8 Prebiotic Colas Ranked

We all love bubbly, sweet sodas, and straight-up cola is arguably the best, most classic flavor of them all. However, the traditional stuff is far from healthy for you — no arguments there. That's okay, though. When you want a taste of the good stuff with a healthier edge, prebiotic sodas have your back. After all, they contain significantly less sugar (some brands don't have any at all) and are marketed as supporting gut health. There are plenty of them on store shelves to choose from, too. However, they don't all live up to expectations, especially if you don't want to sacrifice the true cola flavor we all know and love. This, of course, leads us to the question: Which prebiotic cola is the best?

I tasted and ranked eight popular brands based on the presence of cola flavor, perceived quality, caffeine content, and overall taste. A closer look at my methodology can be found at the end, but suffice it to say, not all of the prebiotic colas I tried have what it takes to make me a repeat purchaser of them. Even so, a few of them managed to achieve some semblance of classic cola flavor while still maintaining their healthier, gut-friendly agenda.

Coming in dead last in my ranking is Cove's Classic Cola, and you know what? I truly detested it. For starters, it is a probiotic soda, not a prebiotic soda. What really bothered me was the artificially sweet flavor of the drink. As the can proclaims, it contains zero sugar, but oh man, was it sweet. Cola should be saccharine, but the use of stevia gave Cove's Classic Cola an artificial flavor that I just couldn't get past. Seriously, I wouldn't even use a splash of it to sweeten homemade BBQ sauce, something a typical cola is great for.

To make matters worse, Cove Classic Cola didn't boast much cola flavor, and it didn't contain any caffeine. Bummer. Sure, it was slightly reminiscent of a classic cola, but it was mostly just sweet, and there are much better options when it comes to this specific trait — as is evident by the prebiotic colas yet to come in my ranking. Lastly, a can of Cove Classic Cola cost me $2.79 plus tax (at Safeway), making it one of the priciest of the bunch. Actually, there was only one brand that cost me more. Add that to the fact that the flavor was let down, and there was no doubt in my mind that Cove could only earn last place. Oh well, at least everything coming up tasted better.

Next up is Sunsip Classic Cola, and while it didn't fare too well overall, it's definitely a step up from the brand in last place (it's so bad I won't even do the service of naming it again). What I liked most about Sunsip Classic Cola is that it didn't contain stevia — at least that's what the can says. Instead, it gets its sweetness from fruit juice and agave. Even so, I couldn't help but think it still tasted a bit like artificial sweeteners.

My main complaint about Sunsip Classic Cola is that it didn't taste anything like cola. In fact, it tasted much more like candy and juice to me. I did get a whisper of cola flavor with the aftertaste, but it took a few sips for me to detect it. Honestly, the flavors were kind of confusing to me overall, and the pale color of the soda didn't do it any favors. Is it candy or cola? I know what the label says, but my palate was not picking up what Sunsip was throwing down. It didn't taste awful or anything, but it certainly wouldn't try to replace a craving for cola with it. So, would buying a can be a waste of $2.49 plus tax (that's what I paid for mine)? No, but it sure wouldn't be a purchase worth bragging about. Every upcoming brand simply tasted better, too.

The award for sixth place goes to Live Fountain Cola. While it didn't look anything like cola — it's a pale golden color — and didn't taste much like it either, I still enjoyed the flavor quite a bit. For this reason, it managed to score higher in my ranking than the two previous picks.

So, what did Live Fountain Cola taste like? Well, the flavors were somewhat muted, but it was subtly sweet and full of carbonation, so it gave me all the soda feels. Thanks to its use of stevia and organic cane sugar, the sweetness didn't leave the artificial aftertaste I typically get from stevia alone, either. Stevia can be a good sweetener for coffee, but in a pale soda like this, I'd rather go without. Still, it managed to achieve a balance even I can get behind.

In the end, Live Fountain Cola tasted like a healthy alternative to a classic soda, in a good way. Would it scratch the itch for a classic cola when a craving hits? Heck no, but it's not a bad drink by any means. Regrettably, though, this is another prebiotic cola that's caffeine-free. It's also on the higher end of the price spectrum for these types of drinks — I paid $2.50 plus tax. With these cons in mind, sixth place is where it lands. That's okay, though, because everything coming up performed much better in the cola flavor department.

Slice Cola may be the most expensive prebiotic soda I tried on my taste-testing adventure — $3.11 plus tax, to be exact — but even so, it blew the lower-ranking picks away regarding flavor, color, caffeine, and more. It's the first cola we've discussed to actually contain caffeine, which it gets by way of green tea, and that definitely won it some points. Green tea is great for adding caffeine to all kinds of things, like smoothies especially. As it turns out, it makes a great addition to prebiotic cola as well.

The first thing I noticed when I poured myself a glass of Slice Cola was that the color was spot-on. Instead of being pale, like the lower-ranking brands, it boasted a dark cola color. As a result, it led to a better overall drinking experience. After all, your eyes eat, or in this case, drink first, so aesthetics matter. As for taste, Slice Cola did in fact have lots of cola flavor — finally! It also had a nice sweetness, which it got by way of both stevia and organic cane sugar. The mix of sweeteners spoke to me, but even so, I would have tasted more like a classic cola if it were even sweeter.

All things considered, Slice Cola is a healthy alternative I can get behind. It's sweet, looks the part of a classic cola, and contains caffeine. Still, we can do better.

Poppi Classic Cola managed to clench my fourth-place spot, and that's not too shabby, if I do say so myself. It certainly has the lower-ranking picks beat regarding overall flavor, and it performed well in other areas as well. My can of Poppi Classic Cola only cost $2, so it's cheaper than everything that came before as well.

Poppi Classic Cola is made with a mix of organic cane sugar and stevia, something I much prefer over stevia alone, and this led to better overall flavor in my book. Additionally, it actually tasted like cola, not some cheap knock-off. It was deliciously sweet and reminiscent of a classic cola for sure. In fact, if you're trying to avoid a traditional version, it might just help you do exactly that. It also boasts 40 mg of natural caffeine, and you know I like that (at least you do if you've been paying attention).

A controversial lawsuit against Poppi claims the sodas aren't actually that healthy for your gut, but they're likely still somewhat better for you than a straight-up Coke or Pepsi, so take that for what you will. Regardless, when it comes to cola flavor, it puts up a good fight against the competition. Yes, I enjoyed three other brands more, but you sure could do a lot worse.

Coming in third place is Popwell Classic Cola. Compared to everything that came before, it had a much more potent cola flavor, and since that's what we are after, its high ranking just made sense. Actually, after seeing how light the color of the soda was — it is a pale orange-y red color at best — I was actually quite surprised by how much cola flavor Popwell managed to pack into the can. It was almost like my eyes couldn't believe what my taste buds were picking up. It was pleasantly sweet and tasted the part. Either way, nicely done, Popwell.

Another winning trait of Popwell Classic Cola is that it contains 40 mg of natural caffeine, so it'll give you a little jolt while supporting your gut. The can I purchased only cost $1.67 plus tax as well. It may have been on sale, but still, the price was just right. My main complaint about Popwell, and the reason it didn't score higher in my ranking, is that it doesn't use sugar. Instead, it relies on stevia for its sweetness. Bummer for me, but if you don't mind stevia, no love lost.

Popwell Classic Cola may not have made it all the way to my number one spot, but it is a soda I could see myself buying again, stevia be darned. Don't get it twisted, though, I'd still reach for one of the cans in my top two first; they simply tasted better.

Locking down the second-place spot in my ranking is none other than Olipop's Vintage Cola. By this point, you've probably been wondering when Olipop would make its appearance on my list — it's basically the undisputed champ when it comes to brand recognition regarding prebiotic sodas, after all — and the time has finally arrived. Olipop's Cola easily outperformed all the brands that came before.

Olipop Vintage Cola is freaking tasty. It had tons of classic cola flavor backed by a yummy amount of sweetness, as any good cola should. Surprisingly to me, it gets its sweetness from stevia, but it didn't leave the aftertaste I dislike. Regardless, the saccharine taste almost made me think it was a classic cola for a second, but then the juicy sweetness and abundance of flavors took over. Overall, it's an outstanding soda, and it put up an excellent showing in the cola realm. Plus, it contains 50 mg of natural caffeine from green tea, so it gives you a bit of pep in your step. Additionally, it's got plenty of carbonation, which undoubtedly makes it taste better.

The only reason Olipop didn't clench my number one spot is that the brand that did — no spoilers — tasted more like a classic cola. Even so, Olipop is a force to be reckoned with in the prebiotic soda game, and it makes a fantastic choice, higher price tag of $2.49 be darned.

There can only be one winner in my prebiotic cola ranking, and when it came time to designate a brand for the coveted spot, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Cola would take the crown. Unlike everything that came before, it gave traditional colas a serious run for their money. All the classic cola flavors a girl like me could want was front and center, making it the absolute best recipe by a long shot.

After a single taste of my 365 by Whole Foods Organic Cola, I was shocked at how deliciously sweet and right on the money the flavor was. The sweetness is derived from stevia and organic cane sugar, but thankfully, the actual sugar stole the show, so no nasty aftertaste was present. Not only did it truly taste like cola, but the dark color was on point as well. Additionally, each can also provides 32 mg of caffeine to get you going, and you know I love that. Lastly, a can only costs $1.99. Winning!

I'm not always a fan of Whole Foods' private label brand products (one look at their frozen garlic bread and you'll see why), but this product had me questioning my preconceived notions. I am not prone to buying prebiotic drinks on the regular, but I know I'll be reaching for this one again sometime soon.

After tasting all of the prebiotic cola brands found above, both straight from the can and poured into a glass, I ranked them based on the presence of cola flavor, perceived quality, and overall taste. I also considered price, but seeing how there was minimal difference across the board (they only vary by about a dollar from the lowest to the highest priced brands), it didn't weigh too heavily on my final ranking.

One more detail that factored into my ranking was caffeine content. When I reach for a cola, prebiotic or not, I want it to have at least some caffeine. As it turns out, quite a few prebiotic brands simply don't. That's okay, though. Everything in the top five contains caffeine, and that's where I recommend you aim your purchasing power from here on out. However, the top two are where it's really at, and that's what I'll be reaching for forevermore.