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Tide Original vs Gain vs Tide Free & Gentle — Cost Per Load Compared

Compared by Jake · 10/29/2026

HMMMM SAYS

Gain wins on price — Tide Free & Gentle is the no-scent call.

At $13.99 for 64 loads ($0.22/load), Gain costs meaningfully less than both Tide options at $0.31/load — that 35% weight on cost tips the math hard. And if scent is your reason for buying Gain, the Febreze Odor Defense formula is genuinely built for it. Tide Original doesn't justify the price premium unless you're loyal to its classic scent. If fragrance bothers you, Free & Gentle is the factual answer — zero dyes, zero perfume, National Eczema Association recognized — just don't expect a scent payoff.

JBy Jake · 10/29/2026 · household
Made byJakewith hmmmm

How they scored

FactorGain Original Liquid Laundry DetergentTide Free & Gentle Liquid DetergentTide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent

Cost per load

weight 35%

955

Fragrance & dyes

weight 32%

2104

Scent experience

weight 22%

1017

Cleaning power

weight 11%

789
Total6.8/106.1/105.6/10

Each option in detail

🥇Rank 1·$13.99

Gain Original Liquid Laundry Detergent

6.8out of 10

What's good

  • ✓$13.99 for 64 loads = $0.22/load — $0.09 cheaper per load than both Tide options (Amazon listing confirms ~$0.14/load on larger size).
  • ✓Febreze Odor Defense tech built in — designed to deliver all-day scent, per PG's own product copy.
  • ✓PG SmartLabel lists subtilisin, amylase, and cellulase enzymes — three enzyme classes targeting protein, starch, and cellulose stains.

Watch out for

  • ✗PG SmartLabel lists 'Fragrances' and Sodium Laureth Sulfate — two common irritants for fragrance-sensitive users.
  • ✗No dye-free claim on label; Gain Original is formulated with colorants not disclosed individually on SmartLabel.
  • ✗Cleaning-power marketing is scent-forward, not stain-test-forward — no independent lab citation found for stain removal claims.
View product →
🥈Rank 2·$19.99

Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Detergent

6.1out of 10

What's good

  • ✓Zero fragrance, zero dyes — confirmed across Walmart, Amazon, and PG Pro listings; explicitly phosphate-free.
  • ✓National Eczema Association recognized and listed as dermatologist-recommended (per Walmart and Amazon product pages).
  • ✓PG Pro claims it 'removes more stains than the leading free detergent' — the only free-formula option here with an enzyme-based clean.

Watch out for

  • ✗$19.99 / 64 loads = $0.31/load — tied for most expensive per load based on the listed label price.
  • ✗Intentionally fragrance-free scores a 1 on scent experience — if any scent payoff matters to you, this isn't it.
  • ✗No independent third-party stain test found to verify PG's 'more stains than leading free detergent' claim.
View product →
🥉Rank 3·$19.99

Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent

5.6out of 10

What's good

  • ✓Amazon listing claims '100% of common stains' coverage and '10x the grease-fighting ingredients vs leading bargain detergent.'
  • ✓Long-established 'Original' scent — recognizable and consistent across decades; not a new or reformulated fragrance profile.
  • ✓HE-compatible and available widely at mass retail; Amazon 64-load 80oz bottle shows ~$0.17/load on Subscribe & Save.

Watch out for

  • ✗$19.99 / 64 loads = $0.31/load at brand-site price — most expensive option here when comparing label price to label load count.
  • ✗Contains fragrance and optical brighteners — both present in the formula, making it the worst scorer for fragrance-sensitive use cases.
  • ✗The stain-removal '10x' claim compares to 'bargain detergent,' not to Gain or Free & Gentle — Amazon listing, no independent test cited.
View product →

Your turn

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Sources

Facts in this comparison are drawn from these references. Verify anything that matters for your situation.

  1. [1]Gain Original 88oz Amazon listing — $0.14/load— Amazon
  2. [2]Tide Original 64-load Amazon listing — $0.17/load— Amazon
  3. [3]Tide Free & Gentle 64-load Amazon listing — $0.17/load— Amazon
  4. [4]Gain Original SmartLabel — full ingredient list— P&G SmartLabel
  5. [5]Tide Free & Gentle — PG Pro product page— P&G Pro

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