Hard Cider vs Beer: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Hard cider contains 56 calories and 0 g of protein, while beer has 43 calories and 0.5 g of protein. Beer is lower in calories and higher in protein.

Hard cider and beer are popular alcoholic beverages with different nutritional values. Understanding their calorie and nutrient content can help inform your choices.

What Is the Difference Between Hard Cider and Beer?

Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice. It typically has a fruity flavor and varying levels of sweetness. Beer is a fermented beverage made from grains, hops, and water. It comes in various styles and flavors, often characterized by its bitterness.

Hard Cider vs Beer: Nutrition Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of hard cider and beer, highlighting their nutritional differences.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Hard cider	Beer (regular)
Calories	56 kcal	43 kcal
Protein	0 g	0.5 g
Carbs	5.9 g	3.5 g
Sugar	5.9 g	0 g
Fat	0 g	0 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium	4 mg	4 mg

Which Is Better, Hard Cider or Beer?

For weight loss: Hard cider has 56 calories per 100 g, while beer has 43 calories. Beer is lower in calories.

For muscle and protein: Beer contains 0.5 g of protein per 100 g, whereas hard cider has 0 g. Beer is higher in protein.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Hard cider contains 5.9 g of carbs and 5.9 g of sugar, while beer has 3.5 g of carbs and 0 g of sugar. Beer is lower in both carbs and sugar.

How to Track Hard cider and Beer Accurately

Portion sizes and macro content can be easily misjudged, affecting overall intake. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational use, not medical advice. They reflect general nutritional information per 100 g. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein?

Beer has 0.5 g of protein per 100 g, while hard cider has 0 g.

Which has fewer calories?

Beer has 43 calories per 100 g, while hard cider has 56 calories.

What is the sugar content in hard cider?

Hard cider contains 5.9 g of sugar per 100 g.

What is the carbohydrate content in beer?

Beer contains 3.5 g of carbohydrates per 100 g.

How much sodium is in hard cider and beer?

Both hard cider and beer contain 4 mg of sodium per 100 g.

What is the fat content in both beverages?

Both hard cider and beer contain 0 g of fat per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Hard cider has 56 calories per 100 g.
• Beer has 43 calories per 100 g.
• Hard cider contains 0 g of protein.
• Beer contains 0.5 g of protein.
• Hard cider has 5.9 g of sugar per 100 g.
• Beer has 0 g of sugar per 100 g.