Which one is cheaper?

Jack Link's. A 50g bag is about $5.00 at Woolworths, roughly $10.00 per 100 grams against Chief's $13.95. Per gram of protein they are close. Jack Link's is a touch cheaper, about $0.29 against $0.31. It is the cheaper snack and the cheaper way to get protein grams.

Does Jack Link's have added sugar?

Yes. Sugar sits high in its seasoning, and the jerky carries about 24 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, because a sweet marinade is part of how it is made. Chief's bar has no added sugar and is very low in carbohydrate. If you are watching sugar, that is a clear difference.

Is Jack Link's unhealthy?

No, it is not junk. It is 100 percent beef, high in protein and low in fat. It is just a marinated, sweetened jerky, so it carries added sugar, soy and smoke flavour that a clean whole-cut bar does not. Like any jerky, it is also salty, so treat it as a snack in moderation.

No. Both are beef, so neither suits vegans or vegetarians. Note that Jack Link's also contains soy, which is worth knowing if you have a soy allergy. If you want a plant-based savoury snack, check its label the same way, for added sugar, seed oils and fillers.

Chief vs Jack Link's: An Honest Beef Snack Comparison

Q: Is Chief or Jack Link's the better beef snack?

It depends on what you value. Chief is the cleaner, more protein-dense snack: organic grass-fed beef with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour, at about 45 grams of protein per 100 grams. Jack Link's is a cheaper, marinated jerky with added sugar and soy, sold in every supermarket. Choose clean ingredients and sourcing, or price and availability.

Q: Which one has more protein?

Chief, per 100 grams, at about 45 grams against Jack Link's 34 grams. Per serve they are close, over 18 grams in Chief's 40g bar and about 17 grams in Jack Link's 50g bag. Chief is more protein-dense and carries far less carbohydrate.

Q: Is Chief's beef better quality?

Chief states more about its beef. It is organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef, free from added hormones, Bovaer, mRNA and glyphosate. Jack Link's is 100 percent beef made in New Zealand, but it does not claim grass-fed or organic. Both are real beef; Chief tells you more about how it was raised.

Start with what is in each snack. Chief is clean organic grass-fed beef, slow dried, with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour, and more protein-dense at about 45g per 100g. Jack Link's is a marinated mass-market jerky: 100 percent beef, but its seasoning brings sugar, soy protein, yeast extract, natural flavours and smoke flavour, and it is not grass-fed or organic. That cheaper, seasoned build is why it costs less and sits in every supermarket. Note the soy if you have an allergy. Pick clean ingredients against price and availability.

At a glance

Start with what is in each snack, because that is the real difference. Chief is a clean whole-cut beef bar: organic, grass-fed and grass-finished, slow dried, with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour, and more protein-dense at about 45 grams of protein per 100 grams. Jack Link's Original is a marinated, smoked jerky. It is 100 percent beef and high in protein, at about 34 grams per 100 grams, but its seasoning carries added sugar, soy protein, yeast extract and smoke flavour, and it is not stated as grass-fed or organic. That mass-market seasoned build is what makes it cheaper per 100 grams and puts it in every supermarket and servo. So the split is honest and simple. Chief for the clean ingredients and the sourcing spelled out; Jack Link's for the cheaper, widely available beef snack, if you do not mind the added sugar and soy.

Chief

•clean ingredients, no added sugar, no soy, no smoke flavour
•organic grass-fed grass-finished beef, stated on the label
•more protein per 100g, about 45g against 34g

Per 45 g bar	Chief	Jack Link's
Type	Whole-cut beef bar, brisket and topside, slow dried	Marinated beef jerky, smoked
Beef	Organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef	100% beef; not stated grass-fed or organic
Protein per 100g	about 45g	about 34g
Protein per serve	over 18g per 40g bar	about 17g per 50g bag
Carbohydrate per 100g	very low; no added sugar	about 24g, reflecting the sugar in the marinade
Added sugar	None; salt, vinegar and paprika	Yes; sugar is high in the seasoning
Soy	No soy	Contains soy protein
Other additives	No preservatives or artificial additives; no smoke flavour	Yeast extract, natural flavours, smoke flavour
Curing and sourcing extras	Slow dried, no added curing agent; no Bovaer, mRNA or glyphosate	Marinated and smoked; made in New Zealand
Pack and price	12 x 40g, $66.95 AUD	50g bag, about $5.00 AUD at Woolworths
Price per 100g	about $13.95	about $10.00
Price per gram of protein	about $0.31	about $0.29
Suitable for vegans	No, it is beef	No, it is beef

The cost, measured fairly

All prices are AUD, read on 6 July 2026. Jack Link's price is a Woolworths snapshot, about $5.00 for a 50g bag. It varies by retailer. Chief is $66.95 for twelve 40g bars, direct from its site. Because the serves differ, the fair comparison is per 100 grams and per gram of protein.

Per 100 grams of snack, Jack Link's is cheaper, about $10.00 against Chief's $13.95. Per gram of protein the two are close. Jack Link's is a touch cheaper, about $0.29 against $0.31. So on price, Jack Link's wins. It is the cheaper way to get protein grams. What the extra buys with Chief is the cleaner label and the organic grass-fed sourcing, not more protein for your dollar. Decide which of those matters more to you.

Where Chief is the better choice

You want a clean ingredient list

This is the heart of it. Chief's bar is beef, salt, vinegar and paprika. That is close to the whole list. Jack Link's Original is 100 percent beef too, but its seasoning brings added sugar, soy protein, yeast extract, natural flavours and smoke flavour. None of those are alarming on their own, but they are the difference between a clean whole-cut bar and a marinated, sweetened jerky. If you read labels and want the short one, Chief has it.

You want no added sugar

Chief's bar has no added sugar. It is a savoury salt and vinegar flavour, so its carbohydrate is very low. Jack Link's Original carries about 24 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams. Sugar sits high in its seasoning, because a sweet marinade is part of how the jerky is made. If you are watching sugar, that is a real gap between the two.

You want organic, grass-fed sourcing

Chief states its beef is organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef, free from added hormones, Bovaer feed, mRNA and glyphosate. Jack Link's is 100 percent beef, made in New Zealand, but it does not claim grass-fed or organic sourcing. Chief spells out where its beef comes from and how it was raised; Jack Link's leaves that unsaid.

You want more protein per 100 grams

Both are high in protein, but Chief is more protein-dense. Its bar runs about 45 grams of protein per 100 grams against Jack Link's 34 grams. Per serve the two are close, over 18 grams in Chief's 40g bar and about 17 grams in Jack Link's 50g bag. But gram for gram of snack, Chief packs in more protein and less carbohydrate.

Where Jack Link's is the better choice

You want the lower price

Jack Link's is cheaper, clearly so. A 50g bag is about $5.00 at Woolworths, which works out to about $10.00 per 100 grams against Chief's $13.95. Per gram of protein the two are close. Jack Link's is even a touch cheaper, about $0.29 against $0.31. If the price on the shelf is what decides it, Jack Link's wins that. It is also the cheaper way to get your protein grams.

You want it in every supermarket

Jack Link's is everywhere. It is in Woolworths, Coles, servos and corner shops across the country, so you can grab it on the go without thinking about it. Chief is more of a premium buy, direct from its site or from selected stockists. For a beef snack you can pick up anywhere, right now, Jack Link's has the reach.

You want a familiar, low-fat jerky

Jack Link's is a known quantity: a low-fat, high-protein, smoky jerky that a lot of people already like the taste of. It is 100 percent beef, not a formed or filled product, and at about 3 grams of fat per 100 grams it is lean. For a familiar jerky flavour, and if the added sugar and soy do not bother you, it does that job well.

Which one is right for you

You want the cleanest ingredient listChief, no added sugar, soy or smoke flavour

You want organic, grass-fed sourcingChief

You want the most protein per 100gChief, about 45g against 34g

You want no added sugarChief

You want the lowest price per 100gJack Link's, about $10.00

You want it in every supermarketJack Link's

You want the cheapest protein gramsJack Link's, marginally, at about $0.29 a gram

Two very different beef snacks

These are not really the same product. Chief is a clean, whole-cut bar, made to a premium standard: organic grass-fed beef, slow dried, no added sugar, soy or smoke flavour. Jack Link's is a mainstream marinated jerky, cheap and everywhere, that leans on a sweet, smoky seasoning to get its flavour. Jack Link's is not junk; it is 100 percent beef and high in protein. It is just built to a different brief. One is about the cleanest possible ingredient list and sourcing; the other is about price and reach. Match the one that fits what you are after.

Before you buy

A beef snack does not suit everyone. Both are beef, so neither suits vegetarians or vegans. Jack Link's also contains soy, which matters if you have a soy allergy. Both are jerky-style, dried and salty, so keep an eye on sodium if you need to. Jack Link's carries added sugar; Chief does not. They are whole-food-style snacks but still concentrated, so enjoy them in a sensible amount. If you are managing a health condition or your sodium, check the label and your healthcare provider first.

Common questions

A note on why we wrote this

Chief makes one of these products, so read this with that in mind. Chief's figures come from Chief's own product data. Jack Link's come from its official Australian nutrition data and a Woolworths retail listing, read on 6 July 2026. Serve sizes differ, a 40g bar against a 50g bag, so the fair comparison is per 100g and per gram of protein. Jack Link's price is a Woolworths snapshot and varies by retailer. Check both before you buy.