#1 Best Overall
Thorne
Creatine
8.9Excellent
NSF Certified for Sport creatine monohydrate: one ingredient, 5 g per scoop, tested for label accuracy and banned substances, at about $0.49 a serving.
NSF Sport
4 videos Shop$0.49/serving
Category
Creatine
The most researched sports supplement, and one of the cheapest to buy well.
- Products scored
- 7
- Average score
- 8.3
- Video reviews
- 26
Top picks
Our favorite creatine
#2
Optimum Nutrition
Micronized Creatine Powder
8.8Excellent
One of America's best-selling creatine tubs: 5 g of micronized monohydrate per scoop, Informed Choice certified, about $0.20–$0.30 a serving.
Informed Choice
4 videos ShopCreatine
#3
Momentous
Creatine (Signature Spec)
8.7Excellent
NSF Certified for Sport creatine with batch COAs; Momentous has swapped Creapure for its own 'Signature Spec' monohydrate made in a pharmaceutical facility.
NSF Sport
3 videos$0.48/serving
The essentials
What to know about creatine
Creatine is a compound your body makes from amino acids and also gets in small amounts from meat and fish. It is stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, which helps regenerate ATP during short, intense efforts. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), supplementing raises muscle creatine and phosphocreatine stores by roughly 20–40%, and the society calls creatine monohydrate the most effective nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.
The payoff shows up in repeated bursts of hard work: lifting, sprinting and stop-and-go team sports. Studies include both men and women, and vegetarians, who start with lower muscle creatine, may respond more. The standard approach is 3–5 g a day; an optional loading phase of about 20 g a day for five to seven days simply saturates muscles faster. At recommended doses creatine is well tolerated, with early water retention the most common side effect, and more than 20 years of research has found no adverse effects on kidney health.
Because the active ingredient is the same across brands, the real differences come down to testing, format and price per 5 g serving.
Every product
All creatine we’ve reviewed
7 products
Best Overall
Thorne
Creatine
8.9Excellent
NSF Certified for Sport creatine monohydrate: one ingredient, 5 g per scoop, tested for label accuracy and banned substances, at about $0.49 a serving.
NSF Sport
4 videos Shop$0.49/serving
Optimum Nutrition
Micronized Creatine Powder
8.8Excellent
One of America's best-selling creatine tubs: 5 g of micronized monohydrate per scoop, Informed Choice certified, about $0.20–$0.30 a serving.
Informed Choice
4 videos ShopCreatine
Momentous
Creatine (Signature Spec)
8.7Excellent
NSF Certified for Sport creatine with batch COAs; Momentous has swapped Creapure for its own 'Signature Spec' monohydrate made in a pharmaceutical facility.
NSF Sport
3 videos$0.48/serving
Best Value
Nutricost
Creatine Monohydrate Powder
8.6Excellent
The budget benchmark: 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate for about $0.22 a serving, scoop included, and one of TikTok Shop's top-selling creatine tubs.
3rd-party testedcGMP
4 videos ShopCreatine
Trending
Bloom Nutrition
Creatine Monohydrate
7.9Good
TikTok Shop's pastel-tub creatine for women: a proper 5 g of micronized monohydrate per scoop, but about $0.50 a serving with no named certification.
3rd-party tested
3 videos Shop$0.50/serving
Transparent Labs
Creatine HMB
7.8Good
A double-certified creatine stack with 5 g creatine plus 1.5 g HMB. The quality is excellent, but at about $1.67 a serving you pay a lot for add-ons with modest evidence.
NSF SportInformed Choice
4 videos$1.67/serving
Trending
Create Wellness
Creatine Monohydrate Gummies
7.4Mixed
The creator-favorite creatine gummy that actually passed independent lab testing, but at about $1.67–$2.00 a serving plus 5 g of sugar per three gummies.
NSF SportcGMP
4 videos ShopCreatine
Buying guide
How to choose creatine
The five things we look at first — and what they mean for you.
- 01
Choose creatine monohydrate
Monohydrate is the form behind nearly all creatine research, and about 99% of an oral dose is absorbed or excreted intact. A 2021 expert review found no peer-reviewed evidence that creatine HCl, ethyl ester, nitrate, buffered or other forms raise muscle creatine more than monohydrate at equal doses. 'Micronized' simply means milled finer for easier mixing, and branded Creapure is monohydrate made by a German producer.
- 02
Get 3–5 g per serving
Check that one serving delivers 3–5 g of creatine itself, not a 'creatine blend' of unstated amount. That range maintains saturated muscle stores for most people, though the ISSN notes larger athletes may need up to 5–10 g a day. Be wary of products that split the dose across several gummies or capsules; count how many you need for a full serving and factor that into the price.
- 03
Look for a named certification
NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice or Informed Sport are independent programs that screen for banned substances, and NSF also verifies label claims. They matter most for drug-tested athletes, but they are useful assurance for anyone. A generic 'third-party tested' badge without a named lab or program is better than nothing, but it can't be checked the way a certification database listing can.
- 04
Compare cost per 5 g serving
Plain monohydrate from mainstream brands ran about $0.20 to $0.30 per serving when we checked, and NSF-certified premium tubs about $0.45 to $0.50. Gummies and combination products cost far more, often $1.50 to $2.00 per serving, without delivering more creatine. Larger tubs usually cut the per-serving price, and unflavored versions are typically the cheapest.
- 05
Be skeptical of gummies and add-ons
In a June 2025 report from supplement app SuppCo, an accredited lab found that four of six best-selling creatine gummies contained essentially no creatine, while two, including Create, met or exceeded their label claims. If you want gummies, choose a brand listed as NSF Certified for Sport. Add-ons such as HMB, black pepper extract or 'women's formulas' add cost more reliably than they add results.
Head to head
Popular comparisons
Ingredients
Compare by ingredient
Video reviews
What creators say about creatine
Frequently asked questions
Key sources
- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine (2017)
- Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? (2021)
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance
Do I need a loading phase?
No. The ISSN describes loading as about 20 g a day, split into four 5 g doses for five to seven days, which saturates muscles quickly. Taking 3–5 g a day reaches the same saturation more gradually, over roughly three to four weeks. Loading is useful if you want benefits sooner, but it is optional, and smaller daily doses are gentler on the stomach.
Does creatine cause water retention or bloating?
Early water retention is the most commonly reported side effect, mostly during the first several days, particularly with high loading doses. A 2021 review of the research found that longer-term studies generally show no meaningful change in total body water. Much of the small scale-weight increase reflects water drawn into muscle cells rather than fat or visible bloating.
Is creatine bad for your kidneys?
A 2021 review by creatine researchers concluded that more than 20 years of research shows no adverse effects on kidney health from recommended doses. The myth partly stems from confusion with creatinine, a breakdown product used in kidney blood tests, whose levels can rise with supplementation. People with existing kidney disease should still talk with a doctor before using creatine.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
The concern traces back to a single study in college rugby players that found a rise in DHT, a hormone linked to some hair loss. That result has not been replicated, the DHT levels stayed within normal clinical limits, and according to a 2021 expert review, no study has reported hair loss or baldness in people taking creatine.
Should women take creatine?
Research includes women, and benefits for strength and high-intensity performance have been reported in both sexes, although most studies have been done in men and some show smaller gains in women. Reviewers also point to possible relevance across female life stages. The effective dose is the same 3–5 g a day; products marketed specifically to women are standard creatine.
Learn
Go deeper
Guides 10 min read
Creatine Monohydrate: The Evidence-Based Guide (2026)
How much creatine to take for your weight, whether to load, and what research says about water weight, hair loss, kidneys, the brain and pricier forms.
Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · Sep 28, 2026
Science Explained 9 min read
Pre-Workout Ingredients That Work (and the Ones That Don't)
Caffeine dosing by body weight, plus what research says about creatine, beta-alanine, citrulline, nitrates, tyrosine, proprietary blends and stimulant safety.
Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · Sep 28, 2026
Safety 9 min read
Third-Party Testing Explained: NSF vs. Informed Sport vs. USP
What USP, NSF and Informed Sport seals actually test, how to verify a certification in two minutes, how to read a certificate of analysis, and where testing stops.
Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · Sep 28, 2026