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The short answer: Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural wins by 19 points (B/78 vs C/59). The interesting structural overlap: both formulas lean on legumes (peas in particular) for plant-protein structure. Earthborn fronts that with three meat meals (turkey, chicken, whitefish) at positions 1–3, including marine whitefish for EPA/DHA. Gather is fully plant-based with synthetic amino-acid supplementation as the protein-completeness mechanism.

The scores

Gather Endless Valley Vegan: C (59/100) — Organic Peas, Organic Barley, Organic Oats, Lentils, Organic Sunflower Oil.

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural Grain-Free: B (78/100) — Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Peas, Pea Protein.

How the ingredients compare

The top-five ingredients reveal the formulation split between these two brands:

Gather: Organic Peas, Organic Barley, Organic Oats, Lentils, Organic Sunflower Oil

Earthborn Holistic: Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Peas, Pea Protein

The 19-point gap (Earthborn Holistic wins by 19 points) shows where the v15 rubric weights ingredient breadth, protein density, and supplement depth differently.

Where Gather pulls ahead

100% plant-based formulation: Gather is the only fully vegan option among dry kibbles in our catalog. For owners with a hard ethical commitment to plant-based pet feeding, this is the entire decision input. Shop on Amazon →

USDA Organic certification: Organic peas, organic barley, organic oats, and organic sunflower oil at the top of the panel. Earthborn uses high-quality conventional ingredients without USDA Organic certification.

Grain-inclusive carbohydrate base: Organic barley and organic oats provide a grain-inclusive backbone that Earthborn Primitive Natural's grain-free formulation does not. For owners avoiding grain-free formulas specifically (FDA DCM-investigation context), Gather's grain-inclusive structure is the structurally safer pick — if you set aside the plant-only protein question.

Where Earthborn Holistic holds its own

Triple meat meal density at the top: Turkey meal, chicken meal, and whitefish meal in positions 1–3 deliver the post-cook protein density that the v15 rubric weights most heavily. Gather's legume-led protein structure is intentionally not in this position. Shop on Amazon →

Marine omega-3 from whitefish meal: Whitefish meal at #3 supplies directly usable EPA/DHA. Gather's only omega-3 source is plant ALA from flaxseed (low conversion efficiency in dogs).

Vitamin D3 vs D2: Earthborn uses vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, animal-derived, more bioavailable in dogs). Gather uses vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, plant-derived, less efficient conversion). Over long-term feeding, the D3-vs-D2 difference is a low-probability but real formulation risk for vegan diets.

The bottom line

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural wins by 19 points (B/78 vs C/59). Triple meat meal density, marine omega-3 from whitefish meal, animal-derived vitamin D3. Gather counters with the only fully plant-based option in the segment, USDA Organic certification, grain-inclusive formulation, and a comprehensive synthetic amino-acid backstop. If plant-based feeding is your hard ethical line (with vet supervision), Gather is the right pick. For owners without a plant-based commitment who want strong protein density and marine omega-3, Earthborn Primitive Natural delivers both at the B-tier price point.