Wendy's offers faster service and lower prices with a broader menu, while Five Guys specializes in premium customizable burgers and hand-cut fries at significantly higher cost. The choice depends on whether you prioritize speed and value or quality ingredients and customization.
Wendy's vs Five Guys — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
North American fast-casual burger chain known for fresh, never-frozen beef and customizable menu items with 7,000 locations.
Premium fast-casual burger chain specializing in fresh beef and extensive customization.
Average Burger Price. Average Wait Time. Burger Customization Options. Menu Item Count. Beef Sourcing. Locations (US). Average Customer Satisfaction
Choose Wendy's if you prioritize affordability, speed, menu variety, and accessibility—it's ideal for budget-conscious diners seeking a quick meal with diverse options. Choose Five Guys if you're willing to pay premium prices for fresh, customizable burgers and hand-cut fries made to order, and you value quality ingredients and a more personalized experience.
Wendy's: Never-frozen fresh beef | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Traditional automated systems | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Extensive customization | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Closing hundreds | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Premium improved recipes 2026 | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Fresh, never-frozen beef | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Digital menu boards, traditional operation | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Incremental expansion, undisclosed target | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Future Fresh design with blue aesthetic and digital integration | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Base comparison point | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Never-frozen fresh beef | Five Guys: Fresh never-frozen daily
Wendy's: ~25 seconds per Dave's Single | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (new core item) | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Future Fresh design (2026) with digital ordering | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: 2-3 burger options at £7.99 | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: 5-7 minutes | Five Guys: 12-15 minutes
Wendy's: 3-4 toppings | Five Guys: 15+ toppings
Wendy's: 40+ items | Five Guys: 12 core items
Wendy's: Conventional sourced | Five Guys: Fresh, never frozen, daily ground
Average Meal Cost (Burger + Fries + Drink)
Wendy's: 4.5 hours (6AM-10:30AM typical) | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: Extensive (40+ custom combinations) | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: 6 countries (NA-focused) | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: 480 cal (Dave's Single) | Five Guys: N/A
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: 1st place - 15.5%
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: Patty count, proteins, toppings, sauces
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: 3 (burgers, hot dogs, fries)
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: 40+ states plus international
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: 15+ customizable options
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: Fresh, never-frozen daily
Wendy's: N/A | Five Guys: 15+ customizable toppings
How to choose between Wendy's and Five Guys
Wendy's vs Five Guys — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Wendy's vs Five Guys. Contains 78 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Wendy's vs Five Guys — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Wendy's vs Five Guys.
Wendy's is significantly cheaper. An average burger costs $5.99 at Wendy's compared to $15.29 at Five Guys—approximately 2.5 times less. A complete meal (burger, fries, drink) costs about $11.49 at Wendy's versus $22.99 at Five Guys, making Wendy's the clear value choice for budget-conscious diners.
Five Guys uses fresh, never-frozen beef that is ground daily in-house at each location, whereas Wendy's uses conventionally sourced beef. Five Guys also hand-cuts fries from potatoes daily, providing superior ingredient freshness. However, Wendy's items are made-to-order rather than pre-made, offering decent freshness at a lower price point.
Wendy's is significantly faster with an average wait time of 5-7 minutes compared to Five Guys' 12-15 minutes. Wendy's streamlined ordering process and kitchen operations make it ideal if you're in a hurry, whereas Five Guys prioritizes made-to-order customization over speed.
Which offers more customization options?
Five Guys offers extensive customization with 15+ free toppings available per burger, allowing nearly unlimited combinations. Wendy's typically allows 3-4 toppings per burger. If customization is important to you, Five Guys is clearly superior in this category.
How much easier is it to find a Wendy's vs Five Guys?
Wendy's has significantly more locations with 5,800+ in the United States compared to Five Guys' 1,700+ locations. This means you're approximately 3.4 times more likely to find a Wendy's near you, making it the more convenient choice for accessibility.
How to Choose Between Wendy's and Five Guys
Average Burger Price: Wendy's has $5.99, while Five Guys has $15.29.
Average Wait Time: Wendy's has 5-7 minutes, while Five Guys has 12-15 minutes.
Burger Customization Options: Wendy's has 3-4 toppings per burger, while Five Guys has 15+ free toppings per burger.
Menu Item Count: Wendy's has 40+ items, while Five Guys has 12 core items.
Beef Sourcing: Wendy's has Conventional beef, while Five Guys has Fresh, never frozen beef.
Locations (US): Wendy's has 5,800+, while Five Guys has 1,700+.
Average Customer Satisfaction: Wendy's has 76%, while Five Guys has 89%.