Quick verdict: these two solve different problems, not the same problem at different prices. The Ninja BN801 ($169.99) blends and food-processes from one base — chopping, dough, purees, the works. The NutriBullet Combo ($89.84) is blending and nutrient extraction only, nothing more, at nearly half the price. If you already own a food processor or never use one, the NutriBullet is the smarter buy. If you want one machine that replaces two appliances, the BN801 earns its higher price.
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Ninja BN801 vs. NutriBullet Combo: Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Ninja BN801 | NutriBullet Combo (NBF50500) |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | 1,400 peak watts | 1,200 watts |
| Blending pitcher | 72-oz Total Crushing pitcher | 64-oz pitcher |
| Food processor | Yes — 64-oz Precision Processor Bowl | No — blending and extraction only |
| Single-serve cups | Two 24-oz cups | One 32-oz cup, one 24-oz handled cup |
| Controls | 5 Auto-iQ presets (smoothies, frozen drinks, extraction, chopped mixtures, dough) | 3 speeds, pulse, and an Extract program |
| Price at review time | $169.99 | $89.84 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (14,653 ratings) | 4.6★ (10,557 ratings) |
The Core Difference: One Machine Does More, One Machine Does Less for Less
This is the decision that actually matters, and everything else is secondary to it. The BN801 swaps between a blending pitcher and a genuine food processor bowl on the same base, with dedicated presets for chopping and dough. The NutriBullet Combo has no food processor bowl at all — it’s a blending and nutrient-extraction machine, full stop, with a 3-speed dial, a pulse button, and an Extract program tuned for smoothies. If you’re comparing these because you want fewer appliances on your counter, the BN801 is the only one of the two that actually replaces a food processor. If food processing was never part of the plan, you’re paying an $80 premium for a capability you won’t use.
Power and Blending Performance
Both machines are rated well above what a basic blender needs for ice and frozen fruit, and owner reviews for each confirm it: BN801 owners describe it mowing through frozen fruit and full smoothies without stalling, and NutriBullet Combo owners report the same for its Extract program, plus genuinely smooth results on nut butters and soups thanks to the cyclonic extractor blade. The BN801’s 1,400 peak watts is the larger number on paper, but neither machine’s owner reviews describe the other as underpowered — this isn’t the differentiator it looks like on a spec sheet.
Noise Level
Both get called loud by their own owners, but the complaints are phrased differently and worth knowing about specifically. BN801 owners mention noise mostly in the context of ice-crushing at full power. NutriBullet Combo owners are more pointed about it — multiple reviews call it out directly (“Super noisy!”), and it comes up often enough in owner feedback that Amazon’s own aggregated review summary flags noise level as a mixed point, with some owners finding it quieter than expected and others finding it genuinely loud for daily use.
What Owners Report About Reliability
Neither machine has a clean record here, and being upfront about both is more useful than pretending one is bulletproof. The BN801’s recurring complaint is specifically the food processor bowl — multiple owners report it breaking with regular use, sourced directly from Amazon’s own aggregated review data on that listing. The NutriBullet Combo’s reliability complaints are different in kind: Amazon’s own review summary for this listing notes some owners reporting the unit suddenly stopping working, and a few describing the pitcher as fragile, alongside plenty of owners reporting years of solid daily use with no problems at all. Read both as “generally reliable, with a real minority of owners hitting a specific failure point” rather than as a reason to avoid either machine outright.
Cleaning and Day-to-Day Use
Both are dishwasher-safe for their main parts, and both get consistent praise for that from owners. The BN801 has more physical parts to keep track of between blending and food-processing modes, simply because it does more; the NutriBullet Combo’s simpler single-purpose design means fewer pieces to wash and reassemble day to day, which several owners specifically call out as a reason they prefer it for a quick daily smoothie routine.
Value for Money
At $89.84, the NutriBullet Combo is the better raw value if blending and extraction are all you need — you’re not paying for a food processor bowl that would sit unused in a cabinet. At $169.99, the BN801 is a genuinely good value only if you’d otherwise be buying a separate food processor anyway; priced against a blender and a food processor bought individually, the combined cost of two single-purpose appliances typically runs higher than the BN801 alone.
Buy the Ninja BN801 If…
You want one appliance that handles smoothies, chopping, and dough without buying a second machine; you have counter and cabinet space for a larger unit; and you’re comfortable with the food processor bowl being the one component that shows up in some owners’ durability complaints.
Buy the NutriBullet Combo If…
You only need blending and nutrient extraction, not food processing; you want the simpler machine with fewer parts to manage day to day; or budget is the deciding factor and $80 matters more than the food-processing capability.
The Verdict
Neither product is the “better” blender in isolation — they’re built for different buying decisions. If you’re standing in front of these two trying to save counter space by replacing both a blender and a food processor, the BN801 is the one that actually does that job. If a food processor was never part of your kitchen to begin with, the NutriBullet Combo does the blending job for nearly half the price and doesn’t ask you to pay for a feature you won’t touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the NutriBullet Combo chop or process food like the BN801 can?
No. The NutriBullet Combo is blending and nutrient extraction only — it has no food processor bowl or chopping preset. If you need food-processing capability, the BN801 is the one of these two that provides it.
Which one is quieter?
Neither is quiet, but the NutriBullet Combo gets more specific, repeated “too loud” feedback from its own owners than the BN801 does, based on Amazon’s aggregated review data for each listing.
Is the price difference worth it for the BN801?
Only if you’ll actually use the food processing side. If you’re buying purely for blending and smoothies, the NutriBullet Combo does that job for $80 less and there’s no real performance gap to justify the premium.
Which is more reliable long-term?
Both have a real, specific complaint pattern rather than a clean record: the BN801’s food processor bowl shows up in durability complaints, while the NutriBullet Combo has some reports of the unit stopping working or the pitcher feeling fragile. Neither pattern is universal, and plenty of owners of each report years of trouble-free use.
Does the NutriBullet Combo come with a large pitcher like the BN801?
Yes, but smaller — 64 oz versus the BN801’s 72-oz pitcher. Both comfortably handle a full-family batch of smoothies.
Which is better for a household that never uses a food processor?
The NutriBullet Combo. There’s no reason to pay for the BN801’s food-processing capability if it would go unused — that’s the entire premium you’d be paying for.
Can I buy just the blending function of the BN801 without the food processor bowl?
Not as reviewed here — the BN801 in this comparison is sold as the full kitchen system with both the blending pitcher and food processor bowl included as one package.
For the full lineup of blender/food-processor combos across every budget, see our best blender food processor combo guide. Read the complete Ninja BN801 review for the full breakdown of what owners report, or see whether you can grind coffee beans in a NutriBullet if you’re considering it for more than smoothies. And if you already own a blender that’s started leaking, see why a blender leaks from the bottom before you decide you need a replacement at all.
Glenn is the founder of Kitchenware Compare and has spent years researching, testing, and reviewing kitchen appliances, cookware, and gadgets. A lifelong home cook raised in a family that treated every meal as an occasion, Glenn started this site to cut through the noise of conflicting product reviews and give readers honest, practical guidance. When he is not testing the latest air fryer or digging into the specs of a new espresso machine, he can usually be found experimenting with new recipes or hunting for the perfect cast iron skillet at a flea market.
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