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Creatine Supplements
Compare US creatine monohydrate powders and capsules by daily dose, price and testing status. Explore loading, workout timing and the evidence behind strength and brain-health claims.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never determine our scores or rankings.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Testing evidence
Evidence status
Recognised certification
Manufacturer statement
NSF Certified for Sport listing for BulkSupplements.com "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE" shows Product Details with Brand BulkSupplements.com, Product Type Amino Acid/Creatine, Product Form Powder, Flavor Unflavored, Package Size 500 g, 1 kg, and states "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE listed in 306 met the requirements of certification at time of listing."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Testing evidence
Evidence status
Recognised certification
Manufacturer statement
NSF Certified for Sport listing for BulkSupplements.com "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE" shows Product Details with Brand BulkSupplements.com, Product Type Amino Acid/Creatine, Product Form Powder, Flavor Unflavored, Package Size 500 g, 1 kg, and states "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE listed in 306 met the requirements of certification at time of listing."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
This comparison uses grams of creatine monohydrate consistently. Separately declared creatine base and total scoop weights are recorded on product pages. Creapure is a branded source of monohydrate; a seller claim is separate from verified sport certification. Read the dose guide ↓
NSF Certified for Sport listing for BulkSupplements.com "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE" shows Product Details with Brand BulkSupplements.com, Product Type Amino Acid/Creatine, Product Form Powder, Flavor Unflavored, Package Size 500 g, 1 kg, and states "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE listed in 306 met the requirements of certification at time of listing."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
NSF Certified for Sport listing for Thorne® Creatine shows Brand Thorne, Product Type Creatine, Package Size 453 g, Serving Size 1 scoop (5 g), and lists multiple lot numbers; Thorne’s product page also states “NSF Certified for Sport®, ensuring rigorous testing for quality and the absence of nearly 300 substances banned by major athletic organizations.”
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Cellucor’s own certification page says NSF is ‘third-party tested for 290 banned substances,’ and NSF’s own registry page confirms a Cellucor product is certified: ‘CELLUCOR C4 SPORT BLUE RASPBERRY’ on NSF Certified for Sport with product details and lot numbers.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Sports Research product page says "Third Party Tested Certified" and "Informed Sport Tested"; NSF Certified for Sport registry lists Sports Research "Creatine Monohydrate Unflavored" with brand Sports Research®, product type Creatine/Men/Women, serving size 1 scoop (5 g), and lot numbers T25G046 / T25G045.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Sports Research product page states "Third Party Tested Certified" and the NSF Certified for Sport registry independently confirms "Creatine Monohydrate Unflavored" by Sports Research® (Product Type: Creatine/Men/Women; Flavor: Unflavored; Serving Size: 1 scoop (5 g); Lot # T25G046 / T25G045).
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page states: "Our creatine is tested and certified by NSF Certified for Sport® to verify it does not contain unsafe levels of contaminants or prohibited substances." NSF registry independently confirms Bare Performance Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate is listed as Certified for Sport, with product type Creatine, flavor Unflavored, and serving size 1 scoop (5 g).
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page states: "Contents Certified by NSF" and "Independent, third-party tested for accuracy and purity" on the Naked Nutrition creatine page.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Nutricost product page says: "THIRD-PARTY TESTED†" and "Nutricost products are tested by an independent, accredited lab to help verify that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle.†"
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Informed Choice certified-products list PDF includes "Jacked Factory" and the product name "Creatine Monohydrate" under that brand, indicating the product is listed in the certifier’s own registry.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Informed Sport registry page for "NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder" shows: "Certified Product"; Brand: "Now Foods"; Product Category: "Creatine, Vegan"; Formulation Type: "Powder"; Date Certified: "23-Mar-2018".
Laboratory
Not recorded
Certification body
Not recorded
Batch
Not recorded
Batch-specific report
Not established in this record
Report date
Not recorded
Evidence checked
2026-09-14 08:00:17
Why this score?
Testing & evidence
4/20
Ingredient/formulation quality
18/25
Value
19/20
Dose transparency
14/15
Manufacturer transparency
9/10
Label/ingredient transparency
5/10
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page says: "Certified Vegan, IFS Food & TÜV SÜD Approved" and Creapure pages say the product is "tested to the highest standards" / "Each batch is analytically tested and documented."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
NutraBio product page says: “Made in the USA • Third-Party Tested • Fully Transparent Labels • Fully Dosed Formulas” and “third-party testing on every batch”; NutraBio’s testing/ingredient qualification page says “COAs are always available to our consumers, contact customercare@nutrabio.com to receive a copy for the lot you purchased today!”
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page says "100% Pure · Lab Tested" and shows badges for "GMP CERTIFIED", "HACCP CERTIFIED", and "ISO 9001 CERTIFIED" on the Pure Nutritionals creatine product page.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Optimum Nutrition states: "Our Gold Standard 100% Whey, Gold Standard 100% Isolate, Essential AMIN.O. Energy, Creatine and Glutamine are Informed-Choice Certified." The UK product page for a related creatine product also says: "INFORMED SPORT CERTIFIED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer site says: "Every batch is tested by independent, third-party laboratories. We publish Certificates of Analysis so you can verify purity, potency, and safety for yourself." Product page also says "3rd Party Tested Every batch" and "Is your product third-party tested".
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Optimum Nutrition product pages state "BANNED SUBSTANCE TESTED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes" for Creatine Capsules Elite Series and Micronised Creatine Powder - Elite Series; the UK product page for Micronised Creatine Powder - Informed Choice also states "INFORMED SPORT CERTIFIED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
NSF Certified for Sport listing for BulkSupplements.com "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE" shows Product Details with Brand BulkSupplements.com, Product Type Amino Acid/Creatine, Product Form Powder, Flavor Unflavored, Package Size 500 g, 1 kg, and states "CREATINE MONOHYDRATE listed in 306 met the requirements of certification at time of listing."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
NSF Certified for Sport listing for Thorne® Creatine shows Brand Thorne, Product Type Creatine, Package Size 453 g, Serving Size 1 scoop (5 g), and lists multiple lot numbers; Thorne’s product page also states “NSF Certified for Sport®, ensuring rigorous testing for quality and the absence of nearly 300 substances banned by major athletic organizations.”
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Cellucor’s own certification page says NSF is ‘third-party tested for 290 banned substances,’ and NSF’s own registry page confirms a Cellucor product is certified: ‘CELLUCOR C4 SPORT BLUE RASPBERRY’ on NSF Certified for Sport with product details and lot numbers.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Sports Research product page says "Third Party Tested Certified" and "Informed Sport Tested"; NSF Certified for Sport registry lists Sports Research "Creatine Monohydrate Unflavored" with brand Sports Research®, product type Creatine/Men/Women, serving size 1 scoop (5 g), and lot numbers T25G046 / T25G045.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Sports Research product page states "Third Party Tested Certified" and the NSF Certified for Sport registry independently confirms "Creatine Monohydrate Unflavored" by Sports Research® (Product Type: Creatine/Men/Women; Flavor: Unflavored; Serving Size: 1 scoop (5 g); Lot # T25G046 / T25G045).
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page states: "Our creatine is tested and certified by NSF Certified for Sport® to verify it does not contain unsafe levels of contaminants or prohibited substances." NSF registry independently confirms Bare Performance Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate is listed as Certified for Sport, with product type Creatine, flavor Unflavored, and serving size 1 scoop (5 g).
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page states: "Contents Certified by NSF" and "Independent, third-party tested for accuracy and purity" on the Naked Nutrition creatine page.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Nutricost product page says: "THIRD-PARTY TESTED†" and "Nutricost products are tested by an independent, accredited lab to help verify that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle.†"
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Informed Choice certified-products list PDF includes "Jacked Factory" and the product name "Creatine Monohydrate" under that brand, indicating the product is listed in the certifier’s own registry.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page says: "Certified Vegan, IFS Food & TÜV SÜD Approved" and Creapure pages say the product is "tested to the highest standards" / "Each batch is analytically tested and documented."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
NutraBio product page says: “Made in the USA • Third-Party Tested • Fully Transparent Labels • Fully Dosed Formulas” and “third-party testing on every batch”; NutraBio’s testing/ingredient qualification page says “COAs are always available to our consumers, contact customercare@nutrabio.com to receive a copy for the lot you purchased today!”
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer page says "100% Pure · Lab Tested" and shows badges for "GMP CERTIFIED", "HACCP CERTIFIED", and "ISO 9001 CERTIFIED" on the Pure Nutritionals creatine product page.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Optimum Nutrition states: "Our Gold Standard 100% Whey, Gold Standard 100% Isolate, Essential AMIN.O. Energy, Creatine and Glutamine are Informed-Choice Certified." The UK product page for a related creatine product also says: "INFORMED SPORT CERTIFIED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes."
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Manufacturer site says: "Every batch is tested by independent, third-party laboratories. We publish Certificates of Analysis so you can verify purity, potency, and safety for yourself." Product page also says "3rd Party Tested Every batch" and "Is your product third-party tested".
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Displayed points and weights are rounded; the total uses unrounded weights. Pending dimensions are excluded. Provisional scores may change after review.
Optimum Nutrition product pages state "BANNED SUBSTANCE TESTED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes" for Creatine Capsules Elite Series and Micronised Creatine Powder - Elite Series; the UK product page for Micronised Creatine Powder - Informed Choice also states "INFORMED SPORT CERTIFIED – Tested for banned substances, safe for athletes."
One-time purchase prices; delivery and conditional discounts excluded. Daily cost uses the recorded label serving. Comparison amounts are not personal dose recommendations. Unknown Prime eligibility is not treated as confirmed.
Creatine sourcing explained
An ingredient brand, the finished supplement and a sports-certification program describe different things. Check each claim separately.
Creapure source claims
Branded creatine monohydrate
What it identifies
An ingredient source
What it does not establish
Independent verification of the finished product
A seller may state that it uses Creapure. That claim alone does not verify the bottle, lot or sports certification. See the US manufacturer example and quality guide below.
Creatine dosage and loading: understand the grams
Daily maintenance
The NIH ODS research summary describes maintenance protocols of 3–5 g daily. Loading protocols commonly use 20 g daily, divided into four 5 g portions, for 5–7 days, followed by maintenance. These describe research in adults, not a personalized prescription.
Is loading necessary?
No. NIH also describes 3–6 g daily for 3–4 weeks without loading to build muscle stores more gradually. The table’s 3–5 g badge provides maintenance context; it does not label a loading regimen unsafe or prescribe one.
Not a Daily Value
Creatine has no established FDA Daily Value, as illustrated in the FDA’s Supplement Facts teaching example. A maintenance protocol is not an RDA, an AI or a tolerable upper intake level. Do not interpret the green dose badge as a safety guarantee.
Read the Supplement Facts panel, not just the tub size
FDA labeling guidance explains serving size, servings per container and the amount of each dietary ingredient. 1 g = 1,000 mg: 5,000 mg is 5 g. A serving of four capsules is not the same as one capsule.
US containers may headline ounces, pounds or servings. Use the labeled monohydrate amount to compare doses. For example, 500 g of plain powder at 5 g per serving provides 100 servings. Flavored powder can include other ingredients, so total scoop weight need not equal active grams. Where a label separately declares creatine base, do not add it to monohydrate as a second dose.
Monohydrate, Creapure, powders and capsules
NIH ODS identifies monohydrate as the most studied form; alternative forms have not established superior performance benefits. “Micronized” describes particle size, not a different active ingredient. See the NIH review of creatine forms.
Powder and capsules
The current US comparison contains monohydrate powders and capsules. Compare the complete serving, active grams and price/day. Capsule convenience may require several capsules; flavored powders need a check of the other ingredients.
Gummies and HCl
Neither gummies nor hydrochloride (HCl) products are in this US comparison. Their absence is a coverage limit, not evidence that every such product is ineffective or unsafe. Do not transfer a powder product’s score to a gummy from the same brand.
Response varies; not a guarantee for a retail product
Endurance performance
Limited usefulness
Creatine preparations
Longer-duration exercise
Evidence for short efforts does not establish an endurance benefit
Training in older adults
Potential benefit with exercise
Creatine
Resistance training and age-related strength concerns
Do not equate strength findings with proven bone-density benefits
Memory and cognition
Emerging; not settled
Creatine
Small studies in selected populations
No established universal brain-health dose or disease-treatment claim
Read the full evidence-by-goal detail
Strength and power
NIH ODS describes benefits for strength, power and repeated short bursts of effort, with little value for endurance activities. Results depend on the activity and person. Research on the ingredient does not establish the purity or effectiveness of every product above.
Older adults and brain-health searches
Mayo Clinic describes potential strength benefits with resistance exercise and early memory research, particularly in older adults. More research is needed; bone-density benefits are not clear. These findings do not establish a menopause treatment, a dementia treatment or a universal cognitive dose.
Use this table to match the evidence to your goal. A product score summarizes the comparison criteria; it is not a clinical effect size or a prediction of your results.
When to take creatine: before or after a workout?
There is no well-established universal winner between taking creatine before or after a workout. In an eight-week US university trial of 34 athletes, 5 g taken before versus after training did not produce a timing advantage. Participants also received protein and carbohydrate; one small trial cannot settle every schedule.
Workout and rest days
The daily protocols in the dose guide include non-training days. Choose a routine you can follow and check the product directions. A missed serving does not require you to improvise a loading phase.
With a meal or shake?
Choose a practical way to take the labeled serving. Mixing powder into a protein shake does not establish a special timing advantage. Read any preparation instructions, and count creatine already present in the shake or pre-workout.
Creatine side effects, water weight and hair loss
Who should be cautious?If any of the following apply to you, speak to a healthcare professional before taking Creatine - see the full detail below for why.
Known kidney disease or an unexplained abnormal kidney result
Pregnancy, breastfeeding or use under age 18: outside this adult comparison
Prescription medicines, multiple supplements or ongoing medical treatment
Water weight and digestive symptoms
NIH ODS describes water retention and weight gain, along with possible digestive symptoms. A scale increase is not automatically new muscle or fat. Research in healthy adults does not establish safety for every medical condition or every multi-ingredient product.
Kidney concerns
Mayo Clinic reports no apparent kidney-function harm in healthy people using creatine appropriately, while noting limited research in people with kidney disease. Discuss existing kidney problems with your clinician. Do not dismiss an abnormal result as “just creatine”; see the blood-test guide.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
Cleveland Clinic explains that a causal link has not been established. The often-cited concern about a hormone marker is not the same as demonstrating hair loss. This does not prove zero risk for every person.
Stop using a supplement and seek medical advice if you suspect a significant adverse reaction. FDA also accepts reports of supplement-related problems.
Creatine, protein and overlapping ingredients
Protein and pre-workouts
Read every Supplement Facts panel before combining products. For example, a pre-workout containing 3 g of creatine plus a separate 5 g serving totals 8 g. This is label arithmetic, not a reason to target that amount.
Coffee and stimulant blends
A caffeinated pre-workout is not equivalent to plain creatine. Compare caffeine and other active ingredients separately; its marketing claims are not captured by the creatine amount or score.
Medicines and medical care
Ask a pharmacist or clinician to check your complete supplement and medication list. FDA cautions that supplements can interact with medicines and affect laboratory tests. A short comparison page cannot rule out an individual interaction.
Creatine for women and men
The clearest reason to compare these products is an adult goal involving strength or repeated high-intensity exercise. Start with that goal and the evidence table, then compare a practical serving and cost.
Women, including over 40 or 50
A product labeled “for women” does not itself demonstrate a different requirement or better results. Age and menopause search terms do not establish a special formula, fat-loss effect or treatment. Compare the same declared ingredient and serving.
Older adults and plant-based diets
Mayo Clinic discusses older-adult training and potentially greater increases in creatine stores among vegetarians. Neither observation guarantees an individual benefit. Dietary suitability still depends on the finished product, including the capsule shell.
Creatine testing and sports certification
Testing review pending means our detailed evidence review is unfinished. While testing is pending, it is excluded and the score is provisional. It does not mean that a product passed testing, failed testing or has no public evidence.
What “FDA approved” does not mean here
FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before sale. A manufacturer’s registration or regulatory language is not finished-product approval.
Check the actual certification listing
NSF Certified for Sport includes label-content checks, banned-substance testing and ongoing oversight. Match the exact product and, where available, lot in the certifier’s database; a brand logo is insufficient. Certification addresses defined quality risks, not a guarantee of performance benefit or zero risk.
For a laboratory report, look for the product identity, lot, date, laboratory, substances measured and results. A raw-ingredient certificate cannot automatically establish the composition of the flavored powder or capsules you receive. A Creapure sourcing claim is separate from sports certification. See how we verify testing.
Creatine versus creatinine: blood-test context
Creatine is not creatinine
MedlinePlus explains creatinine testing: blood and urine tests help assess kidney function. They do not directly measure the amount of supplemental creatine you need or your muscle stores.
US units and lab context
US creatinine reports commonly use mg/dL; eGFR is usually reported in mL/min/1.73 m². Use your laboratory’s supplied interval and clinician’s interpretation. Muscle mass and other factors affect results, so a single number does not diagnose the cause.
Tell the clinician what you take
Bring the supplement name, daily amount and timing of use. Follow the laboratory’s preparation instructions. Do not stop prescribed medicines or assume an abnormal result is harmless because you use creatine.
A testing claim is not the same as a verified report. No public evidence located does not mean a product has not been tested.
Testing review pending0
Recognised certification8
Verified independent evidence0
Manufacturer COA0
Testing claimed10
No public evidence located3
What does creatine cost?
Current US comparison set, based on the daily serving shown on each label.
$0.18Lowest daily cost
$0.29Median daily cost
$1.00Highest daily cost
Your questions, answered
How much creatine should I take per day?
The dose guide distinguishes common maintenance protocols from loading. Use active grams per full serving; the dose badge is research context, not a personal prescription.
The daily protocols described here include rest days. Follow your product directions; do not automatically double up after a missed serving.
Is creatine different for women over 40 or 50?
A women’s or menopause label alone does not demonstrate a special requirement or superior formula. The population guide separates those searches from established outcomes.
Are creatine gummies as good as powder?
Compare active grams, the complete serving and finished-product quality evidence. No gummies are currently included in this US comparison, so there is no gummy score or direct gummy-versus-powder ranking here.
Is Creapure better than other monohydrate?
Creapure identifies a branded ingredient source. That alone does not establish superior results or verify the finished product. Read the source-claim card.
Does creatine cause hair loss or weight gain?
These are separate questions. Water retention can affect weight; a causal hair-loss link has not been established. See the sources and limits in the safety section.
Can creatine affect a kidney blood test?
Tell your clinician about creatine use when discussing creatinine or eGFR results. Interpretation needs clinical context; never assume an abnormal result is explained by a supplement. Read the blood-test guide.
Is there a proven creatine dose for brain health?
Emerging cognitive research does not establish one universal dose or a disease-treatment claim. The evidence table separates brain-health interest from better-supported exercise uses.
