Fresca vs LaCroix – What’s The Difference?

The major difference between Fresca and LaCroix is that Fresca is sparkling soda whereas LaCroix is sparkling water. We will dive into the specifics below regarding what sets these two beverages apart. We think you will be able to decide the best beverage for you after you read this article.

Fresca vs LaCroix

Flavors

Fresca makes less than a handful of flavors whereas LaCroix makes multiple flavors of its sparkling water. Here are the details:

Fresca has four flavors: Grapefruit Citrus, Black Cherry Citrus, Peach Citrus, and Blackberry Citrus.

LaCroix makes over 30 different sparkling water flavors/products. We won’t list them all but you can view them here. Some of the favorites include Lemon, Pamplemousse, Lime, Tangerine, Passionfruit, and Peach-Pear.

Nutrition

There are no major differences between Fresca versus LaCroix in regard to nutrition. One nutrition fact of note is sodium. Fresca has 35 grams per can whereas LaCroix is sodium-free.

FrescaLaCroix
Serving Size12 fl. oz. (1 can)12 fl. oz. (1 can)
Calories00g
Total Fat0g0g
Sodium35mg0g
Total Carbohydrate1g*0g
Total Sugars0g0g
Protein0g0g
*Grapefruit flavor has 1g. All other flavors have 0g.

Ingredients

Here is a look at the ingredients of two flavors of Fresca and La Croix:

Fresca Grapefruit Citrus – Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Concentrated Grapefruit Juice, Potassium Citrate, Aspartame, Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste), Acacia Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, Natural Flavors, Glycerol Ester Of Rosin, Potassium Benzoate And Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Taste), Carob Bean Gum.

LaCroix Lemon – Carbonated Water, Naturally Essenced.

Fresca is artificially sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium. It also contains preservatives that include potassium sorbate, potassium benzoate, and calcium disodium. The glycerol ester of rosin is a stabilizer while carob bean gum and acacia gum are used to maintain a palatable texture.

LaCroix is simply carbonated water with natural flavoring and no artificial ingredients.

Overall, LaCroix is the better option in regard to ingredients because they are simple and natural. Fresca’s artificial ingredients simply make it inferior to LaCroix.

Caffeine

Fresca and LaCroix are caffeine-free.

Ownership

Fresca – It is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company that was launched in 1966. Fresca was originally marketed as both a mixer and a sparkling beverage. Coca-Cola states that it was the company’s second low-calories product after Tab which was introduced in 1963.

LaCroix – This sparkling water brand is owned by National Beverage Corp., which also makes Shasta, Faygo, Everfresh, Rip it, Clear Fruit, and others. LaCroix was introduced in 1981 by G. Heileman Brewing Company and was acquired by National Beverage in 1996. As trends changed from sodas to healthier drinks like sparkling water, LaCroix’s popularity began to skyrocket around the mid-2010s.

Price

The table below reflects a sampling of prices for Fresca versus LaCroix. Quantity sold often varies at stores (i.e. Fresca 12-packs vs. LaCroix 8-packs) so we also calculated the price per can.

In summary, you will typically pay much less for LaCroix over Fresca based on the below data. It is quite a difference if you compare the average per can of Fresca and LaCroix on the last line of the table.

StoreFresca LaCroix
Kroger$6.99 per 12-pack/$.58 per can$4.49 per 8-pack/$.56 per can
Walmart$6.48 per 12-pack/$.54 per can$3.68 per 8-pack/$.46 per can
Target$6.19 per 12-pack/$.52 per can$3.99 per 8-pack/$.50 per can
Safeway$8.99 per 12-pack/$.75 per can$3.67 per 8-pack/$.46 per can
Meijer$6.59 per 12-pack/$.55 per can$4.99 per 12-pack/$.42 per can
Weis Market$7.49 per 12-pack/$.62 per can$5.00 per 12-pack/$.42 per can
Wegmans$6.49 per 12-pack/$.54 per can$5.49 per 12-pack/$.46 per can
Average Per Can$.59$.47

Poll: Fresca vs LaCroix

If you have tried both of these sparkling beverages, please consider voting for your favorite!