PrettyLitter is the strongest all-around pick in this comparison for health monitoring and lightweight convenience.
A dependable grocery-store clay option with decent clumping, a noticeable fragrance profile, and fair everyday value.
A crystal litter built around health monitoring and light weight, with a strong subscription convenience angle and weaker clumping value.
Fresh Step is the cheap perfumed clay. PrettyLitter is the light unscented crystal you buy to watch a cat's health. PrettyLitter costs about twice as much per day and does not clump.
This comparison page is maintained by the ReviewCatLitter editorial team and grounded in the same scoring framework used across the published review catalog.
Choose between them on texture, clumping, dust and price. Then, if the room still tells you where the box is, Purrify is activated carbon you mix into whichever bag you chose. It is what we use in our own homes.
Read our Purrify guide to picking a litter for odor control.
Every figure below is a reading from our own test runs, not a rating. Where a run never took a reading it says so.
| Reading | Fresh Step Scented | PrettyLitter | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust weighed per pourDust caught on a filter and weighed while the bag goes into the box. Lower is better. | 0.42 mg | not measured | only one side measured |
| Clumps that survived the drop testShare of clumps still whole after a three-foot drop. Higher is better. | 66% | not measured | only one side measured |
| Bag priceWhat the tested bag cost. Bag sizes differ, so read it next to cost per pound. | $18.99 | $24.00 | $5.01 |
| Cost per poundBag price divided by what is in the bag. Lower is better. | $0.45better | $4.00 | $3.55 |
| Cost per dayWhat the box costs to keep running each day. Lower is better. | $0.40better | $0.80 | $0.40 |
| Cost across a yearThat daily cost carried over a full year of use. Lower is better. | $146better | $292 | $146 |
Neither run recorded granules outside the box, ammonia after one day and ammonia after three days, so those rows are left out rather than filled in from a similar bag. The full test data shows every reading we have.
Primary tradeoff: PrettyLitter's weakest area here is clumping.
Best dust control here at Very low crystal dust.
Strongest odor control in this set with very good urine odor control.
It still lands a stronger overall score than cheaper options because it is more balanced.
Scroll sideways to see every litter. Scores are editorial judgments out of 10.
| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.1Good | 8.8Very good |
| Pricing | ||
| Price | $18.99 | $24.00 |
| Weight | 42 lbs | 6 lbs |
| Cost / Day | $0.40 | $0.80 |
| Performance | ||
| Dust Control | 6.2 0.42mg per pour | 8.6 Very low crystal dust |
| Clumping | 7.9 Decent | 4.2 Non-clumping |
| Odor Control | 8 Strong fragrance masking | 8.9 Very good urine odor control |
| Tracking Outside the Box | 6.2 Moderate | 9.1 Minimal |
| Value for Cost | 7.9 $0.40/day · $18.99 | 6.8 $0.80/day · $24.00 |
| Features | ||
| Type | Scented Clumping Clay | Silica Crystal |
| Flushable | ||
| Scented | Yes | No |
| Our Verdict | ||
| Best For | Convenient store-bought clay | Health monitoring and lightweight convenience |
| Read ReviewCheck Price | Read ReviewCheck Price | |
Fresh Step Scented makes the most sense for convenient store-bought clay.
You want a dependable grocery-store clay option with decent clumping, a noticeable fragrance profile, and fair everyday value.
You need a formula that solves health monitoring and lightweight convenience better.
PrettyLitter makes the most sense for health monitoring and lightweight convenience.
You care more about health signals and easy lifting than classic clumping performance.
You want traditional scoopable clumps or the best value per pound.
The nearest options to this matchup on score and on price.
Weighed 0.13mg per pour and runs at $0.54 a day.
Weighed 0.15mg per pour and runs at $0.72 a day.
Weighed 0.48mg per pour and runs at $0.47 a day.
PrettyLitter comes out ahead on the balance of dust, clumping, odor control, tracking and daily cost. Fresh Step Scented is still the one to buy for convenient store-bought clay.
Fresh Step Scented runs at $0.40 a day against $0.80 for PrettyLitter.
PrettyLitter scored higher: very good urine odor control, against strong fragrance masking for Fresh Step Scented.
PrettyLitter keeps more litter in the box: minimal, against moderate for Fresh Step Scented.
Ultra is scoopable clay. PrettyLitter is crystals that change color to flag a health problem.
Two perfumed supermarket clays. Clump & Seal holds smell down longer and clumps harder. Fresh Step is the cheaper bag and pours a little less dust.
Ultra if you want the box to stop smelling of perfume and stop clouding when you pour. Fresh Step if you want it in the cart tonight.
Clump & Seal covers smell with fragrance and clumps for far less money. PrettyLitter is unscented crystals that keep an eye on your cat's urine instead.
Fresh Step is cheaper and everywhere. World's Best flushes, weighs less, and pours a fraction of the dust.
World's Best flushes and clumps. PrettyLitter does neither. Its pull is the color change that can flag a health problem early.