrate, 8.4 g leucine, 20+ vitamins & minerals
Pros- The genuine extra: a full 5 g of creatine monohydrate (most gainers under-dose this)
- Enormous calorie and protein ceiling for the most extreme hardgainers (~2,060 kcal, 60 g protein from powder alone)
- 8.4 g leucine and 20+ vitamins and minerals
Cons- The '2,000 calorie' / 80 g protein headline requires blending with 20 oz of skim milk — the powder, not the product, supplies the rest
- Maltodextrin-led carbs; a huge 6-scoop serving means only ~5 servings per bag (expensive per serving)
Our take — Mass-Tech Extreme 2000 is the maximum-calorie option, and it has one feature the others mostly lack — a full, effective 5 g of creatine plus 8.4 g of leucine. For the rare hardgainer who genuinely struggles to eat and wants the highest possible calorie ceiling, that's a real draw. But it ranks last on honesty grounds, and we'll be plain about why: the marquee '2,000 calories' and '80 g protein' only materialize when you blend it with 20 ounces of skim milk — the powder itself is the engine, but the milk is doing real work in that headline, so it's partly selling you your own groceries. The carbs are maltodextrin-led, and the six-scoop serving means a bag is gone in about five uses. Powerful for an extreme bulk; the least clean and least honest label on the list.
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Not a muscle technology — just calories in a tub
- 01
A gainer is a 700–1,250+ kcal protein-and-carb shake.
Its calories don't build muscle any differently than the same calories from food — it's convenience, not chemistry.
- 02
It only adds muscle under two conditions it can't supply for you.
A sustained calorie surplus, and hard training with enough protein (~1.6 g/kg). The tub provides neither.
- 03
Without overload and a surplus, you won't build muscle — you'll gain fat.
That's not a knock on the products; it's the entire mechanism, and the marketing is built to make you forget it.
- 04
So we rank on what makes the calories worth buying.
Protein-to-carb ratio, ingredient quality, sugar load, and cost per usable calorie versus just eating more food.
Surplus + training + protein — the honest mechanism; full scoring below.
How we ranked these eight
Mass gainers are easy to rank badly: line them up by calories per scoop, crown the 2,000-calorie tub and call it a day. That's exactly the mistake the category wants you to make, because the cheapest way to hit a huge calorie number is to pour in maltodextrin and sugar. So we weighted carb-to-protein ratio AND carb quality the heaviest, at 30%: a gainer built on whole-food carbs (oats, sweet potato, rice) with low added sugar beats one built on a wall of maltodextrin and 30 grams of sugar, even if the maltodextrin tub has a bigger calorie headline — because for everyone who isn't an elite endurance athlete, slower whole-food carbs and minimal sugar are simply the better fuel. Calorie and protein density comes next at 25%, judged together: enough calories to actually create a surplus (the entire point of the product), with a protein dose — ideally 40-55 g — high enough that you're building on protein, not just dumping sugar. Ingredient quality is worth 20%: the protein source (grass-fed whey and multi-source blends over bargain concentrate), useful extras like creatine, digestive enzymes and real micronutrients, and natural over artificial sweeteners and dyes. Value per calorie is 15% and it's measured honestly — cost per 100 calories, not sticker price, because a gainer's job is calories and the bulk maltodextrin tubs are genuinely cheaper per calorie than the clean ones; we credit that even as we dock them on quality. Mixability and taste round it out at 10%, because a thick 1,250-calorie shake you dread drinking is one you'll quit. Every macro was read off the product's real label; we did not invent a single calorie, sugar gram or protein figure, and where a headline depends on added milk — MuscleTech's 2,000 calories assumes 20 oz of skim milk — we judged the powder on its own, not the milk's.
- Carb ratio & carb quality30%
The axis the category hides from: not just how many carbs, but what kind. Whole-food carbohydrates (oat flour, sweet potato, brown rice) with low added sugar score high; a base of maltodextrin (cheap, high-glycemic refined starch) plus 25-35 g of added sugar scores low — no matter how big the calorie number it produces. Highest weight, because the difference between a quality gainer and a sugar-bomb is almost entirely here.
- Calorie & protein density25%
Judged together. A gainer must deliver enough calories to actually create the surplus that is its whole reason to exist, paired with a serious protein dose — ideally 40-55 g — so you're building on protein rather than coasting on sugar. We credit honest, label-stated calories from the powder itself, not inflated 'with whole milk' headlines.
- Ingredient quality20%
What's actually in the tub beyond carbs and calories: the protein source (grass-fed whey and multi-source blends beat bargain-grade concentrate), genuinely useful extras (creatine at ~3-5 g, digestive enzymes, real vitamins and minerals), and natural sweeteners over artificial dyes and sucralose. The marker that separates a thoughtfully formulated gainer from a tub of filler.
- Value per calorie15%
Cost efficiency measured the right way — price per 100 calories, not sticker price — because a gainer's core job is supplying calories. The honest tension here: bulk maltodextrin tubs (ON Serious Mass, Dymatize) are genuinely the cheapest calories on the list, and we credit that even while docking them on quality; the clean whole-food formulas cost meaningfully more per calorie.
- Mixability & taste10%
How cleanly a very large serving blends without clumping into paste, and whether you can stand to drink 1,000-plus calories of it day after day. The compliance factor — a gainer you dread is a gainer you abandon — but the lowest weight, because a great-tasting sugar-bomb still loses to a cleaner formula on the axes that matter more.
The bottom line
- 01
The default: Transparent Labs Mass Gainer (#1).
A cleaner protein-to-carb ratio and real ingredients — not junk-sugar bulk to pad the calorie count.
- 02
Only buy one if you genuinely can't eat enough.
It's a hard-gainer's convenience for hitting a surplus, never a shortcut around training.
- 03
A gainer without a surplus and training just adds fat.
That's the whole rule — the tub amplifies what you're already doing, or it amplifies nothing.
Every claim ranked above traces back to one of these
Peer-reviewed studies, meta-analyses and clinical trials behind the picks. Click any citation to read the abstract on PubMed.
- [1]Morton 2018
A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults
Pooling 49 studies (1,863 participants), protein supplementation significantly increased resistance-training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength — but the benefit plateaued: total protein intakes above ~1.6 g/kg/day produced no further gains in fat-free mass. The basis for this page's core honesty point — a mass gainer's protein helps build muscle only up to a defined ceiling, and dumping extra calories (or sugar) past that point adds fat, not muscle.
- [2]Slater 2019
Is an energy surplus required to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy associated with resistance training
This review concludes that while a positive energy balance (a calorie surplus) provides an anabolic environment that supports muscle hypertrophy alongside resistance training, the magnitude of surplus required is modest and individual, and a large surplus mainly adds fat rather than extra muscle. The evidence basis for treating a mass gainer as nothing more than a convenient way to add a measured surplus — useful only for those who can't reach it through food, and never a substitute for training.