The short answer
- A typical McDonald's meal is lighter: 520 calories against 682.
- Five Guys gives more protein in a typical meal: 32g against 21g.
- Five Guys is lower in sodium: 870mg against 1,100mg.
- Per calorie, Five Guys is the leaner menu: 4.4g of protein per 100 calories against 4.2g.
These are medians across the complete meals in our data, not a judgement on any single order. Five Guys is build-your-own, so its 11 meals here are popular orders we assembled in the calculator. What you pick matters more than where you go, so the tables below show the best and worst of each.
The menus side by side
| Across all meals | McDonald's | Five Guys |
|---|---|---|
| Meals compared | 51 | 11 |
| Typical calories | 520 | 682 |
| Typical protein | 21g | 32g |
| Protein per 100 cal | 4.2g | 4.4g |
| Typical sodium | 1,100mg | 870mg |
| Meals at 500 cal or less | 24 of 51 | 2 of 11 |
| Meals with 30g+ protein | 11 of 51 | 6 of 11 |
Green marks the better figure in each row: fewer calories, less sodium, more protein.
Item against item
The closest equivalents on each menu, one serving each.
Single-patty cheeseburger
| Per serving | Quarter Pounder with Cheese | Little cheeseburger |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 520 | 612 |
| Protein | 30g | 27g |
| Net carbs | 40g | 35g |
| Fat | 26g | 31g |
| Sodium | 1,140mg | 660mg |
Double-patty cheeseburger
| Per serving | Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | Cheeseburger, all the way |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 740 | 1153 |
| Protein | 48g | 48g |
| Net carbs | 41g | 45g |
| Fat | 42g | 65g |
| Sodium | 1,360mg | 1,612mg |
Smallest fries
| Per serving | Small World Famous Fries | Little Five Guys Style |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 230 | 526 |
| Protein | 3g | 8g |
| Net carbs | 28g | 64g |
| Fat | 11g | 23g |
| Sodium | 190mg | 531mg |
Highest-protein orders
McDonald's
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese + small fries | 51g | 970 | 1,550mg |
| McCrispy Strips + Ranch Snack Wrap | 48g | 800 | 2,290mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 48g | 740 | 1,360mg |
| McDouble + McChicken | 36g | 780 | 1,480mg |
| Big Breakfast with Hotcakes | 36g | 1340 | 2,070mg |
Five Guys
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon cheeseburger + regular fries | 67g | 2007 | 2,182mg |
| Cheeseburger, all the way | 48g | 1153 | 1,612mg |
| Bacon cheeseburger, lettuce wrap | 46g | 828 | 974mg |
| Bacon burger | 44g | 914 | 620mg |
| Hamburger | 39g | 844 | 410mg |
Lightest meals
McDonald's
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | 250 | 12g | 510mg |
| Bagel (plain) | 270 | 9g | 550mg |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 15g | 720mg |
| Egg McMuffin | 310 | 17g | 770mg |
| Sausage Burrito | 310 | 13g | 800mg |
Five Guys
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veggie sandwich | 271 | 8g | 628mg |
| Little burger, lettuce wrap | 327 | 17g | 115mg |
| Hot dog | 546 | 17g | 1,390mg |
| Cheese dog | 570 | 21g | 1,390mg |
| Little cheeseburger | 612 | 27g | 660mg |
Check your own order
Build the exact meal you would order in the McDonald's calculator and the Five Guys calculator, or let the macro finder search both for orders that fit your calories and protein.
Frequently asked questions
Is McDonald's or Five Guys lower in calories?
A typical McDonald's meal is lighter: 520 calories against 682. "Typical" means the median of the complete meals in our data: 51 at McDonald's and 11 at Five Guys.
Which has more protein, McDonald's or Five Guys?
Five Guys gives more protein in a typical meal: 32g against 21g. The single highest-protein order is Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese + small fries at McDonald's (51g) and Bacon cheeseburger + regular fries at Five Guys (67g).
What is the lightest meal at McDonald's and at Five Guys?
At McDonald's it is Hamburger with 250 calories. At Five Guys it is Veggie sandwich with 271 calories.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese vs Little cheeseburger: which has fewer calories?
Quarter Pounder with Cheese (McDonald's) has 520 calories and 30g of protein. Little cheeseburger (Five Guys) has 612 calories and 27g of protein.
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese vs Cheeseburger, all the way: which has fewer calories?
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (McDonald's) has 740 calories and 48g of protein. Cheeseburger, all the way (Five Guys) has 1153 calories and 48g of protein.
About this comparison
Figures come from McDonald's official Nutrition Calculator (US), read in the browser and Five Guys US Nutrition & Allergen Guide (September 2026). MacroTray is independent and not affiliated with either restaurant. Read our methodology.