Head to head · Vitamins & Minerals
PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels vs Qunol Ultra CoQ10 100 mg Softgels
PreserVision scores higher overall (7.7 vs 7.1 out of 10), mainly on efficacy and transparency. Qunol still leads on value.
Updated October 2026 from our full reviews · How we score
The exact NEI AREDS2 doses in small MiniGels: worthwhile for intermediate AMD, no help for healthy eyes, and 80 mg of zinc is double the adult upper limit.
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Once-daily 100 mg ubiquinone in a water-and-fat-soluble base at a fair price, though CoQ10's evidence for statin aches and blood pressure is weak.
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We may earn a commission when you buy through these links — it never affects our scores. How we make money
The short answer
Choose PreserVision if…
- Adults with intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in one eye, whose eye doctor recommends AREDS2
- Current or former smokers who need a beta-carotene-free AREDS formula
- People who want the exact NEI-tested doses in small softgels
- You care most about efficacy, transparency
- You want the lower cost per serving ($0.26)
Choose Qunol if…
- Statin users who want to try CoQ10 for muscle aches with their doctor's agreement
- People who want a simple, once-daily ubiquinone softgel
- Budget-minded buyers (about $0.29 a day at the brand's price)
- You care most about value
Side by side
| AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels | Ultra CoQ10 100 mg Softgels | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.7 / 10 | 7.1 / 10 |
| Efficacy (30%) | 8.4 | 6.2 |
| Quality & Purity (25%) | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| Value (20%) | 7.0 | 7.8 |
| Experience (15%) | 7.8 | 7.9 |
| Transparency (10%) | 7.3 | 6.6 |
| Form | Softgel | Softgel |
| Serving | 1 Soft Gel (MiniGel)120 servings per container | 1 Softgel90 servings per container |
| Price per serving | $0.26 | $0.29 |
| Testing & certifications | None verified | Third-party testedcGMP facility |
| Dietary | — | Gluten-free |
| Key ingredients |
|
|
| Flavors | — | — |
| Creator video reviews | 6 | 3 |
Pros and cons
AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels
- Matches the NEI AREDS2 formula dose for dose: 500 mg C, 400 IU E, 80 mg zinc, 2 mg copper, 10 mg lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin
- Backed by large NEI trials: about 25% lower risk of advanced AMD over five years in higher-risk patients
- Beta-carotene free, so it suits current and former smokers
- Small MiniGels that buyers find easy to swallow
- 80 mg of zinc is twice the 40 mg adult upper limit, and AREDS2 found 25 mg worked as well
- No proven benefit for healthy eyes, early AMD or cataracts
- About $0.52 a day at the brand's price, more than store-brand compare-to versions
- Contains gelatin, carmine and titanium dioxide; the only published OcuSorb absorption study was funded by its maker
Ultra CoQ10 100 mg Softgels
- Solubilized formula; the NAD found a reasonable basis for its higher-absorption claim versus standard powdered CoQ10
- Short, fully disclosed label: 100 mg CoQ10 plus vitamin E, no proprietary blend
- Inexpensive at about $0.29 per day from qunol.com
- Brand states third-party testing and cGMP manufacturing; labeled gluten-free
- 100 mg is below the 300 mg a day used in the key heart-failure and migraine trials
- Evidence for statin muscle aches is mixed and for blood pressure is negative
- Testing results are kept confidential, and the #1 cardiologist claim rests on a survey about the form, not the brand
- Bovine gelatin, polysorbate 80 and sorbitol; some buyers find the one-inch softgel large
Our verdicts
AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels
For someone whose eye doctor has found intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in one eye, it delivers the NEI-tested AREDS2 formula dose for dose, in a small, easy MiniGel. It does nothing proven for healthy eyes, early AMD or cataracts. Because the 80 mg of zinc is double the adult upper limit and AREDS2 saw no loss of benefit at 25 mg, ask your doctor whether a lower-zinc AREDS2 formula suits you.
Full review
Ultra CoQ10 100 mg Softgels
Qunol Ultra is a well-made, inexpensive way to take 100 mg of CoQ10 once a day, and solubilized formulas like this one generally absorb better than plain powdered CoQ10. The weak link is CoQ10 itself: evidence is mixed for statin aches and negative for blood pressure, and the heart-failure and migraine trials used 300 mg a day. Take it with food, and talk to your clinician first if you use warfarin or insulin.
Full review
What creators say
Questions people ask
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