Throughout the last few years, the “healthy soda” craze has been on the rise. There are two major brands, Poppi and Olipop, who got into a social media controversy in late 2025. Who is actually the best? To compare the two products, I got the same flavor of each brand’s interpretation of a Shirley Temple. 

I first tried Poppi’s product. Poppi’s version of a Shirley temple is very sweet, and I would say that it is to the point of a medicinal flavor. With only 5 grams of sugar, it isn’t fully flavored with the most authentically sweet ingredients. It has a slight cream soda base with an overwhelming flavor of cherry. The drink has a very intense red color which led me to believe that it had red 40, but after a quick Google I found out that the color comes from vegetable juice. One thing that I was disappointed by, but is a downfall of most “healthy sodas,” was the fizz or carbonation factor of the drink. There is a slight bubble to it, but it is nothing to write home about. For about $2.69 a can, I would not say that it is worth the purchase. 

I followed Poppi’s version with Olipop’s counterpart. The Olipop version of a Shirley temple is grounded by vanilla. This brand mastered the art of smooth with a strong undercut of sweet and tart cherry. Something that sets Olipop apart is the addition of a faint grape flavoring. Personally, the flavor of an Olipop is more desirable. The soda has a bright red coloring, just like Poppi, but it does not contain red 40. The fizz factor is minorly better, but it’s still a better experience than the Poppi. At a maximum price of $2.99 per can, I think that it is well worth it over the Poppi.