Revolution vs Frontline: Which one is best?

These products are parasite preventatives available for your pet. Any cat or dog owner has probably faced the choice of Revolution vs Frontline at some point while shopping for their pet’s flea preventative. They both work for indoor and outdoor pets.

Even if your pet is healthy, these medications will keep him or her healthy. Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is a standard part of pet care and protects them from these pests. Not only are they protected from parasites, but from the diseases, bacteria, and parasites they carry.

Fleas are pesky little devils that make your dog itch, scratch and chew. They can get into your carpet and furniture and bite you too. Not only do they cause your dog to dig at himself when he is gnawing at them, but he can also swallow them and their bacteria or tapeworm eggs they carry.

Ticks are parasites that your dog or cat can pick up anywhere. They latch on, burying their heads in the animal’s skin, and can pass on diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to your dog and you, making you both very ill.

The bite of a mosquito inflicts heartworms on dogs and cats. They travel through the bloodstream and lodge in the animal’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Heartworm treatment is extremely expensive, lengthy, and they often cause death,

The best way to take care of the parasites is to prevent them. Revolution and Frontline do just that. We’ll look at these two brands and get to know what each one offers. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about Revolution and Frontline.

Comparison Table

PRODUCT	FEATURES	LATEST PRICE
1. Revolution	Effective against fleas, flea eggs, ear mites, American dog ticks (in dogs), sarcoptic mange (in dogs), and hookworms and roundworms (in cats). Prevents heartworms. Can be put on puppies and kittens from the age of eight weeks. No minimum weight for dosing. Revolution starts to kill fleas in 36 hours; Revolution Plus starts to kill in 12 hours.	Check Price
2. Frontline Plus	Effective against adult fleas, flea pupae, flea larvae, flea eggs, American dog ticks (in cats and dogs), and chewing lice. Can use this on puppies and kittens as young as eight weeks old. Frontline Plus starts killing parasites in 24 hours. Frontline Gold takes them out in 30 minutes. It comes in boxes of three, six, eight, or twelve treatments so that you can get a few doses or enough for the year. Flea treatment can last on cats up to six weeks, though the maker suggests another application at 30 days.	Check Price

Breaking it down

Flea and tick medications break down into standard and gold standard (regular and plus or gold), species of pet (cat or dog), and the pet’s weight. Check with your vet about giving these medications to puppies and kittens under the listed age.

Looking at the different parasites they prevent and control, it’ll give me a good idea of the best product. I’m also going to look at how long treatments last and how many (or how few) doses you can buy at a time. I’ll also examine what the minimum weight is for these products and how fast they work.

Both of these products have active ingredients that work differently. The medications also distribute to your cat or dog’s blood, skin, or fur in separate ways, but they get there, and they work. These are quality products, and your pet would thank you for them if they could.

These medications are not dangerous to your pet, and it is safe for your dog or cat to take a bath or get in the water two hours after you put it on. Please keep your children and pets safely away from this and all medications. And remember, it is flammable, so keep it away from heat sources.

Why go through the trouble of a flea dip? Topical flea treatments take a moment and it’s over; no mess, no fuss. According to a vet at Ohio State University, flea dips can be toxic to dogs and cats. They can be dangerous to humans, too, with all the pyrethrins they contain.

If you feel the need to do a dip, talk to your vet. But these topical formulas have been tested better, and they are safer and more effective.

In the meanwhile, let’s continue with the comparison. You can find Frontline and Revolution on Chewy.com/ in different formulas. 

Revolution

Revolution is found in two different formulas: Revolution and Revolution Plus. The original Revolution is for cats and dogs. The newer Revolution Plus is for cats only. We’ll look at regular Revolution first.

Revolution’s active ingredient is selamectin. This is a prescription medication that is a neurotoxin to fleas and other pests, while it restricts heartworms from developing. The neurotoxin is not dangerous to pets or humans, but you will want to wash your hands after putting it on your pet.

The medication gets absorbed into your cat or dog’s bloodstream, where it combats heartworms. It redistributes from the blood to the skin. When it gets there, it kills adult fleas, flea eggs, ear mites, and American dog ticks. Wow, the sweet relief of not having to scratch! What bliss!

Your pet will need a negative heartworm test on record that is current with your vet before you can buy this medicine. Revolution isn’t effective against adult heartworms. After you discuss it with your vet, they will probably suggest treatment for a dog or cat.

Once you treat your pet for heartworms, they should be able to take Revolution to prevent future infections. Revolution has an excellent track record of preventing heartworm disease, and it’ll work hard. 

Applying this treatment every 30 days will save you from the expense, difficulty, and heartbreak of treating heartworm disease. Unless your dog can carry around a mosquito coil with him, he needs something to protect him.

This will also protect your dog from sarcoptic mange – otherwise known as scabies – when you make sure he’s got his dose every 30 days. Mange is zoonotic, which means humans can get it too, so you’re also protecting yourself.

Revolution will also treat and prevent hookworms and roundworms in a pet. These are parasites, too, and can endanger a pet. The neurotoxin in Revolution takes care of these nasties.

If you have any questions about your pet and medication interactions, make sure you talk to your vet about any medications that your cat or dog takes before giving Revolution to them. Your vet can answer these questions and help you make a plan for your pet’s protection.

Revolution comes in different boxes for different weights of cats and dogs.

Revolution for Dogs

• Mauve box – up to 5 lbs.
• Purple box – 5.1 to 10 lbs
• Brown box – 10.1 to 20 lbs.
• Red box – 20.1 to 40 lbs.
• Teal box – 40.1 to 85 lbs.
• Plum box – 85.1 to 130 lbs.

Talk to your veterinarian about doses for dogs with heavier weights.

Revolution for Cats

• Mauve box – up to 5 lbs.
• Blue box – 5.1 to 15 lbs.
• Taupe box – 15 to 22 lbs.

Talk to your veterinarian about doses for cats of heavier weights.

Revolution Plus

This medicine is a flea, tick, heartworm, and ear mite preventative for cats with an additional active ingredient, sarolaner. It is a neurotoxin that overloads the flea’s nervous system. 

This product functions in much the same way as the original Revolution. Revolution Plus kills the fleas before they can lay eggs, kills ticks that spread disease, prevents heartworm disease, and treats roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites.

Revolution Plus comes in three weight classes:

• Gold box – 2.8 to 5.5 lbs
• Orange box – 5.6 to 11 lbs.
• Green box – 11.1 to 22 lbs.

Features:

Revolution is available in topical form only. You need to apply it to the back of the neck between the shoulder blades. One dose protects your dog or cat for 30 days, the standard amount of time for a dose of preventative like this to last.

Revolution is effective against heartworms, fleas, ticks, ear mites, sarcoptic mange (in dogs), and hookworm and roundworm (in cats)

Boxes of Revolution have six tubes, each of which contains a dose of the medicine. The tubes need to be kept below 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius.

With Revolution, fleas start to die in 36 hours. When tested in a lab, Revolution Plus began to kill fleas in 12 hours.

Cats and dogs tolerate this medication well, as well as puppies and kittens eight weeks of age and older.

This medication kills the following pests on dogs:

• Adult fleas
• Flea eggs
• Ear mites
• Sarcoptic mange
• American Dog Ticks

It prevents heartworms.

This medication kills the following parasites on cats:

• Adult fleas
• Flea eggs
• Ear mites
• Hookworm
• Roundworm

It prevents heartworms.

If you notice any change in your cat or dog, call your vet immediately. These can be physical or behavioral changes.

Compare the pros and cons here side-by-side with the pros and cons for Frontline Plus.

Frontline Plus

Frontline is another parasite preventative that’s on the market for your pet. It comes in two different formulas as well: Frontline Plus and Frontline Gold. Frontline Gold has an additional active ingredient and works faster. Frontline Plus is the first one we’re going to look at.

Frontline uses a combination of two active ingredients, fipronil and (S)-methoprene, a one-two punch at fleas. These medications are harmless to humans and pets but lethal to fleas, ticks, and chewing lice.

Fipronil is a neurotoxin that attacks the fleas’ nervous system and overloads them. It works quickly and lasts for a long time. But fipronil can’t handle all the eggs that all the female fleas in an infestation lay in one day.

(S)-methoprene to the rescue! It attacks the eggs and seeps into them, preventing them from reaching the next stage in their development. The two pesticides usually control the flea infestation in 30 days. You must treat sources of new fleas and treat the pet too.

When they die, the fleas come to the top of the cat or dog’s coat, so it seems like there are more fleas, but it’s really a sign that the tide of the war is turning. Of course, fleas are outside in the yard and come in on shoes and clothing, so you will need to continue to treat your pet.

Fipronil and (S)-methoprene are EPA-approved pesticides. They are not actual medicine, so you won’t need a prescription to get this treatment. This means you can order them any time you like and use them on your pet.

If you notice your pet behaving differently from normal, or if there is physically something different about them, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian. This treatment is safe, but you know when something is wrong with your cat or dog.

Frontline Plus comes for cats or dogs in boxes that are color-coded to the animal’s weight.

Frontline Plus Colors and Weights for Dogs

• Orange box 5 to 22 lbs.
• Blue box 23 to 44 lbs.
• Purple box 45 to 88 lbs.
• Red box 89 to 132 lbs.

Frontline Plus for Cats only comes in one box. Frontline Plus for Dogs is not suitable for cats.

You should apply this flea and tick treatment to your dog between the shoulders, above the skin. Part your pet’s hair and squeeze out everything that’s in the tube.

These pesticides work by moving into the oil glands in the cat or dog’s coat. It slowly moves out onto the bottom of the fur throughout the 30-day period, and when pests move up against it, they become poisoned and die.

Frontline Plus treats fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, flea pupae, American dog ticks, and chewing lice. It does not prevent heartworms. You need a different medication from the vet for that.

It treats fleas for 30 days on dogs. It lasts longer on cats, killing fleas for up to six weeks, though the maker suggests that owners reapply after 30 days to prevent reinfestation. Chewing lice and tick treatment is effective for at least 30 days.

Owners can treat puppies and kittens eight weeks and older. The minimum weight for treating dogs is five pounds. You can only use Frontline Plus on cats weighing more than 1.5 pounds.

You can’t use Frontline on any animal other than cats or dogs. Rabbits, raccoons, and guinea pigs should not use Frontline Plus.

Frontline Gold

In addition to fipronil and (S)-methoprene, Frontline Gold contains pyriproxyfen as an active ingredient. This stops insect growth at the youth stages and ends the cycle of young parasites.

This treatment, once applied, starts working in 30 minutes. After it’s been on for 24 hours, it’s waterproof!

Frontline Gold is available for cats and dogs.

Frontline Gold for Dogs

• Orange box 5 to 22 lbs.
• Blue box 23 to 44 lbs.
• Purple box 45 to 88 lbs.

As with Frontline Plus, there is only one Frontline Gold box for cats.

Features:

Frontline Plus is only available in topical form. You will need to apply this product to your dog or cat’s skin between the shoulder blades.

Frontline treats adult fleas, flea pupae, flea larvae, and flea eggs. It breaks the flea life cycle. It also controls American dog ticks and chewing lice on your dog.

Boxes of Frontline Plus come in three doses, six doses, and eight doses. That way, if you want to, you can buy as much or as little as you want.

This product starts to work in 24 hours. The fleas will come up to the top of your cat or dog’s coat. Frontline Gold starts to work in 30 minutes.

You can give this product to seniors, adults, and puppies and kittens as young as eight weeks of age. It’s not medication, so you don’t need a prescription.

It protects dogs for 30 days. Frontline Plus protects cats from fleas for six weeks, but dosing again at 30 days is suggested.

Compare the pros and cons here to the ones above for Revolution. 

Winner – Revolution

Final Verdict

In the case of Revolution vs Frontline, I found these are both quality products, and I have used them both in the past. Both Revolution and Frontline Plus do what they say they will and effectively kill and prevent parasites. But one is better than the other.

Both products kill fleas and control flea infestations. And each kills ticks, at least in dogs, anyway. Revolution does something Frontline Plus doesn’t. And Frontline Plus has its own qualities that Revolution can’t match.

When I place these products side by side, without any products to support them, one stands out. I have to go with coverage and the one that’s going to keep my cats and dog safer.

Revolution protects against more. It may take 12 hours longer to start working, and that’s another 12 hours of my pets scratching, chewing, biting, and dealing with parasites. Maybe Frontline Plus’s flea protection would last longer on my cats. I’d still give it to them every 30 days for safety.

But Revolution protects my cats from hookworms and roundworms. Even an indoor cat can get these, and I’d rather have my cat safeguarded and safe. And it keeps me from having to rack up another vet bill. And tell me, have you ever taken a cat for a car ride to the vet or given him a pill? Oh, the drama!

If my cat gets ear mites, and I have to take him to the vet, clean out his ears every night, and deal with that, I’d instead prevent it. Revolution does that. It makes my life so much easier. I’m going with easy.

I don’t mind buying a box of six tubes. It would be more convenient to buy the packs of Frontline Plus in the size I want rather than a one-size-fits-all six tubes. But when I buy the box of Revolution, I’m set for half a year. I stagger when my pets go to the vet, so I don’t have to buy the boxes all at once.

If my kitten (who is a little over eight weeks old right now) weighed under a pound and a half, I could still give him medication. He’s big for a guy his age, so I don’t really have to worry, but the point is, with Revolution, I wouldn’t have to anyway.

And we come to the biggie—the heartworm protection. I’ve lost dogs to heartworms before there was treatment, and even now, it’s hard on a dog. It’s intensive, takes a long time, is very expensive, and the dog doesn’t always make it.

I’d rather have heartworm prevention over anything else. If I can prevent my guy from having to go through that again, I’ll do it. When I gave Revolution to my dog, it was mainly for heartworm protection. Everything else was gravy.

Revolution and Frontline Plus are top-of-the-line products. They take care of your pets and protect them from parasites, especially fleas and ticks that can spread bacteria, diseases, and parasites. Comparing these items side-by-side, with no additional support, there is one that is the clear winner.

I choose the Revolution.