Which is cheaper, Denny's or Papa John's?

Denny's is cheaper, averaging $6.39 per item versus $11.72 for Papa John's — a 45% difference. Based on 250 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, Denny's or Papa John's?

Denny's has more menu items (171 vs 79). The total combined menu across both chains is 250 items.

Which has lower calories, Denny's or Papa John's?

Papa John's averages 369 calories per item, compared to 544 for Denny's. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are Denny's and Papa John's similar?

Denny's (1,350 US locations) and Papa John's (3,200 US locations) compete on 2 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 10%.

Denny's vs Papa John's (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 171 items at Denny's vs 79 items at Papa John's.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, Denny's averages $6.39 per item across 171 menu items, while Papa John's averages $11.72 across 79 items. Denny's is $5.33 cheaper per item (45% difference). Papa John's has lower average calories (369 vs 544 per item).

Quick Comparison

Denny's vs Papa John's: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	Denny's	Papa John's	Winner
Avg Price	$6.39	$11.72	Denny's
Menu Items	171	79	Denny's
Avg Calories	544	369	Papa John's
US Locations	1,350	3,200	Papa John's
Secret Menu	0	1	Papa John's

Denny's is 45% cheaper on average than Papa John's ($5.33 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

Papa John's

Cheese (Large) $0.50

Special Garlic $0.50

Barbeque $0.50

Blue Cheese $0.50

Buffalo $0.50

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

Papa John's

Jalapeño Peppers 60 cal

Ranch 100 cal

Special Garlic 150 cal

Honey Mustard 150 cal

Blue Cheese 160 cal

Deep Comparison: Denny's vs Papa John's

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

Denny's delivers 1.49¢/cal on average, while Papa John's delivers 3.50¢/cal. Denny's gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

Denny's and Papa John's share 2 menu categories (10% Jaccard overlap). Shared categories: sides, desserts. Low overlap — these chains serve mostly different food categories.

Price Differences by Shared Category

Where these chains overlap, here is who undercuts whom on average price:

sides: Denny's avg $3.44 vs Papa John's $6.31 — Denny's is 45% cheaper
desserts: Denny's avg $5.30 vs Papa John's $6.00 — Denny's is 12% cheaper

What Fits in Your Budget

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

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

Denny's ranks #168 of 414 on price (cheaper than 60% of tracked chains). Papa John's ranks #344 of 414 (pricier than 83% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At Denny's, 56% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At Papa John's, 93% are under 500 calories. Papa John's offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: Denny's ($6.39 avg vs $11.72)
More variety: Denny's (171 items)
More locations: Papa John's (3,200 US locations)
Best calorie value: Denny's (1.49¢/cal)

Full Menus

Denny's Menu Papa John's Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide