How to Pick the Best Creatine Supplement in 2024, According to Experts

If you’re looking for creatine to support your strength training goals, like muscle gain—or the best creatine for bulking—Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is a good choice. Each serving contains the recommended 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, which has repeatedly been shown to increase power⁴, repeated sprinting ability⁵, maximal strength⁶, and muscle mass⁷.

It puts a twist on a traditional creatine supplement because it also contains 1.5 grams of beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) per serving. 

“HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, which helps to prevent the breakdown of muscle protein and can help speed up the recovery process from strenuous exercise,” explains sports nutritionist Dr. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D.

Basically, HMB is anabolic and acts synergistically with creatine to enhance muscle growth⁸.

We gave it a 4 out of 5 for taste, with two of our testers saying they got a “weird” taste from it.

Nicole Davis, GGR head of content and a certified personal trainer, tried Black Cherry and wasn’t a huge fan of the taste. “It tasted a bit watered down, even with the right amount of water,” she says. “Some people may prefer this though! There were floaties after I finished mixing, but it didn’t interfere with the overall drinking of it.”

We also had Amanda Capritto, certified nutrition coach and former GGR senior staff writer, give another flavor a try. “I got the Peach Mango flavor, and there’s something weird about it. The flavor itself is good and strong enough, but I think the BioPerine, which is a derivative of black pepper, is altering the taste,” she explains. “When you smell it, it smells spicy in a weird way. It’s kind of off-putting. When mixed, it tastes a bit bitter unless mixed with more than the recommended amount of water.”

BioPerine, a patented form of piperine, has been shown to increase the absorption rate of numerous compounds it is taken with⁹, which in this particular case are creatine and HMB.

Both testers also scored this a 3.5 out of 5 when it came to solubility. “I got chunks and it settles if you don’t drink it all in one go,” Amanda says.

There are 13 flavors of Creatine HMB available—Sour Grape, Peach Mango, Fruit Punch, Watermelon, Black Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Orange, Tropical Punch, Hawaiian Splash, Cherry Kiwi, Blueberry Pomegranate, Sour Grape, and Strawberry Lemonade—plus an unflavored option if you just want to stick to the basics. Know, too, that there are no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives in any flavor of this supplement either.

Read our full Transparent Labs creatine review for even more info on this top-notch product.

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Our best budget creatine supplement goes to Nutricost Micronized Creatine Monohydrate simply because it’s one of the least expensive creatine supplements on the market. GGR editor Frieda Johnson, CNC, notes, “Creatine is one of the more affordable sports nutrition supplements, but this is impressively affordable even with that expectation.” At about $0.33 per serving, this is one of the best deals available, earning it a 5 out of 5 for price per serving.

All you’re getting with this supplement is pure creatine monohydrate—5 grams each serving to be exact. Because of that, don’t expect any fancy flavors or sweeteners; Nutricost creatine comes simply unflavored. Still, it scores high on taste at a 4.5 out of 5, with Frieda remarking that it really is unflavored. “I added it to water and couldn’t tell the difference,” she says.

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The solubility is what you’d expect from most creatine; it swirls around in water while stirring and then settles once the stirring stops.

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched form of creatine, with over 500 peer-reviewed publications devoted to the potential benefits of this supplement. Better yet, Nutricost claims to have their supplements third-party tested, although they don’t disclose who from. Just to be sure, athletes should only stick to Informed Choice or Sport and NSF-Certified for Sport certifications to be sure their supplements are free from banned substances.

Read our full Nutricost Creatine review for more information.

Athletes need to take special care with supplementation that no WADA-banned substances are present, as it could disqualify them from the competition. That’s why we like Onnit’s Creatine Monohydrate powder—they certify all of their sports products through Informed Sport, which means that what they say on the label is confirmed accurate. 

As we know, creatine monohydrate has been shown to support increases in muscle mass, strength, and power, plus promotion of positive adaptations in body composition, and athletes are allowed to consume it.

Onnit’s particular unflavored powder is gluten and soy-free, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and mixable in almost any liquid. Plus, at less than 40 cents per serving (with a subscription), you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck. 

Nicole Davis, GGR senior editor and our expert product tester, says that this is indeed a flavorless powder, giving it a 5 out of 5 for having no taste. “I mixed it with water and sipped just to be sure,” she says. “It dissolves well and mixes in unnoticeably into your post-workout drink.”

Read our full Onnit creatine review for a more comprehensive take on this creatine.

We all know whey protein powders or the best protein shakes are the go-to post-workout drink, but we like Legion Recharge as a post-workout drink because you’re getting a few research-backed ingredients that will help with muscle recovery and repair.

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It also helps when your post-workout drink tastes good.

Nicole Davis, certified personal trainer and GGR head of content, says that Recharge gets the highest rating for solubility as it dissolves well, a perfect 5 out of 5. She also said the Strawberry Lemonade flavor earned a 5 out of 5 for taste. “Pretty sweet but also pretty tart,” Nicole says.

Beyond the 5-gram dose of micronized creatine, you’re also getting 2.1 grams of L-carnitine L-tartrate, which sports nutritionist Dr. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., says has been shown to combat muscle soreness and improve muscle repair.

Additionally, 10.5 milligrams of corosolic acid is there to enhance post-workout nutrient absorption.

Available in an unflavored variety and six flavors—Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Grape, Strawberry Kiwi, Strawberry Lemonade, and Watermelon—Recharge has zero added sugar and no artificial food dyes or fillers, plus it’s naturally sweetened with Stevia. It’s also third-party tested so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Our full Legion Recharge review has thoughts from multiple certified personal trainers and nutrition coaches who tested this post-workout supplement. (Also, check out our Legion Athletics coupon code page to see the latest ways you can save on this brand!)

Creatine is often brought up during discussions of bulking and muscle gain, but a 2019 meta-analysis¹⁰ found its just as effective in helping people who are already doing resistance training to lose weight. We like Sports Research for people who are on a weight loss journey because it only has one ingredient and is backed by third-party organizations that have tested it for heavy metals and banned substances.

Studies¹¹ also show that a 5-gram dose of creatine monohydrate, which is exactly what you’ll find in Sports Research creatine, can help slow down the loss of muscle mass in adults. Because it contains the clinically-recommended dose and has no additives, we’re giving it a 5 out of 5 on formulation. This is great for those who are concerned with weight loss and muscle preservation. We could call this product best creatine for bodybuilders, too, just for that reason.

It was hard to find a downside for this product, but if we had to pick one, it’s that there are no flavored options. On the bright side, the unflavored creatine powder makes it easy to mix with your electrolytes, pre-workout, and other supplements. “I mixed this with water, and if I hadn’t poured the powder in myself I wouldn’t have been able to tell there was anything in the shaker bottle,” says Anthony O’Reilly, a certified personal trainer and GGR performance editor. “There’s no taste to this.”

He adds there’s no aftertaste, so we’re giving it a 5 out of 5 on taste (we know, that sounds weird for an unflavored supplement).

At under 50 cents per serving, and even cheaper if you put it on a subscription, this creatine supplement gets a 5 out of 5 on pricing.

If you’d rather take your creatine in gummy form, look no further than Swoly creatine gummies. We tested a few of the best creatine gummies on the market, and Swoly in particular had our testers in shock with how great they are! 

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You’ll have to take five gummies to get 4 grams of creatine—slightly lower than the 5-gram dose we like to see—but Kate Meier, GGR senior director of content, said she’d happily eat 50 of these in one sitting, giving them a perfect 5 out of 5 score for taste.

“These are friggin’ delicious. Like, need-to-make-sure-my-child-doesn’t-find-these-or-she-will-eat-them-all kind of delicious! They remind me of the BEST fruit snacks ever (Annie’s Homegrown Organic).” 

Other reviewers echo Kate’s sentiment, saying Swoly’s creatine gummy bears make taking creatine much easier for them and that there’s no weird taste or texture. Be aware, though, that there are 15 calories in a five-gummy serving as well as 2.5 grams of sugar. 

Check out our in-depth Swoly Creatine Gummies review for our full thoughts on these yummy creatine snacks.

If you’re looking for more of a post-workout cocktail, consider Jacked Factory Growth Surge. Not only is there a variety of flavor options in this line for those who don’t want to choke down unflavored powder, but according to Dr. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., a sports nutritionist, Growth Surge contains three key ingredients to support muscle growth and recovery.

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“The solubility of this one isn’t great,” says Nicole Davis, GGR head of content and our expert product tester, giving it a 3 out of 5 in that category. “But I tried Cherry Limeade and liked the flavor. I thought there was an aftertaste, though—not horrible, but super noticeable.”

There are 3 grams of creatine monohydrate, plus each serving also contains 2.5 grams of betaine anhydrous. “Similar to creatine, betaine promotes cell hydration and resilience to stressors,” Dr. Kendall explains. “It may also lead to increases in workout volume and enhance endurance. In a 2021 study¹², two weeks of betaine supplementation improved upper- and lower-body muscle endurance in young athletes.” 

You’ll also find 2 grams of L-carnitine L-tartrate per serving of Growth Surge, which can help fight muscle soreness post-exercise. Dr. Ceahla McGeady, M.D., says, “Of note, L-carnitine L- tartrate can have some unfavorable side effects, including stomach upset, diarrhea and heartburn. It is also not appropriate for people with seizure disorders, as it lowers the seizure threshold¹³. This means if you have ever had a seizure before, you should avoid L-carnitine L-tartrate.”

This post-workout supplement is available in 10 great-tasting flavors—Cherry Limeade, Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Blueberry Lemonade, Swoleberry, Watermelon, Black Cherry, Sour Peach Rings, Strawberry Lemonade, and Unflavored—and costs $1.33 per serving. Just keep in mind, you’ll only be getting 3 grams of creatine in one serving, so you may need to consider more supplementation to follow recommendations on dosage for maximal benefits. 

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Most studies show you need between 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day to achieve peak muscle-building effects, which is exactly what you get with Crazy Muscle Three-Atine. We’ll get to the other two forms of creatine in a second—the main star here is the 4.8 grams of creatine monohydrate. Studies have shown this type of creatine, along with progressive overload, can help increase muscle mass¹⁴.

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Certified nutrition coach Anthony O’Reilly says he uses these while traveling to keep up his strength and muscle mass. “These definitely help prevent any muscle or strength losses while I’m on vacation,” he says. “I’m going to keep this in my travel bag at all times.”

Now, does three types of creatine have any more impact than just one? Not necessarily, says registered dietitian Bob Iafelice. “Monohydrate is clearly the best creatine,” he says. “No need for the other unproven forms.” Plus, he adds, the other two are present in low doses that aren’t likely to have much added benefit.

Still, we’ll rate the formulation a 5 out of 5 due to the research-backed amount of creatine monohydrate and the fact that there are no artificial ingredients in it.

These are capsules, which some people may have troubles with, but Anthony says the swallowability is a 4 out of 5. Each capsule is about the circumference of a quarter and you can easily split your daily dose into two or three parts.

“I like that you can take these with you wherever,” Anthony says. “It’s a lot less messy than a powdered creatine.”

ProHealth Longevity Creatine is free of all common allergens and animal products such as eggs, dairy, and fish. That’s because the only ingredient is creatine monohydrate, making it a perfect choice for those living a vegan lifestyle or anyone who wants minimal ingredients in their supplements.

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Because it has 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and no additional ingredients, it gets a 5 out of 5 on formulation. “An excellent product,” says registered dietitian Bob Iafelice. “I would recommend.”

You don’t have to be plant-based to enjoy this creatine. Caine Wilkes, a GGR senior staff writer who placed 9th in Olympic weightlifting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, says, “it’s a good creatine powder and does its job.”

His one major complaint was with the taste. It’s an unflavored creatine, but according to Caine there’s a slight “chemical” aftertaste. “My wife mentioned she noticed a metallic aftertaste,” he adds. “With a sports drink, I didn’t notice it though.” He gave the taste a 4 out of 5.

He adds that it mixes better than other creatines he’s used, but that it will settle if you leave it for a few minutes. “If you had this immediately after mixing, it’d be great,” Caine says, rating it a 5 out of 5 for solubility.

As an Olympian, Caine looks for products that are third-party tested to ensure they’re free of banned substances that might show up on a drug test. While ProHealth products are tested by an independent lab, it’s not done by a major organizations such as NSF or Informed Sport so we’re giving it a 3 out of 5 for that category. “Since I’m an athlete, I try to stick to those athlete-specific certifications,” Caine says. “That said, I’d probably use it again.”

Jocko Fuel is the brainchild of John “Jocko” Willink, a retired Navy SEAL, podcaster, and author whose goal with this brand was to create simplified nutritional supplements using the best raw ingredients. So, when picking the best creatine monohydrate, we had to go with Jocko Creatine, as its only ingredient is 5 grams of clinically-dosed creatine monohydrate—aka the most well-studied type of creatine. 

Kate Meier, a GGR editorial team member and a weightlifting coach, tried Jocko Creatine and gave it high marks for its simple formula and excellent value. Kate gave it a 4.5 out of 5 for flavor, marking it down half a point as this unflavored creatine powder still had a lingering taste when mixed with water. 

As for solubility, she gave the powder a perfect score of 5 out of 5, saying, “It dissolves completely with just a few shakes and after about 30 seconds.”

Further, customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive on both the Jocko website and Amazon, with ingredient quality, value, and mixability praised among users. Additionally, each container comes with 90 servings, making it a bargain at $0.45 per serving. 

If you’re looking for a pre-workout with creatine, our favorite is Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout, simply due to the potency of ingredients. As far as creatine goes, a maximum two-scoop serving provides 5 grams of creatine—but only 2.5 grams of creatine in one scoop.

Whether you want one or two scoops is up to you, since Gorilla Mode also contains 200 milligrams of caffeine in each scoop, too. Caffeine-sensitive users may want to avoid two scoops. With 5 grams of L-citrulline in one scoop, and other effective ingredients like L-tyrosine and betaine anhydrous, you’ll get plenty of benefits for your pre-workout pump.

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Jacob Penner, a USA Weightlifting coach and part of the GGR expert panel, tried out Gorilla Mode and almost immediately felt the effects. “I took this 15 minutes before my workout,” he says, “and two hours later, I still have a pump. I felt calm but energetic throughout my workout. I also felt warm. There’s no tingling though, since there’s no beta-alanine.” He rates the effects a 4.5 out of 5.

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“The taste isn’t the selling point here,” Jacob adds. He tried Bombsicle, and it tasted sweet, “like all three flavors of a Rocket Pop combined,” he says. If you like sweet, this might be your jam, but otherwise, know that the effects of the pre-workout are the reason to take this supplement.

As a quick note, the pre-workout isn’t third-party tested, although it is transparent in its ingredients. Glycerol is included as well, which is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, so athletes beware. Check out our Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout review for our full thoughts.

While you can buy flavored creatine, most on the market are unflavored, and we’re naming Jacked Factory Creatine Monohydrate as the best unflavored option. While flavored creatine does have its perks, we like unflavored because of its versatility—you can mix it into any drink of your choosing, and it won’t alter the taste. Score!

GGR’s senior director of content, Kate Meier, tested this creatine by drinking it with water and also by mixing it into her pre-workout. She gave the product a 5 out of 5 for taste (well, for a lack of taste), and a 4 out of 5 for solubility.

“My water just tasted like water,” she says. “I couldn’t detect the powder at all, other than a very small bit of sediment that settled at the bottom of my glass. But that’s because I mixed it with a spoon. If you’re putting this in a blender or using a shaker bottle, like I did with my pre-workout, you can’t tell the powder is in there at all.”

Formula-wise, you don’t get much cleaner than this. The sole ingredient is creatine monohydrate, and this product contains the research-backed dosage of 5 grams per serving. We also gave this a perfect score for its price point, as it clocks in at just 50 cents or less per serving.

The only real area where we feel this product falls short is that it isn’t third-party tested. Therefore, we can’t guarantee that it’s free from contaminants or has any other issues.

Check out our Jacked Factory creatine monohydrate review for more details.

Although men and women can take the same creatine supplement, we think Crazy Nutrition CRN-5 is a good choice for biological men because it has the clinically-recommended 5-gram dose of creatine monohydrate and is loaded with other ingredients that can help with weightlifting and recovery.

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We particularly like the inclusion of HCL, because it could help reduce bloating while you bulk. According to Dr. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., a sports nutritionist, HCL doesn’t require a loading phase, either.

Additionally, there are 56 milligrams of magnesium, 1,250 milligrams of sodium, and 300 milligrams of potassium. Electrolytes are essential for athletic performance and recovery, two important aspects of bulking. As Sydney Lappe, registered dietitian, puts it, “Electrolytes are absolutely essential for life as we know it.” It gets a 5 out of 5 on formulation.

Dr. Caehla McGeady notes one thing to watch for, however: “Importantly, potassium supplementation is not safe in patients with underlying heart and kidney conditions,” she says. “Too much potassium can cause abnormal and potentially dangerous heart rhythms, as well as confusion and difficulty breathing.”

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Kate Meier, competitive weightlifter and senior director of content at Garage Gym Reviews, tested CRN-5. She gave the Lemon & Lime flavor a 4 out of 5 for its taste. “Pretty good! A little tangy, but not too sweet or sour,” she says. “I like lemon-lime things, so this is something I would drink for sure.”

As far as solubility, Kate notes that when she stirred it in a glass with a spoon, it didn’t fully dissolve and she should taste the grains, so she gave it a 4 out of 5 on that front. However, mixing it with a shaker cup and a metal ball broke up the chunks.

There are two significant callouts we have on this product. The first is that it isn’t third-party tested, from what we can tell. Also, at $1.50 per serving, it’s one of the most expensive creatine products on our list.

Read our full Crazy Nutrition Ultimate CRN-5 review for all of our thoughts.

Women looking for a creatine supplement that won’t cause bloating or other digestive issues should turn to Promix Creatine Monohydrate, which is easy to digest and free of all common allergens. They accomplish this by only having one ingredient: creatine.

“I took this on an empty stomach and didn’t notice any negative side effects,” says Caine Wilkes, a member of the 2020 United States Olympic weightlifting team. “It’s consistent with other creatines I’ve taken, and helps me last a hair longer on my strength workouts.”

There are 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per serving, earning it a 5 out of 5 on formulation, and you can choose between a 30- or 180-serving bag. At $0.96 per serving, the 30-serving bag gets a 3.5 out of 5 on pricing and the 180-serving bag gets a 5 out of 5 for being $0.32 per scoop.

We gave it a 4 out of 5 on solubility because two of our testers noticed leftover residue at the bottom of their glass. “It mixes really well with a spoon,” says certified personal trainer Matt Dustin.

It’s also only available as an unflavored supplement, and it lives up to its name for the most part. “I notice a very slight bitter taste in plain water, but it disappears completely in a protein shake,” says Matt, who gave the taste a 4 out of 5.

If mixing creatine powder in a liquid doesn’t sound appealing to you, don’t fret—there are quite a few creatine capsules available on the market. We like Optimum Nutrition creatine because the brand is widely respected and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. 

Creatine in capsule form tends to be much easier to transport, if you want to take your supps on the go with you during the day, and you don’t have to worry about mixing or measuring. Plus, you won’t have to deal with any flavors (or aftertaste) you don’t like. 

Kate Meier, GGR head of content and competitive weightlifter, tested out the ON capsules, giving it an overall 4.2 out of 5 stars. “This is rated high because it’s third-party tested, the serving size is affordable, and taste and solubility aren’t an issue,” she says.

“However, you have to take four pills to get 5 grams of creatine,” she goes on. ON defines a serving size as 2.5 grams on the bottle, which is shy of the recommended 5-gram dosage. So if you consider 5 grams a serving, you actually only get 25 servings per bottle, which takes the price to nearly $2 a serving.

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Whereas most creatine supplements use creatine monohydrate—the most researched form of creatine—Kaged Creatine HCl uses a patented form of creatine hydrochloride (HCL) which may aid in faster absorption rates and reduced bloating¹⁵.

According to Dr. Kendall, benefits of HCL include that it’s super soluble and easy to mix in any liquid, it doesn’t require a loading phase and can help you combat gastrointestinal disturbances, like occasional gas, cramping, and bloating, and temporary weight gain from water retention, which may occur with creatine use.

This is great for those who are concerned with weight loss and muscle preservation. We could call this product the best creatine for bodybuilders, too, just for that reason.

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It’s available in powder form in unflavored, Fruit Punch, and Lemon Lime, as well as a capsule form. Nicole Davis, GGR head of content and a certified personal trainer, rates the taste a 5 out of 5, saying, “I tried the Lemon Lime flavor and really liked it—it was tart and not too sweet.” Solubility also gets top marks, as Nicole mentions, “It completely dissolved, so for solubility it gets an A+.”

At 750 milligrams of creatine HCl per serving, it’s severely underdosed, earning just a 1 out of 5 for its formulation. And although it only costs $0.33 per serving, the instructions recommend you take 4 servings per day—this means one container wouldn’t even last you three weeks. 

Each batch is also certified by Informed Sport, meaning it’s tested for banned substances (on the WADA banned list). Read our Kaged Creatine HCl review for an in-depth look at this creatine supplement.