KSM-66 vs Sensoril vs Generic Ashwagandha: Which Should You Buy?
Buy KSM-66. It has more trials (6 against 2), and our pick is on a testing list. No trial compared the two directly.
By Erin Rose Updated October 8, 2026 How we score
Better buy
KSM-66: Transparent Labs
10.0/10
- Cost
- $0.33 a trial day
- Testing
- Informed Choice
KSM-66
- Made by
- Ixoreal Biomed
- Plant part
- Root only
- Withanolides
- At least 5% withanolides, by HPLC, a lab method (trial text)
- Trial dose a day
- 250 to 600 mg; 600 mg most often
- Trials we read (no diagnosis)
- 6
- Capsules we score
- 9, 3 on a testing list
- A trial day costs
- $0.28 to $0.70
Sensoril
- Made by
- Natreon
- Plant part
- Root and leaf, water extract
- Withanolides
- Labels and brand pages say 10%; no figure in the trial text
- Trial dose a day
- 125 to 500 mg
- Trials we read (no diagnosis)
- 2
- Capsules we score
- 3, 0 on a testing list
- A trial day costs
- $0.50 to $1.53
Unbranded root extract
- Made by
- No trademark
- Plant part
- Varies by label
- Withanolides
- Varies by label (2.4% to 2.5% on two we score); many state none
- Trial dose a day
- 700 to 1,000 mg
- Trials we read (no diagnosis)
- 2
- Capsules we score
- 4, 1 on a testing list
- A trial day costs
- $0.49 to $1.58
What each extract was tested for
KSM-66 has 6 trials we read; Sensoril has 2. Each compared the extract with placebo (a dummy pill), in adults without a diagnosed condition. No trial put KSM-66 and Sensoril side by side. Open an extract to see its trials.
KSM-66 (6 trials)
| Trial | Dose and measure | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrasekhar 201264 adults under long-term stress | 600 mg a day (300 mg twice), 60 daysStress questionnaires and blood cortisol | Stress scores and cortisol fell more than on placeboTies: The extract’s maker supplied it (full text); the paper declares no conflicts |
| Salve 201960 stressed adults | 250 or 600 mg a day, 8 weeksA stress questionnaire, an anxiety rating, cortisol and sleep quality | Both doses lowered stress scores and cortisol more than placeboTies: The extract’s maker made and gave the capsules (full text) |
| Kelgane 202050 adults aged 65 to 80 | 600 mg a day, 12 weeksQuality-of-life and sleep-quality questionnaires | Sleep-quality and morning-alertness scores rose more than on placeboTies: The extract’s maker gave it as a gift (full text) |
| Wankhede 201557 young men new to weight training | 600 mg a day (300 mg twice), 8 weeksStrength (bench press and leg extension) and muscle size | Bench-press gains were larger than on placeboTies: The extract’s maker supplied it (full text) |
| Verma 202373 active men and women lifting weights | 600 mg a day (300 mg twice), 8 weeksBench press, leg press and endurance | Strength and endurance rose more than on placebo, in men and in womenTies: The extract’s maker supplied it (full text) |
| Choudhary 201549 athletic adults | 600 mg a day (300 mg twice), 12 weeksVO2 max, a measure of aerobic fitness (shuttle-run test) | VO2 max rose more than on placeboTies: Extract from its maker (full text); no funder stated |
Sensoril (2 trials)
| Trial | Dose and measure | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Pandit 202498 stressed adults analysed | 125, 250 or 500 mg a day, 8 weeksA stress questionnaire and blood stress markers | All three doses lowered stress scores more than placeboTies: Funded by Natreon, Sensoril’s maker |
| Ziegenfuss 201838 men doing weight training | 500 mg a day, 12 weeksSquat and bench-press strength, body make-up | Squat and bench-press gains were larger than on placeboTies: Funded by Natreon, Sensoril’s maker |
Unbranded root extract (2 trials)
| Trial | Dose and measure | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| O’Connor 202260 college students | 700 mg a day, 30 daysSleep and stress questionnaires, food cravings | End-of-study sleep scores were higher than on placebo; stress did not clearly differTies: None named on PubMed |
| Shenoy 201240 elite cyclists | 1,000 mg a day (500 mg twice), 8 weeksTreadmill fitness: VO2 max and time to exhaustion | Fitness scores rose; the placebo group did not changeTies: Capsules made by Dabur India, which the authors thank for helping pay (full text) |
Trials in people with medical conditions exist for both; ask a doctor about those. All 26 trials we read, every extract.
Is a higher withanolide percent better?
Not across extracts. Withanolides are the plant compounds labels quote, but each extract measures them its own way: KSM-66’s trials state at least 5% withanolides by HPLC (a lab method), and Sensoril labels state 10% withanolide glycosides. So 10% on a Sensoril label is not twice the 5% on a KSM-66 label. Dose each one at the amount its own trials used.
What a trial day costs
At each brand’s list price, a KSM-66 trial day (600 mg) costs $0.28 to $0.70 across the 9 capsules we score; a Sensoril day (500 mg) costs $0.50 to $1.53. Sensoril capsules hold 125 mg, so a Sensoril trial day is 4 capsules. The lowest-cost KSM-66 capsule we score is Nutricost KSM-66 Ashwagandha 600 mg, $0.28 a day. Prices, brand by brand.
Is either one third-party tested?
Yes for KSM-66: 3 of the 9 KSM-66 capsules we score are on a public list we searched on October 7, 2026 (NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, Informed Sport), our pick among them. None of the 3 Sensoril capsules is. Among unbranded extracts, Klean Athlete Klean Ashwagandha 500 mg is on NSF Certified for Sport (listing 1536891) and NSF/ANSI 173. NSF lists specific lots (10 lots, checked Oct 7); check the lot number on your bottle against NSF’s listing.
The extracts this page leaves out
KSM-66 and Sensoril are not the only tested extracts. Shoden (Thorne sells it) was tested at 120 to 240 mg a day, NooGandha (Momentous) at 225 to 400 mg, and Prolanza, AshwaSR, Shagandha, Zenroot, Witholytin, Ashwa.30, Agewel and LongeFera each in their own trials. KSM-66 or Shoden.
Who should buy which?
| If you want | Buy |
|---|---|
| The most-tested extract, on a testing list | Transparent Labs KSM-66 Ashwagandha 600 mg, $0.33. |
| The lowest cost | Nutricost KSM-66 Ashwagandha 600 mg, $0.28: the lowest-cost KSM-66 capsule we score. |
| Sensoril | Nootropics Depot Sensoril Ashwagandha 125 mg: 4 capsules make a 500 mg trial day, $0.67. The top-scoring Sensoril capsule we score; not on a testing list we checked. |
| An unbranded extract on a testing list | Klean Athlete: 500 mg a capsule, so a 1,000 mg trial day is 2 capsules, $1.07. NSF lists specific lots; check yours. |
Every product, scored: the best ashwagandha. How much of each: dosage by extract.
Sources
- Chandrasekhar K 2012, Indian journal of psychological medicine. PubMed 23439798
- Salve J 2019, Cureus. PubMed 32021735
- Kelgane SB 2020, Cureus. PubMed 32226684
- Wankhede S 2015, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. PubMed 26609282
- Verma N 2023, F1000Research. PubMed 38988644
- Choudhary B 2015, Ayu. PubMed 26730141
- Pandit S 2024, Nutrients. PubMed 38732539
- Ziegenfuss TN 2018, Nutrients. PubMed 30463324
- O'Connor J 2022, Journal of medicinal food. PubMed 35984871
- Shenoy S 2012, Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PubMed 23326093
- Labels: each brand’s page or the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Testing lists read October 7, 2026. Prices: each brand’s own list price, checked October 7, 2026.
This page is for information. It is not medical advice.