Momentous vs Transparent Labs vs Nutricost Creatine: Dose, Testing and Price Compared
Ben Law
Reviewed by Sarah Law, Dip CNM, Naturopathic Nutritionist
Momentous vs Transparent Labs vs Nutricost creatine: Momentous is the best-tested of the three (NSF Certified for Sport, 5 g a scoop, about 48 cents or 37p a serving). Nutricost is the cheapest (5 g a scoop for about 24 cents, third-party tested, no sport certification). Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is the odd one out: the same 5 g of creatine plus HMB, vitamin D3 and black pepper extract, at about $1.67 a serving, and the research on adding HMB is mixed. None of the three names the company that makes its creatine. Our pick, if you want a named German source with published batch results: Creavitalis creatine monohydrate, 5 g a scoop for 67p in the UK or 90 cents in the US. It costs more than Momentous and Nutricost per serving and is not sport-certified.
The Love Life Supplements figures on this page come from our own product specifications and lab reports. Each scoop of our Creavitalis powder is 5 g of creatine monohydrate made by Alzchem in Germany, the company that also makes Creapure. A 300 g tub holds 60 servings for £39.95 on our UK store and $54.26 on our US store. An independent Eurofins test of batch 41500291 in June 2026 measured 99.9 g of creatine monohydrate per 100 g, with lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic all below the limit of detection. The powder won three stars in the Sports Nutrition and Active Lifestyle category at the Nourish Awards 2026, is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 133 customer ratings, and is covered by our 60-day money-back guarantee.
Creavitalis creatine monohydrate: 5 g per scoop, made in Germany by Alzchem, 60 servings per tub, batch results published.
View product- Momentous Creatine: 5 g per scoop, 90 servings for $42.99 (48 cents a serving) or £33.00 in its UK checkout (37p). NSF Certified for Sport, plus PFAS and microplastics screening. No longer uses Creapure; source not named. The best fit for athletes who are drug tested.
- Transparent Labs Creatine HMB: 5 g creatine monohydrate, 1.5 g HMB, 12.5 µg vitamin D3 and 5 mg BioPerine per scoop. 30 servings for $49.99 ($1.67 a serving). Certificates of analysis published. The extra ingredients drive the price; the evidence for the HMB add-on is mixed.
- Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate: 5 g per scoop, 100 servings for $23.97 (24 cents a serving). Third-party tested by an accredited lab, made in the US from globally sourced ingredients. The lowest price per gram here. Sells in US dollars only.
- Love Life Supplements Creavitalis: 5 g per scoop in both markets, German creatine from Alzchem, independent batch results you can read. 67p or 90 cents a serving, so dearer than Momentous and Nutricost, and not sport-certified.
Momentous vs Transparent Labs vs Nutricost creatine: the comparison table
All three brands give 5 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop, and so does our Creavitalis powder. The differences are the testing behind each tub, whether anything else is added, and price. Only Momentous carries a sport certification (NSF Certified for Sport). Transparent Labs adds HMB, vitamin D3 and black pepper extract. Nutricost is the cheapest by a wide margin. Every competitor figure below was read from the brand's own product page on 20 October 2026, using the unflavoured version and the standard pack. To make prices comparable we worked out the cost of 5 g of creatine monohydrate from each pack's list price.
| Product (unflavoured) | Per scoop | Creatine source named | Certification or testing stated | Pack and list price | Cost per 5 g creatine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentous Creatine | 5 g creatine monohydrate | No (no longer Creapure) | NSF Certified for Sport; also Eurofins, Light Labs, SuppCo; PFAS and microplastics screening | 90 servings, $42.99 / £33.00 | 48 cents US, 37p UK |
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | 5 g creatine monohydrate + 1.5 g HMB + 12.5 µg vitamin D3 + 5 mg BioPerine | No | Third-party tested, certificates of analysis published | 30 servings, $49.99 (60 servings, $89.99) | $1.67 ($1.50 in the 60-serving tub) |
| Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate | 5 g micronised creatine monohydrate | No (made in the USA from globally sourced ingredients) | Tested by an independent accredited lab; GMP-compliant facility | 500 g (100 servings), $23.97 | 24 cents (23 cents in the 1 kg tub) |
| Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) | 5 g creatine monohydrate | Yes, Creapure | Third-party tested | 500 g (100 servings), $42.97 | 43 cents (out of stock on the day) |
| Love Life Supplements Creavitalis powder | 5 g creatine monohydrate | Yes, Creavitalis by Alzchem, Germany | Independent batch tests published (Eurofins, Certified Laboratories) | 300 g (60 servings), £39.95 / $54.26 | 67p UK, 90 cents US |
| Love Life Supplements Creapure capsules | 1 g per capsule, 5 capsules = 5 g | Yes, Creapure by Alzchem, Germany | Independent microbiology tests published | 150 capsules, £35.95 / $48.83 | £1.20 UK, $1.63 US |
Sources: livemomentous.com Creatine 90 servings page and FAQ [9]; transparentlabs.com Creatine HMB page [10]; nutricost.com Creatine Monohydrate Powder and Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) pages [11]; our own product specifications and lab reports. All read 20 October 2026. The Momentous sterling price is the figure its own checkout shows UK shoppers; Transparent Labs and Nutricost price in US dollars only on their own sites. Cost per 5 g = list price divided by the number of 5 g servings in the pack. Subscription and bundle discounts are left out for every brand. Prices change often; check each brand's site before you buy.
How much creatine is in a scoop of Momentous, Transparent Labs and Nutricost?
All three give 5 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop, which is about 4.4 g of creatine once the water in the monohydrate is counted [6]. That makes this an easier comparison than many: unlike UK-made tubs that use a 3.4 g scoop, none of these needs a correction for scoop size. Our Creavitalis powder and Creapure capsules also give 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving, in both the UK and the US.
A 5 g scoop sits inside the usual range. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements describes a maintenance intake of 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day [6], and the International Society of Sports Nutrition reaches the same range [1]. In Great Britain the authorised health claim for creatine, that it increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise, applies to foods that provide 3 g of creatine a day [8], so a 5 g scoop of monohydrate comfortably covers it.
| Reference | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Daily reference intake for creatine | No NRV. Creatine is not an essential nutrient, so it has no Nutrient Reference Value on GB labels [7] | No RDA or Daily Value. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements describes 3 to 5 g a day as the usual maintenance intake |
| Amount behind the authorised performance claim | 3 g of creatine a day (GB nutrition and health claims register) | Not applicable; US structure and function statements are not pre-authorised in the same way |
| Vitamin D (relevant to Transparent Labs Creatine HMB, 12.5 µg a scoop) | NRV 5 µg. NHS advice: 10 µg a day is enough for most people, everyone should consider a supplement in autumn and winter, and adults should not take more than 100 µg a day [15] | RDA 15 µg (600 IU) for adults aged 19 to 70; Tolerable Upper Intake Level 100 µg (4,000 IU) [16] |
UK claim wording and conditions from the GB nutrition and health claims register [8]; NRVs from Annex XIII of the retained food information regulation [7]. US creatine figures from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on supplements for exercise and athletic performance [6]; vitamin D figures from the NIH ODS vitamin D fact sheet [16].
Muscle creatine rises to the same level on 3 to 5 g a day as on a short high-dose loading phase; it simply takes about four weeks rather than one [4]. All three brands say loading is optional, and Momentous and Transparent Labs both stress taking it every day, including rest days. Our guide to whether you need to load creatine covers that choice.
Which creatine is cheapest per serving?
Nutricost is the cheapest at about 24 cents per 5 g, then Momentous at 48 cents (37p in its UK checkout), with Transparent Labs Creatine HMB far behind at $1.67 because each scoop carries HMB and vitamin D3 as well. Our Creavitalis powder costs 67p or 90 cents per 5 g, more than Momentous and Nutricost, and our Creapure capsules cost more again because capsules take longer to fill. Here is the same 5 g of creatine monohydrate from each, at list prices on 20 October 2026.
Our own calculation from the list prices above. Subscribing to our Creavitalis powder takes 10% off the first order and 15% off every order after that (£35.96 or $48.83 for a first order). Momentous shows a 25% subscribe-and-save option and Transparent Labs and Nutricost run their own subscription prices, which we have not included.
What does the extra money buy with ours? Two things, both checkable. First, a named source: Creavitalis is made by Alzchem in Germany [12], the same company that makes Creapure, and the label says so. Second, published batch results: we send finished tubs to independent laboratories and post the reports on our lab results page. If neither matters to you, Nutricost gives you the same molecule for about a third of the price.
Creapure capsules: 1 g of Creapure per capsule, no fillers, 150 capsules, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 75 ratings.
View productIs Transparent Labs Creatine HMB better than plain creatine?
Not on current evidence. Each scoop of Creatine HMB gives the same 5 g of creatine monohydrate as a plain creatine, plus 1.5 g of HMB (as myHMB), 12.5 µg (500 IU) of vitamin D3 and 5 mg of BioPerine black pepper extract [10]. The creatine does the well-established work. Whether the HMB adds anything is where the research is mixed.
HMB is a breakdown product of the amino acid leucine. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 trials in adults aged 18 to 45 found that HMB produced a small rise in total body mass during resistance training, but no significant extra gain in lean mass or strength, and concluded the findings do not support HMB for those goals [13]. A 2019 systematic review of creatine plus HMB found six studies with mixed results, some showing gains in strength or body composition and others not, using 3 g of HMB a day [14], which is twice the amount in a Transparent Labs scoop. A trial in collegiate rugby players found adding HMB to creatine did not improve performance across a season [17].
The vitamin D3 is worth knowing about for a different reason. At 12.5 µg a scoop it is 250% of the UK NRV and about 83% of the US RDA on its own. Transparent Labs itself advises against taking several scoops a day to load creatine because the vitamin D would add up. If you already take a vitamin D supplement, add the two together before you start, and stay under the 100 µg a day upper level that both the NHS and the NIH use.
If you like the idea of one scoop that does several jobs, Creatine HMB is a well-made, transparently labelled product. If you want the part with the strongest evidence for the least money, a plain 5 g creatine monohydrate does that job, and you can choose vitamin D separately at the dose that suits you.
"When a creatine tub lists extra ingredients, I ask clients to add up what they already take. Vitamin D is the usual overlap. If you already take a vitamin D supplement, a creatine with added vitamin D can take your daily total higher than you planned, so check both labels before you combine them."
Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female
Does Momentous creatine use Creapure?
No, not any more. The FAQ on the Momentous creatine page, read on 20 October 2026, says Momentous no longer sources creatine from Creapure and now uses its own Signature Spec creatine, made in an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified pharmaceutical facility and washed with reverse-osmosis water. It does not name the manufacturer or the country. Transparent Labs lists creatine monohydrate without a source on its Creatine HMB page. Nutricost's standard creatine names no source either; its separate Creapure product does, but both of its sizes were out of stock on the day we checked.
Why would the source matter if creatine monohydrate is one molecule? Because the way it is made decides what else ends up in the tub. Reviews of creatine and related compounds discuss manufacturing by-products such as dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazines, and point out that purity depends on how and where the creatine is made [5] [3]. Momentous answers that with heavy testing rather than a named supplier, which is a reasonable approach. We are not saying any of these brands sells impure creatine; we have not tested their products, and their pages do not give us the information either way.
Our Creapure and Creavitalis purity guide explains the difference between the two Alzchem brands, and our creatine monohydrate vs HCl guide covers why monohydrate remains the form with the evidence behind it [3].
Which creatine is third-party tested?
All three say they use third-party testing, but they mean different things. Momentous is the only one with a sport certification: NSF Certified for Sport, which its page describes as verifying label content, screening for banned substances and setting limits for contaminants including heavy metals. It also lists testing by Eurofins, Light Labs and SuppCo, and screening for PFAS and microplastics. Transparent Labs publishes certificates of analysis for its products. Nutricost says its products are tested by an independent, accredited lab and made in a GMP-compliant facility. If you are subject to drug testing in sport, Momentous is the clear choice of the three, and none of our creatine products carries a sport certification.
One detail on the Nutricost page is worth explaining rather than skipping: it carries a California Proposition 65 warning for lead. That is a California labelling rule triggered at very low exposure levels, and many powdered supplements and foods carry it. It is a notice, not a test result, and we have no data showing the product exceeds any food safety limit.
What we do instead of a sport certification is test finished batches at independent laboratories and publish the numbers. For our Creavitalis powder:
| Batch | Laboratory and date | Creatine content | Heavy metals | Microbiology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41500291 | Eurofins, June 2026 | 99.9 g creatine monohydrate per 100 g | Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic all below the limit of detection | Clear |
| 41449682 | Certified Laboratories, February 2026 | 5,007 mg creatine monohydrate per 5 g serving | Below EU limits | Clear |
From our published lab reports; the full documents are on our lab results page. Every product also has a manufacturer's Certificate of Analysis linked on its product page.
A batch result is a different kind of evidence from a certification. A sport certification screens a product for banned substances on an ongoing programme; a published batch report tells you what one specific batch contained. Tested athletes need the first. Everyone else can reasonably ask for either.
Is Momentous creatine worth it?
Yes, if you compete in tested sport or put testing first. Momentous combines a 5 g scoop, NSF Certified for Sport and extra contaminant screening at $42.99 for 90 servings, which is 48 cents a serving and cheaper than our Creavitalis powder in both markets. Its directions are one 5 g scoop a day, any time, with loading optional, which matches the research consensus [2]. It is also the only one of the three whose own checkout prices in pounds for UK shoppers (£33.00 for 90 servings).
It is a weaker buy if price is all that matters, because Nutricost costs about half as much per gram, or if you specifically want Creapure, which Momentous has moved away from. For a side-by-side with the other sport-certified option, Thorne, see our Thorne vs Optimum Nutrition vs Myprotein creatine comparison.
Is Nutricost creatine good?
Yes, as a budget creatine. You get 5 g of micronised creatine monohydrate per scoop, third-party testing by an accredited lab, a GMP-compliant US facility and a 60-day money-back guarantee, at about 24 cents a serving in the 500 g tub. What you do not get is a named creatine source, a sport certification or published batch figures on the product page. Flavoured versions are also sold, and their prices sit close to the unflavoured tub. Nutricost prices in US dollars only, and its shipping terms say buyers outside the US pay any duties and taxes on top.
"Creatine works through daily consistency, so the best tub is the one a client will take every day. I would rather someone takes a plain 5 g scoop of a well-tested creatine every morning than buys a premium blend and only uses it on training days."
Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female
Momentous, Transparent Labs, Nutricost or Love Life Supplements: which should you choose?
Choose by what matters most to you. On testing, Momentous wins; on price, Nutricost wins; on a named German source with published batch results, ours does.
Pick by priority
Momentous Creatine (NSF Certified for Sport). None of our creatine products is sport-certified.
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate, 23 to 32 cents per 5 g depending on tub size.
Creavitalis powder, 5 g a scoop, 67p or 90 cents a serving, with independent lab reports for named batches.
Our Creapure capsules (1 g each, 3 to 5 a day) or Creapure chews (UK). Our gummies vs powder vs capsules guide compares formats.
If you were drawn to Transparent Labs for the HMB, the evidence above suggests the creatine is doing most of the work, so a plain creatine plus a separate vitamin D at a dose you choose gives you more control for less money. Whichever you pick, take it every day rather than only on training days; consistency matters more than timing [2]. Our guide to how to take creatine covers timing and missed days, and does creatine cause bloating explains the small early weight change some people notice.
How we compared these products
We read each competitor's ingredients, serving size, testing statements, FAQ and list price from its own product page on 20 October 2026, using the unflavoured version and the standard pack size. For Momentous we also read the sterling price its own checkout shows UK shoppers. We did not use retailer listings or review sites. Our own figures come from our product specifications and from the independent lab reports linked above. We have not lab-tested the competitor products and make no claim about their contents beyond what their own pages state. Prices change often, so read this as a snapshot of the day we checked.
Momentous vs Transparent Labs vs Nutricost creatine: frequently asked questions
Is Momentous creatine worth it?
Momentous Creatine is worth it if you are tested in sport or want the most extensive testing of the three. It is NSF Certified for Sport, gives 5 g of creatine monohydrate per scoop and costs $42.99 for 90 servings (about 48 cents a serving) on its US site, or £33.00 in its UK checkout (about 37p a serving). It does not name the company that makes its creatine.
Does Momentous creatine use Creapure?
No, not any more. The Momentous product page FAQ, read on 20 October 2026, says Momentous no longer sources creatine from Creapure and now uses its own Signature Spec creatine made in a pharmaceutical facility. It does not name the manufacturer or the country. If you want Creapure specifically, check the label for the Creapure name and logo.
Is Nutricost creatine good?
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate is a sound budget choice: 5 g of micronised creatine monohydrate per scoop, third-party tested by an independent accredited lab, made in a GMP-compliant US facility, and about 24 cents a serving in the 500 g tub. It does not name its creatine source or carry a sport certification, and its page shows a California Proposition 65 warning for lead. Its Creapure version was out of stock on 20 October 2026.
Is Transparent Labs Creatine HMB better than plain creatine?
Not clearly. Each scoop gives the same 5 g of creatine monohydrate as a plain creatine, plus 1.5 g of HMB, 12.5 µg of vitamin D3 and 5 mg of BioPerine. A 2020 meta-analysis found HMB did not improve strength or lean mass gains from resistance training in young adults, and a 2019 review of creatine plus HMB found mixed results using 3 g of HMB a day, twice the Transparent Labs dose. At about $1.67 a serving it costs several times more than plain creatine.
Momentous vs Thorne creatine: which is better?
They are close. Both are plain creatine monohydrate, 5 g a scoop, 90 servings and NSF Certified for Sport. On 20 October 2026 Momentous was $42.99 and Thorne $44 for 90 servings. Momentous adds PFAS and microplastics screening and sells in pounds to UK buyers; neither names its creatine manufacturer.
Can you split a dose of Transparent Labs creatine?
Yes. Creatine works by keeping muscle stores topped up, so the total you take each day matters more than whether you take it in one go or two. Splitting one scoop of Creatine HMB into two half scoops still gives you 5 g of creatine a day. Transparent Labs advises against taking several scoops a day to load, because the vitamin D in each scoop adds up.
About the Reviewer: Sarah Law, Dip CNM
Sarah Law is a Certified Naturopathic Nutritionist and Functional Practitioner specialising in hormonal health, gut health, and evidence-based nutrition. She holds a Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM, London) and is a Certified Functional Health Coach. Sarah combines naturopathic principles with modern functional nutrition science to help her clients make informed health decisions.
About the Author: Ben Law
Ben Law is the founder of Love Life Supplements and host of the Optimised Health Show. He is a qualified Advanced Dietary Supplement Advisor and Primal Blueprint Certified Expert, and has spent 14 years building transparent, research-led formulations manufactured to GMP and BRC standards. He wrote this comparison from each brand's published product pages and from our own product specifications and lab reports.
Momentous, Transparent Labs, Nutricost, Thorne, myHMB and BioPerine are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with Love Life Supplements. Creapure and Creavitalis are registered trademarks of Alzchem Trostberg GmbH. Learn more about Ben.
References
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. PubMed
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. PubMed
- Jäger R, Purpura M, Shao A, et al. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino Acids. 2011;40(5):1369-1383. PubMed
- Hultman E, Söderlund K, Timmons JA, et al. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol. 1996;81(1):232-237. PubMed
- Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: a critical review. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1035. PubMed
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance: fact sheet for health professionals (creatine section). NIH ODS
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex XIII (reference intakes), as retained in GB law. legislation.gov.uk
- Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register (creatine). GOV.UK
- Momentous. Creatine, 90 servings, product page and FAQ (read 20 October 2026). livemomentous.com
- Transparent Labs. Creatine HMB product page, supplement facts and FAQ (read 20 October 2026). transparentlabs.com
- Nutricost. Creatine Monohydrate Powder and Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) Powder product pages (read 20 October 2026). nutricost.com, Creapure version
- Alzchem Trostberg GmbH. Creavitalis brand page. alzchem.com
- Jakubowski JS, Nunes EA, Teixeira FJ, et al. Supplementation with the leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) does not improve resistance exercise-induced changes in body composition or strength in young subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1523. PubMed
- Fernández-Landa J, Calleja-González J, León-Guereño P, et al. Effect of the combination of creatine monohydrate plus HMB supplementation on sports performance, body composition, markers of muscle damage and hormone status: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2528. PubMed
- NHS. Vitamin D (vitamins and minerals). nhs.uk
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: fact sheet for health professionals. NIH ODS
- Mangine GT, VanDusseldorp TA, Hester GM, et al. The addition of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) to creatine monohydrate supplementation does not improve anthropometric and performance maintenance across a collegiate rugby season. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020;17(1):28. PubMed
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