Supplement Cost Comparison Calculator
Two tubs with different fill quantities, prices and serving sizes are almost impossible to compare in your head on the shelf. This calculator puts 2 to 4 products on the same footing: in Protein mode it works out the price per gram of declared protein, and in Single-ingredient mode the price per reference amount of one ingredient you choose. It only compares what the labels actually declare, and says plainly when two figures are not comparable.
Your result
Price per comparison amount (comparable products only)
★ lowest price
★ lowest price
★ lowest price
★ lowest price
More details
Number of packs of this product in one order. Shipping counts once per order, so more packs spread it across more content. Servings and the total amount grow with the number of packs.
Amount of the ingredient itself, not of the compound.
Amount of the ingredient itself, not of the compound.
In the EU the nutrient amount is stated per serving. Compare the amount of the nutrient itself (e.g. ‘magnesium 300 mg’), not the mass of the compound (e.g. ‘magnesium citrate 1,000 mg’).
More details
Number of packs of this product in one order. Shipping counts once per order, so more packs spread it across more content. Servings and the total amount grow with the number of packs.
How this calculator works
First the calculator builds the order cost: pack price × number of packs + shipping. In Protein mode the price per gram of protein is the cost divided by the total declared protein. Protein per pack follows the label basis: for a figure stated per 100 g or per 100 ml it is fill quantity × protein per 100 / 100; for a figure stated per serving it is fill quantity × protein per serving / serving size. 25 g of protein is a mathematical reference amount, not an intake amount.
In Single-ingredient mode you pick the ingredient and a reference amount (for example 5 g). For counted units (capsules, tablets, sachets) the total is amount per unit × units per pack × number of packs; for powder it is fill quantity × amount per 100 g / 100 × number of packs. Every amount is converted to milligrams (1 g = 1,000 mg, 1 mg = 1,000 µg). The cost per reference amount is cost × reference amount / total amount.
The comparability gate is the heart of the tool: products are compared only when the label states exactly the same ingredient in the same form, as a single amount. A different form or a compound only (for example magnesium citrate instead of magnesium), a blend stated without a single amount, an unreadable figure or a missing figure all mark the product as not comparable, with a reason. The calculator never converts a compound to its elemental amount, never derives an ingredient amount from a capsule count or powder mass, and never fills in a missing value. A cheapest price appears only when at least two products are comparable.
Internal arithmetic is unrounded; rounding happens only for display. Money is rounded to the cent, and very small amounts (such as the price per gram) keep enough decimal places so that a non-zero value never shows as 0.00.
Formula and variables
Cost=pack price × number of packs + shippingProtein per pack (per 100 g/ml)=fill quantity × protein per 100 / 100Protein per pack (per serving)=fill quantity × protein per serving / serving sizeTotal protein=protein per pack × number of packsPrice per gram of protein=cost / total proteinPrice per 25 g=25 × price per gram of proteinTotal ingredient (units)=amount per unit × units per pack × number of packsTotal ingredient (powder)=fill quantity × amount per 100 g / 100 × number of packsCost per reference amount=cost × reference amount / total ingredient (all in mg)Premium (%)=(price − cheapest comparable price) / cheapest comparable price × 100- fill quantity
- net content of one pack: g (per 100 g, per serving) or ml (per 100 ml)
- protein per 100 / per serving
- protein as stated on the label for the chosen basis; if missing, the product is not comparable
- serving size
- g (or ml) per labelled serving; required for a per-serving figure
- amount per unit
- declared ingredient amount per capsule/tablet/sachet, in g, mg or µg
- amount per 100 g
- declared ingredient amount per 100 g of powder, in g, mg or µg
- reference amount
- a mathematical comparison amount you choose (e.g. 5 g), not an intake amount
- shipping
- shipping for the whole order
- cheapest comparable price
- the lowest price per gram or per reference amount among the comparable products
Worked examples
Example 1: protein powder ‘per 100 g’ versus ‘per serving’
| Product A – price | €24.90 |
|---|---|
| Product A – fill quantity | 1,000 g |
| Product A – protein | 80 g per 100 g |
| Product B – price | €19.90 |
| Product B – shipping | €3.95 |
| Product B – fill quantity | 900 g |
| Product B – protein | 24 g per serving (serving 30 g) |
| Product A – total protein | 800 g |
|---|---|
| Product A – price per 25 g | €0.78 |
| Product B – total protein | 720 g |
| Product B – price per 25 g | €0.83 |
| Cheaper per gram of protein | Product A |
Product A gives 1,000 g × 80 / 100 = 800 g of protein for €24.90, which is €0.78 per 25 g of protein. Product B gives 900 g × 24 / 30 = 720 g of protein for €23.85 including shipping, so €0.83 per 25 g. Per gram of declared protein, Product A is cheaper. This is a pure price comparison, not a statement about which product is better. All figures are example assumptions.
Example 2: magnesium, and why a compound-only figure drops out
| Ingredient / reference | Magnesium, per 300 mg |
|---|---|
| Product A – price | €9.90 |
| Product A – capsules | 120 × magnesium 100 mg |
| Product B – price | €7.90 |
| Product B – capsules | 60 × magnesium 150 mg |
| Product C – price | €6.90 |
| Product C – capsules | 90 × ‘magnesium citrate 1,000 mg’ (compound only) |
| Product A – total magnesium | 12,000 mg |
|---|---|
| Product A – price per 300 mg | €0.25 |
| Product B – total magnesium | 9,000 mg |
| Product B – price per 300 mg | €0.26 |
| Product C | Not comparable: different form / compound only |
| Cheaper per 300 mg | Product A |
Product A states 100 mg of magnesium per capsule: 100 × 120 = 12,000 mg for €9.90, so €0.25 per 300 mg. Product B states 150 mg per capsule: 150 × 60 = 9,000 mg for €7.90, so €0.26 per 300 mg. Product A is cheaper per 300 mg of magnesium. Product C declares only ‘magnesium citrate 1,000 mg’, that is the mass of the compound rather than the nutrient magnesium. The calculator does not convert this to elemental magnesium and marks Product C as not comparable, so you only ever compare amounts declared the same way. All figures are example assumptions.
Assumptions
- Only the amounts declared on the labels are compared; the calculator does not test products or measure anything.
- 25 g of protein and the free reference amount are mathematical comparison quantities (example assumptions), not intake or dosage amounts.
- All defaults in the tool are example assumptions; you enter prices, fill quantities and serving sizes yourself.
- Money is shown only in the unit of the chosen currency; there is no currency conversion.
Limitations of this calculator
- This is a price comparison only and not a statement of nutritional equivalence, quality, purity, bioavailability, efficacy or safety.
- The calculator gives no intake, dosage or amount advice and states no requirement; it makes no health claims (EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 allows only authorised claims; this page makes none).
- A compound (e.g. magnesium citrate) is never converted to its elemental amount; only a single amount declared identically on the label is comparable, otherwise the product shows as not comparable.
- No live or market prices and no product or brand data; nothing is stored or transmitted, because the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why do labels state the amount per serving rather than per pack?
Under § 4 of the German food supplements regulation (NemV), the label must state the recommended daily portion of the product and the amount of nutrients or other substances relative to that portion, so you often see ‘per serving’. The calculator converts that per-serving figure back to the whole pack using the serving size, so two products sit on the same basis.
What is the difference between the nutrient and the compound?
Many minerals come in a compound: ‘magnesium citrate 1,000 mg’ is the mass of the citrate, not the mass of the nutrient magnesium inside it. EU labelling states the amount of the nutrient itself (for example ‘magnesium 300 mg’). Always compare the nutrient figure. If a label states only the compound, choose ‘different form’. The calculator then leaves the product out instead of inventing an amount.
Does ‘cheaper per gram’ mean the product is better?
No. The calculator compares only the price per comparable declared amount. It says nothing about quality, purity, taste, bioavailability or suitability. ‘Cheaper’ means only: less money per gram of protein or per reference amount of ingredient.
Why do g, mg and µg matter?
Ingredients are declared at very different scales: creatine in grams, magnesium in milligrams, some vitamins in micrograms (µg). The calculator converts everything to milligrams (1 g = 1,000 mg, 1 mg = 1,000 µg) so the comparison holds. Be sure to pick the unit exactly as the label states it.
What does ‘not comparable’ mean?
The product stays out of the ranking because its label figure does not match the others: a different form, a blend without a single amount, an unreadable figure or a missing one. You still see the reason and, where it can be worked out, the price per serving as a plain price fact. A cheapest price appears only once at least two products are comparable.
Are my inputs stored?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser. No inputs are stored or sent to a server.
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Sources and further reading
Official and independent sources on this topic. The links open each website in a new tab; no content is loaded from them into this page.
- § 4 NemV – labelling of food supplementsFederal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de)Legal basis in Germany for stating the recommended daily portion (para. 2 no. 2) and the nutrient amounts relative to that portion (para. 3 no. 1). It explains why labels declare amounts per portion and why the calculator compares those declared amounts.
Spotted an error in the calculation or the text?
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Last reviewed: 21/10/2026 · All calculations run in your browser – inputs are not stored. ·How we check our calculators