Head to head · Pre-Workout
Cellucor C4 Original Pre-Workout vs GHOST Legend V4 Pre-Workout
GHOST scores higher overall (8.2 vs 6.8 out of 10) and leads on four of the five factors we score.
Updated September 2026 from our full reviews · How we score
America's best-known budget pre-workout: 200 mg caffeine and great flavors, but beta-alanine, citrulline and creatine all sit below research doses.
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links — it never affects our scores. How we make money
A fully disclosed, clinically dosed pre-workout (300 mg caffeine, 6 g citrulline, 3.2 g beta-alanine) wrapped in GHOST's popular licensed candy flavors.
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links — it never affects our scores. How we make money
We may earn a commission when you buy through these links — it never affects our scores. How we make money
The short answer
Choose Cellucor if…
- Beginners wanting a moderate stimulant pre-workout
- Budget-conscious lifters
- People who value flavor variety
- You want the lower cost per serving ($1.17)
Choose GHOST if…
- Experienced stimulant users
- Lifters wanting full pump and endurance doses
- Flavor-driven buyers
- You care most about efficacy, value, experience, transparency
Side by side
| C4 Original Pre-Workout | Legend V4 Pre-Workout | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 6.8 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Efficacy (30%) | 6.0 | 8.6 |
| Quality & Purity (25%) | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| Value (20%) | 7.4 | 8.2 |
| Experience (15%) | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| Transparency (10%) | 5.5 | 8.8 |
| Form | Powder | Powder |
| Serving | 1 scoop30 servings per container | 1 scoop30 servings per container |
| Price per serving | $1.17 | $1.50 |
| Testing & certifications | None verified | None verified |
| Dietary | Sugar-free | Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Sugar-free |
| Key ingredients |
|
|
| Flavors | 7 (Icy Blue Razz, Watermelon, Rainbow Blast…) | 8 (Blue Raspberry, Orange Cream, Welch's Grape…) |
| Creator video reviews | 4 | 3 |
Pros and cons
C4 Original Pre-Workout
- 200 mg caffeine per scoop is a meaningful, well-studied dose
- Zero sugar, and Cellucor says the core flavors use no artificial colors
- About $1.17 per serving at list price ($34.99 for 30), less with Cellucor's subscription discount
- Many flavors, including licensed Jolly Rancher, Popsicle and Hawaiian Punch versions
- Uses branded ingredients (CarnoSyn beta-alanine, Velox, NO3-T creatine nitrate)
- Beta-alanine (2 g), citrulline + arginine (about 2.4 g combined) and creatine nitrate (1 g) are all below clinically studied doses
- 4.5 g proprietary blend hides the individual citrulline and arginine amounts
- C4 Original is not third-party certified (only the C4 Sport line is NSF Certified for Sport)
- Old 150 mg and new 200 mg formulas are sold side by side, which makes comparing listings confusing
Legend V4 Pre-Workout
- Clinical doses of L-citrulline (6 g), beta-alanine (3.2 g) and betaine (2.5 g)
- Fully transparent label with no proprietary blends
- Popular licensed flavors (Welch's, Sonic, Warheads, Sour Strips); listed as vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and sugar-free by GNC
- About $1.50 per serving at list price ($44.99 for 30)
- Strong buyer ratings: 4.5 stars from roughly 1,900 buyer reviews
- 300 mg caffeine plus 100 mg theobromine per scoop is too much for many people
- No third-party certification could be verified for Legend V4
- Beta-alanine causes noticeable tingling for some users
- Secondary extracts (Senactiv, AstraGin, NeuroFactor) have limited evidence
Our verdicts
C4 Original Pre-Workout
C4 Original is a sensible pick if you mainly want a caffeine boost in a flavor you will enjoy at roughly $1 a serving. Beyond the caffeine, its key ingredients are under-dosed or hidden in a proprietary blend, so it will not match fully dosed pre-workouts for pumps or endurance. Drug-tested athletes should choose the NSF-certified C4 Sport instead.
Full review
Legend V4 Pre-Workout
Legend V4 is one of the better-formulated mainstream pre-workouts: its core ingredients are at research-backed doses, the label is fully transparent, and the flavors are a genuine draw. The 300 mg caffeine dose is too strong for beginners and late-day training, and there is no verified sport certification, so tested athletes should look elsewhere.
Full review