Store brands give you the chance to stock up on basic items without paying name-brand prices — and that’s what this Target vs. Walmart battle is all about.
Ever wonder which store really has the lowest prices? Me too. The Walmart store brand Equate has affordable prices on personal care items, while their Great Value brand covers a wide range of household and food items. The Target store brand Up & Up brand can help you save on personal care items and household essentials, while their Good & Gather and Market Pantry brands offer low prices on food staples.
So between all these store brands, which will help you save the most money? I’ll take you through 23 basic household and food items to show you which store has the lowest price: Target or Walmart. One thing’s for sure — having a Target RedCard pays off big in the Target vs. Walmart battle (you’ll find out why in a minute).
I compared prices from Target store brands and Walmart store brands to show you where to buy the cheapest items. Check out how Walmart’s Equate and Great Value brands stack up against Target’s Up & Up, Good & Gather, and Market Pantry brands right here:
Psst … don’t forget to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to stay on top of all the best Walmart and Target deals.
1. Toilet Paper: Walmart’s Great Value brand is cheapest per square foot.
Great Value Soft & Strong Toilet Paper, $0.02 per square foot
The key to finding cheap toilet paper is to calculate the cost per square foot. Between all the different pack sizes and roll measurements, it’s impossible to find the cheapest pack by looking at just the face value.
Take these two 18-packs of toilet paper, for example. Target’s Up & Up pack ($16.49) costs less than Walmart’s Great Value pack ($16.73), so it may seem like the cheaper option at first glance. But here’s the tricky part: The Great Value pack contains 840 total square feet of toilet paper, while the Up & Up pack only has 568 square feet.
So when you divide the price of the pack by the total square footage (it’s listed right on the label), you actually get a lower cost per square foot with the Great Value pack. So all in all, you’re getting more for your dollar at Walmart than at Target.
2. Cotton Swab Sticks: Target’s pack is $0.18 cheaper.
Up & Up Regular Cotton Swabs, less than $0.01 per swab
Target and Walmart both have the same price for their 500-count packs of cotton swabs, but Target’s Up & Up 750-count pack costs about $0.18 less than the Equate 750-count pack from Walmart. And if you have a Target RedCard, you’ll bring the price down even more (to $3.03), saving you $0.35 versus Walmart’s Equate option!
3. Ibuprofen Tablets: Target has the slightly cheaper bottle.
Up & Up Ibuprofen Tablets, $0.02 per tablet
You’ll pay about $0.02 per ibuprofen tablet at both Walmart and Target when you round the numbers, but Target’s overall price for their Up & Up ibuprofen tablets is $0.70 less than Walmart’s price for their Equate ibuprofen tablets. Plus, with your Target RedCard, you’ll end up saving about $0.87 compared to Walmart’s Equate price ($4.28).
4. Diapers: Walmart’s pack is $0.03 cheaper per diaper.
Parent’s Choice Newborn Diapers, $0.11 per diaper
The Parent’s Choice brand isn’t exclusive to Walmart — you can also buy these diapers on Amazon. But you CAN’T buy them at Target, which is why Walmart wins this round.
At Walmart, a 45-count pack of Parent’s Choice Newborn Diapers costs $4.86, or $0.11 per diaper. At Target, a 124-count pack of Up & Up Newborn Diapers costs $16.99, or $0.14 per diaper. Not even the 5% RedCard discount can help you beat Walmart’s price — that’ll only bring you down to $0.13 per diaper for the Target brand.
Related: Learn these tricks to get cheap diapers all year.
5. Baby Wipes: Both brands offer big savings.
Parent’s Choice or Up & Up Baby Wipes, $0.02 per wipe
If you consider paying $0.02 per baby wipe a win (and you should), then both Walmart and Target take the trophy home for this round.
Walmart has a 900-count pack of Parent’s Choice Baby Wipes, while Target has an 800-count pack of Up & Up Baby Wipes. For both packs, you’ll pay just $0.02 per wipe (even with the 5% Target RedCard discount).
6. AA Batteries: Walmart’s brand is $0.02 cheaper per battery.
Great Value AA Alkaline Batteries, $0.32 per battery
Looking for the cheapest place to buy batteries? Walmart’s deal on AA Batteries just barely beats Target’s.
For a 48-count pack of Great Value AA Batteries, you’ll pay $15.48 (or $0.32 per battery). Target’s price for a 48-count pack of Up & Up AA Batteries costs $16.49 (or $0.34 per battery). If you have a Target RedCard, you can bring that price down to $0.33 per battery, but you’ll still be paying $0.01 more per battery versus the Great Value pack.
7. Cocoa Butter Skin Lotion: It’s a tie (unless you have a Target RedCard).
Equate or Up & Up cocoa butter lotion, $0.13 per fluid ounce
Walmart and Target offer about the same price for a 20.3-ounce bottle of cocoa butter skin lotion from their store brands. You’ll pay $2.56 for a bottle of Equate Cocoa Butter Lotion or $2.59 for a bottle of Up & Up Cocoa Butter Lotion, which comes out to $0.13 per fluid ounce for either bottle.
However, with a Target RedCard, you can bring the Target bottle’s price down to $2.46, which beats Walmart’s Equate price by $0.01 per fluid ounce.
8. Epsom Salt: It’s a tie.
Equate or Up & Up Epsom Salt, $0.05 per ounce
An 8-pound bag of Equate Epsom Salt costs the same as an 8-pound bag of Up & Up Epsom Salt, so you’ll get the same low price at both Walmart and Target. Even with a Target RedCard, you’ll still pay $0.05 per ounce, which is the same price you’ll pay at Walmart.
9. Hand Soap: Walmart’s version is $0.11 cheaper.
Equate Liquid Hand Soap, $0.12 per fluid ounce
It’s a pretty close call for Walmart’s Equate brand vs. Target’s Up & Up brand hand soap. The Equate Aloe Vera Liquid Hand Soap is Walmart’s cheapest option, coming in at just $0.88 for a 7.5-ounce bottle. Target’s cheapest option for the same size bottle is the Up & Up Milk and Honey Hand Soap, which costs $0.99. Your Target RedCard will bring the price down to $0.94 for the bottle, but you’ll still pay $0.06 more versus Walmart’s Equate option.
10. Paper Towels: It’s a tie.
Great Value or Up & Up Paper Towels, $0.03 per square foot
If you’re looking for the cheapest paper towels, you’re safe with either store brand: Walmart’s Great Value or Target’s Up & Up. To compare Target vs. Walmart prices, we once again have to calculate the cost per square foot. Because even though a 12-pack of Up & Up Paper Towels from Target costs less than a 12-pack of Great Value Ultra Strong Paper Towels from Walmart, both come out to the same price per square foot when you do the math.
The Great Value pack costs $17.72 with 649 square feet of paper towels. The Up & Up pack costs $15.99 (or $15.19 with your RedCard) and has 530 square feet of paper towels. Either way, both the Walmart pack and the Target pack come out to just $0.03 per square foot.
11. Paper Plates: Target’s pack is $0.03 cheaper per plate.
Up & Up Heavy Duty Paper Plates, $0.09 per plate
Target’s Up & Up Heavy Duty Paper Plates cost about $0.03 less per plate than Walmart’s Great Value Everyday Paper Plates.
A 100-count pack of Great Value paper plates costs $11.94 (or $0.12 per plate), while a 150-count pack of Up & Up paper plates costs $13.99 (or $0.09 per plate). Plus, you’ll save an extra $0.70 on the Target pack if you pay with your RedCard!
12. Tall Kitchen Trash Bags: Target’s bags are $0.03 cheaper for each.
Up & Up FlexGuard Tall Kitchen Trash Bags, $0.12 per bag
Target’s trash bags are the way to go in the battle against Walmart. A 120-count pack of Up & Up Tall Kitchen Trash Bags costs $14.99, while a 120-count pack of Great Value Tall Kitchen Trash Bags costs $18.12. All in all, you’ll save $0.03 per trash bag if you buy them from Target. Plus, you can pay with your RedCard and take an extra $0.75 off the total price.
Related: We can show you how to save the most money on trash bags.
13. Scrubbing Sponges: Go with Walmart’s to save $0.20 per sponge.
Great Value Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges, $0.55 per sponge
Scrubbing sponges are a regular purchase, but they aren’t always cheap. In this case, buying the Great Value Heavy Duty Scrubbing Sponges from Walmart will save you about $0.20 per sponge. A 4-count pack costs just $2.18, while a 6-count pack of Up & Up Heavy Duty Scrubbing Sponges from Target costs $4.49.
When you calculate the cost per sponge, you’ll pay only $0.55 per sponge at Walmart versus $0.75 per sponge at Target.
14. All-Purpose Cleaner: Target’s version is $0.02 cheaper per ounce.
Up & Up Household Cleaner & Disinfectant, $0.07 per ounce
If you’re looking for an all-purpose cleaner with a fresh, lemony scent, Target will get you the lowest price, beating Walmart by $0.02 per fluid ounce.
You’ll pay just $2.39 (or $2.27 with your RedCard) for a 32-ounce bottle of Up & Up All-Purpose Cleaner, which comes out to just $0.07 per fluid ounce. At Walmart, a 32-ounce bottle of Great Value All-Purpose Cleaner costs $2.77, or $0.09 per fluid ounce.
15. Laundry Detergent: Walmart’s is cheaper per ounce (but it’s a tie if you have a RedCard).
I looked for the biggest size of laundry detergent at both stores. Usually, the bigger the size, the less you’ll pay per unit. While Walmart offers a 170-ounce bottle of Great Value Ultimate Fresh Laundry Detergent, Target’s biggest size is a 150-ounce bottle of Up & Up Free and Clear Laundry Detergent. So these are the items I used to compare. Since we’re dealing with different-sized bottles, calculating the cost per fluid ounce is key.
All in all, Walmart’s version is $0.01 cheaper per fluid ounce than Target’s version. But if you pay with your Target RedCard, you’ll get the same price as Walmart — $0.07 per fluid ounce.
Related: We did the math to find out the winner for Gain vs. Tide: which detergent has better prices?
16. Orange Juice, No Pulp: Target is $0.02 cheaper per ounce.
Good & Gather 100% Pasteurized Orange Juice, $0.05 per fluid ounce
This may be a different story if you’re a fan of pulp in your orange juice. But for this case, I compared the most basic, non-pulp orange juices from Target and Walmart. The bottles are different sizes, so again — calculating the cost per fluid ounce will help you find the one with the lowest price.
A 52-ounce bottle of Great Value Orange Juice from Walmart costs $0.07 per fluid ounce. But Target’s 64-ounce bottle of Good & Gather Orange Juice costs $0.05 per fluid ounce. So Target wins the orange juice round.
17. Peanut Butter: Save $0.75 with the Walmart brand.
Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter, $0.10 per ounce
Target and Walmart both offer a 40-ounce jar of creamy peanut butter from their store brands, so comparing the costs is easy.
Walmart wins with the lowest price for their Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter, which costs just $3.98. Target’s Good & Gather Creamy Peanut Butter costs $4.99 (or $$4.74 with your RedCard). So you’ll save at least $0.75 buying peanut butter from Walmart vs. Target.
18. Spaghetti: It’s a tie.
Great Value or Good & Gather Spaghetti, $0.06 per ounce
Spaghetti is a cheap buy whether you grab it from Walmart or Target. (And especially since you can freeze it!) A pound of Walmart’s Great Value Spaghetti costs the same as Target’s Good & Gather Spaghetti at just $0.06 per ounce. You’ll pay under $1 for a box either way.
19. Pasta Sauce: It’s a tie.
Great Value or Good & Gather Traditional Pasta Sauce, $0.06 per ounce
Pair your spaghetti with a jar of pasta sauce from either store because Walmart and Target offer the same low price. A 24-ounce jar of Great Value Traditional Pasta Sauce from Walmart costs $1.48, or $0.06 per ounce. A 45-ounce jar of Good & Gather Traditional Pasta Sauce from Target costs $2.69 ($2.56 with your RedCard), which also comes out to $0.06 per ounce. So even though the jars are different sizes, you’ll ultimately pay the same price.
20. Raisin Bran Cereal: Walmart has a slight edge.
Great Value Raisin Bran Breakfast Cereal, $0.13 per ounce
Walmart only beats Target’s price for Raisin Bran cereal by $0.01 per ounce, so it’s not a big difference, but it’s a win nonetheless. Both Walmart and Target have the same size box, so comparing prices is easy.
At Walmart, a box of Great Value Raisin Bran Cereal costs $2.48, or $0.13 per ounce. At Target, a box of Market Pantry Raisin Bran Cereal costs $2.69 ($2.56 with your RedCard), which comes out to $0.14 an ounce.
I’ve found that Walmart also has a slightly lower price for other breakfast cereals, like Honey Nut O’s and Shredded Wheat.
21. Reduced Fat 2% Milk: Walmart is cheaper (unless you have a RedCard).
Great Value Reduced Fat 2% Milk, $2.76 for a gallon
If you’re wondering which store-brand milk to buy, it all comes down to whether or not you have a RedCard. Off the bat, a gallon of Walmart’s Great Value 2% Milk ($2.76) is slightly cheaper than a gallon of Target’s Good & Gather 2% Milk ($2.79). But if you pay with your Target RedCard, your 5% discount brings the price down to $2.65 for the gallon.
So Walmart is the place to go if you don’t have a RedCard, but if you do, shop at Target to save $0.11!
22. Grade A Eggs: Walmart has the cheaper eggs.
Great Value Large White Eggs, $0.19 per egg
Figuring out where to buy cheap eggs is tricky, but when it comes down to these two stores, Walmart wins over Target fair and square. An 18-pack of Great Value Large White Eggs costs $3.37, so you’ll pay just $0.19 per egg at Walmart.
An 18-pack of Good & Gather Large White Eggs cost $4.39, which comes out to $0.24 per egg at Target. With your RedCard, you’ll shave an extra $0.22 off your total, but that still won’t beat Walmart’s low price.
Related: Here’s how to freeze eggs at home.
23. Butter: It’s a tie (unless you have a RedCard).
Great Value or Good & Gather Sweet Cream Butter, $0.25 per ounce
And finally, I ended on another tie — or so I thought.
Technically, there’s a $0.01 difference between a pound of Walmart’s Great Value Butter ($3.98) and a pound of Target’s Good & Gather Butter ($3.99), but paying with your RedCard makes all that a moot point. With the extra 5% discount, that same pound of butter comes out to $3.79, saving you $0.19 versus the Great Value option!
All in all, Walmart wins if you don’t have a RedCard, but Target wins if you do.
Having a Target RedCard is a game changer when it comes to getting the best store brand prices. If you do have a RedCard and can score that extra 5% discount, then Target wins the battle of the store brands, 9 – 8.
If you don’t have a RedCard, Walmart wins the battle, 10 – 7.
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