Creatine is one of the most familiar supplements on gym shelves, and one of the easiest to compare, because most products contain a single ingredient: creatine monohydrate. That makes it a good place to practise reading labels and working out real costs. Our creatine comparison table puts current products side by side.
This guide explains the basics of how creatine products are sold and labeled. It doesn't promise any result, and it isn't advice to take creatine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you have kidney concerns, a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or nursing, or are under 18.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
What creatine is
Creatine is a compound your body makes and stores, mostly in muscle. It is also found in foods such as meat and fish. As a supplement, it is most often sold as creatine monohydrate, a powder made of creatine bound to a water molecule.
Brands describe what they believe creatine supports, and you will see plenty of claims on packaging. We don't repeat those claims. If you want to know whether creatine is appropriate for you, ask a qualified professional who knows your health history.
Forms you will see
Creatine monohydrate powder
The most common form. It usually comes unflavored or flavored in a tub with a scoop. Some brands sell it micronized, meaning the powder is milled finer so it mixes more easily. Micronized describes particle size, not a different ingredient.
Flavored powders
The same creatine with flavors and often sweeteners added. Check the other ingredients if you avoid particular sweeteners or colors, and check whether the scoop size changes because of the added flavoring.
Chews and gummies
Creatine also comes in chewable tablets and gummies. These are convenient, but each piece usually holds only part of a typical serving, so you may need several pieces per serving. Gummies in particular have been the subject of public debate about whether every product contains the amount on the label, which is one more reason to look for independent testing.
Other forms
You may see other creatine salts and blends with added ingredients. Blends make comparison harder, because you are paying for more than creatine. Read the panel to see exactly how much creatine is in each serving.
Reading a creatine label
On the Supplement Facts panel, check:
- Serving size: one scoop, a number of grams, or a number of chews
- Creatine per serving: usually listed in grams
- Servings per container
- Other ingredients: flavors, sweeteners, anti-caking agents
- Testing marks: and whether you can find the product in the certifier's directory
Our guide to reading supplement labels covers the panel in more detail.
Comparing price per serving and per gram
Because creatine is usually a single ingredient, price per gram is a fair way to compare products, even when serving sizes differ.
Here is how the math works with simple, made-up numbers:
- A tub costs $30 and lists 60 servings of 5 g each. That is $30 ÷ 60 = $0.50 per serving, and $0.50 ÷ 5 = $0.10 per gram.
- A bag of chews costs $30 and holds 100 chews of 1 g each. If five chews make a 5 g serving, that is 20 servings. $30 ÷ 20 = $1.50 per serving, or $0.30 per gram.
Same price, very different cost per gram. Convenience can be worth paying for. The point is to know what you are paying.
In our creatine table, the price per serving column is the brand's one-time list price divided by the servings it lists, checked on the date shown. For chews, we use the number of chews the brand says makes one full serving.
Third-party testing for creatine
Because creatine is popular with athletes who may be drug tested, many brands seek sport-focused certification such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport. These programs screen for substances banned in sport and check label claims, among other things. Our guide to third-party testing explains the differences and how to look a product up in the certifier's own listing.
Storage and mixing
Labels usually ask you to keep the container closed, cool and dry. Powders can clump if moisture gets in. Some brands suggest drinking a mixed serving soon after mixing. Follow the directions on your product's label.
Common label terms, decoded
A few phrases appear on many creatine labels:
- "Monohydrate": the form of creatine; most single-ingredient products use it
- "Micronized": finer powder for mixing, not a different ingredient
- "Unflavored": usually creatine alone; check other ingredients to be sure
- "Loading phase": some labels describe taking more for a short period at first; follow your doctor's advice rather than the label's marketing
- "Servings": the number of servings at the brand's own serving size, which is why you should always check the grams per serving
If a label describes creatine "plus" other ingredients, read the panel to see how much creatine you actually get, and remember that every extra ingredient is something else to check with your doctor.
Who should check with a doctor first
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting creatine, or any supplement, if you:
- Have kidney, liver or heart concerns, or any ongoing medical condition
- Take prescription or over-the-counter medication
- Are pregnant, trying to conceive or nursing
- Are under 18
- Have had a reaction to a supplement before
Many creatine labels carry their own warnings; read them.
Creatine and your training at home
Supplements don't replace the basics of training, sleep and food, and they aren't required to train well at home. If you are building a routine, our guides to progressive overload without a full rack and warming up before home strength sessions are a better first stop than any tub.
How Still Stride compares creatine
Our creatine comparison lists price, servings, price per serving, creatine per serving, format, flavors and third-party testing, each linked to the official product page with the date we checked it. You can also pick any two creatine products in the compare tool and see them side by side. We don't rate products or make performance claims.
About this guide
Our supplement guides explain labels, testing programs and terms so you can ask better questions. We don’t make disease or treatment claims, we haven’t hands-on tested products, and we don’t publish invented statistics or ratings. Product facts come from official brand pages and certifier listings. How we work.