Frozen pizza is bought on price and kept on taste, and the gap between the premium and budget tiers is wider than the freezer aisle lets on. We scored the leading brands on flavor, value, crust, and availability. Our top pick is Screamin’ Sicilian, with an SR Score of 87, for piles of real toppings, real mozzarella, and bold flavor that topped multiple taste tests. For the best crust and the safest bet in any store, DiGiorno (85) is the runner-up.
The ranking
| Rank | Brand | Best for | Typical price | SR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screamin’ Sicilian | Premium quality | ~$8-10 | 87 |
| 2 | DiGiorno (Rising Crust) | Best crust, available | ~$7 | 85 |
| 3 | Red Baron | Best budget crowd-pleaser | ~$6 | 83 |
| 4 | Tombstone | Cheap thin-crust | ~$5 | 78 |
| 5 | Totino’s Party Pizza | Lowest price | ~$2 | 79 |
| 6 | California Pizza Kitchen | Upscale flavors | ~$8 | 83 |
| 7 | Newman’s Own | Thin-crust quality | ~$7 | 82 |
Methodology
The Taste Score v2026 rubric weights five criteria summing to 100:
- Taste & toppings (35) — sauce, cheese, and topping quality and quantity.
- Value for money (25) — price against size and quality.
- Crust & quality (20) — crust texture and overall execution.
- Availability (10) — how widely stocked.
- Reputation & reviews (10) — neutral taste tests and sales data (Sporked, Tasting Table, Instacart).
Taste leads, but value carries 25 because frozen pizza is a budget staple. Re-weight toward Value and Totino’s/Red Baron climb; toward quality and Screamin’ Sicilian/CPK win.
Screamin’ Sicilian
The premium-quality leader. The Holy Pepperoni topped a taste test loaded with pepperoni, real mozzarella, and flavorful sauce, with fun packaging and generous toppings. Around $8-10 — not cheap, but it delivers.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 33/35 |
| Value for money | 18/25 |
| Crust & quality | 17/20 |
| Availability | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 9/10 |
Trade-off: the highest price in the freezer aisle and not stocked in every store.
DiGiorno (Rising Crust)
The best-crust pick and the top-selling premium brand. The rising crust bakes thick and bread-like, earning “best crust” in head-to-head tests, and it is in virtually every grocery store. Around $7.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 28/35 |
| Value for money | 21/25 |
| Crust & quality | 19/20 |
| Availability | 10/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: toppings and cheese are good rather than premium; the marketing outpaces the topping quality.
Red Baron
The budget crowd-pleaser and Instacart’s most popular brand. Many flavors, everywhere, around $6, with sausage and vegetable versions that add real flavor.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 27/35 |
| Value for money | 22/25 |
| Crust & quality | 16/20 |
| Availability | 10/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: a solid value pizza, not a quality standout; crust is middle-of-the-road.
Tombstone
A legacy thin-crust brand that lands in mediocre territory — a thin crust that can go hard rather than crisp. Cheap at around $5.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 23/35 |
| Value for money | 20/25 |
| Crust & quality | 13/20 |
| Availability | 9/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 6/10 |
Trade-off: weak, pale crust and thin toppings; it competes on price, not taste.
Totino’s Party Pizza
The lowest-price option, around $2, and a nostalgic snack staple. Tiny and basic, but unbeatable on cost per pizza.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 22/35 |
| Value for money | 24/25 |
| Crust & quality | 13/20 |
| Availability | 10/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 7/10 |
Trade-off: snack-sized and low-quality ingredients; it is cheap eats, not a real pizza.
California Pizza Kitchen
The upscale-flavor pick — wood-fired-style crust and creative toppings (BBQ chicken, margherita) at around $8. The fancy freezer option.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 30/35 |
| Value for money | 18/25 |
| Crust & quality | 17/20 |
| Availability | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: pricey for the size, and the thin crust feeds fewer people than a rising-crust pie.
Newman’s Own
A quality thin-crust brand with a cleaner ingredient list and proceeds going to charity. Crisp crust and good sauce at around $7.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Taste & toppings | 28/35 |
| Value for money | 19/25 |
| Crust & quality | 17/20 |
| Availability | 8/10 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: thin-crust portions are smaller, and it is priced above the budget brands.
Verification
- Screamin’ Sicilian — Holy Pepperoni taste-test win, real mozzarella verified on screaminsicilian.com; Thirsty Bear/Sporked tests.
- DiGiorno — best-crust results and top sales verified on digiorno.com; taste-test coverage.
- Red Baron — Instacart top popularity verified via Sporked; redbaron.com.
- Tombstone — thin-crust profile verified on tombstonepizza.com.
- Totino’s — Party Pizza pricing verified on totinos.com.
- California Pizza Kitchen — frozen line verified on cpk.com/frozen.
- Newman’s Own — thin-crust line and charity model verified on newmansown.com.
Related rankings
- Best Coffee Brands 2026: 7 Grocery Roasters Scored
- Best Pizza Chains 2026: 7 Chains Scored
- Best Bottled Water Brands 2026: 7 Scored
- Best Dark Chocolate Brands 2026: 7 Bars Scored
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best frozen pizza brand in 2026?
- Screamin' Sicilian is our top pick for premium toppings, real mozzarella, and bold flavor. DiGiorno is the best crust and most available, and Red Baron is the best budget crowd-pleaser.
- Which frozen pizza is the most popular?
- By Instacart purchase data, Red Baron led in popularity, followed by DiGiorno and Totino's. DiGiorno is generally the top-selling premium brand by dollar sales.
- How do you cook frozen pizza so it's crispy?
- Bake directly on the oven rack or a preheated stone/steel rather than a flat pan, at the temperature on the box (usually 400 to 425 degrees F). Skip the microwave — it makes the crust soggy.
- Is rising-crust frozen pizza better?
- Rising-crust pizzas like DiGiorno bake up thicker and more bread-like, closer to delivery pizza. Thin-crust brands like Tombstone bake faster and crispier but can dry out. It comes down to crust preference.