Thorne vs Optimum Nutrition Creatine (2026): Same Molecule
By Erin Rose Updated October 20, 2026 Methodology
Buy Optimum Nutrition. It costs $0.30 a day against Thorne’s $0.49, and both are on a list that tests for banned drugs. The difference: NSF tests each Thorne lot before listing it. Pay the extra only if you need NSF.
Drug-tested in sport? Buy Thorne. Its NSF Certified for Sport listing names 7 lots, so you can match the lot on your tub. It costs about $69 more a year. How each tub is checked.
If you are not set on these two brands, our pick for most people is Naked Creatine: plain creatine monohydrate on NSF/ANSI 173, which checks the tub holds what the label says. It costs $0.18 a day, less than either (best creatine).
How we checked
- 5
- testing lists searched for each tub
- 7
- Thorne lots NSF names for the 453 g tub, Oct 20
- 2
- labels read in NIH’s label database
- 4
- tubs priced on Amazon, Nov 6
Same creatine, three ways of checking it
Both tubs are on a list that tests for drugs banned in sport. The lists check in different ways. NOW Sports, shown for comparison, is tested every batch before it is sold.
Who checks the tub for banned drugs, and how often
Optimum Nutrition
Tubs bought from shops, at least monthly
Can you check your tub? Yes. Search the batch number on your tub at Informed Choice. It lists the batches it tested.
Thorne
Lot by lot: 7 lots named for the 453 g tub
Can you check your tub? Yes. Match the lot number printed on your tub to the listing. If your lot is not there, NSF has not named it.
NOW Sports
Every batch, before it is sold
Can you check your tub? No need. Every batch is tested before release.
From each program’s own description and list. NSF Certified for Sport searched October 20, 2026; Informed Choice searched September 22, 2026; Informed Sport searched October 16, 2026.
The two listings, as we saw them
Every list we searched
| Testing list | Optimum Nutrition | Thorne |
|---|---|---|
| NSF Certified for Sport | Not found | Listed |
| Informed Sport | Not found | Not found |
| Informed Choice | Listed | Not found |
| NSF/ANSI 173 | Not found | Listed |
| USP Verified | Not found | Not found |
NSF/ANSI 173 is not a banned-drug list. It checks that the tub holds what the label says. Thorne is on it too.
What the labels say
Both labels list one ingredient: 5 g of creatine monohydrate a serving, and nothing else. That is the form and dose the research uses (Kreider 2017).
What the price gap costs you
Thorne costs $0.19 more a day than Optimum Nutrition. At 5 g a day, that is about $69 a year.
| Tub | Price | A day | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum Nutrition, 60 servings | $17.97 | $0.30 | $109 |
| Thorne, 90 servings | $44.00 | $0.49 | $178 |
| NOW Sports, 120 servings | $19.79 | $0.16 | $60 |
| Naked (our pick), 200 servings | $35.99 | $0.18 | $66 |
Prices move. To check a tub you see somewhere else, divide its price by its servings. Every creatine we price: creatine prices.
How the two scored
Optimum Nutrition scores 9.0 out of 10 and Thorne 8.0. One mark separates them: cost. Thorne costs more a serving, so it gets 0 of 2 points for cost, and Optimum Nutrition gets 1. They score the same on dose, testing, label and recalls. How we score.
Who should buy which
- You want one of these twoOptimum Nutrition
The same creatine for less, on a banned-drug testing list. Check the price.
- Your sport requires NSF Certified for SportThorne
Its NSF Certified for Sport listing names each lot. Check the price.
- You want every batch tested, for lessNOW Sports
On Informed Sport, which tests every batch before it is sold. $0.16 a day. Check the price.
- You want our main pickNaked Creatine
Our pick on best creatine: $0.18 a day in the 1 kg tub, on NSF/ANSI 173.
- You already have a tub of plain creatine monohydrateBuy nothing yet
Finish it. You don’t need to switch brands to get 5 g a day. If it is a Thorne tub, check its lot.
What the reviews found about creatine itself
Both tubs hold the same creatine monohydrate, so the research applies to either one. Four reviews that pooled many trials:
- Strength. People on creatine got stronger than people in the control groups. Gains were bigger in people new to training and with hard training (Zhang 2025).
- Body weight and muscle. Across 143 trials, creatine added about 0.8 kg (under 2 lb) of fat-free mass. The effect was small, and larger with weight training. One author advises a company that makes creatine (Pashayee-Khamene 2024).
- Muscle damage after exercise. In 23 studies, blood markers of muscle damage were lower on creatine 2 to 4 days after one hard workout. After weeks of training, they were higher the next day. The authors say it is not yet clear what that means (Doma 2022).
- Kidney blood tests. Creatine raised creatinine, the number a kidney blood test reads, a little. Kidney filtering showed no clear change across the trials (Naeini 2025). Tell whoever orders your blood work that you take it.
Questions
Is Thorne creatine better than Optimum Nutrition?
Not for results. Both are creatine monohydrate, 5 g a serving, and nothing else. That is the form the research uses. Thorne’s extra cost buys NSF Certified for Sport, which tests each lot before listing it. That matters if your sport asks for NSF.
Is Optimum Nutrition creatine third-party tested?
Yes. Its Micronized Creatine Powder is on the Informed Choice list, which tests for banned drugs. The Informed Choice mark is printed on the 300 g label.
How much Optimum Nutrition creatine should I take?
One rounded teaspoon a day. Optimum Nutrition’s label calls that 5 g. Thorne’s label lists one scoop (5 g). Loading and timing are in the creatine dosage guide.
Is micronized creatine better than regular creatine?
No. Micronized means the powder is milled finer, so it mixes more easily. A gram holds the same creatine, so the dose stays 5 g. The creatine forms guide covers the other forms.
What we got wrong
Until October 17, 2026, this page said Optimum Nutrition was not certified. That was wrong. It is on the Informed Choice list, which tests for banned drugs, and the mark is printed on its label. Until October 20, 2026, this page said you could not check an Optimum Nutrition tub by batch. That was wrong. Informed Choice lists the batches it tested, and you can search your batch number on its site.
Sources
- 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;14:18. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement trade group, paid to prepare it. PubMed 28615996
- Zhang H, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on muscle strength gains: a meta-analysis and systematic review. PeerJ. 2025;13:e20380. PubMed 41328071
- Pashayee-Khamene F, et al. Creatine supplementation protocols with or without training interventions on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2024;21(1):2380058. Co-author Candow advises Alzchem, a creatine maker. PubMed 39042054
- Doma K, et al. The paradoxical effect of creatine monohydrate on muscle damage markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022;52(7):1623-1645. PubMed 35218552
- Naeini EK, et al. Effect of creatine supplementation on kidney function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Nephrol. 2025;26(1):622. PubMed 41199218
- NSF Certified for Sport certified products, searched October 20, 2026. Thorne listing 1204244.
- Informed Choice certified products, searched September 22, 2026.
- Informed Sport certified products, searched October 16, 2026.
- NSF/ANSI 173 certified dietary supplements, searched September 28, 2026.
- Labels: NIH DSLD 319465 (Optimum Nutrition), NIH DSLD 298066 (Thorne).
- Prices: Amazon, checked November 6, 2026. Product photos: Amazon, shown under the Associates program licence.