Head to head · Pre-Workout
GHOST Legend V4 Pre-Workout vs Kaged Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
GHOST and Kaged finish level in our scoring (8.2 vs 8.1), so the right pick depends on what you value most — GHOST is stronger on efficacy, value and experience, Kaged on quality & purity.
Updated September 2026 from our full reviews · How we score
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.
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An Informed Sport-certified, vegan pre-workout with 274 mg natural caffeine and 6.5 g citrulline, though its beta-alanine and creatine are under-dosed.
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 GHOST if…
- Experienced stimulant users
- Lifters wanting full pump and endurance doses
- Flavor-driven buyers
- You care most about efficacy, value, experience
- You want the lower cost per serving ($1.50)
Choose Kaged if…
- Drug-tested and competitive athletes
- Vegan lifters
- People wanting natural flavors and no artificial dyes
- You care most about quality & purity
Side by side
| Legend V4 Pre-Workout | Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.2 / 10 | 8.1 / 10 |
| Efficacy (30%) | 8.6 | 7.8 |
| Quality & Purity (25%) | 7.2 | 9.2 |
| Value (20%) | 8.2 | 7.0 |
| Experience (15%) | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| Transparency (10%) | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Form | Powder | Powder |
| Serving | 1 scoop30 servings per container | 1 scoop20 servings per container |
| Price per serving | $1.50 | $2.25 |
| Testing & certifications | None verified | Informed Sport |
| Dietary | Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Sugar-free | Vegan |
| Key ingredients |
|
|
| Flavors | 8 (Blue Raspberry, Orange Cream, Welch's Grape…) | 7 (Strawberry Lemonade, Crisp Apple, Fruit Punch…) |
| Creator video reviews | 3 | 2 |
Pros and cons
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
Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
- Informed Sport certified, with every batch tested according to Kaged
- 274 mg natural caffeine, 6.5 g L-citrulline and 2.5 g betaine per scoop
- Vegan, naturally flavored, no artificial colors and 1 g of sugar
- Solid buyer ratings (4.3 stars from about 1,100 reviews on the Krisp Apple listing)
- Only 1.6 g beta-alanine and 1.5 g creatine HCl, both below research doses
- 6.5 g of BCAAs adds bulk with little benefit if your protein intake is adequate
- About $2.25 per serving
- Very large scoop; some reviewers report stomach upset
Our verdicts
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
Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout
Pre-Kaged is one of the safest choices for tested athletes, pairing batch-level Informed Sport certification with solid caffeine, citrulline and betaine doses. Its beta-alanine and creatine fall short of research doses and the price is on the high side, so non-competitive lifters can get more per dollar elsewhere.
Full review