If you want a dog food close to Kirkland Signature, start with one fact most shoppers miss: Kirkland is made by Diamond Pet Foods, the same company that makes Diamond Naturals and Taste of the Wild. So the cheapest way to “leave” Kirkland without changing much is to buy another Diamond-made formula. If you want a different formula and a different manufacturer, the upgrades are Victor and Purina Pro Plan, and the closest cheap substitute is Pedigree. Below is a sourced comparison so you can match the food to your dog instead of to the brand on the bag.

Kirkland’s draw is price. A 2026 Costco dog food review by DogLifespanCalc puts Kirkland Signature dry food at roughly 30 to 50 percent cheaper per pound than premium brands, with the trade-off that buying it requires a Costco membership (the review notes $65 a year as of 2026). Costco does not publish warehouse prices online, so we anchor the comparison below on each alternative’s per-pound cost rather than on a single Kirkland sticker figure.

Who actually makes Kirkland dog food

Kirkland Signature is Costco’s private label, and the dry food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods (legally Schell & Kampeter, Inc.) out of Meta, Missouri, per The Krazy Coupon Lady and Food Safety News. Diamond also produces Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, and Solid Gold. That matters for two reasons: a couple of the “alternatives” people reach for come off the same production lines, and Diamond’s recall history applies to Kirkland too.

In 2012, Diamond ran a multi-brand recall over Salmonella contamination traced to its Gaston, South Carolina plant. The recall covered Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, Kirkland Signature, and Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain, among others, and the outbreak was linked to at least 14 human Salmonella Infantis cases across 9 states, per a May 3, 2012 CDC report cited by Food Safety News. There have been no comparable Diamond outbreaks since, but if a past recall is your reason for switching, note that Diamond Naturals and Taste of the Wild share that same history. Switching brands within the Diamond family does not switch the manufacturer.

Why owners leave Kirkland

• You do not have a Costco membership, or the nearest warehouse is inconvenient.
• Your dog has a sensitivity and you want a single-protein or limited-ingredient formula Kirkland does not offer.
• You want delivery to your door instead of hauling a 40-lb bag.
• You want a higher-protein performance formula for an active or working dog.
• A past Diamond recall has you wanting a different manufacturer entirely.

Notice that only the last two reasons actually require leaving the Diamond family. Keep that in mind as you read the table.

Five alternatives compared

Price-per-pound figures are derived from listed retail prices below and will move with promotions and autoship discounts. Treat them as a comparison anchor, not a quote.

1. Diamond Naturals: the closest swap

If your only reason to leave Kirkland is access, Diamond Naturals is the smallest possible change. It is made by the same company, sells through Chewy, Amazon, and farm stores rather than Costco, and leads with a named meat protein. A 40-lb bag of the Adult Lamb Meal & Rice formula lists at $43.99 at DB Supply, about $1.10 per pound (as of June 2026), which buys you home delivery and more formula choices than a warehouse aisle.

The trade-off is that you are paying retail markup for a food from the same plants that make Kirkland. If the bulk Costco price is the thing you liked about Kirkland, Diamond Naturals will feel like a step up in cost, not a saving. Check current Diamond Naturals pricing and formulas before you commit.

2. Victor Super Premium: the active-dog upgrade

Victor is the pick when you want more protein than Kirkland delivers. Its performance and Hi-Pro Plus lines run 26% to 30% protein with beef, chicken, pork, and fish meals, and the formulas are gluten-free grain-inclusive rather than grain-free. A 40-lb bag typically runs in the mid-$50s to low-$60s, roughly $1.40 to $1.55 per pound (typical as of June 2026), with subscribe-and-save discounts lowering that. View Victor Super Premium on Amazon for the current price.

For a couch-dwelling 20-lb dog, that protein level is more than needed and the cost is hard to justify over Kirkland. For a sporting breed, a working dog, or a high-energy young adult, Victor is a measurable formulation upgrade on protein, not just a price bump.

3. Purina Pro Plan: the big-maker option

Purina Pro Plan is the alternative to choose if Diamond’s recall history bothers you and you want a manufacturer with employed veterinary nutritionists and feeding-trial infrastructure. Pro Plan is among the makers that can answer the questions WSAVA’s pet-food selection guidance tells owners to ask: who formulates the food and their credentials, whether the company employs a qualified nutritionist, and whether it owns and operates its own plants. The Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice 35-lb bag typically runs in the mid-$70s at major retailers, roughly $2 per pound; check current pricing where you shop, since it varies by retailer and promotion.

At roughly $2 a pound, that is a clear step up in cost from Kirkland’s budget warehouse pricing. You are paying for the research and manufacturing backbone, not a dramatically different ingredient list. Whether that premium is worth it depends on how much you weight a maker’s nutrition program over headline ingredients. Compare Pro Plan formulas and current prices.

4. Taste of the Wild: same maker, grain-free caveat

Taste of the Wild is also a Diamond Pet Foods product, so choosing it over Kirkland does not change the manufacturer or the recall history. Its draw is grain-free recipes built on novel proteins like bison, venison, and salmon, with a 28-lb bag typically landing around $52 to $60 (roughly $1.85 to $2.15 per pound, typical as of June 2026).

One thing to weigh before you switch for the grain-free angle: the FDA has been investigating a possible link between certain grain-free diets high in peas, lentils, and other legumes and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) since 2018. As of its most recent guidance, the FDA describes the issue as complex and multi-factor and has said it will not issue further public updates absent meaningful new science, as reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association (February 2023). A 2025 18-month study published in the Journal of Animal Science found no cardiac changes in dogs fed well-balanced grain-free or grain-inclusive diets. The risk appears low and the research is unsettled, but it is established enough that you should raise it with your vet before moving a dog to grain-free without a medical reason. See current Taste of the Wild recipes.

5. Pedigree: the cheapest substitute

If price is the only thing keeping you on Kirkland and you have lost warehouse access, Pedigree is the closest budget match, typically $0.70 to $0.90 per pound at grocery and big-box stores. It is made by Mars Petcare and is available almost everywhere.

Be clear-eyed about the trade. Pedigree’s dry recipes are built on ground corn and meat-and-bone meal rather than a named whole-meat first ingredient, which is a step down from Kirkland’s formula. It will feed a dog adequately and cheaply; it is not an ingredient-quality match. Use it as a budget bridge, not a long-term upgrade.

How to compare any of these to Kirkland

Three checks settle most of these decisions:

• First ingredient. Look for a named meat or named meat meal at the top of the list. Kirkland, Diamond Naturals, Victor, and Pro Plan clear this bar; Pedigree’s corn-forward base does not.
• Cost per pound, not per bag. A 40-lb bag at $44 ($1.10/lb) is not cheaper than a 35-lb bag at $39 ($1.11/lb) just because the sticker is similar. Divide price by weight every time.
• AAFCO statement. Confirm the food is labeled “complete and balanced” for your dog’s life stage. All five here carry that statement; verify it on the exact formula and bag size you buy.

And transition slowly. Mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old over 7 to 10 days reduces the digestive upset that comes with an abrupt switch, regardless of which alternative you choose.

Which should you buy?

If you just lost easy Costco access, Diamond Naturals is the smallest change and Pedigree is the cheapest. If you want a formula upgrade, Victor is the value pick for active dogs and Purina Pro Plan is the choice if a large maker’s nutrition program matters to you. Taste of the Wild only makes sense if you specifically want grain-free novel proteins and have cleared the DCM question with your vet, and remember it shares Kirkland’s manufacturer. There is no single best answer here, only the best fit for your dog’s size, activity level, and any sensitivities.

See which option fits your dog’s size, age, and health needs on GetPetPros, and weigh the wider cost of dog ownership in our vet care hub and most-researched picks. To understand how we reach these calls, read how we evaluate.

Affiliate disclosure: GetPetPros.com participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates, Chewy’s affiliate program, and other pet product affiliate networks. We earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are based on independent research and editorial judgment, not on commission rates.