Daily Meal Prices the Pods: Keurig Is Cheaper, Vertuo Costs the Most

K-Cups are cheaper than Nespresso capsules, and Vertuo owners pay the most per cup, according to a price breakdown from Daily Meal. None of that will shock anyone who has bought both, but the yearly totals are worth a look.

Daily Meal puts Keurig pods at roughly 50 to 90 cents each, Nespresso Original at 90 cents to $1.05, and Vertuo at $1.08 to $1.75. For a like-for-like medium roast, the outlet compares Nespresso’s Genova Livanto at about 90 cents with Green Mountain’s Nantucket Blend at 66 to 81 cents, which can drop to around 50 cents if you buy in bulk. At one pod a day, it figures Keurig-brand pods run about $183 to $329 a year, while Nespresso runs from about $329 up to roughly $639 with the priciest Vertuo capsules.

Subscriptions help a little on both sides. Per Daily Meal, Keurig’s website gives 25% off recurring orders, and Nespresso gives 15% off orders over $75. Keurig pods also turn up cheaper at grocery stores and Walmart, while Nespresso sticks to approved sellers at set prices.

The bigger savings come from third-party pods. Daily Meal found Walmart’s Great Value K-Cups at about 39 cents each and Original-compatible capsules at about 48 cents, which would bring one-a-day costs down to around $142 for Keurig and $175 for Nespresso Original.

Our take: if pod cost is the deciding factor, the real split isn’t Keurig versus Nespresso, it’s Vertuo versus everything else. Vertuo pods still come almost entirely from Nespresso, so there’s no store-brand escape hatch. We ran our own numbers in what a Keurig really costs per cup, and Original owners can find cheaper capsules in our Nespresso-compatible pods guide.