If you like Legion Athletics for the naturally sweetened formulas, clinically effective doses, and fully disclosed labels, the closest alternatives are Transparent Labs, Momentous, Naked Nutrition, and Klean Athlete. All of them skip artificial sweeteners and dyes, publish their doses, and third-party test. The right pick depends on why you're switching.
Legion earned its following by doing three things most supplement brands don't: sweetening with stevia, allulose, and monk fruit instead of sucralose, dosing ingredients at the amounts studies actually used, and printing every gram on the label. So a real alternative has to clear the same bar, not just sell protein and pre-workout.
Below are twelve brands that do. We've sorted them by the reason people usually leave Legion: you want it cheaper, you need NSF Certified for Sport for drug testing, you want plant-based, or you want single-source grass-fed whey. If you're still comparing categories, our picks for the best protein powder brands and the best pre-workout brands go deeper on those two shelves.
How we picked these brands
- Naturally sweetened, no dyes. Stevia, monk fruit, or allulose instead of sucralose and acesulfame potassium, and no artificial colors. This is Legion's whole reason for existing.
- Transparent labels. Every ingredient and its exact dose printed, no proprietary blends hiding the amounts.
- Third-party tested. Independent lab testing for purity and heavy metals, or full NSF Certified for Sport status for tested athletes.
- Clinically effective doses. Real research-backed amounts, not a pinch of a good ingredient for the label.
- A real track record. Established direct-to-consumer brands with genuine reviews, not white-label dropship stores. Most of these run their own DTC supplement storefronts.
At a glance
| Brand | Best for | Price | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent Labs | Transparency purists | Mid-premium | Every dose disclosed, third-party tested |
| Naked Nutrition | Shortest ingredient list | Mid | Single-ingredient grass-fed whey |
| Momentous | Drug-tested athletes | Premium | NSF Certified for Sport, publishes metals testing |
| Kion | Wellness-minded athletes | Mid-premium | Clean EAAs and creatine, naturally flavored |
| Promix | Budget clean and grass-fed | Budget-mid | Grass-fed protein, minimal ingredients |
| Bare Performance | A full clean stack | Mid | Veteran-founded, greens, whey, and pre |
| Gnarly Nutrition | Endurance and outdoor athletes | Mid | Naturally sweetened, sport-certified |
| Truvani | Plant-based and organic | Mid | Monk-fruit sweetened plant protein |
| Ora Organic | Organic plant-based | Mid | USDA organic vegan protein and creatine |
| Xwerks | Grass-fed New Zealand whey | Mid-premium | Single-source NZ whey, naturally sweetened |
| Klean Athlete | Drug-tested pros | Premium | NSF Certified for Sport, 350+ teams |
| Ladder | Certified with athlete pedigree | Premium | NSF certified, LeBron and Arnold founded |
1. Transparent Labs
Transparent Labs is the closest thing to Legion on this list. Every product lists its full ingredient panel with exact doses and no proprietary blends, the whey is grass-fed, and the formulas skip artificial sweeteners, colors, and fillers. Thousands of independent lab tests back the purity claims, and it publishes heavy-metal results, which almost no one does.
Best for the transparency purist who wants Legion's clinical dosing with even more disclosure. If it's your top pick, it's worth seeing the other Transparent Labs alternatives too.
2. Naked Nutrition
Naked Nutrition takes minimalism further than Legion does. Its flagship Naked Whey is a single ingredient, grass-fed whey and nothing else, no sweeteners, gums, or flavors unless you buy a flavored version. The rest of the line follows the same short-list philosophy.
Best for shoppers who read a label and want to count the ingredients on one hand. If you don't need flavoring and just want clean macros, this is the plainest option here.
3. Momentous
Momentous is the certified-clean pick. Its whey isolate is grass-fed and sweetened with monk fruit, and the line is NSF Certified for Sport, the standard drug-tested athletes and tactical operators rely on. Like Transparent Labs, it publishes heavy-metal testing.
Best for anyone who gets tested and can't risk a tainted batch, or who just wants the highest bar of third-party verification. It runs premium, but you're paying for the certification. Weighing it against similar names? See our Momentous alternatives.
4. Kion
Kion sits at the wellness end of the clean-supplement world. It's best known for Kion Aminos, an essential amino acid blend, along with clean creatine and daily-driver basics, all naturally flavored with no artificial additives.
Best for the wellness-minded athlete who wants EAAs and clean everyday supplements rather than a stim-heavy pre-workout. It's more lifestyle than hardcore gym, and that's the point.
5. Promix
Promix proves clean doesn't have to be expensive. It sells grass-fed whey and grass-fed beef protein isolate with short, minimal ingredient lists, founded by a registered dietitian and athlete. The value per serving is among the best here.
Best for the budget-conscious shopper who still wants grass-fed sourcing and no junk. If Legion feels pricey for daily protein, start here.
6. Bare Performance Nutrition
Bare Performance Nutrition was founded by Army veteran Nick Bare and built a following on transparent labels and a "Go One More" ethos. The lineup covers a full stack: whey protein, the popular Strong Greens, and the Flight pre-workout, all with disclosed formulas.
Best for hybrid athletes who want protein, greens, and a pre-workout from one brand they can actually read. It's the most complete single-brand stack on the list.
7. Gnarly Nutrition
Gnarly Nutrition makes naturally sweetened sports nutrition built for climbers, skiers, and endurance athletes. It offers both whey and vegan protein, hydration, and pre-workout, with sport-certified options for competitors who need them.
Best for outdoor and endurance athletes who want clean fuel that holds up in the backcountry or on long training days. If your training happens on a trail more than a bench, this one's for you.
8. Truvani
Truvani is the plant-based pick with the shortest label. Founded by food activist Vani Hari, its protein uses minimal organic ingredients sweetened with monk fruit, and the brand is loud about what it leaves out.
Best for plant-based shoppers who want an organic, recognizable ingredient list rather than a long chemistry set. It's a clean swap if dairy isn't for you.
9. Ora Organic
Ora Organic is fully USDA organic and plant-based across protein, greens, and creatine. The formulas stay minimal and vegan, aimed at shoppers who want the organic seal and no animal products.
Best for the organic, plant-based buyer who wants creatine and greens from the same clean brand. If certification and organic sourcing both matter to you, this covers both. For the creatine side specifically, compare it against our best creatine brands.
10. Xwerks
Xwerks keeps its lineup lean and grass-fed. Its Grow protein is single-source whey from New Zealand grass-fed cows, sweetened with stevia and monk fruit, and the rest of the range sticks to minimal, naturally sweetened formulas.
Best for shoppers who specifically want grass-fed New Zealand whey with nothing artificial. The tight product range makes choosing simple.
11. Klean Athlete
Klean Athlete is the trusted-by-pros option. The entire line is NSF Certified for Sport, GMO-free, and made without artificial coloring, flavoring, or sweeteners, and it's used by more than 350 professional and collegiate teams. Klean Isolate delivers 20g of whey isolate per serving.
Best for drug-tested pro and collegiate athletes who need certified-safe supplements with a deep team track record. It's premium, but the certification and pedigree earn it.
12. Ladder
Ladder was co-founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger and built its line around NSF Certified for Sport whey and plant proteins, pre-workout, and hydration. Every product carries the certification for tested athletes.
Best for shoppers who want NSF-certified supplements with a serious athlete pedigree behind them. If provenance and certification both sway you, it's an easy add.
How to choose a clean supplement brand like Legion
Start with why you're leaving Legion in the first place.
If you want the same transparency and clinical dosing, go with Transparent Labs. If you want the shortest possible ingredient list, Naked Nutrition or Promix. If you're drug-tested and need NSF Certified for Sport, choose Momentous, Klean Athlete, or Ladder. If you want plant-based, Truvani or Ora Organic. If price is the sticking point, Promix gives you grass-fed protein for less. And if you want protein, greens, and a pre-workout from one clean brand, Bare Performance Nutrition covers the whole stack.
One more filter: match the certification to your risk. A weekend lifter is fine with third-party tested. A tested competitor should insist on NSF Certified for Sport specifically, since that program screens for banned substances, not just purity.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Legion Athletics different from other supplement brands?
Legion uses natural sweeteners like stevia, allulose, and monk fruit instead of artificial ones, doses ingredients at clinically studied amounts, and prints every gram on the label with no proprietary blends. Most mainstream brands miss at least one of those three.
Is Transparent Labs better than Legion?
They're close competitors with the same clean, fully disclosed approach. Transparent Labs publishes heavy-metal testing and leans slightly more premium, while Legion cites more research on its formulas. Either is a strong pick, so it comes down to specific products and flavors.
Which of these brands are NSF Certified for Sport?
Momentous, Klean Athlete, and Ladder carry NSF Certified for Sport across their lines, and Gnarly offers sport-certified options. That certification screens for banned substances, which matters if you're subject to drug testing.
Are naturally sweetened supplements actually better?
They're better for people who dislike or react to artificial sweeteners like sucralose, and they tend to signal a cleaner overall formula. Nutritionally the protein itself is the same, so it's mostly about ingredients you'd rather avoid and taste preference.
What's the cheapest clean alternative to Legion?
Promix is usually the best value, offering grass-fed protein with minimal ingredients at a lower cost per serving. Naked Nutrition is also competitive, especially on its single-ingredient whey in larger sizes.
Do these brands third-party test for heavy metals?
Several do. Transparent Labs and Momentous publish their heavy-metal results, and the NSF Certified for Sport brands (Momentous, Klean Athlete, Ladder) are independently tested as part of certification. It's worth checking a specific product's page before buying.
Is there a good plant-based alternative to Legion?
Yes. Truvani offers monk-fruit sweetened plant protein with minimal organic ingredients, and Ora Organic is fully USDA organic and vegan across protein, greens, and creatine. Both keep the clean-label philosophy without dairy.