The Best Creatine Supplements of 2025 for Strength Training

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Creatine is a compound that supplies our muscles with energy. Our bodies produce creatine naturally, and it can also be found in meat, poultry, fish, and dietary supplements. Creatine supplements are not necessary, but research shows that they may be beneficial for active individuals, especially those who follow vegetarian or vegan diets.

Creatine supplements can increase our stores of creatine, which can delay fatigue and enhance performance when we’re engaging in high-intensity, short-duration exercise. Activities such as weight training or sprinting can contribute to improved muscle mass and strength. Creatine supplementation may also improve post-exercise recovery and help with injury prevention.  Research does not demonstrate direct improved performance with creatine supplements for prolonged endurance sports such as cycling or distance running.³¹ However, many of these endurance athletes use weight training to help improve performance and prevent injury, and creatine supplementation may support those workouts.

When evaluating different creatine supplements, we consulted registered dietitians with additional training in sports nutrition, including Francesca Castro, MS RD. When deciding which creatine supplement to purchase, “it is important to look for a third-party certification, such as NSF, or to do your own research into the company. You should also look for creatine monohydrate, since this is the most studied form,” says Castro. In addition to outside testing and form, we recommend checking ingredients, dose, and price.

Best Overall: Klean Athlete Klean Creatine Unflavored

Klean Athlete is a trusted company in the world of athlete supplements. Like all of their products, their creatine supplement is NSF Certified for Sport, meaning the company tests for substances prohibited by sports organizations. That is particularly important if you are a competitive athlete, but it is a plus for everyday athletes as well. The products are also non-GMO and do not contain any artificial colors, flavorings, or sweeteners.

Klean Athlete Klean Creatine contains only creatine monohydrate, the most studied form of creatine, and no other ingredients. You can mix it into water or another liquid of choice. Since it is unflavored, you can easily add it to different recipes. We recommend adding it to a smoothie with carbohydrate-containing foods, such as fruit or oats, as an optimal post-workout snack. In addition to enhancing the taste, it may be beneficial, because carbohydrates may increase muscle uptake of creatine.

Best for Athletes: Thorne Research Creatine Powder

Thorne Research is known for producing high-quality supplements, and its creatine is no exception. Thorne creatine undergoes rigorous third-party testing and is NSF Certified for Sport, so if you are a competitive athlete, this may be a trustworthy choice.

This creatine powder contains 5 grams of unflavored micronized creatine monohydrate per scoop. Micronized creatine is typically easy to mix into water or another liquid of choice, which can sometimes be an issue with other creatine supplements. The manufacturers recommend using this creatine 30 to 90 minutes before or after exercising. 

Thorne creatine does not contain any ingredients aside from creatine monohydrate. It is also free from dairy, soy, and gluten.

Best Budget: BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate Powder – Pre Workout with Creatine – Micronized Creatine – Vegan Pre Workout – Pre Workout Women – Creatine Powder

If budget is a top priority, BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate may be a good choice. This creatine supplement is less expensive than many other creatine supplements on the market. BulkSupplements.com’s creatine is also free from added sugar, soy, dairy, yeast, and additives.

Their creatine comes in powdered form in amounts ranging from 100 grams per bag to 25 kilograms, so you can purchase according to your needs. The powder is micronized, meaning that the particles have been made smaller to allow for easy mixing. The company also produces vegetarian or gelatin capsules, in case you prefer that form. In addition to providing a certificate of analysis with each product, BulkSupplements.com creatine is ConsumerLab-approved.

Best Vegan: Gnarly Nutrition Creatine, Unflavored

Gnarly Creatine is an NSF Certified for Sport creatine powder that contains Creapure creatine monohydrate and no other ingredients. It is free from artificial flavors, sweeteners, gluten, and soy. 

This creatine is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, who may benefit from creatine in particular. If you follow a vegan diet, your starting creatine stores may be lower, since creatine can be found in animal products. Using a high-quality creatine powder along with resistance exercise may support enhanced exercise performance.

Each bag of Gnarly Creatine contains 90 servings, so it should last you for a while. This unflavored powder can be added to a liquid of choice or to a carbohydrate-containing smoothie.

Best Pre Workout: Proven4 Sport Pre Workout Drink Powder for Men and Women, Energy from Creatine Beta Alanine, NSF Certified Supplements for a Clean Preworkout, Cherry Limeade, 30 Servings

If you are looking for a flavored creatine supplement that will give you a pre-workout boost, Proven4Sport might be a good option. This powder contains 150 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which studies show may enhance exercise performance. It comes in four flavors including cherry limeade, blue raspberry, fruit punch, and watermelon.

In addition to creatine and caffeine, Proven4Sport contains added B vitamins to support energy metabolism, along with beta-alanine, an amino acid that may delay fatigue and improve exercise performance. Proven4Sport is also NSF Certified for Sport, so it has been tested for substances banned by sports organizations. Note that it contains 2 grams of creatine per serving, which is a lower level than in other products. 

Best Tasting: Muscle Feast Creapure Creatine Monohydrate Powder

Legion Recharge contains 5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate per serving. In addition to creatine, this post-workout supplement contains 2.1 grams of L-carnitine per dose. L-carnitine is an amino acid involved in energy production. According to some small studies, it may help improve muscle repair and lessen soreness post-workout.

Many creatine supplements are unflavored, which can make them challenging to take. Legion Recharge comes in several flavors, including strawberry lemonade, blue raspberry, grape, and an unflavored version that is lightly sweet. It does not contain artificial sweeteners or dyes, but it is sweetened with stevia. Legion uses Labdoor for third-party testing and provides a Certificate of Analysis for each bottle of Recharge so you can see what is in it.

The manufacturer recommends mixing one serving into 10 to 12 ounces of water and drinking it alongside your post-workout meal.

Best Capsules: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Capsules, Keto Friendly, 2500mg, 200 Capsules

If you are not a fan of powders or chews, Optimum Nutrition makes a creatine supplement in capsule form. It allows for the added convenience of being able to take your creatine on the go, without having to mix it into liquid.

The recommended dose is two capsules of creatine monohydrate, taken twice daily with a meal. Optimum Nutrition offers bottles with 100, 200, and 300 capsules, so you can decide on an amount that is right for you. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you should note that these capsules contain gelatin. While convenient, these capsules are also a more expensive choice.