Ranking Frozen Pizzas From Worst To Best

Frozen pizzas are super convenient, but not all frozen pizzas are created equal. Sure, some of the best ones are pretty tasty, but if you get the wrong brand, you could wind up with a cardboard-like crust and a serious lack of flavor. To ensure you don't waste your time with bland frozen pizzas ever again, I taste-tested and ranked 10 different kinds.

Like most people, I love pizza (like, obsessively), so it's fair to say I have a good understanding of what top-quality options are and should be. As a result, you are in good hands with my ranking. I stuck to testing cheese pizzas because you can't have a great pizza if the base elements aren't done right. Besides, you can always elevate frozen pizzas with additional toppings and seasonings, and starting with a premium cheese pizza just so happens to be one of the best ways to pull it off.

Regardless, I determined my ranking based on flavor, texture, price, quality of ingredients, and the ratio of cheese to sauce to crust. I'll go more in-depth on methodology at the end, but for now, suffice it to say the results were somewhat shocking (at least to me). Keep reading to find out what the worst and best frozen pizzas are so the next time you're in the frozen aisle, you know exactly which pizzas to grab, and which ones are better left on the shelf.

Sadly, Totino's Triple Cheese Party Pizza comes in last place. It was the worst frozen pizza I tried by a long shot. Its only saving grace is that it costs about $2. While this may be appealing, there's a reason it is so cheap. First, it's much smaller than other frozen pizzas. Second, the quality is pretty low overall. Third, it falls flat when it comes to the most important traits, like flavor, texture, and the ratio of toppings. It may have nostalgic appeal for people who ate it growing up or enjoyed it when they first moved out of their parent's homes (because of the inexpensive price tag), but that doesn't mean it is any good.

When I heated up my Totino's Triple Cheese Party Pizza, I noticed that the crust crisped up nicely. However, the cheese was pretty sparse, especially compared to other frozen pizza options. There wasn't even enough cheese to cover the sauce. While sampling a slice, I disliked how sweet the sauce was. While it did have noticeable flavor, the pizza was bland overall. The crust was also airy, and not in a good way. It was almost a stretch to call it pizza dough.

Totino's Party Pizzas heat up pretty quickly, and they are small enough to fit in a large toaster oven, but even that isn't enough to bump it up in the ranking. Really, it's the worst. If you've never tried it before, don't start now.

Red Baron Brick Oven Cheese-Trio Pizza may only have earned a spot as the second-worst frozen pizza, but it is miles ahead of Totino's. It has a much better flavor and way more cheese. However, it still falls behind the competition due to its lackluster crust.

Unfortunately, frozen pizza crust is never going to be as good as the one on a fresh pie, but many options do a pretty good job. Red Baron's Brick Oven Pizza isn't one of them. One of the least desirable traits in pizza is a tough crust, whether it's frozen or not, and honestly, there's no other way to describe this pizza's crust. When I took it out of the oven, it looked pretty tasty, but biting into it proved that wasn't the case. The crust was hard and had the dreaded cardboard-like texture associated with lower-quality frozen pizzas. It was also pretty bland. Fortunately, the other toppings counterbalanced the flavor overall, but the crust definitely wasn't doing it any favors.

The Red Baron Pizza did have a few redeeming qualities. It had a good blend of cheeses (mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan) and lots of herb flavor thanks to the inclusion of parsley. The ratio of cheese to sauce to crust was also pretty good. In addition, it only costs about $5. Compared to other frozen pizzas, this is relatively low. Still, avoiding the cardboard-like crust is worth a couple of extra dollars, in my opinion.

At first glance, Screamin' Sicilian Pizza Co.'s Bessie's Revenge Pizza looks like it has all the makings to be a super yummy frozen pizza. As the box states, it has "ridiculous amounts of cheese," including slices of Wisconsin whole milk fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, and white cheddar. The brand also boasts using a secret sauce recipe on the trendy packaging (there's a wearable mustache you can punch out on the back of the box). However, compared to the other pizzas, it didn't measure up the way I anticipated.

There certainly isn't a lack of cheese on Bessie's Revenge, but even so, I found the pizza relatively bland overall. There is a good amount of sauce and the crust was crispy, but neither element stood out. It lacked the herb taste found in better options. The only real flavor came from the various cheeses. I thought the ratio of crust to sauce to cheese was good, but I tend to like a cheesy pie. If you prefer a pizza with a bit less cheese, Bessie's Revenge probably isn't for you.

Honestly, ranking this pizza so low was somewhat shocking for me. I used to think it was pretty tasty, but when I sampled it alongside so many other options, it shone a light on how bland it is overall. Plus, at about $10, it is one of the more expensive options available. As a result, it only comes in eighth place.

Rounding out the bottom portion of this list is California Pizza Kitchen's Four Cheese Crispy Thin Crust Pizza. It has a cracker-like thin crust, which gets nice and crispy, but it's just okay compared to a handful of other frozen pizzas. The pizza also cooks quickly, but considering how thin the crust is, that should be expected.

One thing that stood out about this pizza was its gourmet flavor, which is likely due to the nice blend of cheeses. It features flavorful hickory smoked Gouda, fontina, and two types of mozzarella. The herbed tomato and olive oil sauce also turns the flavor up a notch, but it is not nearly as tasty as the cheese. I also enjoyed the ratio of toppings to crust on this pizza. However, the crust was super thin, so it didn't need a lot of sauce or cheese to balance out the textures. Regrettably, when I reheated a slice of this pizza the next day, the crust hardened considerably and was slightly tough. I didn't reheat it in the microwave, either (I used an air fryer).

I expected a bit more from a brand as reputable as the California Pizza Kitchen, but sadly, that was not the case. The flavor was good, but the pizza was just decent overall. Pair this with the fact that at about $9.50, it's a bit more expensive than other options, and it's only worthy of a seventh-place ranking.

Hearth & Fire's The Bianca Flame Fired Crust Pizza has all the makings to be a top-rated pizza. It's pretty tasty and it seems like it was made with premium-quality ingredients, but due to a few technicalities, it only earned a sixth-place position.

My first issue with this frozen pizza is that it doesn't have red sauce. Instead, it has a creamy garlic sauce. While the sauce is incredibly flavorful and definitely packs a lot of garlic flavor, tomato sauce is the classic pizza ingredient we all know and love. After all, in many cases, it's called pizza sauce. A lack of tomato sauce may not be a dealbreaker for everyone. There are lots of pizza sauces that break flavor traditions, but it was enough for me to drop its ranking by a couple of spots.

The Bianca Pizza's ranking was also set back a bit thanks to its high price. I managed to pick one up for about $9.50, but it could run you as much as $16.99, which is astronomical for a frozen pizza. The flavor of the pizza is phenomenal and the crust is thin, crispy, and delicious. The blend of cheeses (whole milk mozzarella, fontina, goat cheese, white cheddar, Asiago, and Parmesan) paired with garlic sauce is also drool-worthy. Still, most people don't want to pay just as much, if not more, for a frozen pizza than they can buy fresh-made from a pizzeria.

Coming in fifth place is the Freschetta Brick Oven Crust Five Cheese Pizza. It has better flavor than the lower-ranking pizzas (except for Hearth & Stone), and a low price tag, so it'll only cost you about $6.50 to $7. Even so, it doesn't quite have what it takes to beat the four best frozen pizzas.

One of the most noticeable traits of this pizza is how much the crust rises while baking. Unlike lower-quality frozen options, the crust resembles something similar to a freshly baked pie. It gets nice and crispy on the outside and the edges still retain a bit of softness inside (which I love). The flavor of the crust was also a bit better than decent, but honestly, there was a bit too much for me around the perimeter. It's good for dipping, but it could have been a little less bulky. The delicious sauce and cheese blend (mozzarella, white cheddar, provolone, and Parmesan) made up for it, though. It had an herbaceous aftertaste and there were ample amounts of both.

While the crust does a fantastic job rising on its own, you can also cook frozen pizza in a cast iron pan, and something tells me this would be a great one to try it out with. However you decide to cook it, don't ruin it all with the biggest mistake you can make when cutting pizza: not slicing it straight away.

DiGiorno's Stuffed Crust Five Cheese Pizza combines lots of classic pizza elements with a unique crust style, and the results are scrumptious. Aside from the special stuffed crust, this pizza is classically delicious. It has lots of sauce, a tasty cheese blend, and a crust that isn't super thin or thick. All the elements come together to create a crowd-pleasing pizza that everyone could love.

Let's start with the sauce. It's a touch sweet, but not so much that it'll turn some consumers off. It balances out the savory flavors of the pizza without leaving a sugary aftertaste. The cheese blend of mozzarella, cheddar, Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan is also yummy, and there's plenty of it.

Now for the crust. It's great throughout, but obviously, the cheese-stuffed edges are the main event. Personally, they are my favorite part of the pizza. I've even been known to pull the crust off and just eat that. Unlike other pizzas with a lot of crust, something tells me no one will leave it behind on their plate. According to the box, 2 and ½ feet of cheese is stuffed into the crust. This sounds like a good amount, but I still think more would be better. I'm kind of a glutton for cheese, though.

DiGiorno's Stuffed Crust Pizza is well-deserving of its fourth-place ranking. It blends flavors well, has a unique, tasty crust, a fantastic blend of cheeses, and it only costs about $8.50.

I know, deep pan-style pizzas are somewhat polarizing. Some people hate them, and others love them. I happen to fall into the latter category, so I have no qualms about awarding DiGiorno Detroit-Style Crust Four Cheese Pizza the third-best spot on my list. There are so many different types of pizza, but Detroit-style is one of the best, and it's not popular enough to be found everywhere just yet — so DiGiorno's frozen creation is a great way to get a taste regardless of where you live.

One of the best things about Detroit-style pizza is its thick, airy crust. It develops a crispy, caramelized exterior and stays soft on the inside, so it's not as heavy as other thick-crusted pies. Lucky for us, DiGiorno nails the crust. It isn't as coated in caramelized cheese as a gourmet version, but the texture overall is exceptional, especially for a frozen pizza. The corners are extra crispy and the bottom almost tastes buttered. Yum!

This pizza's sauce and cheese also deliver tons of flavor. The sauce has a deep, rich taste and there's plenty of it to enjoy with the thick crust. The cheese blend on top, which includes mozzarella, Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan, is also delicious. In addition to getting all the elements of pizza just right, DiGiorno's Detroit-style pizzas only cost about $9. It isn't one of the cheapest pies around, but it isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Crust Four Cheese Pizza easily wins the second-place spot on my list. I'm not normally a fan of thin-crust pizza, but this one executed it perfectly. It wasn't too dense or so thin that all you get is a mouthful of toppings. The crust was also flavorful and had a nice color when baked. Somehow, Newman's managed to create a crust that is simultaneously crispy and soft, making it the perfect base for a premium-quality pizza.

The sauce and cheese on this pizza were also overflowing with flavor. It's built with mozzarella, cheddar, Asiago, and Parmesan cheese, all of which come together to create a delicious taste. I thought the Asiago cheese stood out and was a big help in creating gourmet flavor. There was no shortage of cheese or sauce, either, and the sauce was super yummy. I tasted lots of garlic and herbs and a bold tomato flavor.

To top things off, this Newman's Own Pizza only costs about $8.50, putting it firmly in the mid-range price category. With all the yummy flavors and quality ingredients, the cost seems more than reasonable. Plus, the brand claims 100% of the profits go to helping kids. When you list the pros of this pizza outright, it is hard to see how there could be a better one, but there is. While the flavor of this pizza is outstanding, our first-place winner's is even better.

The absolute best frozen pizza on this list is Rao's Brick Oven Crust Five Cheese Pizza. At around $10.50 to $13 per pie, it's one of the most expensive pizza options out there, but it's more than worth the elevated price. It's not as good as a fresh pizza, but it's pretty darn close, especially if you take into account how convenient it is to make at home.

There are several reasons Rao's Pizza earned the coveted first-place position. To start, it featured lots of yummy sauce layered with complex flavors. I immediately noticed bright elements and it tasted like it was made with fresh tomatoes. This isn't surprising, considering Rao's is mostly known for selling top-notch sauces, which you can purchase at most grocery stores.

This pizza also had a phenomenal crust. It was thin underneath the toppings and the edges had a bit more bulk, just like a real brick oven pizza. The texture was perfectly crispy and soft all at once. Plus, the cheese spread over the edges in many places, leading to yummy flavor in every bite. Speaking of cheese, Rao's didn't skimp there either. The blend of provolone, fontina, fresh whole milk mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses was full of flavor. There was also a pleasing amount of spices sprinkled throughout.

Overall, Rao's Pizza blew the competition away. I used to shy away from trying it because of the higher cost, but I certainly won't be doing that anymore.

I love pizza, probably too much. In fact, Tuesday is pizza day in my house (I have to limit myself to only eating it one day a week, or I could easily take it too far). I'm always trying new styles, various pizzerias, and store-bought options. As you can see, I take eating pizza very seriously, so I didn't lead you astray with my ranking.

Not only did I personally try each one of the pizzas on the above list, but my partner did too, so I got some feedback from someone other than myself to help ensure I wasn't just determining the ranking based on what I like. Hopefully, the extra input helped reduce how heavily my personal preferences and potential biases weighed in on the final results.

When taste-testing the 10 pizzas on my list, I kind of loved them all, but I knew I had to develop a specific ranking. So, I compared and contrasted the selections based on their flavor overall, the taste of each element (crust, sauce, cheese), the texture of the crust, the price, the quality of ingredients, and the ratio of cheese to sauce to crust. With these qualifiers in mind, the position for each frozen pizza easily fell into place.