Creatine powder vs capsules: which should you buy?
Powder, for almost anyone. A 5 g dose is one scoop, or 7 capsules. The cheapest capsules we track cost $0.399 a dose against $0.145 for powder — about 2.8×.
Creatine monohydrate is the same compound either way, so this is a question about packaging rather than about what reaches you. The seven-capsule figure is not a criticism of any brand: 5 g is simply a large amount to fit in capsules, and every brand whose panel we have read lands on the same number.
| Cheapest of each | Per 5 g dose | Units per dose | Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate (Micronized) Powder (5000 g) | $0.145 | 1 | $144.97 |
| BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate Capsules (420 count) | $0.399 | 7 | $23.96 |
Every capsule product we have read says seven
Worth stating because the figure circulating online is usually four or five. It is seven, on all 3 capsule products we track, across 2 brands. At two doses a day during a loading protocol that is fourteen capsules.
When capsules still make sense
Travel, and not owning a shaker. Powder needs water and something to stir it in; capsules need neither. If that is the difference between taking it daily and not, the premium buys something real — creatine works on consistency rather than timing, so the version you actually take beats the cheaper one you skip.
What we would not lean on is taste. Creatine monohydrate is close to flavorless in water, which is why it is sold unflavored far more often than most powders. The argument for capsules here is convenience, not palatability.
- Servings per container are derived from net weight rather than read off the label, except where a note on the product says otherwise.
- Most source records have not been checked by a person. The ones that have say so.
- Amazon and Walmart are not included, so “cheapest” means cheapest among the retailers we track.
- Prices go stale. Each one shows when it was last checked, and says so when it is older than the retailer allows us to cache it.
Full comparison of every product in this category: Creatine Monohydrate. How these numbers are made: How we compare.