When it comes to buying ice cream, Walmart is much better than Aldi

When you’re craving cold, sweet ice cream, sometimes you barely have time to put on your shoes, let alone make an informed decision about the best source for your frozen dessert. It’s a good idea to know where your creamy treat is coming from in advance so you can easily stock up when you need it—and that means taking a close look at your local grocery stores and seeing what they have to offer in the event of an ice cream crisis.

In general, deciding where to shop can be a little overwhelming, so we’ve done the legwork and taken a deep dive into a big debate: Aldi versus Walmart and which store is better for grocery shopping. And while both Aldi and Walmart carry a selection of ice cream and similar products, there’s a clear choice for the store that delivers. Walmart, with its huge selection, superior private-label offerings, and more wallet-friendly prices, comes out on top when it comes to your cones (not to mention cups, bars, and sodas).

So what gives Walmart the edge over Aldi when it comes to being a preferred frozen dessert retailer? First, selection. True ice cream lovers know this category can be huge, with a diverse selection of brands, flavors and novelties. Walmart has everything from pints to tubs, bars to sandwiches and tubs to popsicles, as well as dairy-free options, frozen yogurt and sorbets in both store and name-brand varieties. From Ben & Jerry’s to Breyers, So Delicious to Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bell to Blue Bunny (and many more), your brand name is guaranteed.

Aldi, on the other hand, offers mostly pints and cases, as well as a handful of novelties, and most of those are from its own Sundae Shoppe brand. Especially if your household has a hard time deciding on a single favorite brand, flavor, or format, this isn’t an ideal scenario. If you buy your ice cream at Walmart, everyone is more likely to get exactly what they’re looking for, and you don’t have to worry about having to visit multiple stores for a variety of options.

Another factor to consider is the private labels each retailer offers. It’s true that Specially Selected Vanilla Super Premium Ice Cream is an Aldi private label ice cream that shoppers love for its short ingredient list, and the store’s Sundae Shoppe Strawberries and Cream Rose Cones were one of our sweet August finds for the end of summer.

However, as we tried a few variations, we found that some offerings from Sundae Shoppe’s standard range weren’t quite up to par in the richness category. Perhaps even more troubling for chunk-and-swirl lovers is the fact that the brand’s mix-in game was weaker than we would have liked.

Not only did Walmart’s Great Value ice cream offer more flavor per scoop, but there were also many more choices. Walmart’s website offers 45 varieties under the Great Value brand, from classics like Cookies & Cream to more unique offerings like Unicorn Sparkle Ice Cream (cake ice cream with confetti bits and purple frosting swirls) and even Root Beer and Vanilla Float. Walmart also has a slight edge in the price category, with a 48-ounce carton on sale for $2.78 versus $3.05 at Aldi’s Sundae Shoppe (though prices may vary by location). After this research, it’s clear to us that Walmart wins the great ice cream debate. Now we’ll let you choose the flavor.