Open Farm is known for traceable kibble, and Stella & Chewy’s for freeze-dried raw patties. Dog parents weighing the two are switching to Nextrition, a cold-pressed dog food made in the USA, because it sits between kibble and raw, is lower in fat than both, and has gut support in every recipe.
We compared three brands and three food types side by side: Open Farm kibble, Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried raw and Nextrition cold-pressed. Nextrition comes out ahead on nutrient density, fat, gut support and how easy it is to try.
Nextrition Cold-Pressed
Open Farm Ancient Grains Kibble
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Patties
Our pick
Nextrition Cold-Pressed |
Open Farm Ancient Grains Kibble |
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Patties |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Food type |
Cold-pressed at low temperatures to lock in natural nutrients
|
Kibble
|
Freeze-dried raw
|
| Nutrient density |
12+ lb of whole, fresh ingredients pressed into every 4.5 lb bag · 480–505 kcal per cup
|
424 kcal per cup
|
60 kcal per patty
|
| Fat (min) |
10–12%, the lowest of the three
|
15%
|
28%
|
| Pre-, pro- & postbiotics |
All three, in every recipe
|
GoodGut line only
|
Probiotics only
|
| Large-breed puppies |
Covered in every recipe
|
Not covered by this recipe
|
Covered
|
| How to serve |
Scoop straight from the bag
|
Scoop & serve
|
Crumble or rehydrate first
|
| Try it |
All 4 recipes for $9.99, delivered
|
In-store samples
|
Smallest bag $14.99
|
| Peas |
None in any recipe
|
In Grain-Free line
|
Pea-free patties
|
| Made in |
USA
|
US, Canada & Iceland
|
USA
|
| Complete & Balanced |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Open Farm figures are for Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains kibble; Stella & Chewy’s figures are for Chewy’s Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties. Calories are from each brand’s label.
Open Farm and Stella & Chewy’s each sell a long list of proteins and formats. Nextrition keeps it simple: four recipes, real meat first, gut support in each one.
Over 4 lb of U.S.-sourced chicken in every bag, with rice and oats. Our gentlest pick for dogs coming off rich food.
Shop the Chicken RecipeOver 3 lb of real beef and beef liver in every bag, for dogs that want a meaty bowl every day.
Shop the Beef RecipeOver 3 lb of real lamb in every bag and 30% protein, our highest, for dogs that need a break from chicken.
Shop the Lamb RecipeOver 3 lb of sustainably sourced salmon in every bag, plus New Zealand green mussels and zero peas.
Shop the Salmon RecipeKibble, like Open Farm’s core line, is cooked and shaped into crunchy pellets.
Freeze-dried raw, like Stella & Chewy’s patties, is raw meat, organs and bone with the water removed.
Cold-pressed Nextrition presses more than 12 pounds of whole, fresh ingredients into each 4.5 lb bag at low temperatures, without high heat or steam.
At 480 to 505 calories a cup, Nextrition lets you scoop a set amount, with no patties to count or crumble.
Our free feeding plan sets your dog’s daily scoop in about 30 seconds.
All three foods keep on a shelf. Nextrition is ready the moment you open the bag, with nothing to rehydrate.
Buy a single bag, or subscribe to save 10% on every order and up to 17% on larger bags.
Like Open Farm and Stella & Chewy’s, Nextrition is sold online and in local pet stores. Buy a single bag, or set deliveries every 14 to 60 days.
Open Farm hands out free samples in stores, and Stella & Chewy’s smallest patty bag is $14.99. Nextrition’s Trial Variety Pack ships Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon to your door.
One order, four 0.25 lb samples, and no subscription attached.
It depends on the food type you want. Open Farm is best known for traceable kibble and also sells fresh, freeze-dried and wet food. Stella & Chewy’s is best known for freeze-dried raw patties. Nextrition, a cold-pressed dog food made in the USA, sits between the two: real meat first, pressed at low temperatures and scooped like kibble.
Kibble is cooked and shaped into crunchy pellets. Freeze-dried raw is raw meat, organs and bone with the water removed. Cold-pressed food like Nextrition presses whole ingredients together at low temperatures, without high heat or steam, into dense, nutrient-rich pieces.
Yes. Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried dinner patties are raw meat, organs and bone that are high-pressure processed to kill harmful bacteria, then freeze-dried. You serve them crumbled or rehydrated with water. Nextrition is cold-pressed and goes straight from the bag to the bowl.
Open Farm’s GoodGut kibble has 12 probiotic strains with a guaranteed 2 billion CFU per pound. Its Grain-Free kibble line doesn’t list probiotics. Every Nextrition recipe includes prebiotic chicory root, five probiotic fermentation extracts and postbiotic yeast culture.
Nextrition recipes have 10% to 12% minimum fat. Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains kibble has 15%, and Stella & Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken patties have 28%, as fed. Lower-fat food is often suggested for dogs with sensitive stomachs, so ask your vet what fits your dog.
Nextrition and Stella & Chewy’s are made in the USA, and Stella & Chewy’s makes its raw food in Wisconsin. Open Farm uses partner facilities in the United States, Canada and Iceland.
Every Nextrition recipe is complete and balanced for all life stages, including growth of large-breed puppies. Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains covers all life stages except growth of dogs that will weigh 70 lb or more as adults.
Yes. The Nextrition Trial Variety Pack has four 0.25 lb samples (Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon) for $9.99, shipped to your door as a one-time order with no subscription.
This comparison covers three brands and three food types: the four Nextrition cold-pressed recipes (Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon), Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains kibble (with the GoodGut and Grain-Free lines where noted) and Stella & Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties. It is based on each brand’s website and published labels as of November 2026. Fat figures are guaranteed minimums, as fed.
Open Farm life-stage coverage is for Wild-Caught Salmon & Ancient Grains, which excludes growth of dogs 70 lb or more as adults. Stella & Chewy’s prices are for the patties on its own website.
Open Farm and Stella & Chewy’s are trademarks of their owners. Nextrition is not affiliated with either brand.
