BySamantha Bambino
wisely & Jonathan Weiss & wisely/Shutterstock
When you're craving a sandwich packed with meats, cheeses, veggies, and other goodies, there are two main options to turn to in the United States: Subway or Jimmy John's. Despite being introduced nearly two decades apart (in 1965 and 1983, respectively), these two fast-food chains have become competitors, often pitted against each other by customers who prefer one over the other (much like McDonald's vs. Burger King).
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In many ways, Subway and Jimmy John's are extremely similar. Both allow customers to build made-to-order sandwiches, choosing from a variety of breads, toppings, and other customizations. They've even both contracted well-known faces to promote their products in commercials, Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes for Subway (here's how much the NFL fines pro athletes for touchdown celebrations, by the way), and "Everybody Loves Raymond" actor Brad Garrett for Jimmy John's.
However, when it comes to giving customers the most bang for their buck, there is a noticeable difference. In fact, one sub chain offers several more inches of sandwich for less money. However, is cheaper always better? Read on to find out.
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Comparing the prices at Subway and Jimmy John's
To get a true picture of how prices vary between Subway and Jimmy John's, let's compare a menu item from each chain that's similar: Subway's Black Forest Ham sandwich, which includes thin-sliced ham, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and American cheese, and Jimmy John's The Pepe, made with smoked ham and provolone cheese, mayo, lettuce. and tomato. Also, for this price comparison, we're looking at prices at two shops located in Philadelphia (prices are different per location/city).
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Subway's 6-inch version of this sandwich will cost a customer $6.99, while the footlong, or 12-inch, option, is $9.99 (here's how much Americans spend on fast food each month). Over at Jimmy John's, meanwhile, an 8-inch The Pepe is $8.19, while its 16-inch (Giant) option is $16.13. For $1.80 more, Subway-goers get 4 extra inches of sandwich. The cost of a footlong combo meal at Subway, which includes a small bag of chips and a drink, is $13.48, while Jimmy John's 8-inch combo is $12.87 (and $20.81 for the 16-inch combo). Once again, for about $1 more, Subway customers receive a much longer sandwich.
Even a chocolate chip cookie dessert is a better deal at Subway versus Jimmy John's. At Subway, someone can get their hands on a footlong cookie for $5, while at Jimmy John's, one regular-sized chocolate chip cookie is $2.29.
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But is quantity more important than quality?
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Across the internet, sandwich lovers regularly pit Subway and Jimmy John's against one another, trying back-to-back meals from each to determine which is superior. Though customers are able to get more sandwich at Subway, and technically more bang for their buck, many would still head on over to their local Jimmy John's shop for lunch, even if they have to pay a bit more for a few less inches of sandwich. That said, Subway continues to be a go-to choice for the majority of people — this according to Statista data (for 2022). Of course, this could also be because there are so many more Subway locations compared to Jimmy John's; i.e., 20,603 (in 2023) versus 2,684 (in 2024), respectively, according to ScrapeHero.
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Still, customers have applauded Jimmy John's for the quality of its ingredients (such as Hellman's mayo and fresh(er) bread), strong customer service, and fuller sandwiches. Irene Jiang, of Business Insider, who compared the two chains back in 2019, for example, overwhelmingly preferred Jimmy John's over Subway. She said of the sandwich she got at the former, "It was heavy. It had weight. It didn't fall apart at a poke of the finger." As for her Subway Club® sandwich, she wrote, "This was by far the smallest, flattest sandwich of the bunch. The people making it had seemed reluctant to put stuff on it ..."
Further, a 2024 ranking by Parade on the 20 best sandwich shops in the U.S. ranked Subway last, while Jimmy John's was fifth (Jersey Mike's was number one, by the way, for anyway thinking of doing their own taste test).
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