Open Farm vs Orijen: Variety, Pricing, Reputation & More

Finding the best food for your pup can be a little more complicated than simply picking the package with the cutest pup on the label. A lot more goes into dog food, and it’s extremely easy to get swayed by all the claims, fads, and newcomers to the industry. A wide variety is excellent because there’s something out there for every picky eater or sensitive stomach. Still, it does make it harder to know what brands offer true quality behind the label. In this comparison, I look at Open Farm vs Orijen to see which of these well-known brands best suits your pup’s diet and budget.

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Meal & Treat Variety

Open Farm and Orijen offer a well-rounded selection of premium recipes, including dry, wet, and freeze-dried meals and treats. Both brands provide formulas for small breeds, puppies, and seniors.

While comparing these two premium brands head-to-head, I must point out that both make top-quality, highly nutritious pet chow.

Open Farm focuses on ethical and sustainable recipes using high-quality ingredients. They offer both grain-free and grain-inclusive options. Currently, Open Farm has over 30 dry options, seven wet recipes, seven gently cooked recipes, and 13 freeze-dried recipes. Their dry kibbles include the RawMix line, which is protein-packed kibble covered in a nutritious bone broth and freeze-dried raw coating, with added chunks of pork and beef freeze-dried raw.

Orijen focuses on high-protein and meat-based nutrition for dogs. They offer grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, chow made for puppies, and a formula for large-breed puppies and adults. They also offer senior nutrition and a formula to keep pups at a healthy weight. Orijen offers both wet and dry foods, as well as a limited selection of freeze-dried raw foods. At the time of writing, the brand offers 17 dry foods, 10 wet options, and six freeze-dried recipes. It does not currently offer any fresh or gently cooked meals but does have six options for freeze-dried dog treats.

Open Farm offers a broader selection, which includes bone broth, RawMix, gently cooked meals, and supplements. For this reason, OF wins this category.

Nutritional Value

Both companies use high-quality ingredients.

Open Farm uses human-grade meats that are antibiotic and hormone-free. They use wild-caught fish and locally sourced vegetables and fruits. Animal protein accounts for at least 70% of their recipes. Open Farm only uses animal protein derived from animals that meet the humane requirements of Global Animal Partnership and Ocean Wise seafood. Along with this, elements such as flaxseed, salmon oil, sunflower oil, taurine, and other vitamins and minerals boost essential nutrients and fats.

Open Farm’s ingredients are fully traceable, and this information is provided on the brand’s website. Some recipes include all human-grade ingredients. Recipes are formulated by a team of nutritionists, veterinarians, and animal scientists and undergo third-party testing. Formulas all meet the AAFCO guidelines for nutritional value. As of this writing, Open Farm has no recalls in its history.

Orijen focuses on high-protein formulas. Orijen also lists fresh or raw proteins as the first five ingredients in their recipes. A team of animal food scientists and nutritionists develops Orijen’s formulas. The company also partners with multiple veterinarians as consultants. Orijen focuses on developing biologically appropriate pet foods and operates under Champion Pet Foods. Ingredients are sourced locally, and some worldwide, and all recipes meet AAFCO guidelines. Orijen uses only fresh, non-GMO ingredients; nothing is frozen, and they never use artificial colors or fillers.

Open Farm has a slightly higher fat content in some of its wet foods. However, fat provides energy and supports the body’s development. Both brands fortify their animal protein-based recipes with fresh vegetables, fruits, fish oils, fats, essential vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber to provide complete and balanced nutrition. Neither uses artificial ingredients, artificial preservatives, unnecessary fillers, or hard-to-digest ingredients.

While both brands use high-quality ingredients and relatively few, if any, controversial ones, Open Farm edges out Orijen here due to the higher quality of their ingredients, namely human-grade meats and animal proteins, as well as their fully human-grade gently cooked options. Along with that, Open Farm’s food is less processed, and they offer baked kibble options as well as traditional and RawMix coated kibble.

Customization

Neither Open Farm nor Orijen has an option for recipe customization. Open Farm offers an auto-ship subscription, and customers receive 5% off all auto-ship orders. However, no recipe customization is allowed.

Pricing

Both these brands are reasonably priced; however, Open Farm tends to be slightly less expensive than Orijen per pound when it comes to dry kibble. Wet options vary; however, due to the human-grade ingredients and gently cooked meals, Open Farm is of better value. Orijen’s pricing can vary as it sells through over 8,000 independent retailers.

Open Farm is the price winner due to its consistency of price and slightly lower prices for dry food.

Customer Service & Reputation

Both companies have an upstanding reputation, and neither has had a recall of its dog food. (Orijen did have one cat food recall in Australia in November 2008 but has no history of dog food recalls.) Both companies have a loyal customer base.

As part of my review process, I researched what customers had to say about both brands. Overall, Orijen customers like the food, especially those who need a high-protein diet. Many customers report improvement in loose stools after their dogs have been consistently on its formulas.

One of the biggest complaints about Orijen is that some dogs do not like it, and some owners report a very pungent fishy smell from the dry food. Another concern is the price, as it is higher priced than some other brands.

Open Farm has a happy customer base but does have some areas to improve. Customers’ most significant issues with this brand are canceling their auto-ship orders and some issues with promotions not applying to specific products. Open Farm’s feedback is overwhelmingly positive regarding food quality and pet satisfaction.

Both companies offer customer service via email and telephone, though Orijen’s phone system is currently not working. Open Farm’s phone lines are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. They also offer an instant chat option seven days a week.

Open Farm also wins here. They have more customer service options and fewer complaints about their product overall.

What’s Our Verdict?

Both brands make higher-than-average quality pet food that meets your pup’s nutritional needs and offers a good variety of options. In a head-to-head comparison, Open Farm tops Orijen due to its product selection, higher-quality ingredients, delivery options, and overall reputation. However, Orijen is a quality product; many dogs do very well on this food. Keep in mind that higher protein formulas may not be right for every pup or life stage. What’s best for your fur baby depends on their dietary needs, overall health, age, and activity level.

If you need more details on either of these brands, we’ve reviewed both Open Farm and Orijen in our in-depth individual reviews. We also cover other options, like Ollie, Nom Nom, and The Farmer’s Dog, which offer fresh dog food made from human-grade ingredients. And if you have a pup with a tricky tummy, learn more about the best dog foods for sensitive stomachs.

Don’t Forget Regular Veterinary Checkups

Keeping up with your pup’s regular vet checkups is pertinent to keeping them healthy. These visits allow you to discuss dietary concerns and issues before they become more serious. We discuss this in more detail in our guides on puppy checkups and annual dog checkups.

Why Trust Canine Journal?

Danielle is a lifelong dog lover and animal advocate. She has a special place in her heart for rescue animals and has given many rescue animals a loving home. Danielle works tirelessly as a professional researcher and writer to bring pet owners the most recent, valid, and valuable information. She has a particular interest in pet behavior and dog nutrition. With the help of her two rescue pups, Daisy and Falkor, she has reviewed and tested over 50 brands of dog food.