Own-brand or brand? When switching genuinely pays off
In the Kassensturz comparison (SRF, November 2025, 100 products) the M-Budget basket was just under 38 percent and the Prix Garantie basket around 51 percent cheaper than comparable branded products. The honest caveat: budget means cheaper, not always the identical product. So the decision is per item, with the price per kilo and the current offer in front of you.
Updated regularly. Switching from name brands to the budget own-brand line is the single biggest saving lever at the till. In the latest Kassensturz comparison (SRF, November 2025, 100 products) the M-Budget basket was just under 38 percent and the Prix Garantie basket around 51 percent cheaper than comparable branded products. The honest caveat: budget means cheaper, not always the identical product. So the comparison pays off per item.
Rappn is the only neutral grocery price comparison app in Switzerland, with no commercial agreement with any retailer. Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro and Otto's do not pay us to rank them, and nothing below is sponsored.
How much cheaper is the own-brand than the brand?
Substantially, though it varies by study and year. Kassensturz (SRF) compared a hundred products in November 2025: the M-Budget basket came out just under 38 percent, the Prix Garantie basket around 51 percent below comparable brand items. A K-Tipp long-term comparison from 2016 found 41 percent (M-Budget) and 47 percent (Prix Garantie). Older K-Tipp figures from 2011 put the average saving at around 40 percent, with individual items up to 82 percent. Whichever survey you take, switching on staples delivers double-digit percentages without the kitchen suffering.
| Source | M-Budget | Prix Garantie | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kassensturz (SRF), Nov 2025 | ~38 % | ~51 % | 100 products, basket |
| K-Tipp, 2016 | 41 % | 47 % | long-term comparison |
| K-Tipp, 2011 | ~40 % (avg) | ~40 % (avg) | up to 82 % on single items |
Is switching always worth it? The honest answer
Not blindly. Budget own-brands are cheaper, but not by definition the same product. Kassensturz showed in 2025 that mid-price Tortelloni contained 12 percent ricotta while the M-Budget version had only 4.5 percent, topped up with cheaper potato filling. For many staples like flour, rice or pasta the difference is minimal, and the brand premium is pure name surcharge. So the question is never own-brand versus brand in general, but per product: where is the own-brand just as good, and where is the brand genuinely worth it? You decide that best with the price per kilo and the current offer in front of you.
In the Rappn app you enter a product and see the prices across every chain, own-brand next to brand, with the current promotions. That way you find, for each item, the point where switching pays off, instead of guessing. More levers are in the how to save on groceries guide, and where your basket is cheapest this week is shown by the price comparison.
Sources checked: .
These are live offers in Rappn, own-brand next to brand across every chain, so you can see per product where switching actually pays off. Type a product to try it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper are own-brands than branded products?
In the Kassensturz comparison (SRF, November 2025, 100 products) the M-Budget basket was just under 38 percent and the Prix Garantie basket around 51 percent cheaper than comparable brand items. A K-Tipp long-term comparison from 2016 found 41 and 47 percent respectively.
Are own-brands as good as branded products?
Often, but not always. Budget own-brands are cheaper but not necessarily the identical product: Kassensturz showed in 2025 that M-Budget Tortelloni had noticeably less ricotta than the mid-price version. For staples like flour or rice, though, the difference is often minimal.
When is the branded product genuinely worth it?
When the recipe or quality is noticeably better to you and worth the premium. For many staples the premium is pure name surcharge. Decide per product, ideally with the price per kilo and the current offer in front of you.
Does the own-brand come from the same factory as the brand?
Sometimes, but it cannot be claimed across the board, and even then the recipe can differ. More reliable than such assumptions is a direct per-item comparison: price per kilo, ingredient list and current promo price across every chain.