Get Real vs Freshpet: Frozen Fresh vs Refrigerated Fresh Compared

Get Real vs Freshpet comes down to one practical difference: Get Real is gently cooked then frozen and delivered to your door, while Freshpet is steam-cooked and sold refrigerated in stores. Both are cooked fresh dog foods made with real meat and vegetables, and both can be fed as a complete meal, but the way each one reaches your dog’s bowl shapes your whole routine.

Freshpet is the fresh food most shoppers already know from the refrigerated case at the grocery or pet store. Get Real is newer, launched by Chewy in September 2025. This Get Real vs Freshpet comparison explains what frozen fresh and refrigerated fresh mean day to day, compares recipes, feeding options, and storage, and shows which one fits a given dog and routine. Every Freshpet detail comes from Freshpet’s own public pages, and every Get Real detail comes from Chewy.

This article is sponsored by Get Real, Chewy’s gently cooked fresh dog food line. Vetstreet may earn a commission if you purchase through links in this article.

Key Takeaways

• Get Real is frozen fresh food: gently cooked, frozen, and shipped to your door from Chewy in select markets.
• Freshpet is refrigerated fresh food: steam-cooked and sold from refrigerators in grocery and pet stores, with home delivery also available.
• Both brands describe their recipes as complete and balanced, and Get Real meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
• Frozen packs wait in the freezer until you thaw them; refrigerated food is ready to serve but runs on a shorter clock once opened.
• The better fit depends on whether your routine runs on store trips and fridge space or on delivery and freezer space.

Get Real vs Freshpet at a glance

If you want fresh food that waits in the freezer until you need it and arrives with the rest of your Chewy order, Get Real is built for that; if you prefer to pick up fresh food on a grocery run, Freshpet is built for that.

Every row below uses each brand’s own published information. Prices are left out because they change often and vary by store and plan.

Feature	Get Real	Freshpet
Format	Gently cooked, then frozen	Steam-cooked, sold refrigerated
Where each is sold	Chewy only, in select markets	Grocery, pet, and big-box store refrigerators; Freshpet Delivery
Recipes	Three: Chicken & Brussels Sprouts, Beef & Sweet Potato, Turkey & Cranberry	Several lines, including Freshpet, Vital, and Homestyle Creations
Nutrition statement	AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, including large-breed growth	Described by Freshpet as complete and balanced; Vital recipes for all life stages
Ingredient approach	10 ingredients or less plus vitamins and minerals; human-grade	Proteins plus fruits and vegetables; no artificial or chemical preservatives
Full meal or topper	Full meal, topper, or kibble mixer	Full meal; Healthy Mixers designed to complement a meal
Formats	5 oz mixer, 12 oz, and 24 oz packs	Rolls, bags, and packs
Storage	Freezer, then thaw in the fridge	Refrigerator until the sell by date
After opening or thawing	Use within 3 to 5 days of thawing	Many products within 7 days of opening

On nutrition, the two brands overlap more than they differ. Both are cooked rather than raw, both lean on meat and vegetables, and both are meant to be complete diets. The differences sit in format, where each is sold, and how much choice you want on the shelf.

Get Real Sampler Pack, Beef, Chicken & Turkey Gently Cooked Fresh Dog Food, 6 pack bundle (2 of each recipe). Curious how frozen fresh fits your routine? The sampler lets your dog try the beef, chicken, and turkey recipes before you choose a plan.

Freshpet competition comes from three groups of competitors: subscription brands that deliver cooked meals, retailer brands, and frozen options like Get Real. Each of these Freshpet alternatives keeps the cooked style while changing how the food is stored and bought. For a deeper look at frozen fresh food versus refrigerated fresh food, the Vetstreet guide to refrigerated vs frozen fresh dog food covers the formats beyond these two brands.

Frozen fresh vs refrigerated fresh: the core difference

Frozen fresh food and refrigerated fresh food both start the same way, with cooked meat and vegetables, but they take different routes to the bowl. The route decides how long the food keeps, where you store it, and how much you plan ahead.

Get Real takes the frozen route. Each recipe is gently cooked, then frozen, and shipped in an insulated box with dry ice. The packs stay in your freezer until you need them, then thaw in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours (35 to 48 hours for 24 oz packs). Once thawed, the food is used within 3 to 5 days. Freezing pauses the clock, which is why frozen fresh food suits a household that likes to stock up.

Get Real Chicken & Brussels Sprouts Recipe. Chicken and Brussels sprouts, gently cooked and frozen, with a 10 percent minimum protein guarantee and an all life stages statement.

Freshpet takes the refrigerated route. Its recipes are steam-cooked and, according to Freshpet, never contain artificial or chemical preservatives; instead the company relies on keeping the food cold from its kitchens to the store fridge to your home. Unopened Freshpet recipes stay refrigerated until the sell by date printed on the package, and many products, such as Slice & Serve Rolls, are meant to be used within 7 days of opening. Freshpet says you can freeze unused portions, though it recommends serving fresh from the fridge.

In daily life, the difference looks like this:

• Frozen fresh asks you to plan a day ahead for thawing, but lets you keep weeks of food on hand.
• Refrigerated fresh is ready to serve straight from the fridge, but leans on regular store trips or deliveries to stay stocked.
• Frozen fresh needs freezer space; refrigerated fresh needs fridge space.
• Both need the same food safety habits: keep the food cold and discard leftovers promptly, following each brand’s guidance.

Neither route is better for every home. Frozen fresh food is about control over timing, while refrigerated fresh food is about grab-and-serve ease.

Freshpet: what it is and how it is sold

Freshpet is a U.S. fresh pet food company whose recipes are steam-cooked, kept refrigerated, and sold in dedicated Freshpet fridges at grocery, pet, and big-box stores. Freshpet’s own site lists retailers including PetSmart, Petco, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Costco, and Whole Foods Market.

Freshpet states that its recipes are complete and balanced and exceed AAFCO’s minimum standards for dogs, and that its research is guided by a Nutrition Council that includes board-certified veterinary nutritionists. Freshpet uses proteins such as poultry, beef, and fish alongside fruits and vegetables, and it says its recipes never contain artificial or chemical preservatives. On those published points, it meets the core markers of a quality complete food, and the refrigerated retail case makes it easy to find.

Freshpet’s main product lines, as described on its own site, include:

• Freshpet, its signature recipes, including Freshpet Select and roll formats.
• Vital, a line built around simple ingredients; Freshpet says all Vital recipes are formulated for all life stages.
• Homestyle Creations, ready-to-serve meals.
• Healthy Mixers and Fresh Treats, made to complement a meal rather than replace it.
• Deli Fresh, a line sold at Costco.

Rolls are one of Freshpet’s most recognizable formats: a log of cooked food that you slice to portion. Freshpet also sells bags and packs, and offers puppy-specific rolls in its Select and Vital lines. Freshpet Delivery is the brand’s home delivery service: Freshpet describes it as meal plans customized for your pet and shipped fresh to the door, which suits owners who want Freshpet without a store trip.

Freshpet says it wholly owns two manufacturing sites, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Ennis, Texas, and that its packaging carries a sell by date on every product. A few practical shopping notes follow from how the brand is sold:

• Store stock varies, so the recipe or size you want may not be in every fridge; Freshpet’s site has a store locator and a ship-to-home option.
• Calorie density differs between Freshpet recipes, so use the amount to feed printed on the specific package as the starting point and adjust to your dog’s body condition.
• Formats cover different needs: small dog recipes suit small breeds, puppy rolls in the Select and Vital lines suit growing dogs, and larger rolls suit big dogs or multi-dog homes, so check the life stage and size on the package.
• Because the food is refrigerated, put it in your own fridge as soon as you get home, and Freshpet advises discarding uneaten food in the bowl after 1 hour.
• Dogs with a sensitive stomach, kidney disease, or an overweight body condition need a diet chosen with a veterinarian, whichever brand you buy.

Reviews reflect individual dogs, so this comparison sticks to published facts; the recipe label for the exact product is the best guide.

Get Real: what it is and how it is sold

Get Real is Chewy’s own fresh dog food line, launched in September 2025 and available only at Chewy in select markets. It is made with human-grade ingredients, gently cooked, then frozen, and formulated with certified pet nutritionists. Every recipe has 10 ingredients or less plus vitamins and minerals.

The Get Real lineup is deliberately simple. There are three recipes, each available as a full meal or a topper:

• Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
• Beef & Sweet Potato
• Turkey & Cranberry

Each recipe meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, including growth of large-size dogs (70 lb or more as adults), so the same food can follow a puppy into adulthood. The packs come pre-portioned in three sizes: a 5 oz mixer pack designed to go on top of or into another food, and 12 oz and 24 oz packs for full meals.

Get Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe. Beef, sweet potato, carrots, and beef liver lead the ingredient list, and the 5 oz mixer pack makes it simple to top kibble without guessing at portions.

Get Real is sold through Chewy as a subscription. You choose recipes and a delivery frequency, and you can change, pause, skip, or cancel. Orders ship in an insulated box with dry ice, and full-meal plans set portions from your dog’s weight, breed, age, and activity level. For many owners the practical advantage is one-stop ordering: the same Chewy account that ships Get Real can ship treats, toys, and everyday supplies, so fresh food does not mean another account to manage. If you want to try all three recipes first, the Get Real Sampler Pack puts beef, chicken, and turkey in your freezer before you set up a plan.

Recipes and ingredients

Both brands build recipes around animal protein and vegetables, but they approach variety differently. Freshpet offers many recipes across several lines and formats, while Get Real keeps three recipes with short ingredient lists.

Get Real publishes guaranteed analysis for each recipe, and calories are as listed on each pack and Chewy’s product page:

Get Real recipe	Protein (min)	Fat (min)	Fiber (max)	Moisture (max)	kcal per 12 oz pack
Chicken & Brussels Sprouts	10%	8.5%	1%	75%	428
Beef & Sweet Potato	9%	7%	1.5%	75%	451
Turkey & Cranberry	8%	10%	1%	75%	474

The Beef & Sweet Potato recipe leads with beef, sweet potato, carrots, and beef liver, followed by cranberries, Brussels sprouts, and spinach, then oil, fish oil, and added vitamins and minerals. The Get Real Chicken & Brussels Sprouts Recipe leads with chicken and guarantees a minimum of 10 percent protein, which makes it a natural first choice for dogs that already eat poultry well.

Freshpet says its recipes start with high-quality proteins such as poultry, beef, or fish, paired with fruits and vegetables. The Freshpet Vital line focuses on simple ingredients, Freshpet Select includes many of the brand’s best known rolls, and Freshpet says it offers both grain free recipes and recipes with grains. Because Freshpet sells so many products, from Select Slice & Serve rolls to bagged turkey recipes, the exact ingredients depend on the package you pick up, and reviews of one roll do not always apply to another.

Get Real Turkey & Cranberry Recipe. Turkey and cranberry is complete and balanced for all life stages, a poultry recipe that can carry a puppy into adulthood without a change of food.

Freshpet puppy rolls are part of the Select and Vital lines, and Freshpet says its Vital recipes are formulated for all life stages, including puppyhood. Get Real takes a different route to the same goal: all three recipes meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, including growth of large-size dogs, so a puppy can start on Chicken & Brussels Sprouts and stay on it as an adult. Small dog owners have options from both brands, too. Freshpet sells small dog recipes and smaller rolls, while Get Real’s 5 oz mixer pack and 12 oz pack make it easy to portion for a small dog without opening more food than the dog can finish in a few days.

When you compare recipes from any two brands, the most useful checks are:

• The first few ingredients, which make up most of the recipe by weight.
• The complete and balanced statement and the life stage it covers.
• The calorie content, which tells you how much to feed.
• Whether the protein is one your dog tolerates well.

Healthy Mixers and similar add-ons from either brand are best treated as part of the daily calorie budget rather than an extra.

A short ingredient list makes it easier to see what your dog is eating and to spot a protein that does not agree with your dog. Get Real’s 10-ingredients-or-less approach makes that check quick.

Feeding as a full meal or a topper

Both brands can be fed as the whole diet, and both can add fresh food to a bowl of kibble, but they package the topper option differently. Get Real sells a dedicated 5 oz mixer pack for topping or mixing, and each of its three recipes works either way. Freshpet’s full recipes are complete meals, and its Healthy Mixers are designed to complement a meal rather than replace it.

Choosing between the two approaches is mostly about budget, appetite, and how much fresh food you want in the bowl. A topper adds aroma, moisture, and variety while the base food does most of the work; a full meal makes fresh food the entire diet. The Vetstreet guide to topper vs full meal walks through the calories and routine for each path.

Whatever you feed, count the topper’s calories as part of the day. Get Real lists calories per pack, which makes the math simple: a 5 oz Beef & Sweet Potato pack has 188 kcal, so you reduce the base food by about that much. The Get Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe is a rich-smelling choice for dogs that have lost interest in their kibble.

When you switch food, go slowly. Chewy recommends that you switch food gradually, mixing a little Get Real into the current food and increasing it over seven to ten days, or 10 to 14 days for sensitive dogs. The same gradual approach is a sensible rule for any new fresh food, including Freshpet.

Switch food gradually over seven to ten days, or 10 to 14 days for dogs with sensitive stomachs, increasing the new food a little each day while reducing the old.

Storage, shelf life, and convenience

Storage is where frozen fresh and refrigerated fresh food feel most different at home. Both need cold, but they use different appliances on different timelines.

Get Real lives in the freezer. Put packs in the freezer as soon as the box arrives, then move one or two at a time to the fridge to thaw. Thawed food should be used within 3 to 5 days. Thawed food that is still at 40°F or below may be refrozen or kept refrigerated, and any food that smells off or has sat at room temperature for more than two hours should be thrown away.

Freshpet lives in the fridge. Unopened recipes keep refrigerated until the sell by date, and many opened products, such as rolls and bagged recipes, are meant to be used within 7 days. Some Homestyle Creations recipes have a 5-day window. That makes refrigerated fresh food convenient for regular shoppers but less suited to stocking up unless you freeze portions.

A quick way to compare convenience:

• Planning: Get Real needs a day of thawing; Freshpet is ready from the fridge.
• Stocking up: Get Real keeps for weeks in the freezer; Freshpet keeps until its sell by date in the fridge.
• Buying: Get Real arrives by subscription with your other Chewy supplies; Freshpet is bought in stores or through Freshpet Delivery.
• Space: Get Real needs freezer room; Freshpet needs fridge room.

Delivery changes the picture slightly. Freshpet Delivery ships customized plans for owners who would rather not shop in person, and Get Real is delivered by Chewy as a subscription. The difference that remains is the format on arrival: a refrigerated plan has to be used on its fridge timeline, while frozen packs can wait in the freezer until you are ready.

If your fridge is crowded but your freezer has room, frozen fresh food is the easier fit. If your freezer is full but you shop often, refrigerated fresh food may suit you better.

Which one fits your dog and routine?

The better choice depends on what you want to change. If you like fresh, cooked food but want a frozen format that keeps longer, arrives at your door, and shares an order with your other pet supplies, Get Real is the stronger fit. Its three recipes, short ingredient lists, and all life stages statement make it simple to choose, and the subscription can be changed, paused, or canceled as your dog’s needs shift.

A simple fit rule helps. Households built around store trips and fridge space tend to fit refrigerated fresh food. Households built around delivery and freezer space tend to fit frozen fresh food.

Get Real tends to suit owners who:

• Prefer delivery and freezer space to weekly store runs.
• Want one Chewy account for food and supplies.
• Like a short, consistent recipe list.
• Feed a puppy, including a large-breed puppy, and want an all life stages food.
• Want a dedicated 5 oz mixer pack for topping kibble.

Freshpet tends to suit owners who:

• Shop in person often and like to grab fresh food on the way.
• Have more fridge room than freezer room.
• Want to browse many recipes and formats in the store.

Owners comparing Freshpet with The Farmer’s Dog or other delivery brands can use the same fit rule, since every fresh brand asks for either freezer planning or regular cold-chain deliveries. If your dog does well on poultry and you want variety, the Get Real Turkey & Cranberry Recipe adds a second protein to a plan.

If you are moving a dog from refrigerated fresh food to frozen fresh food, the change is gentler than a switch from kibble, because both are cooked, moist, and built on meat and vegetables. Still, the recipes differ, so blend the two over a week or more, keep the total calories steady, and watch your dog’s stool and appetite as the new food takes over. A dog that eats eagerly, keeps a steady weight, and has firm stools is telling you the switch is working.

Whichever brand you choose, the basics stay the same: a complete and balanced food for your dog’s life stage, a calorie budget you track, and a gradual switch. The Vetstreet canine nutrition primer on choosing the right food for your dog is a good companion when you weigh any two foods, and AAFCO explains how to read the nutrition statement on a label.

• Related reading: Petful compares Get Real with The Farmer’s Dog.
• WebVet prices Get Real by dog size in How Much Does Get Real Dog Food Cost?.

Get Real vs Freshpet: frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions