Head to head · Vitamins & Minerals

NatureWise Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels vs NOW Foods Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release

NatureWise scores higher overall (8.5 vs 8.1 out of 10), mainly on quality & purity and experience. NOW Foods still leads on transparency.

Updated October 2026 from our full reviews · How we score

Higher score

Front of the NatureWise Vitamin D3 125 mcg (5,000 IU) 360-softgel bottle with one mini softgel

NatureWise Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels

8.5

Excellent

An NSF-certified vitamin D3 mini softgel in olive oil for about 4 cents a day, but its 5,000 IU dose exceeds the 4,000 IU adult upper limit.

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Front of NOW C-1000 Sustained Release 250-tablet bottle

NOW Foods Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release

8.1

Good

1,000 mg of vitamin C with rose hips in a sustained-release tablet for about 6 cents a day; far more than most people need, but cheap and cleanly made.

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The short answer

Choose NatureWise if…

Adults whose clinician has confirmed low vitamin D and recommends 5,000 IU
Budget shoppers who want an independently certified vitamin D3
People who find large pills hard to swallow
You care most about quality & purity, experience

Choose NOW Foods if…

People with low fruit and vegetable intake
Smokers and endurance athletes
Budget shoppers who want a large bottle
You care most about transparency

Key differences

Biggest scoring gap: Quality & Purity: NatureWise 8.7, NOW Foods 7.6. This factor covers third-party testing and certifications, manufacturing standards, contaminant testing, recall history.
Independent testing: Only NatureWise carries NSF Contents Certified; NOW Foods has no independent certification we could verify. NSF Contents Certified: NSF confirms the product contains what the label says and no harmful levels of contaminants.
Formula: Of the key ingredients in our reviews, only NatureWise lists vitamin D, and only NOW Foods lists vitamin C.
Format: NatureWise: softgel, 360 servings per container; NOW Foods: tablet, 250 servings per container.
Dietary labels: Only NOW Foods is labeled vegan.

Side by side

	Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels	Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release
Our score	8.5 / 10	8.1 / 10
Efficacy (30%)	7.4	7.4
Quality & Purity (25%)	8.7	7.6
Value (20%)	9.7	9.6
Experience (15%)	8.8	7.8
Transparency (10%)	8.2	8.8
Form	Softgel	Tablet
Serving	1 Softgel360 servings per container	1 tablet250 servings per container
Price per serving	$0.04	See retailer
Testing & certifications	NSF Contents CertifiedcGMP facility	cGMP facilityKosherHalal
Dietary	Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Non-GMO	Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Non-GMO
Key ingredients	Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol)125 mcg (5,000 IU) Organic extra virgin olive oil Softgel capsule (halal gelatin, glycerin, purified water)	Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid)1,000 mg Rose hips powder (Rosa canina, fruit)25 mg
Flavors	—	—
Creator video reviews	5	2

Pros and cons

Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels

NSF Contents Certified, confirmed in NSF's public listings
About 4 cents a day for a year's supply at the brand's list price
Very small softgels that buyers describe as tasteless and easy to swallow
5,000 IU exceeds the 4,000 IU adult upper limit for daily use
Softgels can fuse together when shipped or stored in heat

All 7 pros and cons

Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release

About $0.06 per day
1,000 mg dose stays well under the 2,000 mg upper limit
Vegan, kosher and halal, made without major allergens
Far above daily needs, and absorption drops below 50% above 1 g
Large oval tablet with a noticeable vitamin smell

All 8 pros and cons

Our verdict: NatureWise vs NOW Foods

NatureWise is the stronger product overall, 8.5 to 8.1 in our scoring, ahead on quality & purity and experience. Each full review shows the evidence, testing and buyer feedback behind these scores.

Full Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels review Full Vitamin C-1000 Sustained Release review

What creators say

Questions people ask

Is NatureWise better than NOW Foods?

In our scoring, NatureWise Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels rates higher overall (8.5 vs 8.1 out of 10). NatureWise leads on quality & purity and experience; NOW Foods leads on transparency. Scores weigh efficacy, quality, value, experience and transparency.

Are NatureWise and NOW Foods third-party tested?

NatureWise carries NSF Contents Certified; NOW Foods has no independent certification we could verify.

Who should choose NatureWise over NOW Foods?

Our reviews suggest NatureWise is best for adults whose clinician has confirmed low vitamin D and recommends 5,000 IU, budget shoppers who want an independently certified vitamin D3 and people who find large pills hard to swallow, while NOW Foods is best for people with low fruit and vegetable intake, smokers and endurance athletes and budget shoppers who want a large bottle.

What is the difference between NatureWise and NOW Foods?

Only NatureWise carries NSF Contents Certified; NOW Foods has no independent certification we could verify. NSF Contents Certified: NSF confirms the product contains what the label says and no harmful levels of contaminants. Of the key ingredients in our reviews, only NatureWise lists vitamin D, and only NOW Foods lists vitamin C. NatureWise: softgel, 360 servings per container; NOW Foods: tablet, 250 servings per container.

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