Head to head · Amino Acids (BCAA & EAA)

Kion Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder vs Thorne Amino Complex

Thorne scores higher overall (6.6 vs 6.3 out of 10), mainly on quality & purity and transparency. Kion still leads on value.

Updated October 2026 from our full reviews · How we score

Front of the Kion Aminos Mixed Berry powder tub, 7.0 oz

Kion Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder

6.3

Poor

A fully disclosed EAA powder with 5 g of all nine essential amino acids and 2 g of leucine per scoop, sweetened with stevia, at about $1.67 a serving.

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Higher score

Thorne Amino Complex

6.6

Mixed

A well-balanced, NSF Certified for Sport EAA formula with 1.25 g leucine per scoop, but only about 4 g of amino acids for roughly $1.73 a serving.

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The short answer

Choose Kion if…

Older adults and dieters who struggle to eat enough protein
People who want a fully disclosed, caffeine-free amino drink between meals
Vegans looking for a leucine-rich essential amino acid supplement
You care most about value
You want the lower cost per serving ($1.67)

Choose Thorne if…

Tested athletes who want an NSF-certified EAA
People who can't tolerate protein powders
Those who want a balanced EAA profile rather than a BCAA drink
You care most about quality & purity, transparency

Key differences

Biggest scoring gap: Quality & Purity: Thorne 8.8, Kion 7.2. This factor covers third-party testing and certifications, manufacturing standards, contaminant testing, recall history.
Price: Kion costs $1.67 a serving, 3% less than Thorne ($1.73): about $50.10 versus $51.90 for 30 servings at the list prices in our reviews.
Independent testing: Only Thorne carries NSF Certified for Sport; Kion has no independent certification we could verify. NSF Certified for Sport: independently tested for label accuracy, contaminants and 280+ substances banned in sport; facilities audited twice a year.
Leucine: Kion lists 2,000 mg of leucine per serving to Thorne's 1.25 g, 1.6× as much.
Flavors: Kion comes in 4 flavors, Thorne in 2.
Dietary labels: Only Kion is labeled non-GMO and sugar-free. Only Thorne is labeled dairy-free and soy-free.

Ingredients they share

Per serving, as each label lists it.

Ingredient	Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder	Amino Complex
Leucine	2,000 mg	1.25 g

Side by side

	Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder	Amino Complex
Our score	6.3 / 10	6.6 / 10
Efficacy (30%)	6.4	6.2
Quality & Purity (25%)	7.2	8.8
Value (20%)	4.6	3.8
Experience (15%)	6.4	6.2
Transparency (10%)	7.2	8.5
Form	Powder	Powder
Serving	1 Scoop (6.60g)30 servings per container	1 scoop30 servings per container
Price per serving	$1.67	$1.73
Testing & certifications	Third-party testedcGMP facility	NSF Certified for Sport
Dietary	Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten-free, Sugar-free	Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Key ingredients	L-Leucine2,000 mg L-Lysine HCl, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine, L-Threonine850 / 550 / 500 / 475 mg L-Phenylalanine and L-Methionine350 / 200 mg L-Histidine and L-Tryptophan71.5 mg / 3.5 mg Stevia leaf and monk fruit extracts	L-Leucine1.25 g Other essential amino acids (isoleucine, valine, lysine, threonine, histidine, phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan)2,570 mg combined L-Cystine and L-Tyrosine150 mg / 30 mg
Flavors	4 (Mixed Berry, Cool Lime, Mango…)	2 (Berry, Lemon)
Creator video reviews	5	2

Pros and cons

Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder

Every amino acid dose is disclosed, including 2,000 mg of leucine per scoop
No sugar, caffeine, artificial sweeteners or artificial colors
Leucine-enriched design mirrors mixtures tested in small human trials
About $1.67 per 5 g serving, more per gram of essential amino acids than whey
No named third-party certification for drug-tested athletes

All 8 pros and cons

Amino Complex

Complete, balanced essential amino acid profile with 1.25 g leucine
Listed as NSF Certified for Sport
Fully disclosed amounts for every amino acid
Only about 4 g of amino acids per scoop
About $1.73 per serving, poor value versus protein powder

All 8 pros and cons

Our verdict: Kion vs Thorne

Thorne is the stronger product overall, 6.6 to 6.3 in our scoring, ahead on quality & purity and transparency. If you are tested for banned substances, choose Thorne: it is the one with NSF Certified for Sport. Kion gives more leucine per serving (2,000 mg vs 1.25 g). Each full review shows the evidence, testing and buyer feedback behind these scores.

Full Aminos Essential Amino Acids Powder review Full Amino Complex review

What creators say

Questions people ask

Is Kion better than Thorne?

In our scoring, Thorne Amino Complex rates higher overall (6.6 vs 6.3 out of 10). Kion leads on value; Thorne leads on quality & purity and transparency. Scores weigh efficacy, quality, value, experience and transparency.

Which is cheaper per serving, Kion or Thorne?

Kion costs about $1.67 per serving versus $1.73 for Thorne, based on the list prices shown in our reviews. Prices change often, so check the current price before buying.

Are Kion and Thorne third-party tested?

Kion has no independent certification we could verify; Thorne carries NSF Certified for Sport. Sport-level certifications screen for banned substances, which matters for drug-tested athletes.

Who should choose Kion over Thorne?

Our reviews suggest Kion is best for older adults and dieters who struggle to eat enough protein, people who want a fully disclosed, caffeine-free amino drink between meals and vegans looking for a leucine-rich essential amino acid supplement, while Thorne is best for tested athletes who want an NSF-certified EAA, people who can't tolerate protein powders and those who want a balanced EAA profile rather than a BCAA drink.

What is the difference between Kion and Thorne?

Kion costs $1.67 a serving, 3% less than Thorne ($1.73): about $50.10 versus $51.90 for 30 servings at the list prices in our reviews. Only Thorne carries NSF Certified for Sport; Kion has no independent certification we could verify. NSF Certified for Sport: independently tested for label accuracy, contaminants and 280+ substances banned in sport; facilities audited twice a year. Kion lists 2,000 mg of leucine per serving to Thorne's 1.25 g, 1.6× as much.

Which has more leucine, Kion or Thorne?

Kion lists 2,000 mg per serving and Thorne lists 1.25 g, per the labels in our reviews. More is not automatically better: each review explains how its dose compares with the amounts used in research.

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