Who Has The More Affordable Butter: Aldi Or Trader Joe's?

In a world where everything seems to be getting more and more expensive, having an affordable grocery store you can rely on is crucial. Especially if you're someone who shops at two of the most popular money-saving grocers — Aldi and Trader Joe's — you may oftentimes wonder which retailer has the best prices on everyday essentials like butter.

Sure enough, Aldi leads this race, though not by huge margins. For example, the price of Trader Joe's unsalted butter is slightly higher than Aldi's. A 1-pound package of unsalted butter from Trader Joe's costs $3.99 while Aldi's Countryside Creamery Sweet Cream Unsalted Butter costs $3.49 per pound.

However, when it comes to fan-favorite alternatives for popular Irish butter Kerrygold, both Trader Joe's and Aldi have their own versions of European butter and both varieties have similar price points. While an 8.8-ounce package of Trader Joe's Cultured Salted Butter (made in Brittany, France) costs $4.69, an 8-ounce package of Aldi Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter costs $4.39. Though, it may be important to note, like a number of Aldi dupes that taste just like the real thing, many customers can't tell the difference between Kerrygold and Aldi's affordable substitute. Nevertheless, there's another major reason Aldi's butter remains cheaper than varieties sold at Trader Joe's.

When it comes to saving the most money, especially if you're only purchasing conventionally salted and unsalted varieties, Aldi is undeniably more affordable. While both grocery stores sell butter under their own private label brands, Aldi takes its cost-savings a step further and occasionally runs in-store sales.

As a matter of fact, according to certain social media platforms, Aldi runs a butter sale every year right before major cold weather holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. While prices may vary, one year, a Redditor claimed butter prices dropped as low as $1.99 per pound. Conversely, Trader Joe's relies (almost exclusively) on its private label product line to bring customers the lowest possible prices. While Trader Joe's does sometimes accept manufacturer coupons on popular name brand items, the company doesn't ever run in-store sales.

However, if you're someone who cares more about variety than cost, you may prefer to shop at TJ's. There are both affordable and expensive Trader Joe's items that are still absolutely worth it like the brand's organic butter-infused plant-based spread. Though, in the end, among the many things Aldi does better than Trader Joe's, offering shoppers cost-saving items and occasional discounts is at the top of the list. While Trader Joe's is still affordable and sells unique, more unconventional food items, if you're looking for the best deal on salted and unsalted butter, shop at Aldi.