Nutricost vs BulkSupplements Creatine (2026): Which to Buy
Buy BulkSupplements. You get the same 5 g of micronized creatine as Nutricost for less a day ($0.20 against $0.21), and BulkSupplements is on NSF Certified for Sport, which screens for drugs banned in sport. We could not find Nutricost on any testing list.
By Erin Rose Updated October 20, 2026 Methodology
Drug-tested in sport? NSF certifies BulkSupplements creatine lot by lot. Match the lot number on your bag to one of the 10 lots NSF names before you use it. How to check.
If you are not set on these two brands, our pick for most people is Naked Creatine, at $0.18 a day. Its list, NSF/ANSI 173, checks the label but not for banned drugs (best creatine).
How we checked
- 5
- testing lists searched for each brand
- 2
- NSF Certified for Sport listings read for BulkSupplements, Oct 20
- 10
- BulkSupplements lots NSF names on them
- 3
- bags and tubs priced on Amazon, Nov 6
Only BulkSupplements is on a testing list
Nutricost’s product page says its creatine is third-party tested, but you cannot look the result up. BulkSupplements’ page does not mention testing, yet NSF lists it twice. That is why it wins.
Who checks the creatine, and can you see it?
BulkSupplements
NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173
Lot by lot: 10 lots named across two listings
Can you check your bag? Yes. Find the lot number on the bag and look for it on listing 1676955 or 1796571.
Nutricost
Its own claim only
“Third-Party Tested” on the product page, lab unnamed
Can you check your tub? No. There is no listing or lab report to look up.
NSF’s listings and both product pages, as we read them on October 20, 2026.
What we found on the lists
Every list we searched
| Testing list | BulkSupplements | Nutricost |
|---|---|---|
| NSF Certified for Sport | Listed | Not found |
| Informed Sport | Not found | Not found |
| Informed Choice | Not found | Not found |
| NSF/ANSI 173 | Listed | Not found |
| USP Verified | Not found | Not found |
2 of 5 lists name BulkSupplements. NSF Certified for Sport tests for drugs banned in sport. NSF/ANSI 173 checks that the product holds what the label says and sets limits for contaminants. Neither list makes the creatine work better.
What the labels say
Neither label lists anything but micronized creatine monohydrate, 5 g a serving. Micronized means a finer powder that mixes more easily. The one practical difference is measuring: Nutricost ships a 5 g scoop, while BulkSupplements gives the serving as 2 teaspoons, about 5 g, and does not say a scoop is included.
Which one costs less?
In the 500 g size they cost less a day ($0.20 against $0.21) on Amazon. That is about $73 a year for BulkSupplements and $78 for Nutricost at 5 g a day.
| Size | Price | A day | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| BulkSupplements, 500 g bag | $19.97 | $0.20 | $73 |
| Nutricost, 500 g tub | $21.50 | $0.21 | $78 |
| Naked (our pick), 1 kg tub | $35.99 | $0.18 | $66 |
Seeing another size? Price divided by servings gives the cost a day. The full list: creatine prices.
How the two scored
BulkSupplements scores 9.0 out of 10 and Nutricost 6.0. All 3 points of the gap come from testing, which is worth 3 of the 10: BulkSupplements gets all of them, Nutricost none. The other marks come out even: dose, cost, label and recalls. How we score.
Who should buy which
- You came to pick one of theseBulkSupplements
Same creatine, about the same price, on NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173. Drug-tested in sport? Check that the lot number on your bag is on one of the two NSF listings before you use it. Check the price.
- You want a scoop in the tub, and nobody tests youNutricost
$0.21 a day, and you never measure teaspoons. Check the price.
- You want to spend the least a day on Amazon, and nobody tests youNaked Creatine
$0.18 a day in the 1 kg tub; see best creatine.
- Half a bag or tub leftFinish it before you switch
How much to take: creatine dosage guide. More pairs: Optimum Nutrition vs Nutricost and Nutricost vs Thorne.
Questions
Is BulkSupplements or Nutricost creatine better?
BulkSupplements, for the same money. The creatine is the same: 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate with nothing added. BulkSupplements is on NSF Certified for Sport and NSF/ANSI 173, which you can look up.
Is BulkSupplements creatine NSF certified?
Yes. Its unflavored creatine is on NSF Certified for Sport in two listings, 1676955 and 1796571, which name 10 lots between them. It is also on NSF/ANSI 173. Its product page does not mention the NSF listings.
Does BulkSupplements creatine come with a scoop?
Its product page does not say so. It gives the serving as 2 teaspoons, about 5 g. Nutricost says a 5 g scoop comes in its tub. A cheap kitchen scale settles it either way.
Can I check that Nutricost creatine is tested?
Not yet. Nutricost’s page says an independent, accredited lab tests its products. It does not name the lab or share results, and we found it on none of the 5 lists we searched.
How much should I take, and who should skip it?
5 g a day, about one Nutricost scoop or 2 teaspoons of BulkSupplements. Loading is optional (creatine dosage guide). People with kidney disease, anyone pregnant or nursing, and teens under 18 should ask a doctor before taking it.
Sources
- NSF Certified for Sport listings 1676955 and 1796571 (BulkSupplements creatine monohydrate, unflavored), read October 20, 2026.
- NSF/ANSI 173 company searches for BulkSupplements (Hard Eight Nutrition) and Nutricost, read October 20, 2026.
- Informed Choice certified products, searched October 20, 2026; Informed Sport and USP Verified searched September 22, 2026.
- Labels: the label on NSF listing 1676955 (BulkSupplements) and NIH DSLD 319643 (Nutricost, 500 g).
- Brand pages, read October 20, 2026: BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate and Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate (serving, scoop and testing claim).
- Prices: Amazon, checked November 6, 2026. Product photos: Amazon, shown under the Associates program licence.