# Best Protein Powder with Creatine > The best protein powder with creatine, checked against the 3-5 g daily dose the research supports, with the cost of each blend compared to adding your own creatine monohydrate. - **URL**: https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/ - **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/) --- Seven powders that put creatine in the tub, checked against the 3-5 g a day the evidence supports, plus the cheaper option most lifters overlook. **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 protein powder with creatine for most lifters is MuscleTech Nitro-Tech: 30 g of protein and 3 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop, per the label at the time of writing. If you want the full 5 g, Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine is the plant pick and Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine the light, juice-style option. Our honest view, though, is that a plain whey plus a tub of creatine monohydrate is usually cheaper and more flexible. Here is the dose and cost math behind both routes. ## Our Top Picks | Award | Product | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Best Whey with Creatine | [MuscleTech Nitro-Tech Whey Protein](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#muscletech-nitro-tech-whey-protein) | The most sensible whey-plus-creatine tub for someone who drinks one shake a day. Check you are buying the original Nitro-Tech, not Whey Gold. | | Best Value: Add Your Own | [Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (plus creatine monohydrate)](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#optimum-nutrition-gold-standard-100-whey) | The pick for most lifters. A proven whey plus a cheap tub of creatine monohydrate beats a combined product on cost and flexibility. | | Best Plant-Based, Full 5 g | [Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine Powder](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#orgain-30g-protein-creatine) | The best choice for a vegan or dairy-free lifter who wants protein and a full creatine dose in one scoop. | | Best Clear Whey with Creatine | [Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#myprotein-clear-whey-isolate-creatine) | Good for warm-weather or post-cardio drinks with a full creatine dose. Only worth buying at Myprotein's frequent sale prices. | | Best Certified Blend | [Vega Protein + Creatine](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#vega-protein-creatine) | The pick for tested athletes who want a plant protein with creatine already in it. | | Best Budget Plant Blend | [Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine Warrior Blend Strength](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#sunwarrior-protein-creatine-warrior-blend-strength) | The cheapest way we found to get plant protein and a full creatine dose in one scoop, if 21 g of protein is enough for you. | | Best Mass Gainer with Creatine | [Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-with-creatine/#optimum-nutrition-serious-mass) | Only for hard gainers who need calories as much as protein. For everyone else, a lean protein plus creatine is the better buy. | ## 1. The Short Answer: Is a Protein Powder with Creatine Worth It? A protein powder with creatine is a convenience product, not a better product. Creatine monohydrate is the most researched sports supplement there is, and the dose that works is small and boring: 3 to 5 g a day, every day, taken whenever suits you. A blend that delivers that dose in the same scoop as your protein saves you one step. A blend that delivers 1 g, or hides the amount inside a proprietary blend, saves you nothing and costs more. That is the test we applied. Of the products we could verify on current labels, MuscleTech Nitro-Tech, Vega Protein + Creatine and Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass list 3 g or more (Serious Mass lists 5 g on the US label), while Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine, Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine and Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine list a full 5 g. Some products that older listings describe as containing creatine no longer show it on the brand's current label, so an old review or a retailer listing is not a reliable guide. We excluded anything where the current label did not show a clear creatine figure. | Powder | Protein / serving | Creatine / serving | Base | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | MuscleTech Nitro-Tech | 30 g | 3 g monohydrate | Whey blend | | Myprotein Clear Whey + Creatine | 20 g | 5 g (Creapure) | Hydrolyzed whey isolate | | Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine | 30 g | 5 g micronized | Pea and brown rice | | Vega Protein + Creatine | 30 g | 3 g monohydrate | Pea and brown rice | | Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine | 21 g | 5 g monohydrate | Pea, mung and fava bean | | ON Serious Mass (US label) | 50 g | 5 g monohydrate | Gainer (whey and casein) | | ON Gold Standard Whey + your own creatine | 24 g | 3-5 g, you choose | Whey blend | If you already like a whey that costs less than $1.50 per 25 g of protein, keep it and add a scoop of creatine monohydrate. On the prices we saw, that combination costs less per day than every pre-mixed whey on this page, and you can drop the creatine without changing your protein. The pre-mixed products earn their place when you value having one tub on the shelf, when you travel or keep a tub at work, or when the blend happens to be on sale. One more framing point. Protein and creatine are both useful, but neither replaces training. If you are still deciding whether supplements matter at all, our evidence review on [whether protein supplements build muscle](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/do-protein-supplements-build-muscle/) is a better starting point than any product list, and our [best protein powder for muscle gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/) guide covers the protein side in more depth. ## 2. How We Ranked These Powders We did not test these powders in a lab or a kitchen, and we do not claim to have. Every figure here comes from the brand's own Supplement Facts panel or product page at the time of writing, cross-checked against a major retailer listing where we could find one. Where the US and European labels differ, as they do for Optimum Nutrition's creatine and Serious Mass, we say so and use the US figure. The first filter was the creatine dose. The research behind creatine uses creatine monohydrate at around 3 to 5 g a day for maintenance, so a product had to list at least 3 g of creatine monohydrate per standard serving to rank. A product listing 1 or 2 g, or folding creatine into an undisclosed blend, was dropped. That one rule matters more than it sounds, because a word on the front of a tub tells you nothing about the amount inside. The second filter was the protein itself. We wanted at least 20 g per serving from a clearly named source: whey concentrate, isolate, hydrolyzed whey, or a named plant blend. We also looked at what else rides along in the scoop, such as sugar, sweeteners, and fillers like maltodextrin, because a creatine blend that adds 15 g of carbohydrate you did not want is not a good trade. Third came cost. We worked out cost per serving and cost per 25 g of protein from the list price we saw on the brand site or a major retailer, and compared it with the cheapest sensible alternative: a plain protein powder plus a separate creatine monohydrate at about $0.34 per 5 g serving, which is what Optimum Nutrition's own 60-serving tub worked out to at its US list price. Prices move constantly, so treat our numbers as a snapshot and redo the arithmetic on the day you buy. Finally we weighed third-party testing. Only Vega, which lists Informed Choice certification, cleared that bar among the blends. That matters most for tested athletes. If certification is non-negotiable for you, our [NSF-certified protein powder guide](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-nsf-certified-protein-powder/) lists certified whey you can pair with a certified creatine. ## 3. The Best Protein Powders with Creatine Ranked first by whether a single serving delivers a meaningful creatine dose (3-5 g of creatine monohydrate), then by protein per serving, label quality and cost. All figures are per the label at the time of writing and vary by flavor and region; formulas change, so check the Supplement Facts panel on the tub you buy. ### 1. MuscleTech Nitro-Tech Whey Protein **Award:** Best Whey with Creatine | **Type:** Whey blend with 3 g creatine monohydrate - **Protein / serving:** 30 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 3 g monohydrate - **Calories:** About 150-160 - **Best for:** One whey shake a day The original Nitro-Tech, not to be confused with Nitro-Tech Whey Gold or Ripped, is one of the few mainstream whey powders that still lists a meaningful creatine dose. Per MuscleTech's label at the time of writing, one scoop of about 45-46 g gives 30 g of protein, 3 g of creatine monohydrate and about 150-160 calories, varying by flavor. It is sold in 1.5, 2 and 4 lb tubs in Milk Chocolate, Vanilla Cream, Strawberry and Cookies and Cream. **Bottom line:** The most sensible whey-plus-creatine tub for someone who drinks one shake a day. Check you are buying the original Nitro-Tech, not Whey Gold. **Pros:** - 30 g of protein and 3 g of creatine monohydrate in one scoop, per the label - Creatine is stated as a clear gram figure, not hidden in a blend - Widely sold, with a 4 lb tub that lowers the cost per serving - Cost per 25 g of protein is close to a plain whey plus separate creatine **Cons:** - 3 g is the bottom of the effective range; bigger lifters may want more - MuscleTech names quality testing but no third-party certifier - Easy to confuse with Nitro-Tech Whey Gold, which is a different formula [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008JC26E4?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 2. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (plus creatine monohydrate) **Award:** Best Value: Add Your Own | **Type:** Whey blend, paired with separate creatine - **Protein / serving:** 24 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 3-5 g, added by you - **Calories:** About 120 (whey only) - **Best for:** Most lifters Gold Standard contains no creatine; this pick is the do-it-yourself route. Per the label at the time of writing (Double Rich Chocolate), a scoop gives 24 g of protein and about 120 calories. Add 5 g of plain creatine monohydrate, such as Optimum Nutrition's own micronized creatine, and at the prices we saw the pair costs about $1.72 a day, less per gram of protein than every pre-mixed whey on this page. **Bottom line:** The pick for most lifters. A proven whey plus a cheap tub of creatine monohydrate beats a combined product on cost and flexibility. **Pros:** - Cheaper per 25 g of protein than the whey blends at the prices we saw - You can take creatine on rest days without drinking a shake - Change protein flavor or type without changing your creatine - Huge flavor range and wide availability **Cons:** - Two tubs and two scoops instead of one - Gold Standard Whey itself lists no third-party certification [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GISTZ4?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 3. Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine Powder **Award:** Best Plant-Based, Full 5 g | **Type:** Pea and brown rice protein with 5 g creatine - **Protein / serving:** 30 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g micronized - **Calories:** About 170 - **Best for:** Vegan lifters Orgain's newer creatine blend pairs 30 g of pea and brown rice protein with 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate in a two-scoop serving, per the brand's page at the time of writing. It lists about 170 calories, 4 g of fiber, no added sugar and no dairy or soy. It is sold in a 28.16 oz tub in vanilla, listed at $44.99 on Orgain's site when we checked, with a subscription discount. **Bottom line:** The best choice for a vegan or dairy-free lifter who wants protein and a full creatine dose in one scoop. **Pros:** - Full 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate per serving - 30 g of plant protein, high for a vegan powder - No dairy, soy or added sugar, per the brand - Creatine is especially useful for plant-based eaters, who start with lower stores **Cons:** - One flavor (vanilla) at the time of writing - No third-party sport certification listed - A half serving drops creatine to 2.5 g [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1TKQHKM?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 4. Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine **Award:** Best Clear Whey with Creatine | **Type:** Clear hydrolyzed whey isolate with 5 g Creapure - **Protein / serving:** 20 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g (Creapure) - **Calories:** About 90 - **Best for:** Clear, light shakes A juice-style clear whey with creatine added. Per Myprotein's US label at the time of writing, a 30 g scoop gives 20 g of protein from hydrolyzed whey, 5 g of creatine monohydrate as Creapure, and about 90 calories, sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Tubs hold about 20 servings in flavors such as Lemonade and Passionfruit. Myprotein discounts heavily: we saw $29.97 against a $49.95 list price. **Bottom line:** Good for warm-weather or post-cardio drinks with a full creatine dose. Only worth buying at Myprotein's frequent sale prices. **Pros:** - Full 5 g of creatine as Creapure, a branded monohydrate - Light, juice-like drink for people who dislike milky shakes - Low calorie at about 90 per scoop, per the label **Cons:** - Only 20 g of protein per serving - Poor value at full list price; buy it on sale - Small 20-serving tubs [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7XXVLXF?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 5. Vega Protein + Creatine **Award:** Best Certified Blend | **Type:** Pea and brown rice protein with 3 g creatine - **Protein / serving:** 30 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 3 g monohydrate - **Calories:** About 190 - **Best for:** Tested athletes Vega's performance blend puts 30 g of pea and brown rice protein and 3 g of creatine monohydrate in one scoop of about 48 g, per the label at the time of writing, for roughly 190 calories. It is the only blend on this list that carries Informed Choice certification, per Vega. Unlike Vega's other powders it contains organic cane sugar alongside stevia. Target listed the 22 oz tub of about 13 servings at $24.99. **Bottom line:** The pick for tested athletes who want a plant protein with creatine already in it. **Pros:** - 30 g of protein plus a standard 3 g creatine dose - Informed Choice certified, per Vega - Widely stocked at Target and Walmart **Cons:** - Contains organic cane sugar as well as stevia - Small 13-serving tub - 3 g of creatine is the low end of the range [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWV9BD4R?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ### 6. Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine Warrior Blend Strength **Award:** Best Budget Plant Blend | **Type:** Pea, mung bean and fava bean protein with 5 g creatine - **Protein / serving:** 21 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g monohydrate - **Calories:** About 120 - **Best for:** Budget plant blend Sunwarrior's creatine version of Warrior Blend combines organic pea, mung bean and fava bean protein with 5 g of creatine monohydrate. Per the label at the time of writing (Chocolate), a two-scoop 41 g serving gives 21 g of protein and about 120 calories, with 0 g added sugar, sweetened with stevia and monk fruit. A 2.26 lb tub of 25 servings listed at $35.97 at Swanson when we checked. **Bottom line:** The cheapest way we found to get plant protein and a full creatine dose in one scoop, if 21 g of protein is enough for you. **Pros:** - Full 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving - About $1.71 per 25 g of protein with creatine included, at the price we saw - No added sugar; stevia and monk fruit only - Organic plant protein blend **Cons:** - 21 g of protein per serving, lower than Orgain or Vega - Protein is a proprietary blend, so individual amounts are not listed - Limited flavor availability [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sunwarrior%20Protein%20%2B%20Creatine%20Warrior%20Blend%20Strength&tag=sktiger-20) ### 7. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass **Award:** Best Mass Gainer with Creatine | **Type:** High-calorie mass gainer with creatine - **Protein / serving:** 50 g (label) - **Creatine / serving:** 5 g (US label) - **Calories:** About 1,250 - **Best for:** Hard gainers Serious Mass is a high-calorie gainer, not a lean protein powder. Optimum Nutrition's US page lists 5 g of creatine monohydrate per full serving, alongside about 1,250 calories and 50 g of protein; European labels list 3 g of creatine, so check the tub. Most of the calories come from maltodextrin. Many buyers start with a half serving, which also halves the creatine. **Bottom line:** Only for hard gainers who need calories as much as protein. For everyone else, a lean protein plus creatine is the better buy. **Pros:** - About 1,250 calories and 50 g of protein per full serving, per the label - 5 g of creatine on the US label covers a full daily dose - Low cost per 1,000 calories among supplements **Cons:** - Very high in fast-digesting carbohydrate - Half servings deliver only half the creatine - Wrong product for anyone not actively trying to gain weight [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015R36SK?tag=sktiger-20&linkCode=ll1) ## 4. What the Creatine Evidence Actually Says The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand on creatine, led by Richard Kreider, concludes that creatine monohydrate is the most effective nutritional supplement currently available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training. That is a strong statement from a cautious body, and it rests on hundreds of controlled trials across several decades rather than a handful of small studies. The mechanism is straightforward. Creatine raises the store of phosphocreatine in muscle, which your body uses to regenerate ATP during short, hard efforts like a heavy set or a sprint. With fuller stores, most people can squeeze out an extra rep or two across a workout. Over weeks and months, that extra work adds up to a little more training stimulus, which is where the gains in strength and lean mass come from. Creatine does not build muscle on its own; it helps you train slightly harder. The dosing guidance is simple. The position stand describes two routes. You can load with about 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day, roughly 20 g split into four doses, for five to seven days, and then drop to 3 to 5 g a day. Or you can skip loading and take 3 to 5 g a day from the start; muscle stores reach the same saturation in about three to four weeks. For a blend in a daily shake, the second route is the only one that makes sense, because loading would mean four shakes a day. Timing matters much less than consistency. Studies comparing pre- and post-workout creatine have found small differences at most, and the practical consensus is to take it at whatever time you will remember. There is some evidence that taking creatine with carbohydrate and protein modestly increases how much muscle retains, which is one honest argument for putting it in a shake. It is not a large effect, and it applies equally whether the creatine came pre-mixed or from a separate tub. Creatine works for most people, but not identically. People who eat little meat or fish tend to start with lower stores and often respond more, which makes creatine particularly relevant for vegetarians and vegans. Some people respond very little. The ISSN and later reviews also note that monohydrate remains the form with the evidence behind it; creatine HCl, buffered creatine and creatine ethyl ester have not been shown to work better, and usually cost more. ## 5. Does Each Product Hit an Effective Dose? This is where pre-mixed products divide into two groups. Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine, Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine, Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine and the US label of Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass all list 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving, the top of the standard maintenance range. One serving a day covers you completely, and you never have to think about it again. MuscleTech Nitro-Tech and Vega Protein + Creatine list 3 g. That is the bottom of the effective range, and the ISSN position stand describes 3 g a day as enough to saturate muscle stores over about a month. For most people of average size, 3 g is fine. Larger lifters, roughly 90 kg and up, may prefer closer to 5 g, and some researchers suggest scaling maintenance to around 0.03 g per kg of body weight, which puts a 100 kg lifter at 3 g as well. Either way, 3 g is a real dose, not a sprinkle. The trouble starts when you use these powders the way people actually use protein powder. Many lifters have two shakes on training days and none on rest days. With a creatine blend, that means 6 to 10 g on some days and nothing on others. The extra creatine is not dangerous for healthy adults, but it is wasted money, and the rest days without any creatine slow down how quickly your stores fill. Creatine rewards daily consistency, not big doses. The opposite problem happens with half servings. Someone who uses one scoop of Orgain instead of the full two-scoop serving, to save calories, gets 2.5 g of creatine. That is still not useless over time, but it falls under the range the research uses. Serious Mass is the extreme case: the 5 g figure is per full serving of roughly 1,250 calories, and many people sensibly start with a half serving, which halves the creatine. Finally, read the label for the form and the number, every time. Creatine monohydrate and micronized creatine monohydrate are the same molecule; micronized just dissolves more easily. Creapure, listed on the Myprotein product, is a branded monohydrate made in Germany with tight purity specs. Anything that only lists a creatine blend or matrix without a gram figure for monohydrate should go back on the shelf. ## 6. Cost: Pre-Mixed vs Buying Creatine Separately Here is the arithmetic that most product pages skip. Plain creatine monohydrate is one of the cheapest supplements per dose you can buy. Optimum Nutrition's own 60-serving tub listed at $20.49 on its US site when we checked, or about $0.34 per 5 g serving, and store brands and larger tubs often go lower. So the fair question for any blend is whether it costs more than your usual protein plus about a third of a dollar. | Option | Price seen | Per serving | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ON Gold Standard Whey + ON creatine | $79.99 / 58 servings + $20.49 / 60 | About $1.72 | 24 g protein + 5 g creatine | | MuscleTech Nitro-Tech (2 lb) | $44.99 | About $2.25 (our estimate) | 30 g protein + 3 g creatine | | Myprotein Clear Whey + Creatine | $29.97 sale / $49.95 list, 20 servings | $1.50-$2.50 | 20 g protein + 5 g creatine | | Sunwarrior Protein + Creatine | $35.97 / 25 servings | About $1.44 | 21 g protein + 5 g creatine | | Vega Protein + Creatine | $24.99 / 13 servings | About $1.92 | 30 g protein + 3 g creatine | The Gold Standard figure uses Target's listed price for the 3.96 lb tub, about 58 servings, plus Optimum Nutrition's creatine at its US list price. The Nitro-Tech per-serving figure is our estimate: 907 g in the 2 lb tub divided by a 45-46 g scoop gives roughly 20 servings; MuscleTech's page did not list the count, so check the tub. Sunwarrior's figure is Swanson's listed price, and Vega's is Target's regular shelf price, which was on clearance when we looked. Read per gram of protein, the DIY route usually wins. Gold Standard plus creatine works out to about $1.79 per 25 g of protein with the creatine included. Nitro-Tech lands around $1.87 by our estimate, close enough that a sale flips it, and the Myprotein clear blend runs from about $1.87 on sale to over $3 at list. Sunwarrior is the surprise: at about $1.71 per 25 g with 5 g of creatine included, it is competitive with the DIY route for anyone who wants a plant protein. Two hidden costs push further toward separate tubs. First, blends are sold in smaller containers, often 13 to 25 servings, while plain whey comes in 5 lb tubs where the cost per gram drops. Second, you cannot buy the creatine in bulk or on sale independently. If you like having a second shake on training days, every extra scoop of a blend is also paying for creatine you do not need. Plain creatine in a 1 kg bag lasts about seven months at 5 g a day. None of this makes the blends a rip-off. A few cents a day for one less tub and one less step is a fair trade if it means you actually take creatine daily. The point is to make that trade knowingly. If the blend you like costs more than $0.50 a serving over your usual protein, the convenience is getting expensive. ## 7. How to Mix Your Own Protein and Creatine Shake Mixing at home is about as simple as supplements get. Add one serving of your usual protein powder and 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate, roughly one level teaspoon of unflavored powder, to water or milk, shake and drink. Unflavored creatine has almost no taste, so it disappears into any chocolate or vanilla shake. Micronized creatine dissolves more fully and leaves less grit at the bottom of the bottle. Creatine is stable as a dry powder for years, but it slowly breaks down to creatinine in liquid, faster when the liquid is warm or acidic. A shake you mix and drink within a few hours is fine. Do not batch a week of pre-mixed shakes in the fridge, and do not leave a creatine shake in a hot car. If you like to prepare drinks ahead, keep the creatine in a small container and add it when you mix. You can also stir creatine into almost anything else: coffee, juice, yogurt, oatmeal or a smoothie. Hot coffee is fine if you drink it in the normal time frame; the breakdown in a single cup is small. If your shake is a smoothie with fruit, our [best protein powder for smoothies](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-smoothies/) guide covers which bases blend cleanly. Creatine does not need to go in your protein shake at all; it only needs to go in you, daily. The real advantage of mixing your own is control. On rest days, when you may skip the shake, you still take your 5 g in a glass of water. When you have two shakes, you add creatine to one. If you change protein, because a flavor runs out or you switch to a [cheaper whey concentrate](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-whey-protein-concentrate/), your creatine routine does not change. And if you ever want to stop creatine, for a blood test or any other reason, you simply stop adding it. If you choose this route, buy plain creatine monohydrate rather than a flavored blend, and look for a third-party seal if you compete. Skip anything marketed as an advanced or buffered form unless you have a specific reason; the evidence base is built on plain monohydrate, and that is what the cheap tubs contain. ## 8. When Buying Separately Is the Better Call For most readers, separate tubs are the better default, and there are several situations where we would push you firmly that way. The first is if you drink more than one protein shake a day or use protein powder in cooking. Every additional scoop of a blend adds another dose of creatine, and protein pancakes or baked oats made with a creatine blend are an expensive way to get a second dose you did not need. The second is if your protein intake varies with your schedule. People who use protein powder only on training days, or only when they miss a meal, will get creatine on an inconsistent schedule. Creatine works by keeping muscle stores topped up, and that requires daily intake. A separate tub you take with breakfast every day solves this; a blend tied to your shake habit does not. Third, choose separate tubs if you are particular about your protein. The creatine blends cover a narrow slice of the market: one mainstream whey blend, one clear whey, three plant blends and a gainer. If you want an unflavored isolate, a lactose-free option, a grass-fed whey or a specific flavor you love, you will almost certainly have to give it up to get creatine pre-mixed. Our [muscle gain picks](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/) cover a much wider range of proteins to pair with plain creatine. Fourth, separate is better for tested athletes. A certified protein and a certified creatine are easy to find. A blend with the same certification is rare; among the products here, only Vega lists Informed Choice. If you are subject to drug testing, check the certification database for the exact product and lot rather than relying on a front-of-tub claim. The blends make sense in narrower cases. If you drink exactly one shake a day, every day, a 5 g blend is genuinely simpler. If you are a plant-based eater, the Orgain and Sunwarrior blends are competitive on cost and convenient. And if you keep a tub at the office or in a gym bag, one tub beats two. Those are real advantages; they are just not universal ones. ## 9. Safety, Water Weight and Who Should Skip Creatine Creatine monohydrate has one of the best safety records of any supplement, and the ISSN position stand found no evidence of harm in healthy people at recommended doses, including in studies lasting several years. Still, this is general information, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease, take medication that affects the kidneys, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under 18, speak to your doctor before adding creatine. Expect a little water weight. Creatine draws water into muscle cells, and many people gain somewhere around 1 to 2 kg in the first weeks, more with a loading phase. This is water inside the muscle, not fat or bloating under the skin, and it levels off. It can matter if you compete in a weight class or are tracking a weight-loss goal closely, so plan for it rather than being surprised by the scale. Creatine raises blood creatinine, a marker that doctors use to estimate kidney function. That does not mean creatine harms the kidneys, but it can make a routine blood test look worse than it is. Tell your doctor you take creatine, and if a test result is borderline, ask whether to pause it for a few weeks and retest. This is one practical reason to keep creatine separate: you can stop it without changing your protein. Other worries come up often but have weak support. Studies have not found that creatine causes cramping or dehydration in healthy athletes. The hair loss concern traces back to one 2009 study in rugby players that found a rise in DHT; it did not measure hair loss and has not been replicated. Some people get stomach upset from large single doses, which is another reason to stick to 3 to 5 g rather than doubling up with two blended shakes. For the protein side, the usual cautions apply. Read our [protein powder safety guide](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/is-protein-powder-safe/) for heavy metals, sweeteners and allergens. Whey blends contain milk, and the mass gainer on this list is very high in fast carbohydrate, which is a poor fit for anyone managing blood sugar. ## 10. Which One Should You Buy? If you want whey with creatine already in it and drink one shake a day, buy MuscleTech Nitro-Tech. It gives 30 g of protein and 3 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop, per the label at the time of writing, in widely sold 2 and 4 lb tubs. Its creatine is at the low end of the effective range, so larger lifters may want a little extra on the side. If you want the full 5 g, choose by base. Orgain 30g Protein + Creatine is the plant pick, with 30 g of pea and brown rice protein and 5 g of micronized creatine per two-scoop serving. Sunwarrior's blend is cheaper per serving with less protein, 21 g, and a stevia and monk fruit sweetener system. Myprotein's Clear Whey Isolate + Creatine is the one to choose if you dislike milky shakes, at 20 g of protein in a juice-style drink, and it is worth buying only on sale. If you value third-party testing, Vega Protein + Creatine is the only blend here with Informed Choice certification, at 30 g of protein and 3 g of creatine. If you are trying to gain weight and struggle to eat enough, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass adds creatine to a very high-calorie gainer; our [weight gain guide](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-weight-gain/) covers whether a gainer suits you. For everyone else, and that is most people, the best protein powder with creatine is the protein powder you already like plus a tub of creatine monohydrate. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey with 5 g of plain creatine came out cheaper per 25 g of protein than every whey blend at the prices we saw, lets you take creatine on rest days, and lets you change either half without touching the other. That flexibility is worth more than the few seconds a combined tub saves. ## 11. Common Mistakes to Avoid ### Trusting the front of the tub Some powders mention creatine in their marketing but list only a small amount, or fold it into a proprietary blend with no figure. The research supports 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day. Turn the tub around and look for a gram figure for creatine monohydrate in the Supplement Facts panel before you pay a premium for it. ### Taking creatine only on training days Creatine works by keeping muscle stores full, which needs daily intake. If your blended shake is a training-day habit, your rest days get no creatine and your stores fill more slowly. Either drink the shake daily or keep a separate tub of creatine monohydrate for the days you skip protein. ### Doubling up with two blended shakes A second scoop of a creatine blend gives you a second dose of creatine you do not need. It is not dangerous for healthy adults, but it wastes money and raises the chance of stomach upset. If you regularly have two shakes, plain protein plus one daily dose of creatine is cheaper and cleaner. ### Paying for fancy creatine forms Creatine HCl, buffered creatine and creatine ethyl ester usually cost more and have not been shown to beat plain monohydrate. The ISSN position stand and the studies behind it use creatine monohydrate. Micronized monohydrate and Creapure are fine; they are still monohydrate, just finer or held to tighter purity standards. ### Pre-mixing shakes days ahead Creatine slowly breaks down to creatinine once it is dissolved, faster in warm or acidic liquid. A shake you drink within a few hours is fine, but a week of pre-mixed bottles in the fridge loses some potency. Keep powder dry until you mix it, and add creatine when you make the shake rather than in advance. ## 12. Frequently Asked Questions ### Is it OK to mix creatine with protein powder? Yes. Creatine monohydrate mixes into protein shakes without any known interaction, and some research suggests taking it with protein and carbohydrate slightly improves how much your muscles retain. Mix it with water or milk and drink it within a few hours, since creatine slowly breaks down in liquid. A level teaspoon of unflavored powder is roughly 5 g. ### How much creatine should be in a protein powder? Look for 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving, the daily maintenance dose used in the research and in the ISSN position stand. Below 3 g, a single shake will not reliably keep muscle stores saturated. Above 5 g offers no extra benefit for most people. Always check the gram figure on the Supplement Facts panel, not the front of the tub. ### Is it cheaper to buy creatine separately? Usually, yes. Plain creatine monohydrate costs roughly a third of a dollar per 5 g serving at the US list price we saw for Optimum Nutrition's tub, and less in bulk. Added to a good-value whey, that came out cheaper per 25 g of protein than every pre-mixed whey on this page. Blends win mainly on convenience, or when they are on sale. ### Does Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey contain creatine? No. Gold Standard 100% Whey contains no added creatine, per its label at the time of writing. Optimum Nutrition sells it alongside its Micronized Creatine Powder as a bundle in some markets, but they are separate tubs. Its Serious Mass gainer does list creatine: 5 g on the US label and 3 g on European labels. ### When is the best time to take protein and creatine? Whenever you will take them consistently. Studies comparing creatine before and after training show small differences at most, and total daily protein matters far more than shake timing. Many people find a post-workout shake an easy habit, but on rest days you still want your creatine. Our guide on when to take protein powder covers timing in more detail. ### Will creatine in my protein shake make me gain weight? Probably a little at first. Creatine pulls water into muscle cells, and many people gain around 1 to 2 kg in the first few weeks. That is water inside the muscle, not fat, and it levels off. Over months, any further gain comes from the extra training it supports. Plan for it if you compete in a weight class. ### Is creatine safe to take every day? For healthy adults, the ISSN position stand found no evidence of harm from daily creatine monohydrate at recommended doses, including in multi-year studies. It does raise blood creatinine, which can confuse kidney function tests, so tell your doctor you take it. Anyone with kidney disease, who is pregnant or under 18, should ask a doctor first. This is not medical advice. ## Related Protein Powder Guides - [Best Protein Powder for Muscle Gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-muscle-gain/): The best proteins to pair with plain creatine, ranked by cost and label. - [Do Protein Supplements Build Muscle?](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/do-protein-supplements-build-muscle/): What the research says protein powder can and cannot do. - [Best Protein Powder for Weight Gain](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-weight-gain/): Gainers and high-calorie options, including Serious Mass. ## The Bottom Line Creatine is the rare supplement whose evidence matches its reputation, and the dose that works is small: 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, taken consistently. A protein powder with creatine is worth buying only if it delivers that dose clearly on the label and fits the way you actually drink shakes. Nitro-Tech, Orgain, Sunwarrior, Myprotein's clear blend, Vega and Serious Mass all clear that bar on current labels. For most people, though, the better buy is a protein you like plus a cheap tub of plain creatine monohydrate. It costs less per gram of protein at the prices we saw, keeps your creatine daily even on rest days, and lets you change either half freely. Check labels before you buy, because formulas change, and speak to a doctor first if you have any kidney concerns. ## More in By Goal Guides in this category that pair with what you just read. - [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/) - [Best Protein Powder for Men](https://www.best-proteinpowder.com/best-protein-powder-for-men/) 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/)