Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate is the budget champion of our creatine comparison (79/100), and the reason is entirely the price. The formula is not a cheaper imitation of the good stuff — it is the good stuff: 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate, a single ingredient, no fillers, the same proven molecule at the same clinically studied dose as products that cost two and three times as much. So the only question worth doing math on is what that molecule costs here versus everywhere else. We pulled Nutricost’s pricing, checked July 2026, and turned it into the numbers that actually decide a creatine purchase: cost per serving, cost per gram, and cost per year.
The per-serving and per-gram math
A 500 g tub holds 100 servings at 5 g each and runs about $19. Divide it out: about $0.19 a serving, or roughly three to four cents per gram of creatine. Taken the recommended way — 5 g every day, no loading phase needed — a tub lasts about three and a half months, so a full year of daily creatine costs only about $69. That is not a typo. The single most studied sports supplement there is, at the proven dose, for less than most people spend on coffee in a week.
| Tub price (500 g, 100 servings) | ~$19 | one-time, no subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per serving (5 g) | ~$0.19 | the clinically studied dose |
| Cost per gram of creatine | ~3–4¢ | the number that decides the category |
| Cost per year (5 g daily) | ~$69 | about 3.5 tubs |
What everyone else charges for the same molecule
The comparison is what makes the case, because the creatine is identical up and down the list — what you pay extra for at every higher tier is testing and brand, not better creatine. Figures checked July 2026.
| Nutricost (this product) | ~$0.19 | budget champion |
|---|---|---|
| Optimum Nutrition | ~$0.23 | Informed Choice tested |
| Momentous | ~$0.48 | NSF Certified for Sport |
| Thorne | ~$0.49 | NSF Certified for Sport |
| Create gummies | ~$1.10 | 4.5 g, under the 5 g dose |
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | ~$1.67 | pays for weak-evidence HMB |
Nutricost is the floor by a wide margin — roughly a fifth of what the gummy costs per gram, and well under half the certified premium picks. Its premium is nothing; its trade-off is the testing story, which is a real but unnamed third-party claim in an NSF-registered facility rather than the per-batch NSF Certified for Sport mark. Whether that is worth paying up for depends entirely on whether you are drug-tested — the honest breakdown is on the alternatives page, and the safety side, including the Prop 65 lead notice, is covered in side effects. Every product here is scored on the same rubric, and if you want to understand the ingredient first, start with our creatine guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Nutricost Creatine cost per serving?
About $0.19 a serving, checked July 2026: roughly $19 for a 500 g tub of 100 servings, which works out to about three to four cents per gram of creatine. That is the cheapest creatine in our comparison by a wide margin.
How much does a year of Nutricost Creatine cost?
About $69. At the standard 5 g a day — no loading phase needed — a 100-serving tub lasts roughly three and a half months, so a full year runs about three and a half tubs at ~$19 each.
Is Nutricost cheaper than Thorne or Momentous?
By a lot. Nutricost is about $0.19 a serving versus roughly $0.48–$0.49 for Thorne and Momentous — about two and a half times more. The creatine is the identical 5 g of monohydrate; what the premium buys is per-batch NSF Certified for Sport testing, not better creatine.
Sources
- Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate — official product and pricing pages (5 g micronized monohydrate, single ingredient; ~100 servings per 500 g tub at roughly $19). Checked July 2026. nutricost.com
- The Ingredient Report — Nutricost Creatine review (79/100) and the creatine category comparison (Thorne 85, Momentous 82, Optimum Nutrition 81 per-serving pricing). Checked July 2026.
Update history
- July 17, 2026 — Page first published. Facts checked this date. Next check: August 2026.
Content is for informational purposes only and is not medical or financial advice. Medical disclaimer.