Chick-fil-A vs Dave's Hot Chicken: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 27, 2026 3 items matched

The short answer

Chick-fil-A is the cheaper of the two. Of the 3 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Chick-fil-A is cheaper on 2 of them, by an average of $1.03 per item.

Typical menu price: Chick-fil-A $5.25 · Dave's Hot Chicken $7.49

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — Chick-fil-A's wording first.

Item	Chick-fil-A	Dave's Hot Chicken	Difference
Frosted Lemonadevs Lemonade	$5.19	$3.99	$1.20 cheaper at Dave's Hot Chicken
Mac & Cheese (medium)vs Mac & Cheese	$4.29	$5.49	$1.20 cheaper at Chick-fil-A
Diet Lemonade (medium)vs Lemonade	$3.29	$3.99	$0.70 cheaper at Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A vs Dave's Hot Chicken at a Glance

	Chick-fil-A	Dave's Hot Chicken
Typical menu price	$5.25	$7.49
Average menu price	$5.56	$12.91
Cheapest item	Icedream Cone — $1.85	Bottled Water — $2.79
Most expensive item	Nuggets (30 pc.) — $18.49	Party Pack (feeds 6–8) — $89.99
Items priced	43	34
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$$	$$
Founded	1967	2017
Headquarters	College Park, Georgia	Pasadena, California
Locations	More than 3,000 restaurants across the United States	Over 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada

Which One Should You Order From?

Chick-fil-A has the lower typical menu price of the two — $5.25 against $7.49 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Chick-fil-A gets you in cheaper at $1.85.

Chick-fil-A is strongest on Original Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A Nuggets, Waffle Potato Fries; Dave's Hot Chicken on Dave's #1 Combo, Slider Combo, Cheese Fries. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A One is one of the few genuinely strong fast-food loyalty programmes: points on every order, a free item at low thresholds and frequent app-only offers.
A 12-count of Nuggets at $7.79 works out to $0.65 per piece against $0.79 for a 5-count — the sensible order size for anyone eating properly.
An Icedream cone at $1.85 is the cheapest dessert at any major chain, and a large sweet tea at $2.79 undercuts most drive-thru drinks.

Dave's Hot Chicken

Dave's #1 at $12.49 is the value anchor of the menu — two tenders plus every side for barely more than two tenders alone.
Heat level is free at all seven tiers, so there is never a reason to pay for extra spice.
Family packs bring the per-tender cost down by roughly 20 percent compared with ordering combos individually.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

Chick-fil-A vs Dave's Hot Chicken — FAQ

Is Chick-fil-A cheaper than Dave's Hot Chicken in 2026?

Chick-fil-A is cheaper on most matched items — 2 of 3. Across the whole menu Chick-fil-A is the lower-priced of the two, at $5.25 for a typical item against $7.49 at Dave's Hot Chicken.

What is the price difference between Chick-fil-A and Dave's Hot Chicken?

On matched items the average difference is $1.03, or about 57% overall. Chick-fil-A averages $5.56 across 43 priced items; Dave's Hot Chicken averages $12.91 across 25.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Chick-fil-A or Dave's Hot Chicken?

Chick-fil-A starts at $1.85 (Icedream Cone) and Dave's Hot Chicken at $2.79 (Bottled Water).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.