The Best Magnesium Citrate Capsules
The best magnesium citrate capsules are Nature Made Magnesium Citrate softgels, at $0.26 a day. Two softgels give 250 mg of magnesium, and USP, an independent testing group, has verified them. Want a hard capsule? Pure Encapsulations has 150 mg in each.
Our pick for: Most people
- Per day
- $0.262 softgels: 250 mg magnesium
- A bottle
- $15.33120 softgels, 60 days, on Amazon
- Testing list
- USP VerifiedChecks the label and purity
Why we pick it USP Verified checks that the softgel holds what the label says and tests it for harmful contaminants. It is also the citrate pick in our best magnesium guide.
What you give up It is a softgel, not a powder-filled capsule. Citrate can loosen stools at higher doses; if it does, try glycinate.
The best magnesium citrate for your needs
Nature Made suits most people. If you want to save a little or prefer a true capsule, pick one of these.
Also tested, for a little less: Nature’s Truth Magnesium Citrate
Nature’s Truth gives the same 250 mg of magnesium in 2 softgels and is on NSF/ANSI 173, which checks the label and purity.
Nature’s Truth Magnesium Citrate
$0.25 a day · $15.09 a bottle (120 softgels, 60 days)
A true capsule: Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate)
Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate) holds 150 mg of magnesium in each capsule, so you can take one or two. It is not on a public testing list we check.
Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate)
$0.23 a capsule · $20.50 a bottle (90 capsules)
4 magnesium citrate capsules and softgels compared
Cheapest for 250 mg of magnesium first, at Amazon prices checked November 6, 2026. We price 250 mg so a 112 mg serving and a 250 mg serving compare fairly.
| Citrate | Cost for 250 mg | Why it is or is not the pick |
|---|---|---|
| Nature’s Truth Magnesium Citrate250 mg in 2 softgels · NSF/ANSI 173 | $0.25 | Same dose, a cent cheaper; NSF/ANSI 173 |
| Nature Made Magnesium Citrate250 mg in 2 softgels · USP Verified | $0.26 | Our pick |
| Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate)150 mg in 1 capsule · No testing list | $0.38 | True capsules, 150 mg each |
| Double Wood Magnesium Citrate112 mg in 2 capsules · No testing list | $0.38 | Low dose: 112 mg in 2 capsules |
Questions people ask
How much magnesium citrate should I take?
Adults should keep magnesium from supplements to 350 mg a day or less, NIH’s upper limit; food does not count toward it. The 250 mg in our pick is under that. See how much magnesium to take.
Is magnesium citrate better than glycinate?
Neither has been shown to work better. Citrate was absorbed better than oxide in small studies (NIH); it can loosen stools, and glycinate has a gentler reputation. See glycinate vs citrate.
Why does Double Wood say 800 mg?
That is the magnesium citrate. Double Wood’s 800 mg of magnesium citrate which is 112 mg of magnesium; the others here list the magnesium itself. Compare the magnesium, as our table does.
How we picked
We looked at the magnesium citrate capsules and softgels sold on Amazon by the brands ChatGPT names and our magnesium guides already pick, read each label in the NIH database, and checked each against USP Verified, NSF/ANSI 173 and NSF Certified for Sport. Nature Made and Nature’s Truth are both on a testing list with a full 250 mg serving and cost within a cent a day; we lead with Nature Made because USP lists this exact product and it is the citrate pick in our best magnesium guide. NOW’s citrate is a tablet, so it is not here. Or see the magnesium guide.
Sources
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database: Nature Made Magnesium Citrate, label 179947; Nature’s Truth Magnesium Citrate 250 mg, label 339637; Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (Citrate), label 220941 (an earlier listed size; 150 mg a capsule); Double Wood Magnesium Citrate 800 mg, label 315677.
- USP Verified product list (Nature Made Magnesium Citrate 250 Mg Softgels) and NSF/ANSI 173 (Nature’s Truth “Highly absorbable magnesium citrate 250 mg” softgels); our copies are dated on third-party tested magnesium.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (upper limit from supplements; forms and absorption).