Jack Link's vs Chomps (2026): Beef Jerky vs Meat Sticks — Protein, Sodium, and Price Per Gram Compared

Jack Link's vs Chomps: Nutrition Facts Side-by-Side

Serving sizes differ slightly by format — Jack Link's Original is sold by the ounce (28g), Chomps sticks are individually sized at 1.15oz (33g) — so the table below shows both the per-serving numbers and protein per 100 calories to normalize for the size difference.

On protein efficiency, Jack Link's actually edges out Chomps Original Beef — 12.5g of protein per 100 calories versus 10.0g — because Chomps beef sticks carry more fat (7g vs 1g) for a leaner-tasting, lower-fat jerky. Chomps Original Turkey flips that: at 15.0g of protein per 100 calories, it's the most protein-efficient option of the three, beating both the Chomps beef stick and Jack Link's Original. So “which has more protein for the calories” genuinely depends on which Chomps variety you're comparing — beef loses to Jack Link's on this one metric, turkey wins.

The Real Difference: Sodium and Sugar for the Same 10g of Protein

Because Jack Link's Original and Chomps Original Beef both land at exactly 10g of protein per serving, they're a clean apples-to-apples comparison on everything else — no scaling or math required.

For the identical 10g protein dose, Jack Link's carries roughly double the sodium of Chomps — ~770mg versus 380mg — which on its own is about a third of the American Heart Association's full 2,300mg daily sodium limit. Jack Link's also lists sugar directly in its marinade (~3g per serving), where every Chomps variety is formulated to 0g sugar. Chomps' beef is also single-species and grass-fed/grass-finished with no synthetic nitrates or nitrites (preservation comes from lactic acid and cultured celery powder instead), while Jack Link's uses standard cured-meat processing. None of this makes Jack Link's an unsafe or bad snack — it's a mainstream cured-meat product formulated the way most jerky on the market is — but on sodium, sugar, and ingredient sourcing specifically, Chomps is the cleaner formulation gram for gram.

Price Per Gram of Protein: Where Jack Link's Wins Decisively

This is the trade-off that flips the comparison. A 9oz multi-serve bag of Jack Link's Original typically runs about $10, or roughly $1.10–$1.11 per ounce; at 10g of protein per ounce, that works out to about $0.11 per gram of protein. A single Chomps stick typically retails for $2.50–$3.50; at 10g of protein (beef) that's roughly $0.25–$0.35 per gram of protein, or $0.21–$0.29 per gram for the higher-protein turkey stick.

By the numbers, Chomps costs roughly two to three times more per gram of protein than Jack Link's. That premium buys the sodium reduction, the zero sugar, the grass-fed single-species sourcing, and the absence of synthetic preservatives covered above — it is a real, priced-in trade-off, not a marketing gap. If protein per dollar is the only metric that matters to you, Jack Link's wins clearly. For the full category cost breakdown across every meat-snack brand, see our cheapest high-protein snacks price-per-gram guide.

Format: Flat Jerky vs. Whole-Muscle Stick

Beyond the numbers, the two products eat differently. Jack Link's Original is thin, flat, sliced-and-dried jerky — chewy, jerky-textured, sold in resealable multi-serve bags that you portion out yourself (a habit worth building given the sodium load). Chomps is a whole-muscle meat stick, closer in shape and bite to a thin summer sausage, individually wrapped so portion control is automatic — you eat one stick, you've had exactly 10 or 12g of protein, no guessing. That individual-wrap format is also why Chomps costs more per gram: you're paying for single-serve packaging and sourcing, not just protein.

Who Should Buy Which

• Buy Jack Link's if: you want the lowest cost per gram of protein, you're an occasional jerky eater who isn't managing sodium closely, or you need something available at literally any gas station, airport kiosk, or grocery checkout in the country.
• Buy Chomps if: you're managing sodium intake and want roughly half the sodium for the same protein, you prefer zero added sugar and no synthetic preservatives, you want built-in portion control, or you're following Whole30, Paleo, or a strict keto approach (Chomps is 0g carbs across every variety; Jack Link's is not zero-carb once sugar is factored in).
• Buy Chomps Original Turkey specifically if: you want the single best protein-per-calorie number of the three — 15g per 100 calories, beating both Jack Link's and Chomps beef.
• Neither if: you eat meat sticks or jerky several times a week and want the lowest sodium available — Country Archer Classic Original undercuts both at 260mg of sodium for 12g of protein per ounce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jack Link's or Chomps have more protein?

Jack Link's Original and Chomps Original Beef are tied at 10g of protein per serving. Chomps Original Turkey has more — 12g per stick — and at fewer calories (80 vs 100), making it the highest protein-per-calorie option of the three at 15g per 100 calories.

Which has less sodium, Jack Link's or Chomps?

Chomps, by a wide margin. For the same 10g of protein, Jack Link's Original carries roughly 770mg of sodium versus 380mg for Chomps Original Beef — about half. Chomps Original Turkey is nearly identical to the beef stick at 390mg.

Is Chomps worth the extra price over Jack Link's?

It depends on what you're optimizing for. Gram for gram of protein, Chomps costs roughly two to three times more ($0.25–$0.35 vs ~$0.11). That premium buys about half the sodium, 0g sugar instead of ~3g, grass-fed single-species beef instead of standard cured jerky, and no synthetic nitrates or nitrites. If price per gram of protein is your main constraint, Jack Link's is the better value. If sodium, sugar, and ingredient sourcing matter more than price, Chomps is worth it.

Does Jack Link's have added sugar?

Yes — sugar is listed directly in the marinade, contributing about 3g of total sugar per 1oz serving. Every Chomps variety, by contrast, is formulated to 0g of sugar and 0g of total carbohydrates.

Is Chomps or Jack Link's better for keto?

Chomps is the cleaner keto fit: every variety has 0g of total carbohydrates and 0g of sugar, with no hidden carb sources. Jack Link's Original is very low-carb but not zero, since its marinade includes actual sugar. Both are far better keto options than sweetened or high-carb snacks, but Chomps has the more precise zero-carb label.

Bottom line: Jack Link's Original and Chomps Original Beef deliver the identical 10g of protein per serving, but Chomps gets there with about half the sodium, zero sugar instead of three grams, and grass-fed single-species beef with no synthetic preservatives — for roughly two to three times the price per gram of protein. Neither is objectively “better”: Jack Link's wins on price and availability, Chomps wins on sodium, sugar, and ingredient quality, and Chomps Original Turkey wins outright on protein-per-calorie efficiency. Compare both against the rest of the field in our best high-protein meat sticks and best beef jerky for protein guides, or browse the full protein snacks directory.