Freeze-dried
£7.76 / day approx.62% meat
- High meat62% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Rated & compared
Dry dog food
Dry food is the default for a reason: it is usually the cheapest way to feed a complete diet, it keeps for weeks once opened, and there is more choice here than in any other category. None of that tells you whether a particular bag is any good. 'Dry' describes the moisture content, not the quality - this category runs from genuinely excellent recipes to foods coasting on a nice bag and a bigger ad budget.
Dry dog food
63.2/100
average ODF Score
- Foods on this list2,097
- Price per day£0.16 - £7.96
Top score 94/100 - Waita Freeze Dried Complete Food
2,097 foods
Innocent HoundThe Innocent Hound From The British Countryside Recipes
Air-dried
£7.96 / day approx.85% meat
- High meat85% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Freeze-driedPuppy
£7.26 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Dr VenetaDr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Calm
Freeze-dried
£4.29 / day approx.75.2% meat
- High meat75.2% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Dr VenetaDr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Mobile
Freeze-dried
£5.02 / day approx.75.2% meat
- High meat75.2% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Dr VenetaDr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Young
Freeze-dried
£3.92 / day approx.80.2% meat
- High meat80.2% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
McAdamsMcAdams Raw Preserve
Freeze-dried
Price coming soon86% meat
- High meat86% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Alpha SpiritAlpha Spirit The Only One Complete
Cold-pressed
£1.23 / day approx.45% meat
- High meat45% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Cold-pressed
£1.04 / day approx.45.4% meat
- High meat45.4% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Alpha SpiritAlpha Spirit The Only One Complete Multi-Protein
Cold-pressed
£1.15 / day approx.35.4% meat
- High meat35.4% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Dr VenetaDr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Shiny
Freeze-dried
£4.06 / day approx.50% meat
- High meat50% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
DryPuppy
£2.35 / day approx.68% meat
- High meat68% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Freeze-dried
£6.51 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Dr VenetaDr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Well
Freeze-dried
£5.20 / day approx.50% meat
- High meat50% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
DryPuppy
£1.36 / day approx.23.5% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Nature’s VarietyNature's Variety Complete Freeze Dried Food Adult
Freeze-dried
£5.61 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
Natures MenuNatures Menu Raw Freeze-Dried
Freeze-dried
£6.43 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
WolfworthyWolfworthy 80/20 Countryside
Dry
£1.57 / day approx.36% meat
- High meat36% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
WolfworthyWolfworthy 80/20 Oily Fish
Dry
£1.56 / day approx.40% meat
- High meat40% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Cold-pressed
£1.50 / day approx.75% meat
- High meat75% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
- Grain-freeMade without any grains.
- HypoallergenicLimited, single-source ingredients - kinder to sensitive dogs.
Dry
£1.80 / day approx.66% meat
- High meat66% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Dry
£1.10 / day approx.18% meat
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Dry
£1.18 / day approx.80% meat
- High meat80% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Dry
£1.07 / day approx.61.5% meat
- High meat61.5% named meat (30% or more counts as high).
- NaturalNo artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
The label settles it. Look for a named meat source at the top of the ingredients list with a declared percentage, and be wary of 'meat and animal derivatives' - a phrase that legally covers almost anything and tells you almost nothing. The trade-off you accept with any kibble is processing: extrusion cooks ingredients at high temperatures, which is exactly how it stays shelf-stable and affordable.
Every dry food below is scored out of 100 by our open algorithm - ingredient quality, clarity of labelling, nutritional balance - with the full breakdown one click away on every page. Filter by life stage, price per day or minimum score, and see exactly what you are paying for.
Dry dog food FAQs
Is dry food good for dogs?
It can be - the format is not the problem. A good dry food has a named meat with a declared percentage at the top of its ingredients list and sensible nutritional balance; a bad one hides behind vague derivatives. Both come in very similar bags, which is why we score every recipe out of 100 and show the working.
How long does dry dog food keep once opened?
Most makers suggest using an opened bag within six to eight weeks. The fats in kibble slowly oxidise once air gets in, which dulls both nutrition and flavour. Keep it sealed in its original bag inside an airtight container somewhere cool and dry - and buy bag sizes your dog can actually finish in that time.
Is expensive dry dog food worth it?
Sometimes. Price and quality are loosely related in dry food, but the correlation is far from perfect - some mid-priced recipes outscore foods costing half as much again. Compare the ODF Score against the price per day, not the bag price: it is the quickest way to spot the foods charging for advertising rather than ingredients.
Can I mix dry food with wet food?
Yes, and plenty of owners do - a spoonful of wet food makes kibble noticeably more interesting. Just treat the calories as one budget: reduce the kibble portion to make room for the wet food, otherwise the combination quietly becomes overfeeding. Check that both foods suit your dog's life stage.
Related guides
Go deeper on the topics behind this page.
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Puppy feeding guide: how much, how often, and when to switchHow much to feed a puppy, how often, when to move to adult food - and the one mistake that can permanently damage a large-breed dog.Read the guide
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Is grain-free dog food bad for dogs?Grain-free scores better in our data - but not for the reason the packaging implies. The DCM question, the price confound, and who it is actually for.Read the guide