Best Creatine Pills and Capsules (2026): Pills per 5 g, Price and Testing
Buy Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules. Four pills make 5 g of creatine, for $0.67 per 5 g, sold and shipped by Amazon. It is on the Informed Choice list, which tests for substances banned in sport.
By Erin Rose Updated November 4, 2026 Methodology
Cheapest: Micro Ingredients at $0.33 per 5 g, but it takes 7 pills and is on no testing list. See all 6.
Every creatine capsule we checked, ranked
We read each bottle's Supplement Facts, searched five testing lists for it, and priced it per 5 g of creatine. We rank on four things, in this order: a testing list, the fewest pills for 5 g, whether Amazon ships it now, then the lowest price. All 6 are creatine monohydrate.
| Capsules | Testing list | Pills for 5 g | Per 5 g |
|---|---|---|---|
 1. Optimum Nutrition 1.25 g a pill, gelatin capsule. 300 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | Informed Choice listed as Micronized Creatine Capsules | 4 | $0.67 |
 2. Animal Ready-To-Go 1.25 g a pill, gelatin (beef) capsule. 300 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | NSF/ANSI 173 Universal Nutrition listing, 4 capsules a day | 4 | $0.56 |
 3. NOW Sports 750 mg a pill, vegetarian capsule. 120 pills = 18 days of 5 g. | Informed Sport listed as NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 7 | $0.53 |
 4. Pristine's 750 mg a pill, shell not stated on Amazon. 300 pills = 45 days of 5 g. | NSF/ANSI 173 FedPharm listing, 4 capsules a day | 7 | $0.58 |
 5. Micro Ingredients 714 mg a pill, gelatin capsule. 500 pills = 71 days of 5 g. | None found | 7 | $0.33 |
 6. Nutricost 750 mg a pill, gelatin capsule. 500 pills = 75 days of 5 g. | None found | 7 | $0.35 |
- Optimum Nutrition ($0.67) is our pick: on Informed Choice, which tests for substances banned in sport, 4 pills for 5 g, and sold and shipped by Amazon.
- Animal Ready-To-Go ($0.56) is also 4 pills, on NSF/ANSI 173, and about $3.30 a month cheaper at 5 g a day. Amazon shows a later ship date for it right now, so it is our runner-up until it ships right away again.
- Pristine's ($0.58) is close to Animal on price and on NSF/ANSI 173, but it takes 7 pills, and its Amazon listing does not show the capsule shell or other ingredients.
- Micro Ingredients ($0.33) is the cheapest per 5 g. It takes 7 pills, and we found it on no testing list.
We also checked Vega and Jacked Factory capsules. Both are on Informed Choice and need 6 and 5 pills for 5 g. To keep this list short, we left them out.
How many creatine pills make 5 g?
Between 4 and 7, depending on the brand. Divide 5 g by the creatine in one capsule. A 1.25 g capsule takes 4 pills. A 750 mg capsule takes 7, because 6 give only 4.5 g. Where 5 g falls between two pill counts, we round up. Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day, the daily amount in the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. For timing and loading, see the creatine dosage guide.
Pill counts also change how long a bottle lasts. The 300-capsule bottles from Optimum Nutrition and Animal give 75 days of 5 g. NOW's 120-capsule bottle gives 18.
Which creatine capsules are third-party tested?
4 of 6. We searched each program's own list on October 5, 2026. A listing counts only if it names this capsule product, not the brand's powder.
- Informed Choice (October 2026 list) lists Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules. It tests products for substances banned in sport.
- NSF/ANSI 173 lists Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules and Pristine's Creatine Monohydrate (capsules). This standard checks that the label amount is right and that contaminants stay under set limits.
- Informed Sport lists NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Capsules. It tests every batch for substances banned in sport before release. NOW's listing does not name a bottle size.
- NSF Certified for Sport and USP Verified list none of the 6. NSF Certified for Sport lists creatine powders from some of these brands, but no capsules.
- Micro Ingredients and Nutricost are on none of these lists. Nutricost's listing says "third party tested." That is the brand's own claim. No public list we can check backs it.
Proof: our pick and runner-up on their testing lists
Informed Choice: Optimum Nutrition
NSF/ANSI 173: Animal
Testing matters most if you get drug-tested for sport or work. For everyone else, it shows the company lets an outside lab check its product. It does not mean the creatine works better.
What the labels say
Both panels give 2.5 g of creatine monohydrate in 2 capsules, 150 servings a tub. Both capsules are made of gelatin. If you avoid gelatin, NOW Sports uses vegetarian capsules.
| Capsules | Other ingredients |
|---|---|
| Optimum Nutrition | gelatin, magnesium stearate |
| Animal Ready-To-Go | gelatin (bovine), magnesium stearate |
| NOW Sports | hypromellose (cellulose capsule), stearic acid |
| Pristine's | not shown on the Amazon listing or brand page |
| Micro Ingredients | ascorbyl palmitate, gelatin (capsule) |
| Nutricost | gelatin capsule, magnesium stearate, silica |
Magnesium stearate, stearic acid and silica help the powder flow into capsules. For a powder with nothing but creatine, see the best creatine powders.
Creatine capsules vs powder
Same creatine, more money. A capsule is creatine monohydrate powder in a shell. You pay for not mixing a scoop, and you swallow 4 to 7 pills instead.
| Product | Per 5 g | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| BulkSupplements powder (1 scoop) | $0.20 | $5.99 |
| Optimum Nutrition capsules, our pick (4 pills) | $0.67 | $20.00 |
| Animal capsules, runner-up (4 pills) | $0.56 | $16.70 |
| Micro Ingredients capsules, cheapest (7 pills) | $0.33 | $9.79 |
Our capsule pick, Optimum Nutrition, costs 3.3 times BulkSupplements powder per 5 g, about $14.01 more a month. Capsules make sense if you will not mix a scoop every day. If you will, powder is cheaper: see the Nutricost vs Thorne powder comparison. For HCl, buffered and other forms, see creatine forms compared. Gummies are another option, but published lab tests found many below their label: creatine gummies.
Who should buy which
- You want the best creatine pillOptimum Nutrition
On Informed Choice. 4 pills for 5 g, $0.67 per 5 g, 75 days a bottle, sold and shipped by Amazon. Gelatin capsule. Check price.
- You get drug-tested for sportNOW Sports
On Informed Sport, which tests every batch. $0.53 per 5 g, 7 pills.Check price.
- You don't eat gelatinNOW Sports
Vegetarian capsule, on Informed Sport. 7 pills for 5 g, $0.53 per 5 g. Check price.
- You only want the lowest priceMicro Ingredients
$0.33 per 5 g, 7 pills. Not on a testing list. Check price.
- You can take a scoopBulkSupplements powder
$0.20 per 5 g, one scoop. On NSF Certified for Sport. Check price.
More creatine guides: Creapure creatine, third-party tested creatine, creatine dosage guide and all creatine guides.
Questions
What are the best creatine pills?
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules. Four capsules make 5 g of creatine monohydrate, it costs $0.67 per 5 g on Amazon, Amazon sells and ships it, and it is on the Informed Choice list, which tests for substances banned in sport. Animal Ready-To-Go Creatine Capsules is the runner-up: also 4 capsules for 5 g, $0.56 per 5 g, and on the NSF/ANSI 173 list, but Amazon shows a later ship date for it right now.
How many creatine pills equal 5 g?
It depends on how much creatine is in each pill. Divide 5 g by the creatine in one capsule. Of the 6 we checked, Optimum Nutrition and Animal need 4 pills (1.25 g each). NOW, Pristine's, Micro Ingredients and Nutricost need 7 (750 mg or about 714 mg each).
How many creatine pills should I take a day?
Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day, the daily amount in the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. That is 4 pills a day for a 1.25 g capsule, or 7 pills for a 750 mg capsule. Follow your bottle's directions; serving sizes differ by brand.
Are creatine pills as effective as powder?
The capsules hold the same ingredient, creatine monohydrate. What counts is getting your grams each day. The differences are price and pill count: per 5 g, Optimum Nutrition capsules cost $0.67 and BulkSupplements creatine powder costs $0.20. The capsules cost about 3.3 times as much.
Are creatine pills third-party tested?
4 of the 6 we checked are on a public testing list. Informed Choice lists Optimum Nutrition. NSF/ANSI 173 lists Animal and Pristine's. Informed Sport lists NOW Sports. We found Micro Ingredients and Nutricost on none of five lists. None is on NSF Certified for Sport or USP Verified.
What are the best creatine pills for women?
The same as for anyone: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules. None of these has a women's formula; the creatine is the same. If you avoid gelatin, NOW Sports uses a vegetarian capsule, costs $0.53 per 5 g, and is on Informed Sport.
Sources
- Amazon listings, Supplement Facts images and ingredient text, read October 5, 2026: Animal B0BQ1FZJS6, Optimum Nutrition B000GIQS0W, Vega B0FXGPYGFG, NOW Sports B0018OADEA, Jacked Factory B0C8K2Z6SH, Pristine's B0CT68RPXK, Nutricost B01IW245EY (500 capsules; the 180-capsule bottle B0BFZJJY5M was linked 2026-10-30), Micro Ingredients B0B9289VLY.
- Testing lists, searched October 5, 2026: NSF/ANSI 173, "creatine" and NSF/ANSI 173, Universal Nutrition; Informed Choice (October 2026); Informed Sport, NOW Sports; NSF Certified for Sport; USP Verified.
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017. PMID 28615996.
- Powder comparison: our catalog row for BulkSupplements Micronized Creatine Monohydrate (500g), Amazon price checked November 6, 2026.