The Best ALDI Knock Off Brands – Examples With Photos

Aldi is a Germany-based grocery discount store that has expanded massively in the U.S. over the past couple of years.

Go ahead and look through some of the pictures to see how closely Aldi brands copy and knockoff the name brands. In the rare cases where Aldi actually sold both the name brand and their off-brand, I took a picture of the products side-by-side. The off-brand is of course always much cheaper.

Let’s start with our first example: Mayo

As you can see, mayonnaise with a yellow background and a blue lid. In fact, the Aldi off-brand probably matched even better before Best Foods recently changed its packaging (Best Foods used to have the word “Real” written in red font … just like the Aldi knock-off brand, in this case called “Burman”). Notice the price difference: $3.48 for the name-brand of Best Foods, and $1.99 for the off-brand of the same size.

Next on the list: Mac and Cheese

Here’s a very clear example of a Kraft-y copy. On the left: Macaroni and Cheese looks just like Kraft Mac and Cheese with its narrow blue box, while the Shells and Cheese on the right resemble Kraft’s Velveeta Shells and Cheese, with a yellow background and red letters.

Perhaps the most fun I had comparing all the knock-offs was with the cereals. Aldi does its best to copy all of the name brands, though it can’t copy trademarked characters. That’s likely the reason you get a polar bear instead of Tony the Tiger (for the frosted flakes), and my personal favorite: the wizard man on the lucky charms box (though they have to call it “Marshmallows and Stars.”) Scroll through the gallery below to see all the glorious cereal knock-offs!

Now that we’ve covered breakfast cereals, let’s move on to another breakfast treat: Poptarts! Or should I say, ToasterTarts?

I’ve put them side by side so you can see how similar the design is, as well as the price difference.

Next on the list: American Cheese. Once again I put the name brand (Kraft) next to the Aldi brand so you can see the similarities as well as the price difference. $3.67 vs $1.79.

Fancy a Nilla Wafer? Everyone know’s the “Nilla” is just short for “Vanilla.” Here’s Aldi’s Version:

Speaking of cookies, have you ever craved girl scout cookies when it’s not “girl scout cookies season?” Well, Aldi has you covered. They have their own version of 3 of the most popular types of girl scout cookies: Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties), Samoas (Caramel Delites), and Thin Mints.

If you’re a snacker (like me), then you’ve probably heard of Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn, known for their signature pastel-colored bags. Aldi has their version (with Clancy instead of Angie), and they even matched the correct color bag to the correct flavor! You have to hand it to Aldi for their attention to detail.

Speaking of snacks, Aldi also has their version of Pringles, Pretzel Slims, and those chip variety packs (you know, the ones with Doritos, Cheetos, etc). Pictures below!

Scroll through the gallery below to see pictures of even more Aldi name-brand knockoffs, such as Aldi’s version of Heinz Ketchup, Betty Crocker cake mix, and more!

If you’ve never heard of Aldi, you may have heard of its sister grocery store, Trader Joe’s. While both Aldi and Trader Joe’s sell lower priced items, they do so in different ways.

Trader Joe’s puts its brand name on almost everything it sells. Sometimes it brands items under the regular “Trader Joe’s” name, while other times they put a fun spin on the name, such as branding Mexican-themed items as “Trader José’s” or Italian food as “Trader Giotto’s.” For the most part, they try to be original, if not in product, then definitely in packaging.

Aldi shops, however, play by a whole different set of rules. Like Trader Joe’s, the vast majority of what Aldi sells are not name brands. But the similarities stop there. Aldi’s brands will copy popular name brands as closely as possible, in both packaging and in the product itself. They do this very well, almost too well. You could walk into an Aldi and, without paying too much attention, grab all of your pantry staples. Only upon taking a closer look at the items in your cart would you realize that none of the items you grabbed were name brand.