Last Updated: 01/09/2026
Pet Food Comparison Guide: Choosing the Best for your Pet
Confused by pet food labels? Our expert guide compares popular Australian brands on price, protein, and fat content. Learn how to look past the marketing to find a high-quality, digestible diet that supports your pet's long-term health and wellbeing.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 8 minutes - short read
Walk into any pet supply store or browse online, and you are met with a dizzying array of bags, tins, and pouches. Every brand claims to be the best, but as a pet parent, how do you cut through the marketing noise? While labels like "holistic" or "natural" sound appealing, the real value lies in the science behind the recipe. From ensuring a brand has strict quality control to checking if a veterinary nutritionist formulated the meal, choosing a diet is about more than just the ingredients list, it's about providing the fuel your pet needs to thrive at every stage of life.
For a broader look at choosing dog food, see our full guide to what is the best dog food, or our guide to choosing the best cat food.
In this article
- Pet foods compared: cost, protein, and fat
- What does each pet food brand offer?
- Royal Canin vs Advance vs Hill's Science Diet: which is right for your dog or cat?
- Black Hawk vs Ziwi Peak vs Instinctive Bite: comparing the natural, grain free and air dried options
- What to look for on a pet food label
- Tailoring nutrition to your pet's lifestyle
- FAQs
Pet foods compared: cost, protein, and fat
When comparing pet foods, it is easy to focus solely on the price of the bag, but the real value lies in the nutrient density and the daily cost to feed. By looking at the protein and fat levels alongside the cost per meal, you can see exactly what your investment provides for your pet's health. The following breakdown compares some of Australia's most popular brands, helping you balance your budget with the high-quality nutrition your pet deserves.
*The dog food comparison is based on a moderately active 20kg dog (calculated required calorie intake of 1059 calories), and the cat food comparison is based on a 5kg desexed adult cat (calculated required calorie intake of 281 calories)
Nutritional analysis is based on as fed, published values for each food.
Cost is based on current full prices at time of latest update, no sale or Auto-Delivery discounts included.
NB: Nutritional analysis values don't take into account the digestibility of the protein in the diet. Bear in mind that the percentage protein and fat are given as guaranteed minimum values only - the true value ('Typical Analysis') could be higher than this.
Dog food
Royal Canin vs Advance vs Hill's
Cat food
Royal Canin vs Advance vs Hill's
What does each pet food brand offer?
Royal Canin
Royal Canin is science led and vet formulated, with the most extensive breed specific range on the market (think Ragdoll, Maine Coon, Labrador, Poodle, French Bulldog and German Shepherd specific formulas), plus a full Veterinary Diet range for pets with a diagnosed condition. It sits at the premium end, generally $1 to $3 per 100g depending on bag size and formula.
Advance
Advance is backed by the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute and is mostly made in Australia. It covers a similar breadth of life stage and health specific formulas to Royal Canin and Hill's, but is usually the most affordable of the three in larger bag sizes, roughly $0.75 to $1.50 per 100g.
Hill's Science Diet
Hill's Science Diet draws on over 75 years of research and an in-house team of vets, food scientists and nutritionists, including a decade studying the pet microbiome. Like Royal Canin, it has a separate Prescription Diet range for clinical conditions, and sits in a similar premium price band, generally $1 to $3 per 100g.
Black Hawk
Black Hawk is formulated in-house and made in Australia, with the widest range of formats of the natural leaning brands, dry, wet and air dried, plus treats. Standard kibble is similarly priced to Advance (around $0.72 to $1.76 per 100g), with air dried options at a premium (around $8 to $9 per 100g).
Ziwi Peak
Ziwi Peak uses a minimum of 96% New Zealand meat, seafood, organs and bone in whole prey ratios, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and no added grain, sugar or glycerine. It's the priciest per 100g of the brands here ($6.50 to $9.70 for dry, air dried formats), but portions fed are much smaller because it's so calorie dense, which narrows the daily cost gap versus kibble.
Instinctive Bite
Instinctive Bite is Pet Circle's own exclusive brand, built around functional ingredients like chicory root (a natural prebiotic), coconut and fish oil, and beet pulp for fibre. It offers single protein, grain free options that can suit pets on an elimination diet, plus an air dried line, and is generally the most affordable natural leaning option, around $0.75 to $1.43 per 100g for standard kibble.
Royal Canin vs Advance vs Hill's Science Diet: which is right for your dog or cat?
All three are vet formulated, science backed diets with extensive life stage, breed size and health specific formulas covering weight, digestion, urinary health, skin and joints. All three are widely stocked and trusted by vets, and the day to day quality differences between them are small.
Where they differ comes down to range depth and price. Royal Canin has the deepest breed specific range, so it's worth checking first if you have a purebred dog and want a formula tailored to their exact size and shape. Hill's has a similar breadth plus a long research pedigree, including specific gut microbiome studies. Advance covers most of the same health needs at a generally lower price per kilo, and is largely made here in Australia.
If your vet has prescribed a therapeutic diet for a diagnosed condition, that's a conversation to have directly with them, since Royal Canin and Hill's both offer prescription diets that Advance does not. If there's no diagnosed condition and you're choosing based on value, Advance is worth comparing closely against Royal Canin or Hill's for the same life stage and size, since the formulation quality is broadly comparable.
Black Hawk vs Ziwi Peak vs Instinctive Bite: comparing the natural, grain free and air dried options
All three lean into a "natural" ingredient story, offer grain free formulas, and extend into air dried food, a middle ground between kibble and raw feeding. All three are made in Australia or New Zealand.
Black Hawk has the broadest range of the three, with dry, wet, air dried and treats, plus targeted formulas for joints, sensitive skin and dental health. Ziwi Peak goes furthest on ingredient density, at a minimum of 96% meat, seafood, organs and bone, with no grain, added sugar or glycerine, which is reflected in the highest price per 100g of any brand in this guide, though smaller feeding portions narrow that gap day to day. Instinctive Bite, as Pet Circle's own brand, offers a similar natural, functional ingredient approach (prebiotics, omega oils, fibre) with single protein options for sensitive pets, generally at the most affordable price point of the three.
If budget is the main driver, Instinctive Bite's grain free kibble offers a comparable natural formulation to Black Hawk at a lower cost per 100g. If you want the least processed option and price matters less, Ziwi Peak's air dried and wet ranges are the closest to raw feeding without the handling risks. Black Hawk sits in the middle, with the widest range of formats if your pet needs something specific, like joint or dental support.
What to look for on a pet food label
When deciding on a pet food, it pays to consider additional factors such as the product safety record of the brand, their quality control methods and whether a veterinary nutritionist or qualified animal nutritionist was involved in the formulation of the diet.
Try not to get drawn in by buzzwords like 'holistic' and 'natural' and instead look for solid evidence of any product claims. Consider the quality and variability of ingredients used as well as the overall digestibility of the product.
Learn more in How to Read a Pet Food Label.
Tailoring nutrition to your pet's lifestyle
Remember that every pet will have subtly different nutritional needs and all recommended feeding amounts are designed to be used as a guide only. For the most appropriate feeding amounts and dietary advice, consult your veterinarian or our Pet Circle Vets for advice before changing your pet's diet.
FAQs
Navigating the world of pet nutrition is a journey, and it is perfectly normal to need a little guidance along the way. While data on protein and cost provides a great starting point, remember that your pet is an individual. What works for the neighbour's Golden Retriever might not be the perfect fit for your Cavalier. By focusing on quality, digestibility, and expert formulation, you are already well on your way to helping your pet live their happiest, healthiest life.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Tue 1 Sep 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Head Veterinarian, BVSc (Hons)
Pet Circle's Head Veterinarian, Dr Teagan graduated from the University of Queensland in 2010 and went on to work in small animal and mixed practice in various locations around QLD & ACT before joining Pet Circle in early 2016. Dr Teagan has special interests in dermatology, nutrition and preventative health care. She feels privileged to witness the special bond people share with their pets on a daily basis and enjoys forming lasting relationships with pet parents and their fur children.
