Which is cheaper, Denny's or McDonald's?

McDonald's is cheaper, averaging $6.03 per item versus $6.39 for Denny's — a 6% difference. Based on 335 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, Denny's or McDonald's?

Denny's has more menu items (171 vs 164). The total combined menu across both chains is 335 items.

Which has lower calories, Denny's or McDonald's?

McDonald's averages 413 calories per item, compared to 544 for Denny's. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are Denny's and McDonald's similar?

Denny's (1,350 US locations) and McDonald's (13,786 US locations) compete on 0 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 0%.

Denny's vs McDonald's (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 171 items at Denny's vs 164 items at McDonald's.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, Denny's averages $6.39 per item across 171 menu items, while McDonald's averages $6.03 across 164 items. McDonald's is $0.36 cheaper per item (6% difference). McDonald's has lower average calories (413 vs 544 per item).

Quick Comparison

Denny's vs McDonald's: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	Denny's	McDonald's	Winner
Avg Price	$6.39	$6.03	McDonald's
Menu Items	171	164	Denny's
Avg Calories	544	413	McDonald's
US Locations	1,350	13,786	McDonald's
Secret Menu	0	15	McDonald's

McDonald's is 6% cheaper on average than Denny's ($0.36 less per item).

Cheapest Items

Denny's

Eggs $0.79

Eggs(Scrambled With Cheese) $0.79

Sauces & Dressings $0.89

2% Milk $1.19

Chocolate Milk $1.19

McDonald's

Butter $0.15

Syrup $0.25

Creamy Ranch Sauce $0.30

Spicy Buffalo $0.30

Honey Mustard $0.30

Lowest Calorie Options

Denny's

Lemonade Iced Tea 80 cal

Grilled Ham Slice 90 cal

Grits 90 cal

Seasonal Fruit 110 cal

Bacon (4 Bacon Strips) 130 cal

McDonald's

Honey Mustard 60 cal

Medium Frozen Fanta® Wild Cherry 80 cal

Medium Frozen Coca-Cola® 80 cal

Medium Frozen Fanta® Blue Raspberry 80 cal

Mayonnaise Packet 90 cal

Deep Comparison: Denny's vs McDonald's

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

Denny's delivers 1.49¢/cal on average, while McDonald's delivers 6.07¢/cal. Denny's gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

Denny's and McDonald's share 0 menu categories (0% Jaccard overlap). Low overlap — these chains serve mostly different food categories.

What Fits in Your Budget

$10 budget: Denny's fits 1 item (270 cal), McDonald's fits 1 item (290 cal)
$15 budget: Denny's fits 0 items, McDonald's fits 0 items
$20 budget: Denny's fits 3 items (961 cal), McDonald's fits 3 items (260 cal)

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

Denny's ranks #168 of 414 on price (cheaper than 60% of tracked chains). McDonald's ranks #156 of 414 (cheaper than 63% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At Denny's, 56% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At McDonald's, 70% are under 500 calories. McDonald's offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: McDonald's ($6.03 avg vs $6.39)
More variety: Denny's (171 items)
More locations: McDonald's (13,786 US locations)
Best calorie value: Denny's (1.49¢/cal)

Full Menus

Denny's Menu McDonald's Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide