Butternut Box vs Different Dog

At A Glance

Brand overviews

Butternut Box

Butternut Box was founded in 2016 by Kev and Dave, after Dave started home-cooking meals for his rescue dog Rudie. It is now one of the most established fresh dog food subscription services in the UK, having fed more than 100,000 dogs. The meals use human-quality ingredients, gently cooked and then frozen. Most recipes are grain-free, a handful include grains like pearl barley, and the protein range is one of the widest of any fresh brand, with a plant-based option in the mix. You fill in a questionnaire, and the plan comes back personalised to your dog, portioned and ready.

Different Dog

Different Dog is a Shropshire brand founded by husband-and-wife team Charlie and Alex Thurstan. Charlie ran food and pricing at a major pet retailer before deciding to cook properly for his own dog, Crumble. The meals are hand-cooked in small batches in the brand's own kitchen, then frozen. All 14 recipes are grain-free and legume-free, and the range includes several aimed at specific needs like sensitive digestion, weight and joint health, which is part of why it suits dogs with sensitivities. The founders stay close to the business, and Charlie often replies to reviews and customer issues himself. It is priced at the premium end of the category.

Which has better ingredients and nutrition?

They take a similar approach to the fundamentals. Both are FEDIAF-complete, free from artificial additives and preservatives, and built around roughly 60% meat or fish. Different Dog is the stricter of the two: every recipe is grain-free and legume-free, which makes it a clean choice for dogs that react to grains or legumes, and it runs a set of recipes built for specific health needs. Butternut is broader. Most recipes are grain-free, a few include grains such as pearl barley, and the protein range is one of the widest going, a plant-based option included. A dog on a tightly controlled diet is better served by Different Dog. A dog that thrives on variety is better served by Butternut.

Which offers more recipe variety?

Different Dog runs 14 recipes; Butternut has 12. The counts are close, and both span a wide range of proteins. Butternut's scale shows in more frequent new recipes and a vegetarian option, which helps with a fussy dog who needs novelty to keep eating. Different Dog's range leans the other way, with several recipes built for specific needs like sensitive digestion, weight and joint health.

Which is better value?

Butternut is the more affordable of the two. Both brands price by dog, so cost scales with size, but on a like-for-like basis Butternut is cheaper across the board. Using All About Dog Food's standard costing for a 14kg dog, it works out at around £2.70 a day, against £3.72 for Different Dog, and you can bring Butternut down further by using it as a topper rather than a full plan. Different Dog sits at the premium end of the category. When budget is the deciding factor, Butternut is the lighter hit.

Which is more convenient?

Butternut is easier to get hold of. Alongside the subscription, selected recipes are now in Pets at Home, so you can pick it up on the high street, whereas Different Dog is online only. Storage is the same for both, and it is the less glamorous side of fresh-frozen food: kept in the freezer, and moved to the fridge to thaw before every meal. That is the trade with any frozen-fresh brand.

Which has better reviews?

Both sit at 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Butternut has over 45,000 reviews to Different Dog's 2,500 or so, which is a gap in scale rather than in quality. Butternut's reviewers tend to highlight consistency, accurate portioning and reliable delivery. Different Dog's talk about the hand-cooked quality, visible improvements in fussy and sensitive dogs, and customer service personal enough that a founder often answers in person.

Which should you choose?

If price, protein variety or buying in-store matter most, Butternut is the straightforward pick. If your dog needs strictly grain-free or legume-free food, or you simply prefer a hand-cooked, small-batch brand, Different Dog earns its premium. Both are genuinely good, and you would not go wrong with either.

The one thing neither can solve is the freezer. Every meal lives frozen and has to be thawed before it is served, which means finding the space and thinking a meal ahead, every day.

Both fresh. Both need a freezer. There's a third way.

Butternut and Different Dog are both fresh, and both ask the same thing of you: freezer space, and a meal defrosted each day. Most fresh dog food comes with that freezer trade-off. Marleybones is fresh food that doesn't need one. It's Pantry Fresh: 60% freshly prepared meat or fish gently cooked in the pack, so it stays fresh while it lives in the cupboard, not the freezer, and serves straight from the carton. Real fresh meat, veggies and superfoods, gently cooked.

Build your dog their own personalised Marleybones feeding and health plan, tailored to their age, size, and health requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Is Butternut Box or Different Dog cheaper?

Butternut Box is the cheaper of the two, at every dog size. On All About Dog Food's standard costing for a 14kg dog, it works out at around £2.70 a day, against £3.72 for Different Dog. Both are priced above supermarket food, and both offer ways to reduce the cost.

Do Butternut Box and Different Dog need to be frozen?

Yes. Both are cooked and then frozen, stored in the freezer, and moved to the fridge to thaw before serving. Both need dedicated freezer space and a little forward planning.

Which is better for a dog with a sensitive stomach?

Different Dog is fully grain-free and legume-free, which helps dogs that react to grains or legumes, and it offers recipes built for sensitive digestion. Butternut's wide protein range makes it easier to find a protein that agrees with a fussy or sensitive dog. The right pick depends on what your dog specifically reacts to.

Is Butternut Box or Different Dog better rated?

Both hold 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Butternut Box has over 45,000 reviews to Different Dog's 2,500 or so, a difference that reflects company size rather than satisfaction.

Where can I buy Butternut Box and Different Dog?

Butternut Box is available online by subscription and, for selected recipes, in Pets at Home stores. Different Dog is online only, through its own website by subscription or as a one-off order.