{
  "category": {
    "slug": "creatine",
    "name": "Creatine",
    "description": "Creatine supplements, mainly creatine monohydrate powders, capsules and gummies; pre-workout blends that contain creatine belong to Pre-Workouts and protein powders are separate."
  },
  "url": "https://stierproducts.com/categories/creatine",
  "markdown": "https://stierproducts.com/categories/creatine.md",
  "updated": "2026-09-17T06:11:26.614Z",
  "productsRanked": 17,
  "citedSources": 158,
  "citedSourceKinds": {
    "editorial": 67,
    "video": 80,
    "community": 11
  },
  "summary": "On the stierproducts creatine board, Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Powder ranks #1 in S tier, ahead of Thorne Creatine (#2, S tier) and Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine (#3, A tier). The board ranks 17 creatine from S (best) to F (avoid), last researched 17 Sept 2026, drawing on 158 cited reviews, videos and discussions. Placed in the bottom tiers as ones to avoid: RAW Nutrition Creatine, Free Soul Creatine Monohydrate, Create Creatine Gummies, and 2 others.",
  "method": {
    "summary": "Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.",
    "url": "https://stierproducts.com/methodology"
  },
  "limitations": [
    "We do not test products ourselves. Every placement is consolidated from published reviews, owner reports and community discussion, so a board is only as good as the sources behind it.",
    "LP is points on this category ladder. It is comparable within a category and never across categories.",
    "A board is a snapshot with a research date. Anything released or changed after that date is not in it yet.",
    "Evidence is uneven across this board: products carry between 1 and 34 cited sources. The count for each is in the table above."
  ],
  "dataset": {
    "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.22062813",
    "url": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22062813",
    "scope": "every board at once, one dated snapshot per release",
    "excludes": [
      "price",
      "currency",
      "image"
    ]
  },
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
    "terms": "https://stierproducts.com/license",
    "covers": [
      "text",
      "rankings",
      "tiers",
      "lp",
      "verdicts",
      "pros",
      "cons"
    ],
    "excludes": [
      "images"
    ],
    "imageRights": "Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence."
  },
  "tierMeanings": {
    "S": "Exceptional. Finishes top run after run; capped at 3 slots per category.",
    "A": "Excellent. Strongly recommended, beaten only by the very best.",
    "B": "Good. A solid choice with real caveats worth knowing.",
    "C": "Fair. Acceptable in the right situation, outclassed at its price.",
    "D": "Weak. Hard to recommend when better options cost similar money.",
    "F": "Avoid. The evidence points you elsewhere."
  },
  "products": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "tier": "S",
      "lp": 1108,
      "name": "Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Powder",
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "slug": "nutricost-creatine-monohydrate-powder",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/nutricost-creatine-monohydrate-powder",
      "verdict": "GQ's best overall and the brand users name when asked who they trust. Pure monohydrate with nothing to fail.",
      "pros": [
        "Named Best Creatine Overall by GQ",
        "Repeatedly volunteered by users as a brand they trust for quality",
        "No-frills pure monohydrate from an established manufacturer",
        "Pure creatine monohydrate with no premium attached",
        "Community default recommendation for beginners and value seekers"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Lacks the sport certifications of the top-ranked options"
      ],
      "citations": 5,
      "distinctOutlets": 5,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/nutricost-creatine-monohydrate-powder.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "tier": "S",
      "lp": 1024,
      "name": "Thorne Creatine",
      "brand": "Thorne",
      "slug": "thorne-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/thorne-creatine",
      "verdict": "NSF-certified purity and the top pick of multiple independent 2026 testing roundups. The most trustworthy multi-year rebuy in the category.",
      "pros": [
        "NSF-certified across its sports line",
        "Named Best Overall in Women's Health's dietitian-tested guide",
        "Top pick of both experts in a dietitian-led roundup",
        "Pure monohydrate, the most studied and most effective form",
        "NSF certified for sport"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Costs more than house-brand monohydrate powders",
        "Costs a flagship premium over commodity monohydrates",
        "Premium-priced for the same molecule the budget tubs deliver",
        "It is plain monohydrate with a certification, nothing more",
        "Costs more than commodity creatine tubs"
      ],
      "citations": 24,
      "distinctOutlets": 24,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/thorne-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "tier": "A",
      "lp": 813,
      "name": "Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine",
      "brand": "Optimum Nutrition",
      "slug": "optimum-nutrition-micronized-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/optimum-nutrition-micronized-creatine",
      "verdict": "A two-decade track record and the best capsule format. Boring, proven, dependable.",
      "pros": [
        "Named Best Capsule by Women's Health",
        "One of the longest-standing brands in sports nutrition",
        "Default recommendation for two decades",
        "Micronized for better mixability",
        "Budget price per serving"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Costs slightly more than the commodity tubs for the format and the brand",
        "Rarely the absolute cheapest option"
      ],
      "citations": 8,
      "distinctOutlets": 7,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/optimum-nutrition-micronized-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "tier": "A",
      "lp": 784,
      "name": "1st Phorm Micronized Creatine Monohydrate",
      "brand": "1st Phorm",
      "slug": "1st-phorm-micronized-creatine-monohydrate",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/1st-phorm-micronized-creatine-monohydrate",
      "verdict": "BarBend's 2026 expert-tested roundup names it the top overall pick, the strongest single endorsement from a specialist fitness-testing outlet in the current cycle, and it sits on the form of creatine the entire field agrees works - the strongest consensus position in the category.",
      "pros": [
        "Clean creatine monohydrate formulation",
        "Excellent mixability",
        "Built on the form of creatine the entire field agrees works",
        "BarBend's top overall pick in its expert-tested guide",
        "NSF Certified for Sport, a real verifiable quality advantage for tested athletes"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Some users report an unpleasant taste when mixed in water",
        "Brand premium on plain monohydrate"
      ],
      "citations": 7,
      "distinctOutlets": 7,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/1st-phorm-micronized-creatine-monohydrate.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "tier": "B",
      "lp": 634,
      "name": "Bulk Creatine Monohydrate",
      "brand": "Bulk",
      "slug": "bulk-creatine-monohydrate",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/bulk-creatine-monohydrate",
      "verdict": "Independently assessed by Which? and a long-standing plain-monohydrate supplier. Slightly thinner third-party paper trail than the top three.",
      "pros": [
        "Independently assessed by Which?",
        "Long-established UK supplier of plain Creapure-style monohydrate",
        "Consistent batch testing",
        "Pure monohydrate in bulk packaging",
        "Delivers the full clinical dose at a low cost per dose"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Slightly thinner third-party paper trail than the top picks",
        "Thinner presence in US expert coverage",
        "Certification transparency falls short of the US sport-certified brands",
        "Slightly less polish and brand recognition than the leading budget rival"
      ],
      "citations": 6,
      "distinctOutlets": 6,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/bulk-creatine-monohydrate.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "tier": "B",
      "lp": 608,
      "name": "WeightWorld Creatine Monohydrate Micronised Powder",
      "brand": "WeightWorld",
      "slug": "weightworld-creatine-monohydrate-micronised-powder",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/weightworld-creatine-monohydrate-micronised-powder",
      "verdict": "BBC Good Food's best-value-for-money winner on cost per dose across its full test. The strongest pure-value verdict in current UK testing.",
      "pros": [
        "BBC Good Food's testing called it the best value for money in cost per dose of everything they tested",
        "Micronised monohydrate powder",
        "Micronized for better mixability",
        "Single-ingredient formula",
        "The outright cost-per-dose winner among everything BBC Good Food tested"
      ],
      "citations": 2,
      "distinctOutlets": 2,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/weightworld-creatine-monohydrate-micronised-powder.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "tier": "B",
      "lp": 555,
      "name": "Naked Nutrition Creatine",
      "brand": "Naked Nutrition",
      "slug": "naked-nutrition-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/naked-nutrition-creatine",
      "verdict": "Innerbody's best budget pick. Single-ingredient monohydrate in a plain tub, which is where all your money should go.",
      "pros": [
        "Single-ingredient monohydrate with no fillers",
        "Sold in plain bulk tubs",
        "Innerbody's Best Budget Pick",
        "Single-ingredient, third-party tested, no fillers",
        "Priced like the commodity it is"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "A hair behind the leaders on cost per serving",
        "Isolated user reports suggest batch consistency can vary",
        "UK buyers pay noticeably more per serving than domestic alternatives",
        "Weaker third-party certification story than the sport-certified brands",
        "Availability and track record are thinner than the category defaults"
      ],
      "citations": 1,
      "distinctOutlets": 1,
      "thinlySourced": true,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/naked-nutrition-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "tier": "B",
      "lp": 517,
      "name": "Swolverine Creatine Monohydrate",
      "brand": "Swolverine",
      "slug": "swolverine-creatine-monohydrate",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/swolverine-creatine-monohydrate",
      "verdict": "Fortune's best powder with published batch testing. Solid, just a younger brand than those above it.",
      "pros": [
        "Named Best Creatine Powder by Fortune",
        "Single-ingredient powder",
        "Brand publishes third-party testing",
        "Pure creatine monohydrate",
        "Third-party tested"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "A younger brand than the longer-established picks",
        "Carries a modest brand premium over house-brand powders"
      ],
      "citations": 1,
      "distinctOutlets": 1,
      "thinlySourced": true,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/swolverine-creatine-monohydrate.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "tier": "C",
      "lp": 473,
      "name": "Legion Recharge Creatine",
      "brand": "Legion",
      "slug": "legion-recharge-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/legion-recharge-creatine",
      "verdict": "Fortune's tester scored it 4.5 out of 5 across a 14-product field. Genuinely well reviewed, docked for being a blend where the extras are unproven.",
      "pros": [
        "Fortune's hands-on tester scored it 4.5 out of 5 across a 14-product field",
        "Creatine monohydrate base plus recovery support",
        "Genuinely tested rather than promotional endorsement",
        "Scored 4.5 out of 5 in Fortune's 14-powder test",
        "Called a tasty creatine option"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "A blend rather than a bare monohydrate, with unproven extras",
        "Flavored creatine adds nothing physiologically"
      ],
      "citations": 23,
      "distinctOutlets": 19,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/legion-recharge-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "tier": "C",
      "lp": 471,
      "name": "Momentous Creatine",
      "brand": "Momentous",
      "slug": "momentous-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/momentous-creatine",
      "verdict": "NSF certification as standard and Women's Health's vegan pick. Certification is the whole ballgame for a supplement you take daily for years.",
      "pros": [
        "NSF certification built into its entire lineup",
        "Named Best Vegan by Women's Health",
        "Consistent certification matters more than formulation tweaks for a daily, multi-year supplement",
        "Strong third-party certification credentials",
        "Flawless monohydrate"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Priced like a premium product",
        "Pricier than commodity monohydrate",
        "Premium-priced plain monohydrate",
        "Expensive for what it does, and what it does is what the budget tubs do",
        "Premium positioning costs it ground against proven cheaper staples"
      ],
      "citations": 34,
      "distinctOutlets": 29,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/momentous-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "tier": "C",
      "lp": 467,
      "name": "Onnit Creatine Unflavored",
      "brand": "Onnit",
      "slug": "onnit-creatine-unflavored",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/onnit-creatine-unflavored",
      "verdict": "WIRED-endorsed plain monohydrate with an unchanged formula for years. Unexciting and reliable.",
      "pros": [
        "WIRED's plain unflavored monohydrate recommendation",
        "Same uncomplicated product sold for years with no reformulation drama",
        "Built on the most studied and most effective form of creatine",
        "Clean single-ingredient monohydrate",
        "Flagged as a budget-conscious pick by WIRED"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Testing transparency is thinner than the certified options",
        "Small-container format inflates the per-serving cost"
      ],
      "citations": 1,
      "distinctOutlets": 1,
      "thinlySourced": true,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/onnit-creatine-unflavored.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "tier": "C",
      "lp": 391,
      "name": "Transparent Labs Creatine HMB",
      "brand": "Transparent Labs",
      "slug": "transparent-labs-creatine-hmb",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/transparent-labs-creatine-hmb",
      "verdict": "The most marketed creatine in the category, and an HMB blend you pay a premium for on claims plain monohydrate matches. Buy Thorne Creatine Monohydrate instead.",
      "pros": [
        "Crowned best creatine supplement of 2026 by Forbes Vetted",
        "Named Best Creatine Overall by Fortune",
        "Forbes Vetted's top pick and Fortune's Best Creatine Overall",
        "Creatine monohydrate core",
        "Well-made product"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "HMB add-on drives cost without proven benefit over plain monohydrate",
        "Premium blend rather than certified pure monohydrate",
        "Costs more than plain monohydrate for no proven gain",
        "The added HMB carries far weaker evidence than the monohydrate core",
        "Costs a premium over plain monohydrate for unproven extras"
      ],
      "citations": 23,
      "distinctOutlets": 19,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "flaggedToAvoid": {
        "runs": 7,
        "ofRuns": 12
      },
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/transparent-labs-creatine-hmb.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "tier": "D",
      "lp": 331,
      "name": "RAW Nutrition Creatine",
      "brand": "RAW Nutrition",
      "slug": "raw-nutrition-creatine",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/raw-nutrition-creatine",
      "verdict": "GQ's best flavored option and a real monohydrate. The flavoring adds nothing to ownership risk but nothing to trust either.",
      "pros": [
        "Named Best Flavored Creatine by GQ",
        "A genuine monohydrate rather than a proprietary blend",
        "Flavored format does not compromise the compound",
        "Sold cheap at Walmart per community reports",
        "Good option if flavor drives daily adherence"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Flavored versions cost more per gram of creatine than plain powders",
        "Flavored creatine is a niche format rather than the main road",
        "Flavoring adds nothing physiologically",
        "Flavored creatine is a convenience you pay for rather than a performance gain",
        "Flavored creatine is a niche most experts treat as optional versus plain monohydrate"
      ],
      "citations": 2,
      "distinctOutlets": 2,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/raw-nutrition-creatine.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "tier": "F",
      "lp": 159,
      "name": "Free Soul Creatine Monohydrate",
      "brand": "Free Soul",
      "slug": "free-soul-creatine-monohydrate",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/free-soul-creatine-monohydrate",
      "verdict": "Assessed by Which? and a clean monohydrate, but with the thinnest independent evidence of the picks.",
      "pros": [
        "Assessed by Which? in its independent expert review",
        "Straightforward monohydrate",
        "Clean plain-mono option",
        "Independently assessed by Which?",
        "A tested, reputable monohydrate in the UK market"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Lacks the third-party sport certification of the top picks",
        "Costs more per gram than the bulk options"
      ],
      "citations": 1,
      "distinctOutlets": 1,
      "thinlySourced": true,
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/free-soul-creatine-monohydrate.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "tier": "F",
      "lp": 0,
      "name": "Create Creatine Gummies",
      "brand": "Create",
      "slug": "create-creatine-gummies",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/create-creatine-gummies",
      "verdict": "The only gummy with NSF sport certification, per Fortune. Best of a format that this lens fundamentally distrusts.",
      "pros": [
        "Named best overall creatine gummy by Fortune",
        "NSF third-party sport certified",
        "Made with a vegan pectin base",
        "Pectin-based and vegan",
        "The most heavily marketed brand in the gummy format"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Sits in a gummy format that broadly fails third-party certification bars",
        "Gummy format delivers far less creatine per serving than powder at a far higher cost",
        "Contains added sugars, which dietitian guidance says to avoid",
        "Manufacturing heat and processing degrade creatine in gummy delivery systems",
        "No independent expert outlet ranks it at the top of the category"
      ],
      "citations": 12,
      "distinctOutlets": 10,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "flaggedToAvoid": {
        "runs": 6,
        "ofRuns": 11
      },
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/create-creatine-gummies.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "tier": "F",
      "lp": 0,
      "name": "Jinfiniti Creatine + ATP",
      "brand": "Jinfiniti",
      "slug": "jinfiniti-creatine-atp",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/jinfiniti-creatine-atp",
      "verdict": "A self-published top pick built on an unproven ATP add-on. Buy Momentous Creatine instead.",
      "pros": [
        "Combines creatine with disodium ATP in a dual-pathway approach, per its maker",
        "Creatine monohydrate paired with disodium ATP for a dual-pathway energy approach",
        "Format innovation in a crowded field",
        "Named 'Best Overall' in Jinfiniti's own roundup",
        "Contains real creatine monohydrate"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Top pick status comes only from the vendor's own blog",
        "ATP add-on has no independent testing behind it",
        "Proprietary-blend play rather than a certified monohydrate",
        "Only \"best overall\" title comes from its own company blog",
        "The strongest current endorsement comes from the brand's own blog rather than an independent tester"
      ],
      "citations": 3,
      "distinctOutlets": 1,
      "thinlySourced": true,
      "flaggedToAvoid": {
        "runs": 10,
        "ofRuns": 11
      },
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/jinfiniti-creatine-atp.webp"
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "tier": "F",
      "lp": 0,
      "name": "SWOLY Creatine Gummies",
      "brand": "SWOLY",
      "slug": "swoly-creatine-gummies",
      "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/swoly-creatine-gummies",
      "verdict": "Pushed as best value but sits in a gummy format that third-party testing shows can degrade or underdose creatine, without the certification that saves Create Creatine Gummies. If you want a gummy, buy Create. If you want value, buy Nutricost.",
      "pros": [
        "Named Best Value Creatine by Fortune",
        "The consensus gummy answer in current coverage"
      ],
      "cons": [
        "Gummy format broadly fails third-party certification bars",
        "Third-party testing found many gummies deliver degraded or underdosed creatine because manufacturing heat degrades the compound",
        "Lacks the NSF sport certification of the better gummy alternative",
        "Gummy manufacturing heat and processing degrade the creatine compound",
        "Underdosed and overpriced relative to powder"
      ],
      "citations": 5,
      "distinctOutlets": 4,
      "thinlySourced": false,
      "flaggedToAvoid": {
        "runs": 5,
        "ofRuns": 6
      },
      "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/swoly-creatine-gummies.webp"
    }
  ]
}