Olive oil vs Butter

The short answer

Both are almost pure fat at roughly 9 kcal per gram. Olive oil is unsaturated and liquid — good for dressing and frying; butter is largely saturated and solid — good for baking and flavour. Same calories, different fat and a different job in the pan.

Olive oil and Butter, per 100 g and per portion. A gap means USDA has no value for it — not zero.

Olive oil · per 100 gButter · per 100 g
Calories884717
Protein0 g0.9 g
Fat100 g81.1 g
Carbs0 g0.1 g
Fiber0 g0 g
Sugars0 g0.1 g
Sodium2 mg643 mg
Vitamins & minerals — where both carry data
Calcium1 mg24 mg
Folate0 µg3 µg
Iron0.6 mg0 mg
Magnesium0 mg2 mg
Niacin0 mg0 mg
Phosphorus0 mg24 mg
Potassium1 mg24 mg
Riboflavin0 mg0 mg
Thiamin0 mg0 mg
Vitamin A0 µg684 µg
Vitamin B120 µg0.2 µg
Vitamin B60 mg0 mg
Vitamin C0 mg0 mg
Vitamin D0 µg0 µg
Vitamin E14.4 mg2.3 mg
Vitamin K60.2 µg7 µg
Zinc0 mg0.1 mg
At equal calories (per 100 kcal)
ProteinOlive oil: 0 g, Butter: 0.1 g · FiberOlive oil: 0 g, Butter: 0 g · SodiumOlive oil: 0.2 mg, Butter: 89.7 mg

Generic USDA foods (not brands), so both carry micronutrients. Numbers are per 100 g unless the portion toggle is on. USDA FoodData Central, as of 2026-08-12.

Common questions
Is Olive oil or Butter better?

Neither is “better” on its own — it depends what you want from it. The table shows where each is higher; the short answer says when each one fits. Compare on the same basis (per 100 g) and pick for your dish and your goal.

How were these numbers worked out?

Straight from USDA FoodData Central for the generic form of each food, per 100 g. We show the portion view too, but portion sizes differ between foods, so per 100 g is the fair comparison.

Why does one column say “no data”?

Because USDA has no value for that nutrient in that food — so we leave it blank rather than print a 0 that would read as “none”. A real zero from USDA still shows as 0.

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