Wendy’s vs Arby’s: Roast Beef, Prices & Who Wins 2026

Wendy’s wins this duel overall. If you want a burger, Wendy’s is the clear pick: Dave’s Single is cheaper than Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar, has more protein, and Wendy’s value deals are stronger. If you want roast beef, Arby’s is the only serious choice, and its curly fries and Jamocha Shake beat anything Wendy’s serves.

This is a straight roast-beef-versus-burgers comparison, so the two menus do not line up item for item. Arby’s slow-roasted beef is a different protein from Wendy’s fresh, never-frozen beef, and the duel is really about value, flavour and what you get for the money. Arby’s publishes no national prices, so the Arby’s prices below are ranges from indexed menus and delivery listings. Wendy’s prices are from order.wendys.com, and every Arby’s calorie figure is from Arby’s own November 2026 nutrition guide — which settles one long-running mix-up: Classic Roast Beef is 360 calories, not the 350 that delivery listings show. The older comparison on Fast Food Menu Prices, published in 2013 and updated in September 2023, still quotes prices from another era, including a $5.49 Giant Beef ‘n Cheddar, so it is no use for a 2026 decision. For the wider Wendy’s picture, see the full menu, and our other head-to-heads: Wendy’s vs In-N-Out, Wendy’s vs KFC, Wendy’s vs McDonald’s and Wendy’s vs Burger King. For another burger-chain comparison, see Wendy’s vs Hardee’s.

The verdict, category by category

That table is the whole duel in eight lines, and the rest of this post is the proof. Wendy’s wins on burgers, value, breakfast, rewards and reach. Arby’s wins on roast-beef variety, curly fries and the Jamocha Shake. The two places are not really selling the same thing, so the honest answer depends on what you walked in for — and the sections below price each head-to-head so you can decide with numbers, not slogans.

Classic Beef ‘n Cheddar vs Dave’s Single

This is the headline duel, and it is closer than the price gap suggests. Dave’s Single wins on value and protein: at $5.49 it gives you 31 grams of protein, or about 5.6 grams per dollar, while the Beef ‘n Cheddar gives 23 grams for $5.69–$7.49, or about 3.1–4.0 grams per dollar. Arby’s has no national price, so the Beef ‘n Cheddar costs $5.69 at one indexed reference restaurant, $6.29 at the Austin restaurant, and $6.99–$7.49 on DoorDash — at the top of that range you pay $2.00 more than a Dave’s Single for a smaller, lighter sandwich. Where Arby’s fights back is on calories and flavour: the Beef ‘n Cheddar is 450 calories against 560, with 20 grams of fat against 34, and it is a different eating experience altogether — warm, thin-sliced roast beef and cheddar sauce on a soft onion roll, against a thick, juicy beef patty with fresh toppings. If you want a burger, buy the Dave’s Single. If you want roast beef with cheese sauce, nothing at Wendy’s does that job.

Classic Roast Beef vs Jr. Hamburger and Dave’s Single

Classic Roast Beef is Arby’s purest sandwich — thin-sliced, slow-roasted beef on a sesame bun, with nothing to hide behind — and its numbers are better than most people expect. Arby’s own November 2026 nutrition guide lists it at 360 calories and 23 grams of protein, with 14 grams of fat and 970 milligrams of sodium. That settles the 350-versus-360 question: delivery listings show 350, and the official guide says 360, so 360 is the figure to use. Against Dave’s Single it is a near-identical price — $5.29 at the indexed reference restaurants, $6.29–$6.39 on DoorDash, against $5.49 — for 200 fewer calories, 8 grams less protein and 20 grams less fat. Against the Jr. Hamburger it is a different story: the Jr. is only $1.59 and 230 calories, the cheapest sandwich on either menu, and at about 7.5 grams of protein per dollar it is the best protein-per-dollar buy in this whole post. So the choice here is about appetite, not just price: a light roast-beef lunch, the cheapest bite, or the most filling burger for about the same money.

Half Pound Roast Beef vs Dave’s Double and Baconator

This is the heavyweight round, and it is where the two chains’ philosophies split most clearly. The Half Pound Roast Beef is the leanest big sandwich of the three: 610 calories and 30 grams of fat, against 810 calories and 52 grams of fat for Dave’s Double and 890 calories and 58 grams of fat for the Baconator. It also delivers 48 grams of protein, nearly matching Dave’s Double at 50 grams. But it is the most expensive sandwich in this post by a wide margin — $8.49 at one indexed reference restaurant, $9.29 in Austin, and $9.59–$10.19 on DoorDash — against $6.99 for Dave’s Double and $7.89 for the Baconator. One warning for the Half Pound: its sodium is the highest of the three at 2,040 milligrams, well above Dave’s Double at 1,410 and the Baconator at 1,580, so the leanest sandwich here is also the saltiest. If you are hungry and watching fat, the Half Pound is genuinely impressive. If you are hungry and watching money, Dave’s Double wins by $1.50–$3.20, and the Baconator wins if maximum protein is the goal.

Sliders and value: Arby’s value menu vs Wendy’s Biggie Deals

Arby’s sliders are the smallest sandwiches in this post — the Roast Beef Slider is just 180 calories with 11 grams of protein — and the cheapest way to taste Arby’s roast beef. But they are not the cheapest small bites overall. A Roast Beef Slider costs $2.19 at one indexed reference restaurant, $2.99 in Austin and $2.69–$3.19 on DoorDash, while a Jr. Hamburger costs $1.59, has 230 calories and 12 grams of protein, and a Jr. Cheeseburger costs $1.99. Arby’s does have one strong counter: the 2 for $7 deal, which pairs two sandwiches — including Classic Roast Beef, Classic Beef ‘n Cheddar, Crispy Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, Greek Gyro and Ham & Swiss Melt — for $7, or $3.50 each. It is a limited-time offer, and it was not on Arby’s ordering menu when we checked, so ask in the restaurant before counting on it. Wendy’s answer is the Biggie Deals ladder: $4 Biggie Bites, where you pick any two items; the $5 Biggie Bag, with a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich, four-piece nuggets, Jr. fries and a small drink; the $6 Biggie Bag, with a Dave’s Single or Spicy Chicken Sandwich plus nuggets, fries and a drink; and the $8 Biggie Bundle, with two sandwiches, Jr. fries and a small drink. A $5 Biggie Bag is a full meal for less than two Arby’s sliders with no sides, which is why this category is Wendy’s by a clear margin. See the current deals and the full Biggie Deals lineup before you order, because the app-only offers change week to week.

Fries: Arby’s Curly Fries vs Wendy’s Natural-Cut Fries

Curly Fries are Arby’s most famous side, and they win this category on flavour alone. They are seasoned, crisp and coiled — Wendy’s Natural-Cut Fries, skin-on and salted, are a solid fry, but plainer by design. The numbers, though, favour Wendy’s: a small Curly is 250 calories against 210 for a small Natural-Cut, and a large Curly is 550 against 470. Wendy’s fries run $1.79–$3.39 from small to large, while Curly Fries run $2.29–$3.79 across the four sizes. Wendy’s also has the better loaded fries: Baconator Fries, with cheese sauce and bacon, are $3.69 and 450 calories, and Chili Cheese Fries are $3.69 and 510 calories — both lighter than a large Curly. Arby’s has its own extras, including Potato Cakes at 370 calories for three, Mozzarella Sticks at 440 calories for four, and Jalapeño Bites at 290 calories for five. If you judge fries on taste, order the Curly Fries. If you judge them on calories and price, order Wendy’s.

Shakes and dessert: Arby’s Jamocha Shake vs Wendy’s Frosty

The Jamocha Shake is Arby’s signature dessert, and it is the one item in this post that Wendy’s cannot match for flavour. Coffee and chocolate blended thick, it is a proper milkshake — and it is priced and portioned like one, at $4.09–$4.29 for a small, $4.89 for a medium and $5.39 for a large. The calories are serious: 540 for a small, 700 for a medium and 980 for a large, according to Arby’s own nutrition guide. A Classic Frosty is a different kind of dessert — lighter, cheaper and easier to finish after a meal. It runs $1.79–$3.79 from small to large and 190–510 calories, so even a large Frosty has fewer calories than a small Jamocha. Wendy’s Frosty Swirls, at $2.99–$3.99 and 350–680 calories depending on flavour and size — Brownie Batter 480–680, Strawberry 350–550, Caramel 370–560 — close the flavour gap a little, and Frosty Fusions, at $4.19–$5.49 and 410–930 calories, are the closest Wendy’s gets to a full milkshake. Arby’s also sells an Apple Turnover at 430 calories and a Cherry Turnover at 390 calories. The verdict here is a split: if you want the best-tasting shake, get the Jamocha; if you want dessert for under $2 and under 200 calories, get a small Frosty.

Breakfast: Arby’s breakfast vs Wendy’s breakfast

Breakfast is the most one-sided category in this post, and it is not because of the food. Arby’s breakfast items are respectable on paper — the Bacon & Cheese Croissant is 330 calories, the lightest breakfast sandwich on either menu, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sourdough is 470 calories with 23 grams of protein, and the Ham, Egg & Cheese Sourdough is 460 calories with 26 grams of protein — but Arby’s breakfast is served at select locations only, it does not appear in Arby’s November 2026 nutrition guide, and its prices are TBC. Most Arby’s restaurants open at 10 AM, and an indexed guide counts only 128 of 3,026 Arby’s restaurants open before 8 AM, so for most people there is no Arby’s breakfast to buy. Wendy’s breakfast is the opposite: served nationwide from 6:30 to 10:30 AM, fully priced, and wider in range, from the $4.49 Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant at 420 calories to the $4.99 Breakfast Baconator at 630 calories, with French Toast Sticks at $3.19 and a Honey Butter Biscuit at $1.49–$2.89. If you are up early, Wendy’s is the only real option of the two.

App and rewards: Wendy’s Rewards vs Arby’s Rewards

Both apps earn at the same rate — 10 points per dollar — so the difference is what you get on top. Wendy’s gives new members a 200-point welcome bonus, ending 31 March 2027, and its first free reward starts at 150 points. Arby’s publishes no welcome bonus, and its rewards start at 300 points, for a Large Fries or Potato Cakes. Wendy’s weekly rhythm is also stronger: free fries every Friday, free six-piece nuggets on Wednesdays with a $5 order, $3 off orders of $20 or more, and a free Dave’s Single plus a free Jr. Frosty on your birthday. Arby’s counters with a monthly XL Boost, double points on the Double Roast Beef, app-only exclusive deals, and points on delivery orders. Both apps are free and both are worth joining — but if you only join one, Wendy’s pays you back faster, and the 200-point welcome bonus alone is worth more than Arby’s first reward tier.

Hours and locations

Wendy’s has 5,570 restaurants in the United States, serves breakfast from 6:30 AM, and most restaurants close between 10 PM and midnight, with some open 24 hours or until 1–2 AM. Arby’s is a smaller chain — indexed guides disagree on the exact count, giving figures from 2,919 to 3,173, so the US count is TBC — and most Arby’s restaurants open at 10 AM, which is why breakfast is so limited there. Closing times vary by location and are TBC. The practical point is simple: you are more likely to find a Wendy’s near you, it opens earlier, and it stays open later. Arby’s is worth the drive when you specifically want roast beef, curly fries or a Jamocha Shake, but it is not the chain to rely on for an early breakfast or a late-night run.

The final word: which one should you pick?

Pick Wendy’s if you want a burger, a cheap meal, breakfast, or a loyalty app that pays you back quickly. Dave’s Single at $5.49 is the best signature sandwich in this duel on price and protein, the $5 Biggie Bag is the best value meal, and Wendy’s wins breakfast, rewards, hours and locations outright. Pick Arby’s if you want roast beef — nobody else in fast food does slow-roasted beef in this many forms, from the 360-calorie Classic to the 610-calorie Half Pound — or if you want the best fries and the best shake in this comparison. Curly Fries and a Jamocha Shake are the two items Wendy’s has no real answer to. If you can only stop at one place and you are not sure what you want, stop at Wendy’s: the menu is wider, the prices are lower, and there are more restaurants. If you know you want roast beef, drive past Wendy’s and go to Arby’s — just check the price first, because Arby’s publishes no national prices, and the same sandwich can cost $5.29 at one restaurant and $6.39 on delivery.

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