Poppi vs. OLIPOP: Which Prebiotic Soda Comes Out on Top

A little bit about both brands: 

Let's start with Poppi. The brand Poppi was started by Allison Ellsworth, who started experimenting with apple cider vinegar in her kitchen. She wanted to create a drink that was good for your gut but still tasted good, which she created. In 2018, she and her husband both appeared on the popular show Shark Tank with the drink that they originally named Mother, but when they signed a deal with Rohan Oza, it changed to Poppi for marketing reasons. 

Poppi’s cans look bright and colorful, and really stand out on shelves. It did not just look like any boring drink– it looked fun. Poppi learned that their marketing did best on TikTok, where they started doing many brand deals with influencers whose videos would get millions of views, continuing to grow the company. Especially when people started saying on social media to start drinking it instead of soda, it became a trend in a way. Their first big brand deals were with Whole Foods and Target, but now they have grown to most stores all over. 

One of Poppi's craziest brand deals that they did with influencers, which was talked about in good ways and bad, was sending vending machines full of their drinks to 32 influencers, celebrities, and content creators. They sent it to them the week before the Super Bowl, intending them to use it for parties and other things. The vending machines were bright, just like their cans, with the designs on it. Instead of just mailing free samples like most brands do, Poppi made the unboxing into an experience. Influencers would open their doors to find a full vending machine in their living room or studio, completely unexpected. 

Getting these vending machines out of nowhere was totally unexpected, making influencers have to post about how crazy it was. Many people on the internet thought it was absurd and a waste of product, but the machines were never supposed to be permanent and were only supposed to be for a little while.

Regarding OLIPOP, it was founded in 2018 by the co-founders Ben Goodwin and David Lester. Before 2018, Ben Goodwin had developed a probiotic soda called Obi, which was eventually sold, but from that, the two wanted to create a drink that had a similar taste to a soda but added health benefits. They invested money from the sale of Obi into it, focusing on gut health by putting in prebiotics, plant fibers, and botanicals into their formula.

More consumers started drinking OLIPOP as their replacements for soda; in 2023, the company had around $200 million in annual sales, and OLIPOP was found in over 20,000 stores across the U.S, like Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart. 

So far in 2025, OLIPOP has expanded its presence to over 50,000 retail locations and continues to keep growing. The company has a focus on innovation and health, and with that, OLIPOP has positioned itself as a formidable player in the beverage industry, challenging traditional soda companies. 

Taste: 

The most important part of these drinks for most people is the taste. Some of these drinks have similar flavors, well others do not at all, so here are just a few of the flavors for each drink and people's opinions on them

Starting with Poppi, specifically the Christmas Poppi named Cranberry Fizz, junior, Ava Worman stated, “Tasted sweet and tangy at the same time, undertones of apple cider vinegar since that is what it's made out of, but generally good” She also shared, “Doc Pop from Poppi just did not taste like Dr. Pepper at all and really was not good.” 

Personally, I have tried many of the Poppi flavors, and one of my favorites is the Cherry-Cola flavor. Honestly, it doesn't taste that much like a cherry Coke, but it tastes similar and not a lot like apple cider vinegar would, but it still tastes good and is a better alternative to the real thing with all of the added sugars. 

Regarding OLIPOP, my favorite flavor of theirs is probably Strawberry Vanilla, which tastes just like the name of it. The only negative part of this drink is that it is a little hard to get used to at first taste, but as you keep drinking it, it tastes better. 

A sophomore, Maddie Peters, also added about the Vintage cola flavor of OLIPOP and shared, “It did not taste like cola at all and has a really strong aftertaste. It did not resemble a soda at all.”

What brand wins?

Between looks, health facts, to taste, both of these brands are good in their own ways. But when it comes to picking one of the others, I really think you have to see for yourself. It really depends on what kind of flavor and ingredients you are looking for in the specific drink. Personally, I would pick Poppi over OLIPOP because I am a fan of a sweeter drink with more flavor, but some people may disagree with me and say that OLIPOP tastes better. To do the true test of which brand is better, go to one of your local stores, grab a few flavors, and find out for yourself which brand really comes out on top.