# Best Creatine Monohydrate > The best creatine monohydrate powders on Amazon, ranked on NSF certification, Creapure sourcing and cost per 5 g serving, with ISSN dosing, safety and the problem with gummies. - **URL**: https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/ - **Updated**: 2026-11-09 - **Author**: [Best Protein Powder Editorial Team](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/authors/editorial-team/) - **Publisher**: [Best Protein Powder](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/) --- Six plain creatine monohydrate powders sold on Amazon, ranked on independent certification, Creapure sourcing and what a 5 g dose really costs. **How we rank:** We judge every powder on the label, not the marketing: protein per scoop, cost per 25 g of protein, the full ingredient list and third-party testing. No paid placements, and commission never sets a ranking. [Read our methodology](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/how-we-test/) The best creatine monohydrate for most people is Thorne Creatine: 5 g of micronized monohydrate per scoop, nothing else in the tub, and NSF Certified for Sport, at about $0.49 a serving on Amazon when we checked (November 2026). Klean Creatine adds Creapure to the same certification, and Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine delivers the identical dose for under half the price per serving if you are not drug-tested. Here is how the six compare on testing, sourcing and cost, plus the dosing and safety evidence behind them. ## Our Top Picks | Award | Product | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Best Overall | [THORNE Creatine, Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, 90 Servings](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#thorne-creatine-micronized-powder) | The default pick for anyone who wants certified, single-ingredient creatine from a well-known brand. Buy the 180-serving size if you will finish it. | | Best for Subscribers | [Momentous Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 90 Servings](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#momentous-creatine-monohydrate-powder) | A like-for-like alternative to Thorne. Buy whichever is cheaper on the day, and check current labels rather than old reviews for sourcing claims. | | Best Creapure + NSF | [Klean Athlete Klean Creatine, Unflavored, 11.1 Ounces](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#klean-athlete-klean-creatine) | The pick for tested athletes who also want Creapure. You pay a premium for both boxes ticked. | | Best Value | [Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 120 Servings](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#optimum-nutrition-micronized-creatine-powder) | The best value for lifters who are not drug-tested. Weigh or use a level-plus teaspoon if your tub arrives without a scoop. | | Budget Creapure | [Nutricost Creapure Creatine Monohydrate, 500 Grams](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#nutricost-creapure-creatine-monohydrate) | The cheapest way we found to get Creapure. Fine for recreational lifters; tested athletes should pick a certified tub. | | Cheapest Unflavored | [Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder, Unflavored, 1 KG](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-creatine-monohydrate/#nutricost-creatine-monohydrate-micronized-powder) | A no-frills tub that does the job for anyone who is not drug-tested. Make sure the listing says unflavored. | ## 1. The Short Answer: Which Creatine Monohydrate to Buy Creatine monohydrate is the rare supplement where the cheap version and the expensive version contain the same molecule at the same dose. Every tub on this page delivers 5 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop, per the label at the time of writing. What you pay extra for is assurance: independent testing that the tub contains what it says and nothing it should not, a named raw-material source, and a powder fine enough to stir into water without a gritty sludge at the bottom of the glass. For most people the best creatine monohydrate is Thorne Creatine. It is NSF Certified for Sport, micronized, contains nothing but creatine monohydrate, and costs about $0.49 per 5 g serving: about $44 for 90 servings on Amazon when we checked (November 2026); prices move. Momentous Creatine is essentially the same proposition at the same price. If you specifically want Creapure, the German-made raw material, Klean Athlete Klean Creatine pairs it with NSF certification, while Nutricost Creapure gives you the raw material for less but without a sport certification. | Creatine | Dose / scoop | Testing | Approx. cost / 5 g | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Thorne Creatine | 5 g micronized | NSF Certified for Sport | About $0.49 | | Momentous Creatine Monohydrate | 5 g | NSF Certified for Sport | About $0.48 | | Klean Athlete Klean Creatine | 5 g Creapure | NSF Certified for Sport | About $0.58 | | Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine | 5 g micronized | Banned-substance tested (per listing) | About $0.23 | | Nutricost Creapure Creatine | 5 g Creapure | Brand says third-party tested | About $0.38 | | Nutricost Micronized Creatine | 5 g micronized | Brand says third-party tested | About $0.21 (1 kg tub) | If you are not drug-tested and just want the cheapest sensible option, Optimum Nutrition's unflavored Micronized Creatine and Nutricost's plain micronized powder both work out to less than half the price per serving of the certified tubs. The creatine works the same. The difference is how much you trust the brand's own quality control versus an outside certifier checking each lot. This guide is about plain creatine on its own. If you would rather get creatine inside your protein shake, our guide to the [best protein powder with creatine](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/) checks which blends actually hit a 3-5 g dose, and our [best protein powder for muscle gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/) guide covers the protein to pair with a separate tub. For most lifters, a plain protein plus one of the tubs below is the cheaper and more flexible route. ## 2. How We Ranked These Creatine Powders We did not run lab tests or a taste panel, and we do not claim to have used these products. The rankings are built from the brands' Supplement Facts panels and product pages, the NSF Certified for Sport listings the brands cite, the Amazon listings for each product, and the published research on creatine. Where sources disagreed, we went with the brand's current page and say so where it matters. The first test was simple: a single scoop had to deliver a full 5 g of creatine monohydrate with nothing else in the tub. That rules out flavored versions with sweeteners and colors (fine products, just not what this list is about), blends that dilute creatine with other ingredients, and alternative forms such as creatine HCl that cost more without better evidence. Unflavored monohydrate is the form used in nearly all of the research. The second test was purity assurance, and it carried the most weight. A product certified under NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport ranked above one that only says it is third-party tested, because certification means an outside body tests lots against the label and screens for banned substances, and the brand cannot simply assert it. A Creapure source earned credit too, but less, since Creapure describes the raw material, not the finished tub you buy. Third came cost per 5 g serving, worked out from the Amazon price when we checked (November 2026) for the tub size listed. Creatine is cheap enough that the gap between the cheapest and dearest tub here is about 37 cents a day, or roughly $135 a year. That is real money, and it is the right lens for anyone who does not need a certification. Finally, we checked that each product is sold on Amazon US under the name we use, since that is where most readers buy creatine. Buy from listings marked shipped and sold by Amazon or from the brand's own storefront, not an unknown third-party seller. One review of Klean Creatine noted Amazon buyers reporting broken seals, which is exactly the problem our [guide to buying protein powder on Amazon](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/amazon-protein-powder/) explains how to avoid. ## 3. The Best Creatine Monohydrate Powders Ranked first by independent certification, then by raw-material sourcing and cost per 5 g serving. Every pick delivers 5 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop with no other ingredients, per the label at the time of writing. Prices are what Amazon listed when we checked (November 2026) and move often; certifications can lapse, so confirm on the certifier's database before you buy. ### 1. THORNE Creatine, Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, 90 Servings **Award:** Best Overall | **Type:** NSF Certified for Sport micronized creatine monohydrate - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g monohydrate - **Testing:** NSF Certified for Sport - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.49 - **Best for:** Tested athletes, most buyers Thorne's creatine is a single-ingredient micronized creatine monohydrate: one scoop gives 5 g, with no flavors, sweeteners or fillers, per the label at the time of writing. It is NSF Certified for Sport, which means lots are tested against the label and screened for banned substances. The 90-serving tub was about $44.00 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026), sold by Pattern, Thorne's Amazon partner; prices move. 30- and 180-serving sizes are also sold. **Bottom line:** The default pick for anyone who wants certified, single-ingredient creatine from a well-known brand. Buy the 180-serving size if you will finish it. **Pros:** - NSF Certified for Sport, verifiable on NSF's database - Only ingredient is creatine monohydrate, 5 g per scoop - Micronized, so it disperses in water more easily - Sold in 30, 90 and 180-serving sizes **Cons:** - About $0.49 per serving, more than double the cheapest tubs - Some buyers report grittiness despite micronization - Not made with Creapure, per the brand's page [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07978VPPH?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 2. Momentous Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 90 Servings **Award:** Best for Subscribers | **Type:** NSF Certified for Sport creatine monohydrate - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g monohydrate - **Testing:** NSF Certified for Sport - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.48 - **Best for:** Certified creatine on subscription Momentous sells unflavored creatine monohydrate at 5 g per scoop in a 90-serving (450 g) jar, NSF Certified for Sport per the brand. Note that Momentous's own FAQ now says it no longer sources from Creapure, although some older listings and reviews still say it does. It was about $42.99 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026), sold by Momentous US; prices move. The brand's own subscription price drops it to about $0.35 a serving. **Bottom line:** A like-for-like alternative to Thorne. Buy whichever is cheaper on the day, and check current labels rather than old reviews for sourcing claims. **Pros:** - NSF Certified for Sport, per the brand - Single-ingredient unflavored creatine, 5 g per scoop - Subscription pricing brings it to about $0.35 per serving at the brand - Travel packs and a 60-serving jar available **Cons:** - No longer Creapure, despite older marketing - Amazon price is similar to Thorne, at about $0.48 per serving [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085Z9P87K?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 3. Klean Athlete Klean Creatine, Unflavored, 11.1 Ounces **Award:** Best Creapure + NSF | **Type:** Creapure creatine monohydrate, NSF Certified for Sport - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g Creapure monohydrate - **Testing:** NSF Certified for Sport - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.58 - **Best for:** Tested athletes wanting Creapure Klean Creatine combines the two quality signals buyers ask about most: it is made with Creapure creatine monohydrate, per the brand's retail listings, and it is NSF Certified for Sport. Each scoop gives 5 g, and the 11.1 oz tub holds about 60 servings, per the label at the time of writing. It was about $34.50 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026); prices move. **Bottom line:** The pick for tested athletes who also want Creapure. You pay a premium for both boxes ticked. **Pros:** - Creapure raw material plus NSF Certified for Sport - 5 g of creatine monohydrate and nothing else - Free of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, per the label **Cons:** - Most expensive here at about $0.58 per serving - Smaller 60-serving tub - Some Amazon buyers reported broken seals; buy from the brand storefront [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYFAGXI?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 4. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 120 Servings **Award:** Best Value | **Type:** Micronized creatine monohydrate - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g micronized monohydrate - **Testing:** Banned-substance tested (per listing) - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.23 - **Best for:** Lowest cost from a major brand Optimum Nutrition's unflavored Micronized Creatine gives 5 g of creatine monohydrate per rounded teaspoon in the US version, per the label at the time of writing, and is sold in 60, 120 and 240-serving tubs. The Amazon listing describes it as banned-substance tested, but we could not confirm a current sport certification for the US tub. The 120-serving size was about $27.99 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026), sold by Amazon.com; prices move. **Bottom line:** The best value for lifters who are not drug-tested. Weigh or use a level-plus teaspoon if your tub arrives without a scoop. **Pros:** - About $0.23 per 5 g serving, sold by Amazon.com - Micronized, unflavored and single-ingredient - Huge Amazon review base and several tub sizes **Cons:** - No current NSF or Informed Sport certification we could verify for the US tub - Some tubs ship without a scoop - UK and Australian versions use a 3 g serving; check you have the US label [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 5. Nutricost Creapure Creatine Monohydrate, 500 Grams **Award:** Budget Creapure | **Type:** Creapure micronized creatine monohydrate - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g Creapure monohydrate - **Testing:** Brand says third-party tested - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.38 - **Best for:** Creapure on a budget Nutricost's Creapure tub gives 100 servings of 5 g Creapure micronized creatine monohydrate in a 500 g container, with a scoop included, per the listing at the time of writing. Nutricost says it is third-party tested, but it is not NSF or Informed Sport certified as far as we could find. It was about $37.95 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026); prices move. **Bottom line:** The cheapest way we found to get Creapure. Fine for recreational lifters; tested athletes should pick a certified tub. **Pros:** - Creapure raw material at about $0.38 per serving - 100 servings in a 500 g tub - Single ingredient, scoop included **Cons:** - Third-party testing is a brand claim, not a sport certification - Costs more than generic micronized creatine for the same dose [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVKGGJB?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 6. Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder, Unflavored, 1 KG **Award:** Cheapest Unflavored | **Type:** Micronized creatine monohydrate - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g micronized monohydrate - **Testing:** Brand says third-party tested - **Approx. cost / 5 g:** About $0.21 - **Best for:** Lowest cost per dose Nutricost's plain micronized creatine gives 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving and about 200 servings in the 1 kg tub, per the label at the time of writing; a 500 g size is also sold. Nutricost says the product is third-party tested, though it does not publish lot-specific results. The 1 kg tub was about $41.95 on Amazon when we checked (November 2026), roughly $0.21 a serving; prices move, and the flavored versions are a different, sweetened product. **Bottom line:** A no-frills tub that does the job for anyone who is not drug-tested. Make sure the listing says unflavored. **Pros:** - About $0.21 per serving in the 1 kg tub, the cheapest here - Single-ingredient unflavored powder - 200 servings, so one tub lasts over six months **Cons:** - No sport certification; testing is a brand claim - Many flavored Nutricost listings sit alongside it, so check you have the unflavored tub [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EVVQX9U?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ## 4. Creapure vs Generic Creatine: Does the Source Matter? Creapure is a brand of creatine monohydrate made by AlzChem in Germany. Supplement companies buy it as a raw material and put the Creapure logo on their tubs. Most other creatine on the market is made in China from the same basic chemistry. The pitch for Creapure is consistency: a single, long-established manufacturer with tight specifications for byproducts such as creatinine, dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine that can form during production. Is that pitch worth paying for? Honestly, the evidence that generic creatine monohydrate from a reputable brand is meaningfully less pure is thin. Independent testing of creatine powders over the years has mostly found that plain monohydrate powders contain what they claim. The bigger quality failures in the creatine category have come from gummies and novel formats, not from plain powder in a tub. What Creapure buys you is a known supply chain, which some people reasonably value. Two things matter more than the logo. First, Creapure tells you about the raw material, but a finished product can still be contaminated or mislabeled after the raw material arrives at a factory. A sport certification such as NSF Certified for Sport tests the finished product. Second, sourcing changes. Momentous, which built its creatine around Creapure, now states on its own FAQ that it no longer sources from Creapure. Older reviews and Amazon listing titles may still say otherwise, so read the brand's current page before paying for a claim. Our view: if you are drug-tested, prioritize a sport certification first and treat Creapure as a bonus, which is why Klean Creatine ranks high. If you are not tested and like the idea of a known German source, Nutricost Creapure is a reasonable middle ground at about $0.38 per serving. If price is the priority, a plain micronized monohydrate from Optimum Nutrition or Nutricost is a perfectly defensible choice. ## 5. NSF, Informed Sport and "Third-Party Tested" Explained Supplements in the US are not approved by the FDA before they go on sale. The manufacturer is responsible for making sure a product is safe and labeled accurately, and enforcement mostly happens after problems surface. That is why independent certification matters more for supplements than it would for, say, a packaged food. It is the only way an outsider has checked the tub before you buy it. NSF Certified for Sport is the program most US professional and collegiate sports bodies point athletes toward. It includes label-claim testing, contaminant checks under the NSF/ANSI 173 standard, and screening for a long list of substances banned in sport, with lot testing and facility audits. Thorne, Momentous and Klean Creatine all carry it, per the brands. You can confirm any product by searching NSF's own Certified for Sport database, which is free and takes a minute. Informed Sport and Informed Choice are the equivalent programs run by LGC, more common on UK and European brands. Optimum Nutrition's creatine listings describe it as banned-substance tested, and some retailer pages tie that to Informed Choice, but we could not confirm a current certification for the US unflavored tub, so we do not rank it as certified. If you compete under drug testing, verify the exact product and lot on the certifier's site rather than trusting a listing. Then there is the phrase "third-party tested" on its own, which Nutricost uses. It means the brand says it sends products to an outside lab, but it does not tell you what was tested, against what limits, or whether results are published. That is not worthless, and it is common among budget brands, but it is a brand claim rather than a certification. For an untested recreational lifter, it is usually enough. For an athlete whose career could hinge on a positive test, it is not. If certification is the deciding factor across your whole supplement shelf, our [NSF-certified protein powder guide](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-nsf-certified-protein-powder/) lists certified proteins you can pair with a certified creatine, so the entire stack has been checked. ## 6. Micronized, Flavored, HCl and Gummies: What Form to Buy Micronized creatine is ordinary creatine monohydrate milled into smaller particles. It disperses more easily in water and is less likely to leave grit at the bottom of the glass. It is not a different form of creatine, and there is no good evidence it is absorbed better or works better. Most decent tubs are micronized now anyway, including Thorne, Optimum Nutrition and both Nutricost options here. It is a convenience feature, so do not pay much extra for the word on the label. Flavored creatine is plain monohydrate plus acids, sweeteners, flavors and often colors. Nutricost alone sells a long list of flavors on Amazon. If a flavor helps you take creatine every day, that is a fair trade, but check the serving size: flavored tubs often hold fewer servings per gram because the flavoring takes up room, and one Nutricost flavored listing showed conflicting serving counts. Unflavored powder disappears into a protein shake, coffee or juice with little taste. Creatine HCl, buffered creatine, creatine ethyl ester and similar forms are marketed as needing smaller doses or causing less bloating. The International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand concludes that monohydrate remains the most studied and effective form, and that the newer forms have not been shown to be superior. They usually cost more per day, so we left them out. Gummies are the format to be most careful with. In early 2024 the supplement maker NOW tested 12 creatine gummy brands and reported that 5 had little to none of the creatine claimed, with signs of degradation into creatinine. A 2025 round by SuppCo of creatine products bought on Amazon found the powders met their label claims while four of six gummies failed. Some brands disputed the results and lab methods for gummies are tricky, but the pattern is consistent enough to matter. Gummies also have a plain dosing problem. Many hold around 1 to 1.5 g of creatine each, so reaching 5 g can mean four or more gummies a day, with the sugar or sugar alcohols that come with them, at several times the cost of powder. If you dislike powder, capsules are a more reliable alternative, though you will still swallow several to reach a full dose. ## 7. How Much Creatine to Take: The ISSN Dosing Guidance The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand on creatine, led by Richard Kreider, is the most cited summary of the research. It describes creatine monohydrate as the most effective nutritional supplement currently available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training. The effects are modest but real: more reps at a given weight, slightly better strength gains over a training block, and a bit more lean mass compared with training alone. The simplest protocol is 3 to 5 g a day, every day. At that dose, muscle creatine stores fill over roughly three to four weeks and then stay full as long as you keep taking it. A 5 g scoop from any tub on this page covers it. Timing matters far less than consistency, so take it whenever you will remember: with breakfast, in a post-workout shake, or stirred into coffee. Loading is optional. The classic loading phase is about 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight a day, roughly 20 g split into four 5 g doses, for five to seven days, then 3 to 5 g a day after that. It fills your stores within a week instead of a month. The trade-offs are more scoops, a higher chance of stomach upset, and a faster jump in water weight. Unless you have an event coming up, skipping the loading phase is perfectly reasonable. Larger people sometimes use the upper end of the range, and some research uses doses scaled to body weight, but there is little reason for most adults to go beyond 5 g a day for maintenance. More does not mean more muscle once your stores are full; the excess is cleared by the kidneys and leaves as creatinine. Vegetarians and vegans, whose diets contain little creatine, tend to start with lower stores and may notice a bigger effect, which is one reason it suits our [vegetarian protein](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-vegetarians/) readers. Creatine is stable as a dry powder but slowly breaks down once dissolved, especially in warm or acidic liquids, so mix it shortly before you drink it rather than prepping a jug for the week. A level teaspoon of unflavored monohydrate is roughly 5 g if your tub arrives without a scoop, as some Optimum Nutrition tubs now do, though a cheap kitchen scale is more accurate. ## 8. Cost per 5 g Serving: What You Actually Pay Because every product here delivers the same 5 g dose, cost per serving is a clean comparison. We divided the Amazon price when we checked (November 2026) by the number of 5 g servings in the tub. These are snapshots; prices move weekly, Subscribe and Save knocks off roughly 5 to 15 percent on many listings, and bigger tubs nearly always cost less per gram. | Creatine | Tub | Amazon price (Nov 2026) | Per 5 g | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nutricost Micronized (unflavored) | 200 servings (1 kg) | About $41.95 | About $0.21 | | Optimum Nutrition Micronized | 120 servings (600 g) | About $27.99 | About $0.23 | | Nutricost Creapure | 100 servings (500 g) | About $37.95 | About $0.38 | | Momentous Creatine | 90 servings (450 g) | About $42.99 | About $0.48 | | Thorne Creatine | 90 servings (16 oz) | About $44.00 | About $0.49 | | Klean Athlete Klean Creatine | 60 servings (11.1 oz) | About $34.50 | About $0.58 | The spread is wider than it looks. At about $0.21 a day, a year of Nutricost's 1 kg tub costs roughly $77, and Optimum Nutrition at about $0.23 a day comes to about $85. At about $0.58 a day, a year of Klean Creatine costs about $210. For someone who is not drug-tested, it is hard to argue that the certified tubs deliver $125 or more a year of extra benefit. For someone who is tested, a positive result costs vastly more than that, and the certification is cheap insurance. A few practical savings tips. Buy the larger tub once you know you will stick with creatine, since it keeps for a long time as a dry powder. Check the Subscribe and Save price, which on several of these listings beats a one-time purchase. Momentous and Thorne also run subscription discounts on their own sites, which can bring certified creatine closer to the $0.35 mark. And compare per-serving cost, not tub price, because tub sizes vary from 60 to 120 servings. Compare this with protein blends that include creatine. Those typically charge a premium for the convenience, and some deliver less than a full dose. Our [protein with creatine guide](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/) runs the numbers, and in most cases a plain tub from this page plus your usual protein comes out cheaper per day. ## 9. Is Creatine Safe? Kidneys, Water Weight and Hair Creatine monohydrate has one of the best safety records of any sports supplement. The ISSN position stand and its 2021 follow-up on common questions and misconceptions, led by Jose Antonio, conclude that short- and long-term use at recommended doses appears safe in healthy people, with studies running for months to years. That is not the same as risk-free for everyone, and this guide is not medical advice. The kidney question comes up most. In healthy adults, studies have not shown that creatine at normal doses harms kidney function. The catch is lab testing: creatine raises blood creatinine, the marker doctors use to estimate kidney function, so a routine blood test can look worse than your kidneys really are. Tell your doctor you take creatine before blood work. Anyone with existing kidney disease, diabetes affecting the kidneys, or who takes medication that affects the kidneys should talk to a doctor before starting. Water weight is real but mostly misunderstood. Creatine draws water into muscle cells, and many people gain somewhere around 1 to 2 kg in the first weeks, more noticeably with a loading phase. That is water inside the muscle, not fat or puffy subcutaneous bloat, and it levels off. If you are making weight for a sport or tracking the scale closely during a diet, start creatine well before the weigh-in that matters, or skip loading. Hair loss rumors trace back to a single 2009 study in college rugby players that found a rise in DHT, a hormone linked to male-pattern baldness. It did not measure hair loss, and later research has not reproduced the finding. The 2021 ISSN review concluded the current evidence does not show creatine causes hair loss. If you are already worried about thinning, it is a fair question for a dermatologist, but it is not a reason most people need to avoid creatine. Stomach upset is the most common real side effect, usually from large single doses during loading. Splitting the dose, taking it with food, or skipping loading solves it for most people. Pregnant or breastfeeding readers, teenagers and anyone managing a medical condition should get advice from a doctor or registered dietitian first, and our overview of [supplement safety](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/is-protein-powder-safe/) covers how to read labels and certifications more broadly. ## 10. Which Creatine Monohydrate Should You Buy? If you are a drug-tested athlete, buy an NSF Certified for Sport tub and confirm it on NSF's database. Thorne is the default, Momentous is an equal alternative when it is cheaper on the day, and Klean Creatine is the pick if you also want Creapure. The extra cost over a budget tub is about 25 to 37 cents a day, which is trivial next to a failed test. If you are not tested and want the best value, buy Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine or Nutricost's plain micronized powder in the largest tub you will finish, and take 5 g a day. If you like the idea of a known German raw material without paying for certification, Nutricost Creapure is the middle option. MuscleTech Platinum Creatine is another widely sold budget tub at 5 g a scoop, though it lists no third-party certification, so it did not make our ranked list. Whichever you choose, the habit matters more than the brand. Creatine only works if your muscle stores stay full, so take it on rest days too. Put the tub somewhere you will see it, mix it into something you already drink daily, and give it a month before judging. If a shake is your daily habit, a [portable blender](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-portable-blender-for-protein-shakes/) makes it easy to mix creatine into protein at the gym, and our guide to [whether protein supplements build muscle](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/do-protein-supplements-build-muscle/) covers the other half of the equation. Finally, skip anything that hides the dose. If a tub, gummy or pre-workout does not state a gram figure for creatine monohydrate on the Supplement Facts panel, assume it is not enough. Five grams of plain monohydrate from a brand you trust is all the research asks for, and every product above delivers it. ## 11. Common Mistakes to Avoid ### Paying for a sourcing claim that is out of date Creatine sourcing changes. Momentous, long marketed as a Creapure product, now says on its own FAQ that it no longer sources from Creapure, while some listings and reviews still say otherwise. If Creapure matters to you, check the brand's current product page and the tub's label rather than an old review or an Amazon title written years ago. ### Treating "third-party tested" as a certification A brand saying its creatine is third-party tested is not the same as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, where an outside body tests lots and publishes the listing. For recreational lifters the brand claim is usually fine. For drug-tested athletes, look the exact product up in the certifier's own database before buying, every time you switch brands. ### Only taking creatine on training days Creatine works by keeping muscle stores saturated, which takes daily intake. Taking it only before workouts, or stopping on rest days, means your stores fill more slowly and drift down. Take 3 to 5 g every day at whatever time is easiest to remember, and judge the results after a month of consistent use, not a week. ### Buying gummies for convenience Creatine gummies are where most quality failures have turned up. NOW's 2024 testing found 5 of 12 gummy brands had little to none of the creatine claimed, and many gummies hold only 1 to 1.5 g each, so a full dose means several a day at several times the price of powder. Plain powder or capsules are more reliable. ### Panicking over the scale or a blood test Expect around 1 to 2 kg of water weight in the first weeks, mostly inside muscle; it is not fat. Creatine also raises blood creatinine, which can make a routine kidney test look worse than it is. Tell your doctor you take creatine before blood work rather than quietly stopping and wondering what changed. ## 12. Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the best creatine monohydrate? For most people, Thorne Creatine: 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate per scoop, nothing else in the tub, and NSF Certified for Sport, at about $0.49 per serving on Amazon when we checked (November 2026). Momentous is an equal alternative. If you are not drug-tested, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine delivers the same 5 g dose for under half the price per serving, which is hard to beat on value. ### Is Creapure better than regular creatine monohydrate? Creapure is a German-made brand of creatine monohydrate with a long record of tight purity specifications. It is the same molecule as other monohydrate, and there is little evidence it works better. It gives you a known supply chain, but it describes the raw material, not the finished tub, so a sport certification such as NSF Certified for Sport tells you more about the product you actually buy. ### How much creatine should I take per day? The ISSN position stand supports 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, every day. At that dose, muscle stores fill in about three to four weeks. A loading phase of about 20 g a day split into four doses for five to seven days fills them in a week, but it is optional and more likely to upset your stomach. ### Is micronized creatine better? Micronized creatine is regular monohydrate milled into finer particles, so it mixes into water more easily and leaves less grit. It is not absorbed better in any way the research has shown, and it does not change the dose you need. Most quality tubs are micronized now anyway, so treat it as a small convenience rather than a reason to pay more. ### Does creatine damage your kidneys? In healthy adults, research at recommended doses has not shown kidney harm, and the ISSN considers creatine safe for healthy people. It does raise blood creatinine, which can make kidney lab results look worse, so tell your doctor before blood work. People with kidney disease or related conditions should get medical advice before taking it. This is not medical advice. ### Do creatine gummies work? Some do, but gummies have the worst track record in independent testing. NOW's 2024 tests found 5 of 12 brands had little to none of the creatine claimed, and a 2025 SuppCo round found four of six gummies failed while powders passed. Many gummies also hold only 1 to 1.5 g each, so reaching 5 g gets expensive. Powder is the safer bet. ### Should I buy creatine separately or in my protein powder? Separately, in most cases. A plain tub costs about $0.21 to $0.58 a day and lets you keep taking creatine on days you skip a shake. Protein blends with creatine are convenient but often cost more and sometimes underdose. Our guide to protein powders with creatine checks which blends deliver a full 3 to 5 g. ## Related Guides - [Best Protein Powder with Creatine](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/): Protein blends that include creatine, checked for a real 3-5 g dose. - [Best Protein Powder for Muscle Gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/): The proteins to pair with a plain creatine tub. - [Best NSF Certified Protein Powder](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-nsf-certified-protein-powder/): Certified proteins for drug-tested athletes. ## The Bottom Line Creatine monohydrate is cheap, well studied and boring in the best way: 3 to 5 g a day, every day, is all the research asks for, and every tub on this page delivers 5 g a scoop. The real choice is how much assurance you want. Thorne, Momentous and Klean Creatine carry NSF Certified for Sport; Klean and Nutricost Creapure add the German raw material; Optimum Nutrition and plain Nutricost win on price. If you compete under drug testing, buy certified and check the certifier's database. If you do not, buy the cheapest plain monohydrate you trust in the biggest tub you will finish, buy it shipped and sold by Amazon or from the brand storefront, and spend the difference on food. Skip gummies, ignore sourcing claims you cannot verify on a current label, and talk to a doctor first if you have kidney disease or take related medication. ## More in By Goal Guides in this category that pair with what you just read. - [Best Protein Powder with Creatine](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/) - [Best Protein Powder for Muscle Gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/) - [Best Protein Powder for Weight Gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-weight-gain/) - [Best Protein Powder for Recovery](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-recovery/) About the Author [Best Protein Powder Editorial Team](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/authors/editorial-team/), Supplements Desk The editorial team reads the label, the certificate and the price per gram of protein before a powder gets near a ranking -- and says plainly when a cheaper tub does the same job. [Full profile](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/authors/editorial-team/) | [How we test](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/how-we-test/)