I Tried Aldi's Diet Coke Copycat And It's Not Even Close To Everyone's Favorite Fridge Cig

As of 2025, Diet Coke reigns as the number one diet soda in the U.S., which doesn't surprise me at all. I will check and see if restaurants have Coke or Pepsi before I go. I'm that picky. And I'm not the only fan! Diet Coke ranks fifth among all top-selling sodas in general, coming in after regular Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, Sprite, and Pepsi, in that order. And there are a lot of sodas out there!

But recently, we heard a little rumor that there was a Diet Coke dupe that tasted even better and was cheaper, which had us more than intrigued. Personally, as a diehard Diet Coke fan, I have to say I was incredibly suspicious and needed to do my own investigating. (Those are some pretty big claims to be making.) The copycat — Aldi's Summit brand diet cola — is one of many dupes by this grocery store. Luckily, there is an Aldi very close to me, so I ran right out to grab a 12-pack. Already having Diet Coke on hand, because I use it in everything from mocktails and cocktails to baking sweet treats, it would be easy to do a head-to-head taste test.

Giving each a 24-hour window to chill in my refrigerator, I sat down to taste them. I was ready for anything. I took a deep breath and opened my mind to the possibilities. Would it taste the same? Would it actually be better? Well, here's what I found.

When working on this piece, Summit Diet Cola was available at my Aldi for $4.69 for a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans. There are over 2,500 Aldi locations scattered through 39 states in the U.S. So, the availability is somewhat accessible, although not as widely distributed as Diet Coke.

As far as Diet Coke goes, at my local Kroger, there is always a BOGO sale going on, so I always stock up. The week I purchased these sodas, it was a buy two, get three free weekend sale. With a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans costing $10.99, that worked out to $4.39 per pack, which was an even better deal than Aldi. While Kroger only operates in 16 states and territories, I feel like there are other stores that probably offer similar discounts. When I checked out Walmart prices at the time of this writing, it had 24-packs of Diet Coke cans for $13.78, making a 12-pack $6.89. And Walmart does operate in all 50 states. Additionally, Costco (operating in 49 states and territories) had 35-packs of cans for $19.85, which would leave you paying around $6.60 per 12-pack. So, there are deals to be had if cost is an issue.

I cracked open the chilled can of Summit Diet Cola and went in for my first taste. It had an immediate sweet cloud that covered my palate and filled my mouth. There was a nice carbonation about it that tingled my tongue and gave the soda an overall round, full profile. Oddly, there was an overly obvious citrus taste to it that reminded me of the lemon and lime flavor of Sprite, but with a touch of vanilla. It wasn't bad, just odd. But it couldn't garner too much attention, as the sweet flavor demanded center stage throughout.

The sweetness tasted artificial and exceedingly apparent, like a small child vying for the spotlight. It carried the flavor in and stayed long after any citrus, spice, or carbonation was gone. And while it didn't go over the top or become offensive, it was still somehow larger than it needed to be. In the end, all the tastes stopped very abruptly, leaving the palate seemingly coated with a nothingness that wasn't entirely clean.

This diet cola wasn't bad, but it was very obviously an off-brand, a generic interpretation of something familiar. I could taste what it was trying to achieve, but it tried too hard and missed the mark with its overzealous flavoring.

Taking a sip of Diet Coke offered a layer of flavors and carbonation to cascade across my taste buds, dancing with tiny, prickling bubbles. There seemed to be a blanket of caramel that was soft, lush, and slightly sweet. Underneath the caramel was a hint of citrus that seemed to complement the spicy aesthetic without drawing too much attention to itself. The sweetness of it all seemed to be but a welcome guest of equal measure on the journey of flavors. Nothing tasted to stand out on its own; rather, every flavor worked together in harmony.

The flavors of Diet Coke appeared to be deliberately refined, balanced on rich fizz that teased the taste buds into new heights of enjoyment. And when it left my mouth, the flavors and slight burn of carbonation lingered only for a moment before taking their final leave. Overall, refreshing and soft but strong, drinking Diet Coke was incredibly satisfying.

I tasted both diet sodas over ice, one at a time. Then, I did the same straight from the can. To ensure I was comparing them as accurately as possible, I also went back and forth, taking sips side by side. The Summit Diet Cola had flavors that were audacious compared to Diet Coke. They went too far, became too artificial, and were too sweet. Instead of working together, the Summit Diet Cola came across as a battle for attention from one flavor to the next, while Diet Coke's flavor, carbonation, and sweetness all worked in tandem to complement and enhance each other's qualities.

It would be one thing if rumors had said that this dupe was somewhat comparable. That I could see. Both sodas have a citrus component, an artificial sweetness, and a caramel aesthetic. However, Diet Coke remained subdued in all its flavors and maintained a refreshing quality that was enjoyable rather than complicated. Summit, on the other hand, was like a little kid dressing up in their parents' clothes, trying to be something it wasn't, and ending up as an obvious farce.

Diet soda alternatives keep coming after Diet Coke. But I just don't believe that any of them will ever beat the OG. And why do we need them to? With the ability to get discounts or bulk amounts of Diet Coke, the savings are negligible. You just need to look around and see where you can find the best deal. To get the best taste, I feel it's more than worth it.