Grass-fed vs grass-finished.
What the label costs you.
Every in-stock beef listing we track, split by whether the ranch’s own text says grass-finished. Same cuts, compared by the middle listing per pound. Last checked Oct 18, 2026.
Cut by cut
| Cut | Grass-finished: middle | Grass-finished: lowest | Other: middle | Other: lowest | Gap (middle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye | $44.75/lb43 listings | $22.97/lbUS Wellness Meats | $49.11/lb32 listings | $27.28/lbGood Ranchers | −$4.36 |
| Ground beef | $14.49/lb74 listings | $8.49/lbThousand Hills Lifetime Grazed | $12.10/lb31 listings | $7.25/lbJoyce Farms | +$2.39 |
| New York strip | $39.52/lb26 listings | $22.75/lbShirttail Creek Farm | $49.14/lb25 listings | $15.99/lbLick Skillet Farm | −$9.62 |
| Organ blend | $13.80/lb15 listings | $11.42/lbThousand Hills Lifetime Grazed | $13.99/lb13 listings | $11.00/lbCarnivore Club | −$0.19 |
| Chuck roast | $17.71/lb8 listings | $14.08/lbUS Wellness Meats | $15.50/lb11 listings | $14.22/lbGrand View Beef | +$2.21 |
| Filet mignon | $75.54/lb20 listings | $42.46/lbShirttail Creek Farm | $95.00/lb23 listings | $47.99/lbAyers Valley Farm | −$19.46 |
| Sirloin | $36.77/lb28 listings | $19.00/lbTexas Grassfed Beef | $35.39/lb15 listings | $25.32/lbJohn Henry's Meats | +$1.38 |
| Brisket | $15.99/lb24 listings | $11.21/lbUS Wellness Meats | $15.05/lb27 listings | $6.50/lbJoyce Farms | +$0.94 |
| Short ribs | $16.90/lb19 listings | $14.56/lbShirttail Creek Farm | $16.00/lb14 listings | $9.00/lbStemple Creek Ranch | +$0.90 |
| Beef liver | $17.57/lb12 listings | $8.99/lbWholly Cow Market | $8.99/lb8 listings | $6.99/lbPorter Road | +$8.58 |
| Stew meat | $15.20/lb13 listings | $9.98/lbLick Skillet Farm | $11.99/lb8 listings | $9.00/lbPorter Road | +$3.21 |
| Burger patties | $17.29/lb12 listings | $9.99/lbPrimal Pastures | $13.99/lb10 listings | $10.50/lbGood Ranchers | +$3.30 |
| Tallow & suet | $14.00/lb28 listings | $5.00/lbStemple Creek Ranch | $15.98/lb9 listings | $9.04/lbWhite Oak Pastures | −$1.98 |
| Picanha | $25.19/lb3 listings | $20.97/lbForce of Nature | $20.25/lb9 listings | $14.40/lbHome Place Pastures | +$4.94 |
| Tri-tip | $22.91/lb10 listings | $10.00/lbWholly Cow Market | $22.50/lb5 listings | $18.33/lbParker Pastures | +$0.41 |
| Flank & skirt steak | $24.98/lb16 listings | $10.99/lbWholly Cow Market | $26.66/lb22 listings | $17.79/lbGrand View Beef | −$1.68 |
| Flat iron steak | $35.65/lb7 listings | $16.68/lbWholly Cow Market | $34.00/lb10 listings | $16.93/lbParker Pastures | +$1.65 |
| T-bone & porterhouse | $40.00/lb5 listings | $32.85/lbUS Wellness Meats | $51.98/lb9 listings | $34.49/lbJohn Henry's Meats | −$11.98 |
| Oxtail | $15.14/lb4 listings | $6.33/lbBeck Ranch | $18.28/lb2 listings | $18.28/lbPorter Road | −$3.14 |
| Beef heart | $16.46/lb10 listings | $5.00/lbWholly Cow Market | $9.98/lb5 listings | $8.37/lbThousand Hills Lifetime Grazed | +$6.48 |
| Beef tongue | $16.99/lb9 listings | $8.08/lbThousand Hills Lifetime Grazed | $12.00/lb4 listings | $6.28/lbHome Place Pastures | +$4.99 |
| Beef kidney | $13.45/lb5 listings | $9.30/lbUS Wellness Meats | $9.98/lb3 listings | $7.99/lbGrand View Beef | +$3.47 |
| Marrow & soup bones | $12.20/lb17 listings | $7.00/lbShirttail Creek Farm | $7.99/lb14 listings | $3.00/lbParker Pastures | +$4.21 |
“Other” includes listings that say grass-fed without saying finished, and listings with no feed claim.
Questions
What is the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished?
“Grass-fed” is used loosely: some cattle eat grass most of their life and are finished on grain. “Grass-finished” (or “100% grass-fed”) means the animal ate grass and forage through to the end. The USDA withdrew its grass-fed marketing standard in 2016, so these are the ranch’s own words unless a third-party certification is named.
Is grass-finished beef more expensive?
Not always. In 8 of the 23 cuts we can compare, the middle grass-finished listing was actually cheaper than the middle of the other listings. For ground beef: $14.49/lb (grass-finished) vs $12.10/lb (other). Breed (wagyu, prime) and pack size move price more than the label.
How do you decide what counts as grass-finished?
A listing is tagged grass-finished when the ranch’s own product title, tags or description says grass-finished, 100% grass-fed or similar. We don’t certify it. Everything else is grouped as “other” (grass-fed claim or not listed).