The short answer
- A typical Popeyes meal is lighter: 510 calories against 520.
- Popeyes gives more protein in a typical meal: 25g against 21g.
- McDonald's is lower in sodium: 1,100mg against 1,440mg.
- Per calorie, McDonald's is the leaner menu: 4.2g of protein per 100 calories against 4g.
These are medians across the complete meals in our data, not a judgement on any single order. 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 | Popeyes |
|---|---|---|
| Meals compared | 51 | 29 |
| Typical calories | 520 | 510 |
| Typical protein | 21g | 25g |
| Protein per 100 cal | 4.2g | 4g |
| Typical sodium | 1,100mg | 1,440mg |
| Meals at 500 cal or less | 24 of 51 | 13 of 29 |
| Meals with 30g+ protein | 11 of 51 | 12 of 29 |
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.
Crispy chicken sandwich
| Per serving | McCrispy | Chicken Sandwich-Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 470 | 700 |
| Protein | 26g | 28g |
| Net carbs | 45g | 48g |
| Fat | 20g | 42g |
| Sodium | 1,140mg | 1,440mg |
Spicy chicken sandwich
| Per serving | Spicy McCrispy | Chicken Sandwich-Spicy |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 530 | 700 |
| Protein | 27g | 28g |
| Net carbs | 46g | 48g |
| Fat | 26g | 42g |
| Sodium | 1,320mg | 1,470mg |
Small fries
| Per serving | Small World Famous Fries | Cajun Fries (Regular) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 230 | 270 |
| Protein | 3g | 3g |
| Net carbs | 28g | 28g |
| Fat | 11g | 15g |
| Sodium | 190mg | 620mg |
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 |
Popeyes
| Order | Protein | Cal | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) | 58g | 650 | 2,840mg |
| Breast (Signature Chicken) | 52g | 620 | 1,780mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 47g | 280 | 1,430mg |
| 2-piece dark combo | 46g | 1190 | 2,800mg |
| 6 classic wings + mac & cheese | 46g | 920 | 2,940mg |
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 |
Popeyes
| Order | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg (Signature Chicken) | 200 | 15g | 540mg |
| Wing (Signature Chicken) | 220 | 14g | 630mg |
| Tenders - Blackened (5 pieces) | 280 | 47g | 1,430mg |
| Butterfly Shrimp (8 pieces) | 360 | 14g | 1,140mg |
| Hash Rounds | 360 | 3g | 450mg |
Check your own order
Build the exact meal you would order in the McDonald's calculator and the Popeyes calculator, or let the macro finder search both for orders that fit your calories and protein.
Frequently asked questions
Is McDonald's or Popeyes lower in calories?
A typical Popeyes meal is lighter: 510 calories against 520. "Typical" means the median of the complete meals in our data: 51 at McDonald's and 29 at Popeyes.
Which has more protein, McDonald's or Popeyes?
Popeyes gives more protein in a typical meal: 25g against 21g. The single highest-protein order is Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese + small fries at McDonald's (51g) and Tenders - Classic or Spicy (5 pieces) at Popeyes (58g).
What is the lightest meal at McDonald's and at Popeyes?
At McDonald's it is Hamburger with 250 calories. At Popeyes it is Leg (Signature Chicken) with 200 calories.
McCrispy vs Chicken Sandwich-Classic: which has fewer calories?
McCrispy (McDonald's) has 470 calories and 26g of protein. Chicken Sandwich-Classic (Popeyes) has 700 calories and 28g of protein.
Spicy McCrispy vs Chicken Sandwich-Spicy: which has fewer calories?
Spicy McCrispy (McDonald's) has 530 calories and 27g of protein. Chicken Sandwich-Spicy (Popeyes) has 700 calories and 28g of protein.
About this comparison
Figures come from McDonald's official Nutrition Calculator (US), read in the browser and Popeyes USA Nutrition Guide (November 2026). MacroTray is independent and not affiliated with either restaurant. Read our methodology.